How to Make Aquarium Decorations

Save Money by Easy Do-it-Yourself Projects for Fish Tank Accessories

Nov 18, 2008

Nicely Accessorized Aquarium, Neale Monks@wikimedia commons

Making an air curtain, lightweight caves and weights for plants is very easy and costs a lot less than buying these aquarium accessories at pet stores.

With a few aquarium supplies and household tools, these easy-to-make accessories are great for improving the health and behaviour of tropical fish.

Aquarium Air Wand or Air Curtain

Fish love to have plenty of air in the tank. An air curtain is a great way to add more oxygen using an air hose and an inexpensive air pump.

Measure and cut a length of air hose that is long enough to reach the desired location in the aquarium from an air pump.
Seal up the end of the hose that will be submerged in the aquarium with aquarium silicone.
Let dry overnight.
With a pin, poke several holes in the tubing and go back four to ten inches from the sealed end. More holes are better because it provides more aeration in the aquarium.
Attach the unsealed end of the hose to an air pump and submerge the perforated end in the aquarium.

To keep the hose on the bottom of the tank, attach a small stone or piece of driftwood with an elastic band.

Weights for Aquarium Plants

These weights can be added to both live plants and plastic plants. All that’s needed is aquarium silicone and dried gravel from the bottom of the tank.

Cover a work area with paper in order to keep the gravel contained.
Measure 2 cups of aquarium gravel. If using gravel from the tank, make sure it is completely dry.
Mix 1 cup aquarium silicone with the 2 cups of gravel and mix well. It will resemble cookie dough.
Take out a small amount of silicone & gravel mixture and make a mound for the plant. Be sure to work quickly because the silicone dries fast.

For plastic plants:

Remove the factory mount from the bottom of a plastic plant and stick the plant stem in the mound.

For live plants:

Poke a hole in the center of each mound and make it large enough for the plant roots to pass through. Close up the hole slightly in order to prevent the roots from coming back through the hole again.

Place plants in tank after the mounds are dry.

Lightweight Aquarium Caves

Fish love to explore their surroundings so caves keep them busy. In addition, aggressive fish need caves as hiding places in order to declare their own territory. Some fish will lay their eggs in caves.

Lightweight caves are very popular because ones made out of rock can be dangerous to the fish if they shift. If the rocks move out of place too much, there’s the risk of breaking the wall of the tank.

Clay flower pots or PVC pipe, a hack saw, sandpaper, gravel and aquarium silicone is all that’s needed.

Clay Flower Pot Caves:

Use a hacksaw to cut the flower pot in half (lengthwise) from top to bottom.
Smooth out the rough edges with sandpaper.
Cover the closed sides of the pots with silicone and sprinkle aquarium gravel on top. This will make the pots blend in with the gravel substrate in the tank and look less like a flower pot.
Put the caves in the tank when the silicone is dry.

PVC Pipe Caves:

Cut the pipe to the desired length.
Smooth out the rough edges with sandpaper.
Cover the pipe with silicone and sprinkle aquarium gravel on top.
When the silicone is dry, put the caves in the tank.

The copyright of the article How to Make Aquarium Decorations in Aquariums is owned by Douglas DuHamel. Permission to republish How to Make Aquarium Decorations in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.