I posted a little bit ago about my work in progress new 10 gal and I’m pleased to say it’s complete now. It’s a little more sparse than I would prefer, but getting the necessary upgrades was expensive enough and I just couldn’t afford to get more plants. But Blue has plenty of place to hide and that’s what matters. It’s not super attractive but I’ll work on that in time, and the fish doesn’t care as long as he’s got an enriching space.
For any concerns, the bottle in the back corner I’ve had since i first got Blue and was his favorite hide in the five gallon. Its opening is large enough for him to fit through without touching his fins so have no fear, it’s safe.
The jug in the middle the gap between the body and the handle is bigger than the corner bottle, so no idiots will be getting stuck there either. It’s hard to see in the photos but its bottom is completely open to allow water flow + for his majesty to enjoy his new palace. The edges were all sanded down, the bottle boiled to sanitize, then moss was glued to the edges to make it extra safe. The spout at the top I didn’t like how long it was, I was worried about Blue either getting stuck or water sitting stagnant in there if I sealed it off, so I broke it to make it short enough to prevent both problems. With the moss it’s not big enough for Blue to pass through without touching his fins which I don’t love, but it’s not small enough he could get stuck or he couldn’t turn around either, and the edges are padded with moss as well as the inside lined with it, so it should be fine. If I should seal it off let me know- I also placed a plant at the entrance to discourage him swimming through.
I expected Blue to be a lot more shy about the transition but he’s doing great. He’s eating, exploring around, curious about the new tank. I’ve seen him trying out every hide so far. His favorite is the hanging coconut, which I will dub his throne room. I didn’t intend to get it originally, but I found it was cheaper for me to get moss by buying this “moss cave” than to just get a packet of moss, so I decided to convert it into this little hanging hide. I hoped he would like it because its shape means he feels more hidden and it’s closer to the surface so he doesn’t have to swim far to breathe, and I was right.
I bought a second 5 gallon filter because I liked the idea of having more even filtration on both sides of the tank rather than just one big filter. I intended to get an air stone but the one I got I found has a rough pumice texture, my mistake.
The lid I still need to modify, I was just going to reuse the 5 gallon and build it up to fit the ten gal. The tank is covered with a towel though, so no one will be escaping the tank.
Again, criticism is welcome. If there’s any dangers I’m not picking up on please let me know.

https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1t46go1

Posted by Unlucky-Drawing-1266

1 Comment

  1. I like the terra cotta pot idea! Been trying to figure out a non-plastic hide for my lil guy when he gets out of his hospital tank.

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