If you are a private seller, then why not give this a shot? It's free and might even have some of those zebra thingies! You can also post requests for exchanging or loaning fish. Please refrain from posting opinions or irrelevancies in this section.
Zebrapleco.com can not take ANY responsibility for items advertised or sold in this section as they are free classifieds. Members not following the Forum Rules however will have their Posts deleted.
I've been looking about for somewhere to get slate caves in the states, but didn't find many places that had what I wanted. So, I decided to try my hand at making a few caves like those so often seen on this site.
I've already had a few inquiries, so I'll be making a lot more depending on interest. The ones in the pictures were made using natural slate, and conform to the dimensions most commonly used for H. zebra, though it does vary a bit because the thickness of the slate isn't uniform from tile to tile.
You got some nice caves there. You might want to try using thinner slate tiles if you can find them as you'll find that the sides top and bottom fit nicer, it's also easier to work with the thinner stuff. That said I'm sure zebras are not so picky so long as the internal dimensions are correct .
Thanks Adam It's pretty much luck of the draw with the natural stuff, as the thickness varies quite a bit even in the same box. But I am looking around for something that will give a more uniform look. That first lot was a bit wonky I know, but again, that's due to the uneven surface of the natural slate and I'm going to try to correct it down the road
No problem Val . Don't worry they are a hundred times better than my first attempt at making slate caves or caverns as I called them . If you want to have a laugh search the threads and you'll find a picture of them.
I know it's a bit wasteful but I discard the thicker slate tiles and use only the thinner ones. You can always use the thicker tiles for the top and bottom panels of the caves and the thinner tiles for the side panels. That way I find that it doesn't throw your measurements out so much, just a thought.
Not a bad idea. Although, in that first box, four out of five tiles were the thick ones.
I'm going to be doing some trawling around tile and flooring stores to see what's available. The first run really was just me learning how to use a wet saw anyways... kind of fun actually
I too when I first made some caves, made them out of 9mm natural flooring late. Now however , use 3mm natural roofing slate for the top and bottom and 9mm for the rest.It is a lot lighter ,a lot easier to work with and assemble.
Thanks Des, maybe roofing slate is the way to go then. I spent the day looking around at flooring stores, and couldn't find anything that would work any better than the natural slate (despite being 3x the price). I think I may just have to bite the bullet and deal with the heavier stuff.
No, I haven't been able to find any of the roofing slate yet. Actually, the people that I've sent caves to so far seem to like the thicker slate than the ones I've made with the thinner pieces. It's still a pain to work with, but I'm using a jig for the internal dimensions now and I silicone the slate around it. It makes for more consistent results, if not entirely negating the surface irregularities. I'm still looking for something that will be easier to work with, but in the mean time, my males like the ones I've made for them, so something's going right
If you've found a system that works for you then stick with it. My caves are a mixture of the thicker and thinner sided ones. Like I said before the male zebras have no preference and use either type of cave. The only real benefits of using the thinner slate as you have noticed is that it's easier to work with, it also cuts down on postage costs as they are lighter.
I agree entirely. The only real reason I'm still looking for thinner pieces is for aesthetics at this point. The thick ones weigh a lot more, but I can fit eight in a USPS flat rate box for just under $8 regardless of weight. So using the thinner slate wouldn't save anything at all on shipping actually.
.
It's pretty much luck of the draw with the natural stuff, as the thickness varies quite a bit even in the same box. But I am looking around for something that will give a more uniform look. That first lot was a bit wonky I know, but again, that's due to the uneven surface of the natural slate and I'm going to try to correct it down the road 
. Don't worry they are a hundred times better than my first attempt at making slate caves or caverns as I called them 
. If you want to have a laugh search the threads and you'll find a picture of them.
