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Ancient Cave – Smooth Rock Shelter  3D Printer File Image 1
Ancient Cave – Smooth Rock Shelter  3D Printer File Image 2
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Ancient Cave – Smooth Rock Shelter

Rados avatarRados

May 25, 2026

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Description

A versatile hideout inspired by ancient rock formations — designed for aquariums, terrariums, and paludariums. All edges are smoothed, the interior is unified for consistent infill, and the columns are shaped to look naturally worn. Safe for fish, shrimp, snails, crabs, turtles, frogs, geckos, spiders, and other small animals.

 

Two versions included:

 

🪨 Cave without side anchors
Clean, lightweight shape — perfect for tanks where the cave will be placed between rocks or decorations. Easy to reposition.

 

⚓ Cave with side anchors
Designed for sand or gravel substrates. The anchors allow you to partially bury the cave for maximum stability, even with active or burrowing animals.

 

💧 Important note for aquarium use
To prevent floating, drill a small 2–3 mm hole in the top or back before placing in water. This lets water fill the inside and keeps the cave submerged.

 

🧪 Printing instructions

  • Layer height: 0.16–0.28 mm
  • Walls: 3–4
  • Infill: 10–20% (Gyroid or Cubic recommended)
  • Material: PETG or PLA
  • Supports: Required 
  • Brim: Required

 

🌊🦎 Who is this for?

SetupAnimals
Freshwater aquariumFish, shrimp, snails, dwarf crabs
Marine / reef tankHermit crabs, small fish, invertebrates
Terrarium (humid)Frogs, salamanders, geckos, crested geckos
Terrarium (dry)Leopard geckos, spiders (Tarantula), scorpions
PaludariumTurtles, crabs, mudskippers

 

🌟 Why this model?

  • Organic cave shape that looks natural in any setup
  • Two functional versions for different substrates
  • Rounded edges — safe for sensitive animals and fins
  • Great for aquascaping, naturalistic terrariums, and enrichment hides

License:

BY-NC-SA

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