DIY PVC Aquarium Decorations

Ever since I watched Tanked on Animal Planet, I have always wanted to make my own aquarium decorations. I have always been worried about putting something I made myself in a fish tank because I didn't want it to hurt the fish. After countless hours of research, and multiple failed attempts, This is my best method for creating your own aquarium decorations.

Materials:

PVC Pipe or connector(any PVC is fine. Make sure that it is thick enough to engrave though)

Krylon Fusion (this is the only spray paint that is tried and true to be aquarium safe. I wouldn't recommend any other)

Paper Towels (For clean-up and detailing)

Bucket

Tools:

Dremel with sanding and cutting tools

Safety Glasses and Dust Mask (This is a must. When sanding, PVC particles go everywhere, and you don't want that in your lungs and eyes)

Sharpie (for marking your design)

Cardboard (for painting)

broom (for brushing dust off yourself and your decoration)

The first thing to do is lightly draw a pattern on your pipe with a Marker. This is just a guide for you to follow when you engrave. If you mess up, just draw over it, as you will be sanding it off later anyway. Fill in your holes, and outline the spots you want to engrave.

Next, start engraving your decoration, following the patterns you made earlier. Make sure the Dremel speed isn’t too high, or the plastic will start to melt, and trust me, it does not smell good at all. If your PVC does start melting, just turn down the Dremel speed and press a little lighter. Let the sander do the work. If you accidentally go through the pipe, get creative. When I do that, I completely drill out the hole, and make it look like log hole.

After you finish engraving, switch out the Dremel bit for a cutter, and change the Dremel’s speed so it is a little higher then it was before. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area, as this step will melt the pipe, and turn on the cutter. Start lightly cutting the top of your decoration, following your caves lines, and slowly work your way down. Don’t worry about getting it perfect, as you will have to sand the entrance later anyway.

After cutting out the entrance, put the sanding bit back on and turn down the Dremel speed. Lightly sand the entrance cut out, and sand it into a natural shape. Again, ensure that there are no sharp edges so the fish won’t get cut.

As Sharpie ink isn’t aquarium safe, you have to remove it before continuing. Luckily, it is pretty simple. With a fine sanding bit, turn the Dremel speed fairly high, and lightly sand the remaining ink off. It should take next to no force, and it should come off pretty quickly. While you’re at it, scruff up the pipe a little so the paint will stick better.

After you are sure that you are done sanding, clean up your workspace(I like to use a small broom), and rinse off the decoration with some water. A light scrubbing with a paper towel will ensure that all the dust and debris are gone. Next, either air dry, or dry with another towel. Ensure that the pipe is completely dry before painting, or the paint won’t stick.

After ensuring that your decoration is completely dry, grab the Krylon Fusion, and apply the first coat. For the cave, I went with a gray base coat, and black spots in the engraved spots, and for the log, I did a simple brown coat with a little depth from multiple coats in different spots. I recommend doing between 3 and 5 coats. Anything more, and the paint will be too thick, and anything less, and the paint will flake off in the water. I like to use a painted paper towel for texture, but this is optional.

Krylon Fusion is aquarium safe, but it does have some initial residues to leach off. I put my decorations in a bucket for 2-4 weeks, changing the water daily, to ensure that nothing will leach off in the aquarium. You will be able to smell what is leaching off in the bucket, so just soak it until that smell is gone.

By now, you should have a beautiful PVC decoration that adds a natural touch to your aquarium. Hopefully you enjoyed making it, as I know that I did. One note is that like many things, the more you do it, the better you get. The two I made here are my 4th and 5th ones, so I have a few under my belt. Always feel free to try different pipe sizes, lengths, and engraving patterns. As long as it is PVC, it won't hurt your fish. Good luck, and happy decoration making!