is it possible to make own ornaments?

[WOGGIES]

hello. I was wondering if it was possible to make my own ornaments perhaps out of clay and paint? Just wondering. There are a lot of oranaments that I would love to have, but no one makes them. Thanks.

[zqia014]

Clay is fine, lots of people use clay flowerpots in their tank for hiding places for the fish, just make sure you soak them in water for a week before putting them in the tank, changing water daily.

Paint not so sure, best to make sure the kind of paint you use doesn't dissolve.

[Lady Hobbs]

If I were to use clay, I would make sure it's been well baked. As cermanics would be and would be even better if you knew of someone who had a kilm. You could paint them with epoxy paint.

I believe just putting something clay in your tank would fall apart and sulley the water. The clay balls sure do.

[crackatinny]

I am currently waiting on a clay cave to be fired, clay is natural, but I would be hesitant about any glazes, paints or glues that we do not know what they contain.

As Hobbs pointed out though, with clay it must be fired at a very high temp (kiln), or it will just turn back to muddy clay.

[Lady Hobbs]

Epoxy paints and glues are no toxic. I read today that styrofoam is not toxic either.

[WOGGIES]

I am currently waiting on a clay cave to be fired, clay is natural, but I would be hesitant about any glazes, paints or glues that we do not know what they contain.

As Hobbs pointed out though, with clay it must be fired at a very high temp (kiln), or it will just turn back to muddy clay.

What is a kiln? How high does the temperature need to be?

[salman]

It would cost you like nothing more to go out and buy an ornament instead of making something you will not like. First you have to think of what you want to make, then you have to get the supplys you want to make that with. Then you have to wait for it to dry, then you have to glue the things you want to attach on it and then you have to sink it under water for all the chemicals to come out, then after 2 weeks of hard work, you will place it in your tank and you will dislike it and you would have wasted hours working on it and then it will go in the trash and then you will go out and buy one.

I am simply agaisnt people who make anything for their fish lol

[Nick_Pavlovski]

"Kiln: An oven used to bake or fire ceramics. Early pottery was simply baked in trenches with brushwood. Proper kilns were developed later with the fire walled in to conserve the heat and using various forms and types of air circulation. The most popular design in Britain by the 18th century was the bottle oven or kiln, with its characteristic chimney, fired by coal. Unglazed pieces were stacked up in the kiln for the biscuit firing, but once the glaze was applied the wares needed to be separated to avoid the melting glaze sticking them together. During the glost firing, kiln furniture, such as stilts, spurs, and firing rings, was used to separate the glazed pieces or raise them off the shelves. A muffle kiln was used to fire enamel colours on to pieces, protecting them from direct flames".
"kiln" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Michael Clarke. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Swinburne University of Technology. 17 July 2007 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t4.e952>

So, basically a specialised oven
Local community art groups should have one, or ask at an arts supplies shop.

The temperature needs to be REALLY hot and it can take many hours, so don't do it in your kitchen oven.

[MeganL3985]

You can use terra cotta pots also. I'm planning on making a little cave out of a terra cotta flower pot (small ones) and using the aquarium silicone to glue plastic leafs and stuff on it to make it blend in a little with the plants.