Plant Pots For Shrimp Tank

I'll be interested in this reply as a similar question was posted on another fish website and I said that you had to be careful with new pots because of something in/on them and got shot down in flames by an arrogant member.

Instead of new ones, because of my concern, I scoured my garden shed for small old ones, or larger broken bits for making an arch.  I then scrubbed, simmered, soaked and repeated, just in case there was any residue from unsuitable plant food, chemicals etc.

I've used them in both the shrimp tank and the 60cm and nothing untoward has happened.

New ones would obviously be easier so I'll watch this thread with interest.

I use terracotta pots in my tanks as caves and I've had them with amano and cherry shrimps with no problems. I use brand new pots rather than ones that have been used for garden plants, then reuse them in tanks as required. The only problems I've had have been with the sticky labels on the pots. Obviously I couldn't use nail varnish remover or surgical spirit to get the labels or glue residue off so I just peel the paper off and use fine grade sandpaper to remove the glue left behind. It doesn't show when the pots are wet.

Telling my husband about this post and he has just reminded me which part of safe or unsafe I was concerned about.

A couple of months back I was looking for new small clay pots and he reminded me that I kept rejecting the ones I found because the label said they were GLAZED and I was looking for unglazed so I expect that's what I was thinking of.

For anyone thinking of using clay pots for fish I did come across a post somewhere online when somebody put a pot in and their fish got caught in one of the holes when it panicked, so maybe make the hole bigger or close it with silicone first

Also edges should be smoothed if, like me, you use broken pots to make arches.

I covered the curved edge of a pot weeks and weeks ago with an opened out marimo moss ball and it is still looking good.  I fully expected after a few weeks that it would turn brown but it hasn't and the shrimp like it.

I shall be keeping an eye on this thread