PVC Towers - Revisited

By: Adam Nicholson
 
Comments: As an addition to the PVC Towers shown in the DIY section, After reading the article and knowing I had some spare 2" PVC pipe somewhere I decided to build a few towers for one of my tanks, but after not being albe to find the pipe (which I found after I built something else - typical) I instead used a plastic drinks bottle (gatorade in this case). Cut the top of the bottle off just below where it narrows, then cut out a rough entrance in the side, drill a small air escape hole in the top so it won't start to float if it is placed near an air stone, and cover using the same technique as for the PVC towers.
 
Tip: Squeeze the silicone onto some cardboard, then use and old paintbrush to apply to the plastic, it you apply a large "blob" then it will mask the shape of the bottle (especially around the neck of the top) and make it look more natural (in my opinion anyways).
 
Using the bottom section of the bottle, i cut at a slight angle from about 1/2" from the base to the top, resulting in a taper so when the bottle is on it's side, it rests at an angle, and won't roll in turbulance. Drill a small air escape hole in the highest point, and if required cut a hole in either the side or base, then cover as before.
 
As with Tam-Tam, I settled for GE window & glass sealant (Silicone I) as from reading various posts dotted around the internet, I found it to be used most the time, and Silicone I seemed to be preferred to Silicone II, which costs more anyways, I have had the caves in the aquarium for over a week and my fish have shown no signs of trouble, This doesn't mean it's safe, just that it seems to have worked for me.
 
Unfortunatly I don't have access to a digital camera at present, but as soon as I can, I will get a couple of frames to show my results.