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Badger's 150g Rio Negro/Orinoco Flooded Rain Forest

Magnum Man said:
looks really nice... say... those aren't Angel Fish are they ;)
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OK, that made me truly laugh out loud. 😆 Five of them in a 150 gallon tank with lots of structure. They do great. I started with six, but lost one to a siphoning accident when they were only about half grown.
 
WhistlingBadger said:
Thanks! I'm glad you like it. The wood is rocky mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum).
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Just coming back to this. Is this wood you collected yourself? I'm in the UK, and wondering the best way to try and replicate what you have done, but in a smaller set up. I think it's more the way you have positioned the wood that fascinates me. I'm used to just laying out driftwood horizontally, but I am bored with this, after seeing your video. Maybe it's just a matter of trying to find the right shaped driftwood, and standing it up, rather than laying it down. But, I'd love to get that "tree" look if that makes sense? Not much driftwood in my LFS has that more, "round" or "circular" style.
 
AJ356 said:
Just coming back to this. Is this wood you collected yourself? I'm in the UK, and wondering the best way to try and replicate what you have done, but in a smaller set up. I think it's more the way you have positioned the wood that fascinates me. I'm used to just laying out driftwood horizontally, but I am bored with this, after seeing your video. Maybe it's just a matter of trying to find the right shaped driftwood, and standing it up, rather than laying it down. But, I'd love to get that "tree" look if that makes sense? Not much driftwood in my LFS has that more, "round" or "circular" style.
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Yes, I collected the wood myself. I like juniper wood because it grows in very picturesque shapes. Also, it is extremely rot resistant. That means that one can go out in the desert and find old branches and stumps that have probably been dead for a hundred years. All the bark is gone and all that remains is this amazingly shaped, textured wood. I'm really lucky to have access to it. Between desert juniper and the overflow channel on the local mountain river, I've never had to buy driftwood.

You don't have to have juniper to get the look of buttress roots in a flooded forest, though. Here's my process. Feel free to ask if any of this doesn't make sense.

First, find some good branches. You want good, dry hardwood, with all of the bark stripped off. Don't use green wood, and do your research: a few kinds of wood have toxins that will hurt your fish. And of course you want wood from an area that isn't sprayed with chemicals or soaked in automobile exhaust. Most hardwoods are fine. In the UK I believe you have a lot of oak and ash, correct? Those should both be good once they're dead, dry, and the bark is removed.

Look for pieces of wood that are relatively straight on one end, and branched on the other. I enjoy pieces with knots, burls, twists, or other interesting shapes. (exactly the opposite of what I need for bow making!)

Cut the branched side with a wood saw (a band saw would work beautifully if you have access to one, but watch your fingers!) so it's flat across, where the black line is in the picture. (Graphics by Industrial Light and Magic) Turn the piece upside down, and the branches become the roots of your flooded tree! Cut the top to be just below the top of your aquarium.
lame branch pic.jpg



Once you have some pieces that you like, you can glue the wood to a piece of flat rock or glass with epoxy. Fish-safe silicone will work for smaller pieces, but it isn't usually strong enough to hold large pieces under water (I found this out the hard way). The glass or rock can then be buried under your substrate to hold it in place. With smallish pieces, you can simply silicone them straight to the bottom of your aquarium.

Expect the wood to release a lot of brown or yellow color into the water. This is tannin, and assuming your wood is non-toxic, it is actually good for most fish. If it gets excessive or you don't like the look, you can remove it with water changes or carbon filtration.

Clear as mud?
 
WhistlingBadger said:
Yes, I collected the wood myself. I like juniper wood because it grows in very picturesque shapes. Also, it is extremely rot resistant. That means that one can go out in the desert and find old branches and stumps that have probably been dead for a hundred years. All the bark is gone and all that remains is this amazingly shaped, textured wood. I'm really lucky to have access to it. Between desert juniper and the overflow channel on the local mountain river, I've never had to buy driftwood.

You don't have to have juniper to get the look of buttress roots in a flooded forest, though. Here's my process. Feel free to ask if any of this doesn't make sense.

First, find some good branches. You want good, dry hardwood, with all of the bark stripped off. Don't use green wood, and do your research: a few kinds of wood have toxins that will hurt your fish. And of course you want wood from an area that isn't sprayed with chemicals or soaked in automobile exhaust. Most hardwoods are fine. In the UK I believe you have a lot of oak and ash, correct? Those should both be good once they're dead, dry, and the bark is removed.

Look for pieces of wood that are relatively straight on one end, and branched on the other. I enjoy pieces with knots, burls, twists, or other interesting shapes. (exactly the opposite of what I need for bow making!)

Cut the branched side with a wood saw (a band saw would work beautifully if you have access to one, but watch your fingers!) so it's flat across, where the black line is in the picture. (Graphics by Industrial Light and Magic) Turn the piece upside down, and the branches become the roots of your flooded tree! Cut the top to be just below the top of your aquarium.
View attachment 328783


Once you have some pieces that you like, you can glue the wood to a piece of flat rock or glass with epoxy. Fish-safe silicone will work for smaller pieces, but it isn't usually strong enough to hold large pieces under water (I found this out the hard way). The glass or rock can then be buried under your substrate to hold it in place. With smallish pieces, you can simply silicone them straight to the bottom of your aquarium.

Expect the wood to release a lot of brown or yellow color into the water. This is tannin, and assuming your wood is non-toxic, it is actually good for most fish. If it gets excessive or you don't like the look, you can remove it with water changes or carbon filtration.

Clear as mud?
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Brilliant! Thanks loads for taking the time. I know that in the UK, we have a lot of oak and beech. I will look into ash. Driftwood is insanely expensive in the LFS, so your advice will definitely help.
 
AJ356 said:
Brilliant! Thanks loads for taking the time. I know that in the UK, we have a lot of oak and beech. I will look into ash. Driftwood is insanely expensive in the LFS, so your advice will definitely help.
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Happy to help! I look forward to seeing what you make!
 
Well, the four new whiptail cats (Sturisomatichthys aureus) seem to be doing well! They're nice, big ones. I believe TWS still has a few more. They're on the pricey side but worth every penny! No pictures of them yet, as last time I was in I had a python disaster and was busy cleaning that up. I'll try to get some pics next time I'm in.
 
That's a beautiful tank Tom. You did a great job setting it up and those are some beautiful angel fish.
 
Well, two of my angelfish spawned. I didn't notice the eggs until I was well into a water change. Then they ate the eggs as I was filling the tank back up. So I don't have to worry about quarantining the babies. You have to see the bright side in these things...
 
Yeah you’ve got baby angelfish eggs!
But now you’ll have to find a place to put them after there hatched..
Oh wait…never mind. 🤣
 
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