Coconut Shell

[alessasavoca]

ok, here's the deal.

My Dad owns an Italian. The only thing he buys ready made is the ice cream, and one of the ice cream comes in half a coconut shell. I asked him to save a couple of the shells, then my boyfriend sawed an opening, and sanded it down so there is no sharp edges. Would I have to boil it to make it safe to put in one of my tanks? It's been thoroughly washed in hot hot water and scrubbed with a fish-safe scrubbing brush!

Thanks guys!

 

[GuppyDude]

My Dad owns an Italian.

Slavery for the lose.

Yea, the cocanut should be fine if you boil it. The hairy stuff on the outside should come off, and it wont stain your water then. Good luck.

 

[afishdude]

free the italian!!!

 

[alessasavoca]

italian restaurant sillys (by the way I did get the joke) how long shall I boil it?

 

[GuppyDude]

I know, im just messin with ya.

You should probably boil it until all the hairy stuff comes off and it no longer stains the water. The hair stuff is the part that would be the problem because it'd mold or rot. Should be a nice hard shell under there somwhere.

 

[BigC]

Cover the shell with Riccia held on with a ladys hairnet for a more natural looking cave.

 

[my fat fish]

from my experience the plecos love the hair mine eats it like crazy

 

[alessasavoca]

right, ricca suggestion = good, has anyone got any they want to sell me as I can't find it in any of my LFS! I'm not sure it has hair on it anymore as it has had ice cream in it, I would assume it was boiled previously, but I can boil it again!

I haven't got plecos in the tank it's intended for, I have 2 BNs in my community but eventually all that will be in this tank is 2 bettas (divided tank) and some khulis to stir up the sand a bit.

 

[chibi]

You could try scrubbing it off with a toothbrush to get most of it off, then boiling it. You usually don't have to boil things long... when I put rocks in my tank, usually 5-10 minutes is fine.

 

[Tommo]

You could always attach java moss to it, just tie it on with cotton or fishing line until it anchors itself.