DIY Cave--Advice or Suggestions?

[ILoveLola]

Hi all,
I've been reading about DIY caves made out of PVC pipe & terra cotta pots for a little while, and it seems pretty easy and cheap. I can't find any caves I like at petsmart or petco, theyre all much too small for my F8, Lola (or if theyre not now, they will be when she's full grown). I decided to go with the terra cotta pot, but while I was at home depot my fiance & i saw some neat flat rocks that are used for making walkways that we thought about using. It looks good, but I'm not sure if it's safe? I don't know if it makes a difference, but it was called "mediterranean walnut paver." I think that's just the color though. Does anyone know if it's safe to use, or have any suggestions?
Thanks!

[xrayjeeper83]

There was a thread really recently about how to test rocks, but I cant find it lol.

Most rocks are perfectly safe, if it has a rust color I would steer away from it cause of the metals in the rock that cause that color.

Others will chime in and give you better answers

[ILoveLola]

Thanks
I think it's slate, thought i'm not 100%... I'm reading on some other fish sites that slate is great to use though, so I'm hoping it is.

[ILoveLola]

Fiance poses a pretty good question--
What if we coat it with the aquarium sealant? It's clear. Would that make it safe?

[xrayjeeper83]

IME it goes on clear but turns white once dry, just look at the corners of your tank

[ILoveLola]

I'm boiling it right now, and even though most of it is grey, I can see there are some orange patches on it now that it's wet. I'm disappointed I read that one thing I could do is soak it for a few weeks, check the parameters before & after and see what has changed. If nothing, then great.

Nothing is quick & easy in this hobby, huh? Haha.

[xrayjeeper83]

Be very careful, if there is any water or air inside the rock it could possible explode

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/fres ... ocks-7424/

[ILoveLola]

Dear goodness. Well, I'm glad it didn't explode. I read that after I was done

[sevenyearnight]

+1 to avoiding orange.
Go to a river or lake, just clean the rocks really well and let them dry completely. I think you can bake them, unless the explosion rule applies there too

[ILoveLola]

I'll probably just use the terra cotta pot & cover it with gravel & crushed river rocks, already got the sealant for it. @_@ boo. but i'd rather be safe than kill my fish over a neat looking cave.

it really was going to be super cool. -__-

[sevenyearnight]

If it's any consolation, I use almost all river and lake rocks, I just scrubbed them with hot water

[bertie 83]

You can also make a cave from miliput. This is aquarium safe and you can make any shape you wish

[ILoveLola]

How cool! Do you know what stores carry it? I really like that.