# Pots in Aquariums



## PRichs87

So I always see flower pots in people's aquariums... got me thinking...

Are they ceramic? or what are they made from? Is there a specific clay that your pots should be made of if they are going into a tank?


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## La Reina

I have a normal, clean terra cotta flower pot in my tank. I've got my Wisteria in it currently, so I can move it around. If you use it as a cave, make sure you plug the drainage hole. One of my platies tried to swim through it and is really badly injured.


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## MOA

Hi,

It is a bad idea to use pots made with limestone or any other calcium-based ore. However, this does not happen all that often. Most basic pots will work so long as you stay away from the fancy display ones and the ones that have been painted.

To plug up the hole in the bottom you can use aquarium silicone, but wait 24 hours before placing such a pot in an aquarium. Also, it is a good idea to soak any pot for a least 24 hours before placing them in the tank. This gives the aquarist the chance to test what effect the pot has on the water chemistry. (Use tank water and an airstone to circulate the water in the soaking bucket.)

IMO,
MOA


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## PRichs87

I am considering possibly break one in half to make two different caves.


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## bearwithfish

i have seen that done.. and it looks great... just a word of caution bury the broken edges ot cover them with silicon so that they dont cut the fish if they rub on it or move it some how....


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## Jill0

We use pots in most of our tanks. They are made out of terracotta. We have drilled the bottoms out of most using a 2" ceramic drill bit. We soak them before adding to the tanks, or before drilling. They are only about $1/ each so if you get tired of them later, you've not put in much money. Some examples below:


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## bearwithfish

oh jill i love that large pile of them i may have to steel that idea ..lOL very very nice


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## Angel079

bearwithfish said:


> i have seen that done.. and it looks great... just a word of caution bury the broken edges ot cover them with silicon so that they dont cut the fish if they rub on it or move it some how....


I was just thinking the same thing :lol: def make sure there's no sharp edges for the fish to hurt themselves.


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## jclee

Thanks for telling me how you've done that. They look marvelous.


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## senorh

Be sure to sterilize your pots before you use them. Most places store pots and fertilizers, chemicals, in the same area


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## Lupin

MOA said:


> Hi,
> 
> It is a bad idea to use pots made with limestone or any other calcium-based ore. However, this does not happen all that often. Most basic pots will work so long as you stay away from the fancy display ones and the ones that have been painted.
> 
> To plug up the hole in the bottom you can use aquarium silicone, but wait 24 hours before placing such a pot in an aquarium. Also, it is a good idea to soak any pot for a least 24 hours before placing them in the tank. This gives the aquarist the chance to test what effect the pot has on the water chemistry. (Use tank water and an airstone to circulate the water in the soaking bucket.)
> 
> IMO,
> MOA


Regarding the pots made of limestone or any calcium area, there is nothing wrong with using them if your fish absolutely need hard alkaline water. In African Rift Valley biotopes, these are quite useful. Now if they were used in Amazon biotopes where acidic water is often the norm, it's another story as they absolutely do not need the buffering properties by these particular pots.

I don't see anything wrong with using porcelain and ceramic pots so long as they are not glazed. You'll find some goldfish enthusiasts love to use decorated pots and vases for their plants in goldfish tanks. I also use porcelain bowls myself.


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## PRichs87

good tips everyone, how do you sterilize your pots? boil them?


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## Jill0

I've never tried to sterilize ours. We get them from Michael's (craft store). We soak them before drilling out the bottoms and putting them in the tanks, but never tried to sterilize them.


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## Lupin

I don't sterilize mine either. Just give a good rinsing, that's it.


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