Hiding spots/caves for a 2 ft fire eel

[Irecruitfish]

I love driftwood, will still come to a tire-screeching stop if I spot an interesting piece while driving alongside a body of water. Always keep an axe, saw, pair of rubber boots, rope and other assorted collecting gear in the truck...just in case...

But pipe has its advantages as well. A couple lengths of pipe displace almost no water and take up very little space. I like ABS pipe as well, I find it much less ugly than the white PVC many people choose, but it's still not exactly pretty. You can sand down the pipe to remove any lettering and to tone down the shiny black surface; also use a file and then sandpaper to deburr the sharp edges where it's cut. You can glue two, three or more pieces of pipe together with epoxy or solvent cement, at any angle, and create a stable structure that won't roll and is difficult for fish to move around.

It's also easy to slather the surface with clear 2-part epoxy and then roll it in sand or gravel, or sprinkle the stuff on top. When the epoxy hardens you have a much more natural look. You can add pieces of plastic plant, shells, or other decor, and fish-safe paint can help out as well.

Dang...I sound like a bot...

Actually that would have helped out a ton if I would have epoxied sand all over the piping in terms of brown algae growing on there... And it would help with the look but I think I'm going to try some driftwood and see what happens I think I found my piece in my yard.

I don't know where it's from it's been in my yard for 6 years. Too tall but I'm trying to think of where I can cut through my polycarbonate lid and then have the pothos grow up the top of the wood.

 

[Irecruitfish]

The log is fully waterlogged and stays firmly in place without weighing, though it took a few weeks in a bucket to get there. It helps that it is hollow, so the water can seep in from both sides. The other piece in the background is glued to a rock base (it is also waterlogged now, but it was a lot more stubborn - I'd guess months instead of weeks to "fill in" without weighing).

As for movement, a log that size + the water inside should weigh an easy 7-8 pounds, so my six-inch cats and plecs have no chance budging it. While your two-foot eel has far more power behind him, I don't think he'll move a waterlogged piece his own size either.

I was thinking about your picture and went on a walk in my yard I guess there is a bunch of old tree stumps and branches of sorts I guess I could find something clean it out thoroughly and try to create some sort of cover for them

 

[jjohnwm]

I see you're from Chicago, so I assume you have cold enough weather that standing water outdoors is thickly frozen?

If so...we are right now in the midst of the perfect time of year for easy driftwood collection. If you can drive along a frozen swamp or marsh, you will likely see an assortment of dead wood sticking up through the ice. Some of it can be very gnarled and twisty and full of character. It's very difficult to access that stuff in the warm weather, but now you can just walk right out to it and cut off the part sticking into the air. An axe works okay but a small bowsaw is cheap and is very safe, fast and easy to use.

I regularly find good-looking wood this way during warm weather and just mark a pin on my GPS to make it simple to find in the dead of winter, and then just go out and collect it.

Of course...sometimes I get a little carried away...

Thread 'I want that driftwood!'

Oct 31, 2021

That was my first comment when I spotted it: I want that driftwood! I actually said it aloud, even though I was alone.

I work the occasional shift at a remote northern jobsite, three weeks at a time. The location is near a typical large northern river, a raging torrent of water lined with rocks and boulders ranging from pebble-sized to truck-sized. Trees, limbs and stumps are carried along and litter the shoreline in vast numbers. Lots of nice pieces of driftwood for the taking...but collection is against site rules, and even if you got a piece...how would you get it home? It's a...

• jjohnwm
• Replies: 11
• Forum: General Aquaria Discussion

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[Irecruitfish]

I see you're from Chicago, so I assume you have cold enough weather that standing water outdoors is thickly frozen?

If so...we are right now in the midst of the perfect time of year for easy driftwood collection. If you can drive along a frozen swamp or marsh, you will likely see an assortment of dead wood sticking up through the ice. Some of it can be very gnarled and twisty and full of character. It's very difficult to access that stuff in the warm weather, but now you can just walk right out to it and cut off the part sticking into the air. An axe works okay but a small bowsaw is cheap and is very safe, fast and easy to use.

I regularly find good-looking wood this way during warm weather and just mark a pin on my GPS to make it simple to find in the dead of winter, and then just go out and collect it.

Of course...sometimes I get a little carried away...

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/i-want-that-driftwood.743965/[/EMBED

[EMBED content="thread-743965"]

Wow I didn't even think of that! I found this piece in my backyard I think I'm going to try it but the issue is it's sort of too big in terms of the width The height is almost actually it's over 5 ft but I was planning on having the top part stick out of the tank and just cut around the polycarbonate lid I think that would be a nice look with the pothos plants growing on it.

But I need to take everything apart and see if I can wedge it in there somehow.

I have it in the tub with boiling water right now and sprayed it with hydrogen peroxide.

Actually it's pretty insane in the Chicago area We haven't had really any snow this entire year I have shoveled zero times and all the water has thawed out. But I wouldn't mind checking out those areas to see if I find anything.

I'm on 5 acres but I don't have a wetland etc I'm just really hoping that this piece can fit into the tank[/embed]