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So SAD.. Terra cotta pots<Please dont use

990 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  koincidenskis 
#1 ·
One of things I have seen on this forum and others is how great terra cotta pots are for being cheap and offer a great hiding place.

Well.... please don't put them in your tank. I came home from work today to find my betta dead because he got stuck trying to swim through the hole.

It may have been common sense to plug up the hole, but I never thought of that because no one ever said anything!

Very sad right now. :cry::cry:
 
#2 ·
I am sorry for your loss :( the hole is a common concern on the forum that I have seen... I recently replaced a rusting decoration that had metal in it (we should all be aware of this, too, since it seems many decorations contain metal and rust causes toxins in the water) with a terra cotta pot, but I plugged the hole first with aquarium safe silicone.

It's something we all need to think about with any decoration. I will not buy decorations with sharp edges or holes that I can't fit my thumb through. To be honest, I really am thinking about getting rid of all my decorations and only using silk or live plants. That is all that is in my newest tank I've set up. I didn't remove the decor in my two males' tanks because one of them is blind and the other one really loves the squidward house that he's had for over a year. When I lose those two, I am removing the caves and replacing them with silk/live plants.

Edit: I'd like to add that I think terra cotta pots are safer than decorations/caves because I know they don't have metal, but the bottoms either need to be broken out or the holes need to be plugged.
 
#3 ·
Awww .... I'm so sorry that happened. SIP little fella :-(

I've learned the hard way to always look for and plug up holes that fish can wiggle their way into. I had a sorority girl several years ago who somehow caught herself in a small hole. It took awhile to loosen her up but she was so badly injured that she died a few minutes after. I'm super leery of any decoration in my tanks as a result. I have silk plants, and some terra cotta caves, but that's it.
 
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