Adding Plastic Pots 2 my fish tanks.what should i do?

Question

clay version plastic pots iwant to add for my fish..how do i make it safe for my tank?pots are from backyard.from plant that were once in pots.any suggestions

Answer 1

It would be better to buy new ones. Even if you tried to clean them out, there could be a "scale" of minerals that leached form the soil that is inside the rim of the pot, and any scratches would hold soil and be harder to clean.

With plastic, you'll also have a problem with the pots trying to float, so you'll need to bury the bottom side in the gravel.

When I bred convict cichlids, I would use new unglazed clay pots to make their caves.

Answer 2

I'm not sure if you want to put just empty pots in your tank, or put planted plants in those pots into your tank. So I'll answer both ways, okay?

1. If you want to put plants in those pots:

a) Take your plants and rinse as much of the soil off the roots as you can. Keep at it - you really want to get all the soil off the plants.

b) Wash the empty plastic pots with hot soapy water, then rinse until the water is clear. You want to make sure there is no soapy residue left on the pot.

c) Get some unperfumed clay kitty litter. You don't want any with additives - all you want is plain clay kitty litter - the white kind. This will be your planting medium.

d. Rinse enough kitty litter to fit into your pot, with water, until it runs clear.

e. Place the rinsed kittly litter into your pot.

f. With your index finger, make a hole in the center of the pot's kittle litter, then push the plant's roots down into the kitty litter. You want all the roots down in the kittly litter (if possible).

g) When you done planting the plant in the pot, you can slowly lower it into your aquarium - and I mean slowly - you want the water to fill the pot slowly until the entire pot is under water. Then you can place it where you want it in the tank.

Planting it in clay allows the roots to absorb all the nutrients in the tanks water (produced from fish waste thas was converted by your tank's biofiltration system into nutrients that your plants use). The clay also protects the roots from your fish. Many fish like to nibble on plant roots, some like to dig in plant pots. Clay kitty litter discourages the fish from digging.

2. If you're only putting Pots in your Tank -

Just wash the pots with hot soapy water. The rinse the pots until the water runs clear. You want to ensure that there is no soapy residue left on the pot.

Good Luck.
Ken