# Natural pleco caves!



## AWW

Apple wood caves!

I first cut some wood off the tree out back. I cut them into 5 inch lengths with the chop saw, and took em to the work shop.

With the smaller bits, I bored a 1 1/8" hole straight threw on our drill press










Then, I cut each piece in half










Then I carved everything smooth with my carving knife and filed it.



















Then, I repeated this three more times. And threw them all into pot to boil for an hour










All thats left to do is to pin the pieces together and create a juvenile pleco's cave!










Here are a few larger pieces i Finished a while ago. Already boiled, I am going to let them breathe air for a month


















Opinions and Suggestions welcome 

And to all you pleco breeders, if you would like to trade some young for a cave or two, let me know that you have.


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## `GhostDogg´

Nice work!!!
Looks pretty fresh still, have you thought about baking it for a bit?
I might be the fast way to dry it out, not sure how the others in the house would feel about this though...


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## AWW

`GhostDogg´ said:


> Nice work!!!
> Looks pretty fresh still, have you thought about baking it for a bit?
> I might be the fast way to dry it out, not sure how the others in the house would feel about this though...


No, I have never though about baking them, If i did, how hot could i set my oven too? I don't want them to explode in flames 

The boiling will kill off everything alive that is in there, so I was just going to dry the pieces out for a few weeks.


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## bonsai dave

i would let them dry out for a few weeks or months cause it will fuzz up in the tank. How long since you chopped the tree down?


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## dbh

Nice work!


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## AWW

bonsai dave said:


> i would let them dry out for a few weeks or months cause it will fuzz up in the tank. How long since you chopped the tree down?


Tree is still uncut. I am just chopping a few branches off here and there. My dad runs a liquor store and is a little busy with the hockey fans :lol:


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## djamm

*GO CANUCKS GO!!!*

Great looking caves....let us know how they work out for you...


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## Sliver

those look awesome! seems like we had the same idea of what to do today, i just finished building some caves myself (yours are WAY cooler though) lol. i'll be posting a thread after the game if i can figure out how to add pics... ;-).


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## `GhostDogg´

AWW said:


> No, I have never though about baking them, If i did, how hot could i set my oven too? I don't want them to explode in flames
> 
> The boiling will kill off everything alive that is in there, so I was just going to dry the pieces out for a few weeks.


I would just go low & slow.
Any where between 250-350 for say an hour or 3.
Check every 30 mins to see how it going.
I've only tried this with small pieces of wood.
I don't think it would catch fire if there's no open flame.
I wouldn't try this with a broiler. :lol:


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## bingerz

that looks cool!! great job! i like how you have the elbows and hollowed out log look. it's kinda like the plastic piping that some ppl use...but you've got the natural look!! looks great!!!

that one idea with the broiler seems interesting. the burnt parts might add an interesting touch to it. that might be bad for the fish with the charred pieces. i'd like to see how that turns out...keep us posted!!! again, great job!!! *applaud*


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## `GhostDogg´

I actually meant "wouldn't".
Time to edit.
Thanks Binger.


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## target

Nice looking caves. I want to see them in a tank now.


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## crazy72

This is very cool. I've seen caves made out of bamboo, but it's the first time I see them made of wood. Great job.


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## AWW

Alright, so everything is going according to plan. I threw all the pieces in the oven today, 250 for 2.5 hours. Lots of moisture release. 

As for the little hotel for the mini plecos, i have decided not to go with stainless steel nails. I have bored out holes in each of the pieces, and stress fitting in wood squires. Everything is holding, and hopefully the water will expand the wood, and make the fit even tighter.


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## `GhostDogg´

Glad to hear the oven idea work for you too.


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## jay_leask

those are sweet! cant wait to see them in your tank.


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## CanadaPleco

Don't bake it in the oven, it will get so dried out and will never sink. That kind of wood is fine, any little bugs in it the fish will love to snack on, but I doubt there will be any. 

Ya should leave them so they are not hollow the whole way though for the plecos, they wont spawn in caves that have 2 open ends 

They look nice tho, I know someone in the states that makes them as well, and many of his plecos are spawning in them.


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## AWW

CanadaPleco said:


> Don't bake it in the oven, it will get so dried out and will never sink. That kind of wood is fine, any little bugs in it the fish will love to snack on, but I doubt there will be any.
> 
> Ya should leave them so they are not hollow the whole way though for the plecos, they wont spawn in caves that have 2 open ends
> 
> They look nice tho, I know someone in the states that makes them as well, and many of his plecos are spawning in them.


Baked for three hours and they are sunk already 

I wish i could have one end open, but i am using cheap wood bits, not boring bits. Maybe in time i can upgrade.

ANYWAYS, caves are done, and in tank. Uploading pictures soon.


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## AWW

Picture time.

Tank is still a little grungy, set up this afternoon.


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## `GhostDogg´

THey looks pretty nice man!!!
Great job!


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## jay_leask

looks awesome, good job!


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## jay_leask

anyone claim their new homes yet???


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## AWW

No fish to claim them  Ill keep you updated. I am going to grab some BNP from pat to start out my pleco experience


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## AWW

Okay, not sure if this is a problem or not. I haven't got the first idea in the world in what it might be, if any one could give a little input that would be great.


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## Smiladon

Are there any fish in this tank? Looks like fungus grown on eggs.
Maybe these are some eggs from something else from the outside? 

Do you think removing the bark is a valid option? If so, then I would remove the bark. 
If its not possible, then the first thing to do would be to rinse it out thoroughly and then put in back in and see if it comes up again.


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## AWW

Smiladon said:


> Are there any fish in this tank? Looks like fungus grown on eggs.
> Maybe these are some eggs from something else from the outside?
> 
> Do you think removing the bark is a valid option? If so, then I would remove the bark.
> If its not possible, then the first thing to do would be to rinse it out thoroughly and then put in back in and see if it comes up again.


Eggs were my first thought too, but all i have is severums in there, and they would lay in a centralized area...

I wanted to keep the bark, so plecos could eat it.

Ill give them a good scrub today and see if it comes back


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## Smiladon

AWW said:


> Eggs were my first thought too, but all i have is severums in there, and they would lay in a centralized area...
> 
> I wanted to keep the bark, so plecos could eat it.
> 
> Ill give them a good scrub today and see if it comes back


Do you have any snails in the tank?
I am still leaning towards some kind of eggs (not necessary from the tank).

Hopefully after the scrub, it wont come back 
Keep us updated.


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## AWW

Smiladon said:


> Do you have any snails in the tank?
> I am still leaning towards some kind of eggs (not necessary from the tank).
> 
> Hopefully after the scrub, it wont come back
> Keep us updated.


Nope, no snails. I don't see any way it could be eggs at all.


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## bonsai dave

looks like fungus did you take the bark off the woods before putting it in to the tank?


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## AWW

bonsai dave said:


> looks like fungus did you take the bark off the woods before putting it in to the tank?


Nope. Trying to do these bark on. I will see how this goes now that they are scrubbed


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## bonsai dave

AWW said:


> Nope. Trying to do these bark on. I will see how this goes now that they are scrubbed


the bark will root in your tank and it will be messy and could mess with your water chemistry.


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## Smiladon

bonsai dave said:


> the bark will root in your tank and it will be messy and could mess with your water chemistry.


I am assuming he meant "the bark will rot in your tank"


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## AWW

Smiladon said:


> I am assuming he meant "the bark will rot in your tank"


Haha, what the apple tree wont grow anymore??


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