ceramic flower pot

[andreahp]

I just got a 4" unfinished pot to put into my tank as a cave - should I rinse it off in conditioned water or can I just put it in the tank?

[Brhino]

always a good idea to clean off anything you're going to put in a tank. Who knows where it's been, what chemicals it may have been exposed to...

[DrNic]

I always wash any pots that I'll be putting into my tanks. I also like to soak them in a bucket for a week or so. This will help remove any dissolvable minerals that would otherwise come out in your tank and possibly mess with water chemistry. In some cases it will also help remove excess coloring from the pot that may turn you water colors.

[dbosman]

DrNic has a good point.
Terra Cotta pots are very safe, but you don't know where they've been. A week soak is a great idea.

[genocidex]

always wash anything in dechlorinated water before adding it to the tank. even the water !!! lol. the soak will pull out anything that might leach out into the water. better safe than sorry in adding anything. good luck with the cave hope it works for you