Using PVC in Fish Tank Applications



Gold fish in fish tank aquarium

Fish are a great pet for many reasons. Several of those reasons are their low-maintenance lifestyle, their quiet nature, and the fact that they always stay in one place. These silent companions deserve our love just as much as our dogs and cats. That is why we have assembled this list of PVC projects for your fish tank! These fun projects add creativity and originality to your fish’s home!

Benefits of Using PVC in Fish Tanks

PVC products and materials can be used to create a variety of PVC pipe fish tank decorations! Using PVC materials is a cost-efficient, flexible, and customizable alternative to expensive castles and reefs for fish tanks. PVC pipe is inexpensive and easy to work with. It is also a flexible option, with easy assembly and disassembly when required. The best part about PVC fish tank decorations is how customizable they are! They can be painted, sanded, textured, finished, and more! You just need to make sure all paints and finishes are safe and will last underwater. The possibilities are endless with PVC!

For many aquarium owners, PVC materials offer a cost efficient and sanitary solution for creating projects that can really help spruce up their fish’s environment. PVC pipe is easy to clean and repurpose. The surface of PVC pipe is smooth, so cleaning is easy. Dirt doesn’t get caught in any textures or grooves in the material. Also, if you or your fish get bored with a PVC structure, it can be easily moved or repurposed in the tank. And when properly recycled, PVC pipe is crushed down to be made into other PVC products, making it an environmentally conscious choice!

Clean Your PVC Before Use

Something that is important to remember for all of these projects is that PVC pipe should be properly cleaned before being put in a fish tank. Dirt and germs on its surface could harm the habitat in your fish tank. Also, any stray PVC fragments that fall off the pipe could hurt your fish. Take caution when introducing anything into your fish tank! Any paints or glues you put on pipe should also be safe and waterproof.

DIY PVC Projects for Fish

Using PVC allows you to add a wide array of décor elements to your fish tank that you won’t find anywhere else. It can also help you maintain your tank. Below we’ll talk about a few different projects you can build with PVC for your fish tank.

PVC Fish Tunnel

Building a tunnel for you tank is a quick and easy way to upgrade your fish’s home. All you need is a length of pipe, glue, a cutting tool, and fish tank gravel. We recommend at least 2” pipe, but size varies depending on size of tank and fish.

Once you know the diameter of pipe you need, and how long you want the tunnel to be, you’ll need to cut the pipe in half length-wise so that you end up with two “C” shaped pieces. Sand down the rough edges, and then using the glue (always make sure its safe for animals!), you can decorate the outside of your tunnel to make it blend into the other elements in the tank.

Homemade Aquarium Cave Background

Much like building a tunnel for your fish, building a cave background for you tank will be customizable to the type of fish you have and the size of your tank. You’ll first need to know the height of your tank, and how tall you want the background to be. As for the diameter of PVC pipe you’ll need, we recommend 3-inch and/or 4-inch pipe.

Once you’ve cut your pipe to size, you can use a marker to outline any cut-outs you want to make on the pipe. Don’t put so many in to compromise the integrity of the pipe, but the more holes for your fishes to swim in and out of the better. After you’ve outlined all of your cave openings, you can use a jigsaw to cut them out.

Next, you can decorate! You can use foam to seal the pipes together and the foam will also help to add texture to your cave background. Add rocks to the pipes before spraying with foam to add more texture. Then, making sure to use a water proof and animal friendly paint, you can paint the cave background to help it look more realistic.

DIY PVC Overflow

An aquarium overflow is exactly what it sounds like – a place for the water to overflow out of the tank, with the purpose of routing water to a sump so that your equipment is hidden out of sight. This adds not only additional water to your aquarium system, which can help with the stability of your environment, but it also helps to hide unsightly equipment. You can use PVC to help build your own aquarium overflow – all you’ll need is some ¾” to 1 ½” PVC pipe, a few fittings, and couple of tools and you’re on your way. Check out this blog post here to find out how.

PVC Aquarium Filters

Aside from cosmetic structures inside the tank, PVC pipe can also be used to make creative and effective PVC pipe aquarium filters. One benefit to this is that any PVC aquarium filter design will be customizable, so it will perfectly fit the tank it is attached to. Another important reason one would use PVC pipe to make a filter is that it is much less expensive than getting a pre-made filter.

Freshen Up Your Aquarium with PVC

PVC is a great material to improve your aquarium. Not only does it offer great benefits, but it’s also easy to use for creating tunnels and caves and is a great solution for aquarium overflow and filters. Now that you have some ideas to freshen up your fish’s home, turn on your creativity, order some PVC material, and get started!