question on PVC burrow

[BLockamon]

I'm getting ready to set up an Oceanic 30 gal cube for a Peacock mantis and had a question about making a PVC burrow.

The mantis in question is about 4 or 5" long. So, I'm guessing the burrow needs to be 2.5" or 3" PVC. Is that correct?

Also, about how long should the tube be? Do you usually have only one entrance or multiple entrances. I was thinking about running the pipe under the sand / rubble bed in a curved path in one corner of the tank (with two entrances).

Any suggestions?

 

[fish lad]

just dump ruble in

i used a pvc tube for my mantis and it didnt use the thing, jus dump a **** load of ruble in

 

[Gonodactylus]

You could just dump in a lot of rubble, but then you also could run into trouble. The problem that I see most often in animals without a good, dark burrow is shell disase. Usually in a tank you can't provide sufficient rubble and and consolidated substrate to all the animal to build and adequate burrow system. Using a black or grey pvc burrow at least twice as long as the animal (I use burrows that are 3 or 4 times as long as the O.s.) will allow it to get out of the light. Other problems are that with lots of rubble, it is easy for the animal to stash surplus food that can lead to nitrate problems. And then there is the problem of periodic remodelling that stirs up the tank and again often exposes the animal to light.

In the wild O.s. burrows are simple u-shaped. A 5 inch animal would have a burrow about 40-40 cm long and perhaps 20 cm deep.

Roy

 

[BLockamon]

Any particular reason to use black or grey PVC? I purchased standard Sch. 40 (white). Will this reflect too much light inside the burrow?

 

[Gonodactylus]

Yes, too much light. The idea is to make the burrow dark.

Roy

 

[DanInSD]

Silly (?) question -- where does one procure 2.5-3" black rigid tubing, especially with fittings like 45 degree bends? I looked at, well, all over the place. Lowe's, Home Depot, the LFS, etc. I could order online somewhere, I'm sure, but that seems silly.

 

[BLockamon]

My Lowes has the fittings, but I'm not sure I saw the pipe.

Dr. Roy, would plastic flexible ducting (or corrugated pipe) be an option? I guess the flexible drain pipe is out because it is perforated, but plastic exhause ducting (like for the dryer) would work.

 

[Gonodactylus]

I'm not a plumber and I don't know what is in some of the flexible duct materials. I even worry about what is in your standard pvc pipe. I always soak it in hot water and scrap or sand off the ink.

Be careful when you buy black pvc. Some of it (can't remember the grade) floats.

One product that I do use is grey pvc 90 degree angle electrical conduit. It comes in 1 to 3" diameter and because of the gentle bend you can cut it to make a curved burrow. I haven't had any problems with toxicity. I buy it at my local ACE Hardware. It is very inexpensive - certainly much less than purchasing fittings.

Roy

 

[DanInSD]

Thanks, Dr. Roy. I found some of that conduit (now that I know what I was looking for) and it will work out swimmingly.

Dan

 

[BLockamon]

I lucked out as well. My local Lowes had some Black ABS fittings. I ended up getting two 3" 90-degree street elbows, one 3" 45-degree street eblow, and one 3" 45-degree regular elbow. The street elbows are male-female, so I could put it together without having to buy and cut pipe.

When fully assembled, the pieces make a "U" that is about 15--16" long and slopes down about 3". It should be just about perfect.

 

[Thurge]

Another option is to use the sch 40 PVC and then roll it in superglue and then roll that in argonite. I tried silicone and found that it doesn't adhear nearly as well to the pipe or the sand as superglue. Also the thicker the superglue the easier it is to work with and the thicker the coating of sand that will adhear to the pipe.

 

[Ladipyg]

I just used a 1" piece of flexible tubing...like used in fish ponds. it's thick, black and very flexible..I put it on some crushed coral, added some pieces of larger rock rubble. dumped more crushed coral over it and then landscaped above it. The tube is threaded around the rocks into a U shape...and I have one very happy peacock. He can go to the far back for lots of darkness and has an entrance and exit.