I went to La Crosse this weekend, Pet Co. had no anemones that I wanted *not cute like Betta Momma's either and they were 35 bucks or so* Me, I said no thank you. I felt bad as I promised my betta babies new playthings for them, thought of something to make instead.
I went to Walmart, got some bright blue, dark blue, clear, and green mixed marble stone-thingies, 4 little pots, some aquarium sealant, and 2 wee plants. I thought I'd make 2 at first with the plants, see how Fabio and Lolita liked them, then make a couple more for Stefano and Fatima. I do have some extra lil' plants, but I think I'll need more marble thingers.
I'm going to make a big one for my bf's sister as a birthday present *part of it* so her goldfish can have one too.
I think I'll get really creative sometime, get 3 lil' pots and make a triangle shape, put a few plants and stones on, and put those in my 2.5 gal tanks.

Here's a few pics, they aren't completely done yet...

a stone had fallen off the front and landed in the pot....lovely sealant stain...:P


the backs :)

Let me know what ya'll think :whistle:

Those look pretty sweet! I love those little plants... have about 10 of them... haha. I really hope your fishies enjoy them!

I hope so! They may not be rubber-y, but they're pretty. Trying to customize each cave by color for each betta. The blright blue/clear one goes to Fabio, green/dark blue is for Lolita. I might get some diff. stones all together for the last 2, or else do my triangle cave idea thinger...I can go to Walmart after work on Wed. ^_^ or wait til the weekend :P

Thanks for the compliment :D

Hey, last reply was me... heh. I love those plants, though. They love to sit under the leaves... wraps around them, you know? And terra cotta pots are a wonderful and CHEAP way to make some good hidey spots. Hobby Lobby has them 3 for $1. And I love Walmart's selection of marbles... the only place I get them. Going to be dry soon??

Those are sweet!!!
They'll look like they're natural little caves that just extend the marbles on the bottom of the tank!

I bet they'll just love them!!
You'll have to take some pics of them once they're in the tanks.

Great job :)

Saucy- I'll add some more stones to them tonight, then probably by Wed. or Thurs. they can go in. *It said 48 hrs or so* tomorrow would be too soon :P Fabio and Lolita get water changes every 2 days.
I love the marbels as well, very fun :D My lil' pots were like 47 cents each. I think I will do a 'triangle' one for Stefano and Fatima...they have enough room. Then I can switch the neon cave in and out. Might make a few smaller ones too for fun. ^_^ just need to find time!

BettaMomma- Thanks :D I'll take some pics of them completed, and then in the tanks. :drunk: and then more pics when I start on Sarah's cave and my lil' triple-decker ones...whew, I'll be busy. Not like I already am! :whistle: I'll have to take them to the salon and work on them whilest I wait for clients... :lol: :crazy: Just kidding on that one :P

I think you have done a great job on them....very creative.

I am sure the fishes will like them too....

Thanks ladyjade1970 :)
I am putting more marble stones on where there are some larger gaps...tricky part is to get them to stick properly, etc.

I liked glueing stuff better in my room, I had a window fan that sucked out the smell of the sealant...here I have nothing but AC, and that's in the bedroom...Man, I think I singed my nose hairs...hate to admit having them, but everyone does. :crazy:

Those are too cute jols! I have a couple of those little pots and some of those marble thingys, too. I'm not very creative when it comes to stuff like that but you've inspired me.!

Looking at these pics again gave me a really fun idea!!!
Glue some amber ones onto the pot for a SUPER cute Spongebob-ish addition to your tank. It will look like a pineapple!

:)

I have yet to go out and buy some aqarum selent when i do i am going to make some!!! they are adroable!!!!!! what are the anemones?

TacoFrano- I wanted to get some anemones like BettaMomma has :) Pretty colors, rubbery, and look oh-so-fun! I think I'll play around with my pot caves for now :D

BettaMomma- OH MY GOSH! You are so clever! In the fish section they had these pinky-peachy stones, some were iced and others weren't. Man, I think I'll have to go to Walmart Wed. after work! I want to get some before they're all gone :D I'll get a couple more plants, maybe make the 3 pot caves into 'pineapples' ^_^ Man I love it! jay

eudielynn- I'm creative in the drawing aspect of art....not really creating things. They aren't the BEST looking...some globs of sealant here and there, but they are fun. ^_^ I'm going to do some peeking around Walmart Wed. I think....I love the Pineapple hut idea!

If you are careful, and soak your pot in water first,m you can drill a hole in the side of the terra cotta pots big enough for the fish to swim into/out of...

Then you can set it with the opening down and put one of the plants on top to finish off your pineapple look...

That's a neat idea too!
I probably won't try it right now, maybe some other time tho....I'm not very, how do I say it....graceful when it comes to stuff that involves drilling, etc. :blink:
but since the pots are cheap, I'll do the 2 pot on bottom, one on top, decorate w/ marbles and plant first...see how they like it. Then maybe I'll have Bill help me sometime with the drilling part :whistle: I like having different things to decorate with. I love decorating the tanks!

That purply bluish thing in the corner is the anemones, TF. :)
Oh, and when you do buy aquarium sealant and use it, yo'ull probably freak out like I did because it smells HORRIBLY like rubbing alcohol. I was positive the smell would bother the fish, but it doesn't.

Jols - they have amber colored ones at Michael's that would be perfect for it too, if you really want the amber ones... I think they might be a teeny tiny bit more expensive there, though.

Ack, mine smelled like vinegar...... :barf1: I hate that stuff. :P

The next time I'll be going up to La Crosse will be the 16th, taking Bill's sister up so he and I can buy her an expensive pair of jeans. *to me they are, like 60 bucks is too much for jeans :P* and I'll try to sneak over there. ^_^ I can make more than one 'pineapple' hut, variety of colors....Spongebob wanted to redecorate :whistle: :laugh:

Yes! And even those first ones you posted looked like pineapples to me!!!

I LOVE them!
I might just have to become a big ol' copycatter.
:drunk:

That's fine :) I feel special that I did something cool enough for ppl to want to copy! ^___^
I'll post pics of them *I think I'm done adding lil' marbels* tonight. They won't be put in the homes until....Wed. or so. Then more pics!

Wow Jols, those are fantastic. I really like them. I think I am going to have to copy them too. You know what they say "Imintaion is the sincerest form of flattery"....I think its something like that (you get my point) I just have one question, do you have to soak the pots in something first? I mean, I was told once that unless you buy an item from an lfs that is specifically fish safe, there is a possibilty that it msy have been treated with something.

Hmmm......the more I think about it, the more I think that was scam to get me to spend more $$$$$$

I just rinsed rinsed rinsed w/ hot water.
Same thing w/ the marbles.
The Sealant is aquarium sealant from Walmart...safe for fish, not good to smell >.<;

I wonder if you could slather sealant over the entire surface of the pot, inside and out, then stick the marbles on the outside - so the pot is somewhat sealed off? Then you wouldn't have to worry about that?

OH... we also want to see pics of these in USE. With fish in/on/around them.
Soon.

:pics:

You know? I thought of that...wondered how it would work...didn't try it tho. :P
Maybe I'll try that next time!

You KNOW I'm going to try it.
I'm going to see if I can make a pineapple for Spongebob.
Then I'm going to have to end up getting him a bigger tank, because his current one isn't going to be big enough.

Wow, you started a major chain of events that could get out of control very fast.

:lol:

LOL! :lmao:
We can have have a thread to show off all our man-made pot caves ^_^

that's a good idea lol jols you should make a business called betta caves. and you can decorate them every single one of them hahaha it would be soo cute i would buy some!

That sounds like something we could all get arrested for.





:laugh:

That's what they are now, finished....in a few days water pics!

BettaMomma, what they don't know won't hurt them :D :drunk:

TacoFrano, that's a good idea! Sell them on ebay, etc.

OoOoOOOh! Now they look like bunches of grapes! My grandma used to have a kickass lamp like that!
LOVE THEM!!!

pretty weird grapes then.....








:laugh: :drunk:

It was a lamp!
Made of big balls!
And they were grapes!
With leaves sticking out the top!
Hanging on a big honking long chain!



:bitchslap:
I realize how totally spastic that sounds, but she REALLY DID HAVE A LAMP LIKE THAT!!

HA! I FOUND ONE!
It was like this but not exactly. My grandma's balls were bigger!!!

LoL! It's cool it's cool :drunk:
Grandparents have to have some weird stuff like that :wtf:
My grandma had a weeeee Christmas tree that looked like the ornaments were grapes. :crazy:
She had a goose thinger that had rubber grapes in it. I chewed on them....seriously did.

Just read the picture post...
I could not stop laughing....
think sick-like :drunk: :smoke:

:wtf:

:lol:

That's so wrong yet soooo funny.
I was so excited to show it to you I didn't realize I announced to you all that my grandma had big balls.

:hmm:

I'm happy I saw the balls on the lamp, not another set or so. :laugh: :lmao:
That lamp is pretty neato!
I have some good news, not as cool as balls tho :drunk:
The book case we have here I will take out to the homestead and put my bettas in/on it. My hex tanks I don't think can have their light thingers on....maybe have my minibows in there w/out the bottom base part. Must think, think, think, think....




All that's in my head is grapes and balls :lol: :drunk:

And my grandma. :laugh:

Just fyi - the minibows require 13" of space without the bases, 15 with.
Those numbers will FOREVER be burned in my mind after shelf shopping..

UUGH.

I hope you don't have nightmares tonight now about the bunch of grapes from the fruit of the loom guys really being a woman. My grandma. With balls. EVERYWHERE.



:lol:

:omg: :lmao: :omg: :lmao: :omg: :lmao: :omg: :lmao:

That comment about the grandma was just too much... I got to laughing so hard I snorted my drink all over and had tears coming out of my eyes!!!!

On a side note...my grandma had a set of those fake grapes too....and yes, I tried eating one...or two.... :whistle:

BTW Jols....


Terrific job!!!! They look great!

Any fish would be proud to have that for a home.....



I am still snickering over the ball issue...... :lmao:

BettaMomma- No worries, I had no nightmares :D Not even one grape, ball, or grandma was present!
Well, my minibows will be on top of the bookcase then. My lil' hexes should fit in the first 'shelf' area.
This book case came with the computer desk and chair my mum got us. I told Bill if we ever got 'divorced' he could have it all but the bookcase :P right now it houses his cd's, but those I think will be going to his dad's unless he can take them...probably have to send them to him when he's in South Carolina :hmm: I dunno....ack, won't think of military stuff right now...blah.

ladyjade1970- Thanks :D I guess we'll see what the babies think when I plop them in there Wed. I think that is over the 48 hrs. required to let the stuff dry or whatnot. Muaha! jay
I will probably painstakingly wait until Friday to go to Walmart....sucks because I want to work on some more caves, but my neighbor friends will be coming over Wed. and Thurs. to smell the shampoo and conditioner line I will carry *technically there's 2 shampoos, but I only got the one I'd use most* Some...product research, so to say. :P Ah well.

oh lord!
what has comeover bettamomma lol :jk:

i love your grandmas ball! it is sexay.
hols how mucny bags of marbles did you use :?:

I bought 2 bags of them marble thingers....they were smaller ones tho, as I saw some bigger bags *but not the colors I wanted* in the same crafty section in Walmart. I didn't use all of them...will be getting more of those colors, etc. and if I have many extra, will put the ones left in the tanks I think.