Need help with a 'scaping idea...

[bassbonediva]

I have this idea for my 29gal tank, but I'm not sure how to execute it. I want to create a bamboo forest with deadwood bamboo. I have access to as much bamboo as I want or need, so that's not a problem (my mom has a bamboo thicket out in her park that she hasn't trimmed back in years and there's tons of dead stalks in it). My problem is how to secure the bamboo so it doesn't float, but not make it a permanent fixture in the tank (i.e.-no siliconing the bamboo to the bottom of the tank itself).

My only idea is this...get one or two pieces of clear plastic craft canvas and cut them to fit the tank. Silicone the bamboo stalks onto the plastic canvas in the desired positions. Remove all the substrate, decor, fish, water, etc. from the tank. Place the plastic canvas with bamboo attached in the bottom of the tank and replace substrate, decor, water, fish, etc. I would have to strain the substrate to separate the sand and Flourite so I could do the Flourite on the bottom and sand on top again because i know it'll mix when I take it out, but that's no big deal.

So, do you think my idea will work...or do you have a better idea?

 

[lauraf]

What about siliconing heavy rocks to the bottom of each bamboo stalk? Then you could just bury the ends in the substrate without having to remove it all.

 

[bassbonediva]

I thought about that. I am trying something similar in one of my 10gals (Amun's Egyptian tank...siliconing bamboo to slate and burying the slate, then tying pieces of java fern to the end of the bamboo to make palm trees). If it works in Amun's tank, I will try it in the 29gal. I would have to find flat rocks to use, though, 'cuz siliconing to regular round rocks is going to be a PITA.

 

[misterking]

I've considered this same thing before, I'd personally silicone the ends of the bamboo to a piece of slate like you're trying in the egyptian themed tank (which btw, sounds pretty awesome, love the palm tree idea).

 

[aakaakaak]

Since bamboo is hollow you could probably get away with round rocks that fit inside as well. Siliconing those wouldn't be that hard.

Good luck with it. Bamboo lasts forever.

 

[bassbonediva]

Hmmmmm...So now I'm torn between the slate idea (which would be easy, but the slate might be difficult to find) and the small rocks idea aakaakaak mentioned. The idea with the small rocks could work really well if I siliconed a rock into the end and then fill the stalk with rocks until it stays sunk.

I could actually combine the two. Use the rock filling method for the straight up and down stalks and use the slate method for the ones that I want at a bit of an angle.

Thanks, guys! You rock!

 

[aakaakaak]

Thanks, guys! You rock!

No pun intended, right?

 

[bassbonediva]

ROFL! Actually...yep, intended the pun!

 

[ryanoh]

They had slate at my local Lowes. You might be able to find it easy there.

 

[bassbonediva]

Thanks, ryan. I'll have to check around and see what I can find. The only thing I know for sure I have on-hand is sandstone and that definitely won't work.

 

[ValRasbora]

this reminds me of an aquascape!!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dLSVgS5AxBI/SYafAPDqdhI/AAAAAAAAW3c/cm4S7E1uTSw/s400/nano_bamboo.jpg
I love it... augh! Need. more. tanks.

 

[bassbonediva]

That was kind of my inspiration, Val. lol Although I want it to be spookier/darker because of the skulls and the fact that it is a 6-year-old little boy's tank.

 

[ryanoh]

That picture of that one looks like there should be ninjas in it lol.

 

[aakaakaak]

If you have railroad tracks, you can steal good looking pieces of granite from there. You'll also get a good mix of sizes, with pieces that will probably fit in and under the palm trees. It'd be super awesome if you could rig up some form of rock dinosaur using silicone, granite and that jaguar skull. Get that stomping through a palm tree forest and you're golden.

 

[bassbonediva]

LOL! Remember, this is only a 29gal tank. There's isn't THAT much room in it (although, if I could, I would swap the 29gal and the 46gal stock...hmmmmmmmmm...). Just checked AqAdvisor and it thinks I could swap the tanks (my ryukin, 6 leopard danios and 6 WCMMs would put the 29gal at 97% stocked...I'm sending the gold barbs to kenny1tothe6 anyway, so I don't have to worry about them).

Okay, so I'm going to need more black sand and I need to figure out if the 46gal will fit in my son's room (since this is supposed to be his tank)...hehe!

 

[aakaakaak]

Idea morph:

Would it be possible to get a plastic godzilla in his tank and change the trees to buildings? I wonder what all that would entail....

 

[bassbonediva]

Okay, that's going a bit too far. My boy takes after him momma. He doesn't like overly fake tanks. I showed him a picture of a tank that had a lot of fake decorations in it and he didn't like it (this was when we were trying to figure out how he wanted his tank decorated).

So, this idea has kind of morphed a bit...I want to swap the 29gal and the 46gal. That would give me more room to stock and more room to 'scape. I will probably do a DIY hood thing like that vid ryan or aak posted (the one that is on an arm that flips up) because the stock fixture that came with the 46gal is only a 60W and I really don't want to drop the money to get a T5 right now. *starts making notes*

 

[ValRasbora]

I used to love "fake" tanks. I look back at pictures now and say "ew" at the blue gravel, the plastic plants, the cheezy "NO FISHING" signs... blaah!
I almost combined my 20g & 10g. Then I bought more guppies and forgot about it

 

[bassbonediva]

I've always liked more natural tanks. I mean, some fake tanks are cute, but I prefer the more natural look for my tanks...even my themed tanks.

The more I think about it, the more I want to swap the tanks. I just need to figure out what I want as a school with the tiger barbs. I will have the pair of kribs, 8-10 tiger barbs (depending on what the other school is), Grover (the SA bumblebee cat) and hopefully 5 gold laser cories, or if I can afford them, 5 corydoras C121 (they're $11 each on AquaBid AquaBid.com - Your Aquatic Auction Website). So, any ideas on what I could have for that second school. Something that will compliment both the tigers and the kribs, but that isn't shaped like the tigers (want two distinct schools). Someone suggested turquoise/lake kutubu rainbows, and I love them, but I don't know how well they'd do with the tigers (even though my tigers are wimps).

 

[aakaakaak]

I wanted to make an ultra-super neon tank with a giant plastic play castle and lime green gravel....then I sobered up.