pottery in the aquarium

[Torrean]

I'm makeing an ornament to go in an aquarium in my pottery class and I just wanted to make sure it would be safe. It is going to be unvitrified which is why I am concerned. I know not to use glaze but it won't be fired to the point of vitrification.

 

[Ethos]

I wouldn't have thought of using clay in a tank...Hmhm, thats a good question. I have to say I dont know. but I also would like to know.....

 

[Torrean]

"as long as the clay does not have glaze on it it should be fine" This is what I've always heard. But in my class I learned about vitrification. This is when part of the pottery turns to glass preventing the transition of water. This means that the pot is water proof. If a pot is unvitrified the only way to get it to hold water is to glaze it. I don't know if vitrification is necessary for a pot to be aquarium safe.

 

[Fish Buddy]

I have put all kinds of clay things in the tank- pots and home made ornaments. The pot was not glased but the shark was-no vitrification though.
I have heard that it is some glases that are particulatly bad but not all... sorry I can't help more. Good luck

 

[SirMinion]

Does the clay contain grog? is it glazed or unglazed grog? If glazed does the glaze contain lead or cadmium white pigement? If so, don't put it in your tank.

 

[Torrean]

no grog and no glaze. just unvitrified (but fired) clay.

 

[SirMinion]

no grog and no glaze. just unvitrified (but fired) clay.

Go for it.

The unvitrified clay will be very porous and will become home to legions of beneficial bacteria increasing the biological filtration in the tank.

 

[Torrean]

awesome. I'm taking long tootsie rolls (can't remember the technical name) and laying them one on top of the other to make a pot. this causes there to be crevices all along the outside walls of the pot. The bacteria will colonize this piece very well. I'll post a pic when it's done and another once I've set up the tank and it's inside. I'm thinking of putting little balconies on the windows that I am going to put in it. On some of these balconies i am planning on growing some plants. I am also thinking of getting javamoss to cover the whole thing and just trim it away from the windows. I think it will be a very interesting addition to my tank.

 

[Torrean]

bump with a reason

Here it is. I made it myself.

 

[SandMan8388]

That's a cool piece of art, it looks like a tree trunk! Awesome job!

 

[Ethos]

Thats really cool!

 

[Torrean]

Thanks very much. I'm thinking of starting an ebay business making these things. I think the wallmart generics are so common, I think there may be a market for no two alike fish tank ornaments. BTW anybody want one? I can make them to your specifications. All I need is a kiln and some clay. Umm is this against the rules advertising?

you can put real or fake plants in the planters on the sides. I'm not the best gardener so don't judge that part of it on my tank.

 

[Torrean]

bump pictures of it in the tank

 

[Ethos]

Wow!
So........all we have to do is buy you s kilm and clay? I could get the clay.....I dont know how much a kilm would cost.
But I know that my school, when our kilm broke down, our art teacher went BULISTIC because she knew the ptf wouldn't approve funding for a new one

Anyways, how much?

 

[Torrean]

well my teacher said that a small kiln would be $1000 and a nice one would be 2-3000. selling these things at say $20-45 depending on size and complexity. I'd only have to sell 23-50 of them to make my money back . It'd be a lot of work but it's something i really enjoy. I always say if you like it, it isn't work. I'm thinking of trying for a business grant or something from the gov't. Thanks for the interest I really enjoyed making it and I'm glad you like the look of it.

BTW I've been looking on ebay and I've found some used kilns for under 500. Don't know if they are any good though. I e-mailed my teacher to ask for recommendations on kilns. Hopefully she'll get back to me.

edit: btw this piece is pretty big. I can stick it on my head. I think it's something like 9" across and 12-14 inches high.