NEWBIE FROM TERRELL,TEXAS AREA

[EAST_TX_RN]

I hope I am posting correctly! I am new to this forum and live near Terrell,Texas with my husband, 2 Great Danes, 2 cats,2 parakeets,and 2 tanks of african cichlids. One is a 50 gal. setup with several electric yellows, 4 Kenyis, and some Zebras and the other is a 55 gal. with electric yellows, Plecos, and one huge Melanchromis Cyaneorhabdos that is the boss of the tank. I have recently experimented with making caves out of terra cotta pots, rocks, and some clear silicone with fairly good success. I am glad to find a local fish forum to share ideas and maybe a few fish. I am fairly new to the hobby, so need all the pointers I can get!

[poel_19]

awesome to have you welcome!!

[biggin]

Hello, welcome to the site. Have any pictures of the pots and caves?

[EAST_TX_RN]

Thanks! It looks like I am getting on to a fairly new site. Cool! Hope to meet some nice people here to share ideas!

[AndrewH]

Yes welcome to the site.

Sounds like you have some nice tanks and a zoo like most of us :), you'll fit right in.

[rolloffhill]

:welcome: Thanks for checking us out!

[EAST_TX_RN]

Thanks for the welcome! I am attaching some photos of the caves I made using clay pots, Silicone I, and some rocks. Silicone I is a b*tch to work with! I had to use hot-glue to hold the larger rocks on until the silicone dried. I then waited an entire week before it seemed the silicone was cured enough and then cleaned the pots really well before placing in my tank. There is definitely a learning curve in making these types of caves! I wished, in hindsight, that I had used smaller clay pots. The large one with the white rocks had an entrance drilled out by my darling hubby. That worked the best out of all the caves. One of my Kenyis has laid claim to that one! I would love to make a background but,as you can see, I am not capable enough to make a nice one. Would love to see any D.I.Y. caves others on this forum have tried.

[bra8ndy8]

Nice to have you here too!! I have 2 African tanks...and 2 great danes!! So you are more than welcome here!!SO WELCOME :newbie:!!

[EAST_TX_RN]

Wow! You have 2 Great Danes too? My poor, long-suffering husband and myself are just stewards to all these animals! My danes are such attention-wh*res! One came from a local rescue, and the other was a private adoption, so both were grown and trained when I got them. We live on 10 acres out in the country, luckily.
I have always loved fish and a friend of a friend gave me my first Mbuna 55 gal. tank. It was a mess when I got it but I learned fast how to set it up, get the chemistry right, and they are really thriving! I had to break down and buy the 50 gal. on recently since my electric yellows were having too many babies. I found it next to impossible to find homes for them! I am hoping to do some trading here, or selling them cheap, so I won't have to invest in yet another tank. I am dying to find some Melanchromis Cyan females for my big, old fellow who is all alone except for the electrics and some Plecos.
Nice to have you here too!! I have 2 African tanks...and 2 great danes!! So you are more than welcome here!!SO WELCOME :newbie:!!

[bra8ndy8]

I know how you feel....mine are part of my family! My older is 8 and then we have a puppy!! Both boys!! Love them to pieces!

[xtc]

Welcome!!

Yes, we're fans of big dogs and those that share their home with em!!

Garden ridge Pottery has small pots- I have used them in a couple of my tanks- they look cool! Nice pics!

It's all an experiment- that's what makes it fun!!

Enjoy your stay and hope you learn lots- share whatcha got.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l282/Fishgallery/newfish066.jpg

[rolloffhill]

Glad to hear you used silicone I....:clap:

[fishyjoe24]

welcome to the box, nice tanks you have there.

[lellison]

Glad to have you here!

[EAST_TX_RN]

Nice caves you have there Chris! What plants and what type of soil did you use for your plants? I would love to have some real plants in my tanks, but afraid my fish would destroy them fast! Skipp, I did a lot of research before deciding what to use, but I really hated working with the silicone! I thought I had everything glued down tight, but after waiting a week for the silicone to cure, some of the rocks fell off! I think they will look a lot better after some algae grows on them. The pots on their sides were too big, but they still use them to hide out from the bigger ones, so I guess it wasn't a total waste. If I had been smart, I would have ordered my caves on aquabid and been done with it!

[xtc]

Those are Java Ferns- they later came out- so I attached them to wood. The caves are upside down saucers and an hour of Dremmell work. :hehe:

[rolloffhill]

Nice caves you have there Chris! What plants and what type of soil did you use for your plants? I would love to have some real plants in my tanks, but afraid my fish would destroy them fast! Skipp, I did a lot of research before deciding what to use, but I really hated working with the silicone! I thought I had everything glued down tight, but after waiting a week for the silicone to cure, some of the rocks fell off! I think they will look a lot better after some algae grows on them. The pots on their sides were too big, but they still use them to hide out from the bigger ones, so I guess it wasn't a total waste. If I had been smart, I would have ordered my caves on aquabid and been done with it!


Glad you did, alot of people don't and when you try to tell them that they shouldn't have used silicone II they get defensive about it.

I can't count the number of times I have had that discussion.

[EAST_TX_RN]

I bought Gorilla glue at first, but that was a joke! I could not clamp what I was making. I then settled on the Silicone I, but it was hard for this inexperienced female to work with a caulking gun. I found out I had to hot-glue the rocks first to hold them until the silicone set. After 48 hours, the smell of acetic acid was still strong(I had them on my back porch due to the fumes), so it took a full week for the pieces to cure. Do you have any photos of caves Skipp? I know this is not the right thread but would love to see what everyone else is doing so far as caves and backgrounds.

[AndrewH]

Yeah, that Gorilla glue is some pretty heavy duty stuff (I used it on my stand).

[xtc]

I have yet to see pictures of good caves- I did some experimenting with cement and foam- but it wasn't thick enough and it broke apart- and it was REAL heavy.

Just for Pets sells an epoxy resin that you could easily build caves out of rocks and whatnot- so long as you're not trying to create pedastal rock SP or something strange like that.

[steve]

Where at in Terell Im around Kaufman my wife went to Terrell high school

[rolloffhill]

I bought Gorilla glue at first, but that was a joke! I could not clamp what I was making. I then settled on the Silicone I, but it was hard for this inexperienced female to work with a caulking gun. I found out I had to hot-glue the rocks first to hold them until the silicone set. After 48 hours, the smell of acetic acid was still strong(I had them on my back porch due to the fumes), so it took a full week for the pieces to cure. Do you have any photos of caves Skipp? I know this is not the right thread but would love to see what everyone else is doing so far as caves and backgrounds.

No unfortunatly I am WAYYYY to impatient to wait for a backround to cure before putting it in the tank. I just did alot of reading on the subject a while back. I still get people that argue with me that GE silicone II is fine to use...:rolleyes:

[EAST_TX_RN]

Where at in Terell Im around Kaufman my wife went to Terrell high school


I live about 15 minutes east of Terrell, about half-way between Elmo and Wills Point, out in the sticks. I live in Cobb Community. Our kids went to WP schools. Familiar with the area?

[steve]

Yeah I think I have been to a team roping in that area

[fishyjoe24]

elmo what, you mean to tell me there's a elmo texas. now that's funny.

[EAST_TX_RN]

Funnier still is what the locals call the 'Elmo Mall'. It consists of a gas-station, a country restaurant that only people in Elmo eat at, a feed store, and one of those horrid aluminum shed/carport businesses. One blink and you have passed it all! I live in Cobb, what used to be known as Cobb Switch, because it was a railroad switching spot, and I live a few miles from Frog Community, that got its' name from the black locals jumping on the train to ride to Dallas to party on the weekend. Okay, I will shut-up!

[AndrewH]

Well my wife is a Texas History teacher, so all of this stuff is pretty cool to me. I'm from a little town about 50 miles west of Fort Worth (100 miles west of Dallas) by the name of Mineral Wells. It was named as you may have guessed from the mineral water wells. In the 1920-1930's people from all around the world would go to soak in a mineral bath. Was even prescribed by doctors from some things (like sin related).

[EAST_TX_RN]

Is the mineral water hot, like at Steamboat Springs? Can you go nake' like at Steamboat?
Curious minds would like to know......
Seriously, it is interesting how some towns and communities got their name.

[biggin]

Mineral Wells...boo... been there too many times not many good times…. Although we kicked your butt in football… We did not grow up too far away from one another....

[fishyjoe24]

what about gun barrel any one know of that one. or pittsburg or lorena

[fatfutures]

WE now go through Mineral Wells on a regular basis... our deer lease is near Caddo. Is there anywhere that you can actually get in the springs? I'm dying for more info!

Ahhhh... nakie in the hot pots of Steamboat Springs... that takes me back. My dad and step mom live there. I spent a good deal of time there as a teenager and young adult (read: party animal). Mmmmm fun times... hot springs, bottle of wine, various combustibles...

[AndrewH]

Is the mineral water hot, like at Steamboat Springs? Can you go nake' like at Steamboat?
Curious minds would like to know......
Seriously, it is interesting how some towns and communities got their name.

To my knowledge they are all closed down now. Back in the 80's when I was a kiddo, I remember there being some in the basement of the Crazy Water hotel and that smell. That smell I'll never forget! :pukeleft::pukeleft::pukeright::pukeright: (ewww)

They were hot from what I can remember (steam and high humidity), but I think it was artificial heating.

Mineral Wells...boo... been there too many times not many good times…. Although we kicked your butt in football… We did not grow up too far away from one another....

Yeah, our football team (heck all of your sports teams) weren't all that good. But I'm a soccer man myself (which we sucked too :D).

what about gun barrel any one know of that one. or pittsburg or lorena

Yeah, I've heard of them, but have no idea how they got their names. Do you know?

WE now go through Mineral Wells on a regular basis... our deer lease is near Caddo. Is there anywhere that you can actually get in the springs? I'm dying for more info!

Ahhhh... nakie in the hot pots of Steamboat Springs... that takes me back. My dad and step mom live there. I spent a good deal of time there as a teenager and young adult (read: party animal). Mmmmm fun times... hot springs, bottle of wine, various combustibles...

Ahh, Caddo. Yup I've been to Caddo many times. My grandpa and I used to go to all of the local rancher's ponds to catch trot line bait. Lots of good ponds up that way.

I've never been to Steamboat springs, but we went through Hot Springs AR last summer and I think they still have some of the spring baths open (I could be wrong). Also if you've been to Hot Springs, AR there is a huge hotel there. The Architect of that hotel built another one in Mineral Wells that looks very similar. But I think the one in Hot Springs is still open while the one in Mineral Wells is not :(.

[fatfutures]

Is THAT what that HUGE building downtown is? Hubby and I have been very curious about that big ol thing. Looks so out of place!

[fishyjoe24]

nope sorry don't know how they got there names.. maybe named after people.

[ElijahTurtle]

what about gun barrel any one know of that one. or pittsburg or lorena

Ahh...Pittsburg. Best friggin hotlinks in the world! When I was in HS, we used to drive over there all the time to eat at Warrick's & the Hot Link shop. Warrick's was the home of the Ezekiel Airship. Still not sure how the town got it's name.
I'm from a little community called Coke. Anyone heard of that? & I do know how that got it's name, but it has nothing to do with CocaCola.

[AndrewH]

Is THAT what that HUGE building downtown is? Hubby and I have been very curious about that big ol thing. Looks so out of place!

Yeah, it's the Baker Hotel. Been closed down for many, many years. Someone tried to buy it back in the 90s, but would cost a buncha $$$ to bring it up to code. Not sure what's gonna happen to it. But when I win the $100 mil lottery, I'll fix it up ;).

[AndrewH]

Here's (http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/MineralWellsTexas/BakerHotelMineralWellsRWP.htm) some intersting history about the Baker Hotel and Mineral Wells.