And so it begins….

[sweetpoison]

On 6/25/2022 at 8:12 PM, Torrey said:

I put together the T4' tank for my spouse May of last year. Wood had been soaking since January. One piece still hasn't sunk all the way (most of the way, one end hangs out just below the water line).

Josh Sims has done similar vertical wood forest tanks for ADA competitions (fun nerm fact: he was the first aquascaper to use vertical wood in his scapes), He zipties to rocks, you can watch one of his videos on the Green Aqua if you need functional, proven to work, different solutions and want to watch them done. He's got a great sense of humor, and reminds folx to play and have fun.

I took the "I'm going to work with what I have" approach, and let the fish push the wood around for the past year. In the end, they are the ones who have to live in the tank, so I figured I should let them have some creative license.

I hope the coasters work for you! And yes, this hobby provides plenty of opportunities to learn patience. And then some more... and then a few hundred more for good measure.🤣

Hey Torrey ~ I love reading your posts!  I can’t imagine soaking this wood for a year!  HELL No🥴 I do wish I had listen to the owner after forever trying to find as you call it vertical wood sticks. He asked if I wanted slates on the bottom  “Oh no I’ll just stick it in the sand”🤦‍♀️

I think I saw that video with the guy and his drill and Ziploc ties. That was on my list next!

I always try to do my due diligence and research whatever it is I want or want to do. Never ever thought I would have A problem with this wood. It worked fine on the tank I just took down. But apparently it was out of water too long and now I have to start over.  Ugh.

So my tank is still cloudy not that bad though, I have no driftwood and the background was a bust😞

i’m gluing those puppies as soon as those coasters get here today and that wood is going back in. And I’m going to paint my background I’ve decided because whatever background you get and stick on there ….I’m gonna get water in between that and the tank and it’s gonna look like shit and then I’m gonna pull it off again😂

If all this doesn’t work you know me I’ll just come back here and whine more….🤭

But I am not giving up Torrey ~ I’m setting up this tank if it’s the last thing I do!😂

I’m getting some coffee try not to think this is the last day of my vacation, and then I’m going to do the parameters on this tank and I’ll be back,  I’m sure you’re just tickled pink🤭

On 6/25/2022 at 1:20 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Eh just leave the rocks as they are.  The driftwood is not gonna float forever; it's just like this temporarily. Remember @sweetpoison, things don't have to be perfect!  Allow yourself some room for error.  Look at how great the other stuff looks.  Work on some other stuff in the meantime, like the ammonia. While you're doing that, the driftwood is absorbing water.  You're doing awesome!

I can’t leave the rocks on top of that wood it drives me nuts!  I am going to work on other stuff right now. I’m getting coffee and I’m gonna do the parameters. And then I have to look at my notes to see how much ammonia to add because I have forgotten😂😂😂

[sweetpoison]

On 6/25/2022 at 7:45 PM, Brandon p said:

 

I have a piece of driftwood that has been soaking since I started in the forum. Some will know. It’s a old piece of cypress wood it’s over a year. 

I have no words.  And someone would say that’s impossible🤪

[Georgiapeach88]

On 6/26/2022 at 9:27 AM, sweetpoison said:

Hey Torrey ~ I love reading your posts!  I can’t imagine soaking this wood for a year!  HELL No🥴 I do wish I had listen to the owner after forever trying to find as you call it vertical wood sticks. He asked if I wanted slates on the bottom  “Oh no I’ll just stick it in the sand”🤦‍♀️

I think I saw that video with the guy and his drill and Ziploc ties. That was on my list next!

I always try to do my due diligence and research whatever it is I want or want to do. Never ever thought I would have A problem with this wood. It worked fine on the tank I just took down. But apparently it was out of water too long and now I have to start over.  Ugh.

So my tank is still cloudy not that bad though, I have no driftwood and the background was a bust😞

i’m gluing those puppies as soon as those coasters get here today and that wood is going back in. And I’m going to paint my background I’ve decided because whatever background you get and stick on there ….I’m gonna get water in between that and the tank and it’s gonna look like shit and then I’m gonna pull it off again😂

If all this doesn’t work you know me I’ll just come back here and whine more….🤭

But I am not giving up Torrey ~ I’m setting up this tank if it’s the last thing I do!😂

I’m getting some coffee try not to think this is the last day of my vacation, and then I’m going to do the parameters on this tank and I’ll be back,  I’m sure you’re just tickled pink🤭

Share pic as soon as ya get those bad boys planted sturdy in sub straight. Best of luck and lots of coffee. Ya got this. I’m going to re glue my nana petite down bc my corydoras are butts and dug thru my aquascape last night and uprooted somethings 🤦‍♀️After I just got it set how I wanted yesterday. Sigh so coffee and fixing for myself as well 

[sweetpoison]

You’re so funny thank you!  Speaking of Coreys I want to get some for my tank, but I just read that they prefer sand they should not have gravel and I just switch to gravel😡😂 and the funny thing is the guy writing  the article shows a picture of Coreys with gravel🙄

Edited June 26, 2022 by sweetpoison

[Odd Duck]

Superglue may work fine.  I just know that someday when you least expect it, glue can come loose if the wood rots (which it will someday, could be many years depending on the wood).  🤷🏻‍♀️ I drilled my slate and used stainless steel screws because I already had 2 big pieces float as soon as I cut the zip ties holding the rocks to the wood after it had soaked for over 9 months.  Check my sig link for the nanofish 100 G. It tells the tale in there.  

[sweetpoison]

I will check your sig link!  Let me ask you something…

Why do we have to glue to tiles and slates and what not why can’t we just glue to the bottom of the tank?

[Odd Duck]

On 6/26/2022 at 9:48 AM, sweetpoison said:

I will check your sig link!  Let me ask you something…

Why do we have to glue to tiles and slates and what not why can’t we just glue to the bottom of the tank?

Because you will hate yourself later for doing that. Gluing to slate let’s you shift things around to adjust the look. Let’s you completely change the look of you get tired of what you have. It also let’s you remove the hardscape to catch fish if you ever need to do so.

Fish like to hang out in branches/roots so they are harder to catch and get eaten. Branches make it much harder for us to catch them, too. That’s why my “roots” in my angelfish tank are held in place by magnets outside the tank and magnets inside glued to the slate base that is screwed to the wood.

You are welcome to glue them to the bottom of the tank if you’re certain you will never want to change them or need to catch fish out of the tank.  Just sayin’.  😉 😆 

[sweetpoison]

On 6/26/2022 at 8:07 AM, Odd Duck said:

Because you will hate yourself later for doing that. Gluing to slate let’s you shift things around to adjust the look. Let’s you completely change the look of you get tired of what you have. It also let’s you remove the hardscape to catch fish if you ever need to do so.

Fish like to hang out in branches/roots so they are harder to catch and get eaten. Branches make it much harder for us to catch them, too. That’s why my “roots” in my angelfish tank are held in place by magnets outside the tank and magnets inside glued to the slate base that is screwed to the wood.

You are welcome to glue them to the bottom of the tank if you’re certain you will never want to change them or need to catch fish out of the tank.  Just sayin’.  😉 😆 

No I will not do that if you think it’s not a good idea. And you’re right I am so fickle sometimes I could change my mind often!

[Odd Duck]

On 6/26/2022 at 10:11 AM, sweetpoison said:

No I will not do that if you think it’s not a good idea. And you’re right I am so fickle sometimes I could change my mind often!

I’m a stubborn old coot but even I change my mind sometimes. 😆 😂 🤣 

[Patrick_G]

On 6/26/2022 at 6:43 AM, sweetpoison said:

You’re so funny thank you!  Speaking of Coreys I want to get some for my tank, but I just read that they prefer sand they should not have gravel and I just switch to gravel😡😂 and the funny thing is the guy writing  the article shows a picture of Coreys with gravel🙄

They’ll do fine on gravel, but sand might be the absolute best choice.
I have then on pool filter sand, Eco Complete (tiny bits of lava rock) and petco sand, all are doing well and act normal. 

[sweetpoison]

I’m glad they do well ungravel because it is what it is😂

 

So Patrick look at me a picture I got my tiles that I’m gonna glue my trip with two. But I have to take out that cork on the back. Comes out relatively easy but it’s gonna be sticky the back will be sticky after the court comes out.

Please tell me this not gonna be a problem

[Minanora]

On 6/25/2022 at 2:32 PM, sweetpoison said:

Break, chisel and hammer??  Deep down you’re really hate me don’t you😂

I did check into coasters like you mentioned!

Ceramic coasters!  I just found these on Amazon what do you think? I only need six. But they have that cork backing can I just peel that off or does that matter?

I got slate coasters from Michaels craft store. Walmart has some too, same with Target for marble. Those coasters don't look like true stone, I'd be worried about what they may be made of and leach into the water. Just because I'm paranoid.

[Brandon p]

On 6/26/2022 at 5:21 PM, Patrick_G said:

They’ll do fine on gravel, but sand might be the absolute best choice.
I have then on pool filter sand, Eco Complete (tiny bits of lava rock) and petco sand, all are doing well and act normal. 

[Brandon p]

Corys will do fine on gravel as long as it’s ninth sharp angular gravel more gravel sold is ok. I have an Pinyan opinion that most people don’t care for sand well and it can hurt fish more than help them sand should have some special care that some hobbyist don’t know or understand. I don’t think I should talk about it any more that. 

[sweetpoison]

On 6/26/2022 at 9:22 PM, Minanora said:

I got slate coasters from Michaels craft store. Walmart has some too, same with Target for marble. Those coasters don't look like true stone, I'd be worried about what they may be made of and leach into the water. Just because I'm paranoid.

Wonderful 

[sweetpoison]

On 6/26/2022 at 9:22 PM, Minanora said:

I . Those coasters don't look like true stone, I'd be worried about what they may be made of and leach into the water. Just because I'm paranoid.

Well that’s just great.  Thanks for spreading the paranoia. I really appreciate it though♥️😂👏

 I saw the ones that said “true stone” but it was suggested here that ceramic tile would be okay.

True stone, or ceramic.  Can’t put one more penny into this tank. I’m gonna have to learn to stop buying when people tell me a suggestion I buy this l buy that…

The source here they told me ceramic tile I trust they’ve been really helping me so, if everybody can just tell me ceramic tile or stone because if it’s stone tile I have to wait to buy that.  Now I’ve got ceramic tile with this sticky crap on the back when I pulled the cork off. I need to know if THATS gonna be OK as well😞

Edited June 27, 2022 by sweetpoison

[sweetpoison]

I’ve been reading every since I read that post up there about my already purchased, LOL, ceramic tile for my aquarium…

The consensus  was “ceramic tile of any  kind would be fine. Another quote was:  Simple and very cost effective any type of inert tile is fine ceramic being the most popular.  

I’m not an idiot you can always find people to agree with you with what you want, in cyberspace. But some of these quotes and a lot of reading I did was from sites that I belong to and people that I trust completely, like here, in a very short time. 
 

A discus owner who’s been raising them for years and selling them, uses ceramic tile coasters!  Not specific ones either. Never had a problem.  I was very glad to read that because I’ve raised discus ~  Talk about sensitivity to water conditions🤦‍♀️

Anyways ~
 

i’m a little less paranoid now🤫☺️

[Solstice_Lacer]

You can try cleaning the sticky with rubbing alcohol, just thoroughly rinse with water when you're done and leave them to dry. 

[sweetpoison]

Thank you!  Doing that now♥️

[sweetpoison]

On 6/26/2022 at 4:45 AM, Georgiapeach88 said:

Found that vdo a while back. Love watching him aquascape. Always looks amazing. 

I will check that out!  I love to watch landscaping videos ~ hence what got me into this mess😂😂

On 6/26/2022 at 11:24 PM, Brandon p said:

Corys will do fine on gravel as long as it’s ninth sharp angular gravel more gravel sold is ok. 

Oh. Ok.

Said no one ever!

[Tanked]

On 6/24/2022 at 7:17 PM, sweetpoison said:

Just added my driftwood!

I'm late to the conversation here, but sand has a greater ability to grip the driftwood.  The gravel in the photos doesn't have enough depth to support the driftwood without an attached base.  

[Minanora]

Ceramic is fine. If your coasters are ceramic is all good. Most shower and home faucet valve cartridges are made of ceramic. If that gives you any confidence.

My concern was that they were made of a plaster of some kind. I didn't know they were ceramic. 💚

[sweetpoison]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:43 AM, Minanora said:

Ceramic is fine. If your coasters are ceramic is all good. Most shower and home faucet valve cartridges are made of ceramic. If that gives you any confidence.

My concern was that they were made of a plaster of some kind. I didn't know they were ceramic. 💚

You are forgiven my dear!  Now I pulled off the cork on the backing and it’s very sticky. Someone said to rub with rubbing alcohol and let it dry. That did not do one iota

On 6/27/2022 at 6:09 AM, Tanked said:

I'm late to the conversation here, but sand has a greater ability to grip the driftwood.  The gravel in the photos doesn't have enough depth to support the driftwood without an attached base.  

You’re right. I just added more gravel today and I’m still putting on the base ~ those puppies are not coming up again😂

[Minanora]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:46 AM, sweetpoison said:

You are forgiven my dear!  Now I pulled off the cork on the backing and it’s very sticky. Someone said to rub with rubbing alcohol and let it dry. That did not do one iota

Hmm. I have used MEK in the past, acetone and heat. Or if the surface is glossy, a utility knife blade can work. When I use a utility blade edge I generally use alcohol as a lubricant to aid in the removal.

Getting the glue warm and using a paper towel to wipe the glue off may work as well. All depends on the type of adhesive.

If you use acetone, use pure acetone not nail polish remover. As those can have added chemicals.

I would try getting it warm with a hair dryer and using a blade to remove it as a first attempt.

Glues can be a pain in the butt.

[sweetpoison]

I was just reading about heating it up with a blow dryer!  Thank you so much for being here I appreciate it more than you know💙