# cheesy ornaments



## Daisy Mae (Jun 21, 2015)

I have used a few, as long as they're to scale with your scape and aquarium safe, why not? Like you say, more fun for the kids. 

Mini pagoda, mini Easter island head are two examples. 
I bought a figurine from Petsmart but had to remove it, the coating was flaking off. (Link Top Fin® Immortals Aquarium Ornament | Ornaments | PetSmart)

I have also put in sand dollars in another tank for shrimp. 

I saw another tank where the owner put a little Asian bridge (red) on a path. Looked cool and went with the theme.


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

A fake stone Japanese lantern provided a hiding place in my quarantine tank.


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

Depends on how to define "successful."

I had a white ceramic pagoda in my tank for years. It was kind of tacky, but hey, it was a gift from my grandmother. Also, it was funny watching the neons cram into to it to sleep at night.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Go for it!

I personally think it's cool to add things besides just plants, wood and rocks. Makes it more unique and interesting, especially if it's size ratio is proportionate and highly detailed, looking realistic, then you could take aquascaping to another level, not just scenery of nature, but incorporating human civilization as well, like a setting of a village or a little home out in the country. But if it's kiddy, who cares really, not like we're entering in a contest, it's just for our own (and our kids/family's) enjoyment. Who cares what other people think, it's your tank, do what you want (or what your kids want haha).

If they want a underwater Sponge Bob town, then make that underwater Sponge Bob town haha. Or yeah, make the little house with people haha.
Or set up another tank just for the kids.

I have a Buddha statue in one of my tanks, and a few "quarantines" (smaller, temporary community tanks, well past quarantine period) have castles haha.


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## miataisalwaystheanswer (Jun 12, 2015)

Would anything work or does it have to be labeled for aquarium use. I was originally planning to check out the thrift stores for little figurines. Seems like they always have a ton of them there for cheap.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

I have a set of Roman columns in one tank, and a mini gandalf figure in another, as to aquarium safe, id say anything ceramic, glass, or glazed is fine, and if also say most plastics should be fine as long as it's not painted, I.e the plastic didn't chip and flake and become white...


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

miataisalwaystheanswer said:


> Would anything work or does it have to be labeled for aquarium use. I was originally planning to check out the thrift stores for little figurines. Seems like they always have a ton of them there for cheap.


You are safer with something designed for aquariums. The problem with thrift store figurines is that you don't know what they are made from. Some ceramics are safe, but I would avoid anything with a lead glaze. I'm not sure how you identify lead glazes. They are typically low-fire and could easily be used on figurines because they are not meant for food. 

Metal figurines often contain lead and are often painted with paints not designed for being in water. 

Plastics usually float.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/438937-sleeping-beauty-castle.html

and 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/8-general-planted-tank-discussion/443297-order-ornamentaria.html


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## miataisalwaystheanswer (Jun 12, 2015)

Man those tanks are awesome. They look well done but have just enough quirkiness to make it fun. Might have to get a second (would actually be the 5th) tank just for the kid's (will probably end up being a shrimp cull tank lol) i was just thinking about using their legos and building something silly for them.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Yeah they are great! Have fun it can't hurt!


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

Someone here posted a photo of her betta tank, which contained a large velociraptor figurine. I have no idea how she determined it was safe, but it certainly was striking.


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## Daisy Mae (Jun 21, 2015)

randym said:


> Someone here posted a photo of her betta tank, which contained a large velociraptor figurine. I have no idea how she determined it was safe, but it certainly was striking.


Ha ha, I think that was @Kehy! That's a sweet jar.


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

Yes! That was it! 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/22-planted-nano-tanks/933465-1-5-gallon-sand-jar.html

Love it.


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

Haha, thanks. I got my raptor from the children's toy section at a local store. Given that the only warning was possible choking hazard (the jaw moves) and a toy like that would certainly be going in some kid's mouth, I figured it was safe.

I did wash it thoughly, and had to glitter it to a rock to keep it from floating


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)




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## patfat (Oct 23, 2015)

Its funny you posted this! I actually started a 30g tank not to long ago and im trying to get some plants to grow in there while I do have a piece of drift wood and some rocks. Any who one day I'm at my LFS with my girlfriend and we are just going up and down the aisles. Out of no where she grabs this little Patrick Starfish and says hey its you!! lets put it in the tank well I was able to successfully turn her down with the the little figurine, but I was not able to turn her down with spongbob pineapple house and a squidward house! She told me there great hiding places and it Patrick starfish rock houses are already all over the tank! HAHA I couldn't say no to the face and my 3 EB Acaras love it. 1 stays in the squidward house and the other two stay in the pinapple. while the guppies shrimp and tetras just stay all over the rest of the tank. In the end the tank its going to look pretty awesome once things start taking ahold and growing out!! In the end do what makes you happy and what you can share with others in your hobbies (significant others mostly) HAHA


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## fishophile (Feb 6, 2012)

Check out Oliver Knot, he's a professional that does that sometimes. I really like a few of them, others not so much.


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## PerfectDepth (Dec 3, 2014)

I've always thought it would be cool to see a miniature gardener figurine with a sun hat and a rake or hedge shears in a planted tank.


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## miataisalwaystheanswer (Jun 12, 2015)

I finally got some cheesy ornaments. Found these on ebay for a buck something. Thought they could use it as a hideout but its completely solid.


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## Jeroen (Jan 12, 2016)

miataisalwaystheanswer said:


> I finally got some cheesy ornaments. Found these on ebay for a buck something. Thought they could use it as a hideout but its completely solid.


Still cool to hide away between some tallish plants!
Really do look like they're hollow..


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## RyRob (May 30, 2015)

In my explorations through the internet I found an article about the different styles of aquascaping a planted tank. Google "aquascaping styles" and the first result is an article by theaquariumguide.com. It mentions that figurines are often used in Taiwanese scapes.


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

I AM AN ADULT, YOU CANNOT STOP ME!


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Keep it simple and follow three simple rules:

1. They can't be cheesy enough to ruin the tank with peeling and disintegrating finishes.
2. Keep it to scale. A 10G with 10-inch tall ornaments will push the fact that it's an aquarium off the table.
3. Ask the kids what theme they'd like. And then cart them off to the LFS and craft stores.

Consider making your own!

The vast majority of kids lose interest as they enter their early teens (certainly not all). At a point, all the memories of the "sponge bob" tank they put together with Dad comes back to them.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

Jeroen said:


> Still cool to hide away between some tallish plants!
> Really do look like they're hollow..


Jeroen, what is that substrate? is it saf-t-sorb?


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

Bushkill said:


> Keep it simple and follow three simple rules:
> 
> 1. They can't be cheesy enough to ruin the tank with peeling and disintegrating finishes.
> 2. Keep it to scale. A 10G with 10-inch tall ornaments will push the fact that it's an aquarium off the table.
> ...



Aside from your first rule (because safety first), I'm gonna have to disagree with you. Do what makes you happy. This raptor is clearly the wrong size for the tank, but honestly, I don't care. I smile when I see it, other people smile when they see it. That's all that matters to me.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

Kehy said:


> Aside from your first rule (because safety first), I'm gonna have to disagree with you. Do what makes you happy. This raptor is clearly the wrong size for the tank, but honestly, I don't care. I smile when I see it, other people smile when they see it. That's all that matters to me.


Agreed Raptor on!>


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Fwiw, I had far greater disproportions in mind. Picture your raptor's head surfacing to better understand where my thinking was on this. Lots of little guys will want to put their favorite toy in there; even if you have to use a shoehorn to get it in there, lol!


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## patfat (Oct 23, 2015)

Not mine but thought it was perfect since this thread was going hahah


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

Kehy said:


> I AM AN ADULT, YOU CANNOT STOP ME!


omg! i love that lil guy.. where did you get him ? i want one:grin2:


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

livebearer said:


> omg! i love that lil guy.. where did you get him ? i want one:grin2:


Same place I got the raptor. Toy section in the local grocery store, haha. They have a shelf with a ton of little animals on it, I just grabbed it from there, washed it off, and popped it in.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I tried using a seahorse tank statue once, it made my fish sick. Took it out and the fish got better. I think the glaze on it was the issue. I like using terra cotta pots and pvc pipe tubes for hidey holes.

I did get a sign that says "surf's up" where the base is a bucket of sand from a friend. I used it in a 1 gallon betta bowl that had sand substrate and a terra cotta pot. It was cute.


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

Kehy said:


> Same place I got the raptor. Toy section in the local grocery store, haha. They have a shelf with a ton of little animals on it, I just grabbed it from there, washed it off, and popped it in.


wow that gives me an idea....i have about 7 different kinds of baby turtle figurines i would love to use a few...( i wonder if my daycare kids will know their missing from the science section...hummm:grin2:


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## ArchimedesTheDog (Apr 9, 2012)

I had an old hex tank for years that had a plastic "rotten barrel" in it. My largish SAE (or some other cat, I recall it being an SAE though) lived in the barrel -- he would come out to eat and then go back in when done. 

I remember I once put a ghost shrimp in the tank and it sat there on the bottom, getting its bearings. The SAE poked its head out of the barrel, looked at the shrimp, came out and grabbed it, took the shrimp back into the barrel and ate it.

The SAE eventually disappeared, when I tore the tank down its skeleton was still inside the barrel, haha.

Anyhow, I liked that bit of silly decoration, it added a touch of whimsy to the tank. I go for the natural look these days but it worked at the time.


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## lnstevens (Aug 9, 2010)

The one I've always thought about doing but have yet to do is a sunken Castle.

If you Google it's been successfully done in a 46 gallon bowfront.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gAIMWbRrJBE/maxresdefault.jpg

That was very well done as well.

But as people said it's what's a aesthetically pleasing to you not what everyone else thinks.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


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