DIY Ornaments?

[iElBeau]

Hey everyone!

I'm just wondering if anyone has cool ideas for DIY ornaments of any sort? With either step by step instructions, or a link to said instructions please?

Pictures would be great too!

I'm looking for relatively inexpensive ways to decorate my new 10G, and will need everything from a background and gravel to ornaments and plants themselves. I work at a campground so different woods are all available, and have many river stones available to me as well from my step mum's collection. But I'm looking for anything and everything, whether it's available or must be bought, so don't hesitate to post based on what I've said haha.

Thank you! :D

[shadowpony]

Background: a few sheets of construction paper laminated or covered in packaging tape works just fine.

Plants: silk plants for flower arrangements that look like stalks of grass and such attached to wood. Just cut stems off and wrap the around the wood.

Gravel: a bunch of assorted river rocks :) stack them, scatter them, just don't throw them at someone ;).

Oh! And if you want to go redneck cover the tank in ductape! Lol

[Twilight Storm]

If you log in through Tropicalfishkeeping.com (The parent site to this forum. Your login works for both sites) There is a big DIY section of the forum.

I, and some others, have links to some DIY stuff I found on other sites in an old post. If you look up my posts in my profile and hit threads started by me it's near the beginning of the list. (probably page 2 or 3? I don't have THAT many threads I dont think.)

Edited to add:

I grabbed the post for ya, but DO check out the main forum DIY section of tropicalfishkeeping!! There is a lot of good stuff in there :D Plus you can open it in a new tab and be logged in in both places....

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=69602

[iElBeau]

Awesome :) thank you!

[Bounce]

I've been wanting to attempt this project -- a DIY cave made from PVC pipe:

http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects...oration/99.asp

[iElBeau]

That's cute! I'll make a note to ask my dad to grab some PVC pipe from work :P

[mursey]

If you can find "silicone pinch bowls" or kiddie cups in silicone, you can just use scissors to make cave holes and turn the bowls upside down.

I like to make them because I don't have a lot of tools to cut anything like driftwood or coconuts, and silicone can't hurt the bettas. I might cover them with sand and aquarium sealant like people do with pvc pipe.

[bahamut285]

Just a few warnings:

- Be wary of craft flowers that have metals in them
- Paints that could come off or leach into the water
- Use aquarium safe glue such as Aquarium sealant (Made from silicon)


A good way to test for both metals and leeching paints is to leave them in a bucket of water for two weeks. Metals will generally oxidize (rust) and leached paint will dye the water.

[djembekah]

oh for tank backgrounds, use scrapbook paper! almost any craft store has that. i used it on Swish's tank when he was in the 1 gallon.

[iElBeau]

Wow, more great ideas! :) Thanks! I really like the silicone caves and background ideas. I was thinking of using a piece of fabric from a store or something for the background actually. Would that be ok?

Also, thank you bahamut for the warnings, I'll be sure to keep an eye out on those.