hiding places for fish

[Damian19]

Hi,I got these 3 little souvenir pots that my mom got from Panama central america and I want to put them in my fish tank.She said they are like terra cotta pots but they have painting designs on them and they are shiny.Are these safe to put in my tank?How can I prepare them to put in my fish tank?They are really nice looking.Thank you

 

[btate617]

If they are painted I would not use them. You don't know what is in the paint or where it came from.


Brian

 

[LyndaB]

The reason they are "shiny" is most likely because there is a laquer on top of the paint. I believe that either paint or laquer is not healthy for the tank, however, I don't have personal experience with this.

I know there are many folks here who do use terra cotta pots. Let's wait until they come forward with their opinions.

 

[btate617]

I have terra cotta pots in every tank I have, the paint is why I would not use the ones you have. Over time I would think the paint could break down and leech into the tank.


Brian

 

[Nutter]

Excellent advice from Brian. I would not use anything with paint of an unknown origin nor will I use glazed pots.

 

[gremlin]

The only way I would use them in a tank would be if you could completely and permanently seal them. If there was some type of a clear sealant that you could completely cover them with that would never wear off . . . Paint that is not from America can sometime contain lead which could leach into the tank. Also, since the pots are designed as "decorative", there really is no guarantee that they would be fish safe.

 

[Damian19]

O fuwy