Riparium Blending Fore and Background

[ZeeDeveel]

I'm concerned that if I just stick shower caddies full of substrate to the back of the tank to grow plants out of, well... The tank will look like it's got shower caddies full of substrate stuck to the back of the tank with plants growing out the top. How does one avoid this scenario? Is it possible to obfuscate the caddies in someway? Or are they less visible than you imagine when the tank is mature?

 

[Aqua360]

I'm concerned that if I just stick shower caddies full of substrate to the back of the tank to grow plants out of, well... The tank will look like it's got shower caddies full of substrate stuck to the back of the tank with plants growing out the top. How does one avoid this scenario? Is it possible to obfuscate the caddies in someway? Or are they less visible than you imagine when the tank is mature?

Try plants that will grow up from the substrate to cover the caddies, they become less visible once it starts growing in

 

[BigTom]

I gave up using caddies - instead I just build hardscape (normally wood) up to the surface and wedge the riparians in bare-rooted somewhere.

 

[ZeeDeveel]

Both good suggestions! I'm torn between the two. What wood would you use BigTom? Is wood recently from a tree ok? Something I could find in a local woodland and then boiled and soaked? Am I looking for wood that looks like tree roots or driftwood or what would you recommend?

 

[BigTom]

Yup, lots of collected wood is fine to use. Good thread here - http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/british-wood.27547/

The rule of thumb is that if it's fully dead and dry (not soft and rotting) then it's probably a good bet. Some will last longer than others. I wouldn't use driftwood as it'll probably hold quite a lot of salt.

 

[Andy D]

You could put a black background on the tank and use some of the same stuff to line the inside (front) of the caddies.

You could also try a mini moss wall on them.

I also used floaters whose roots obscured their view.

 

[ZeeDeveel]

Would moss take hold on the caddies well?

I suppose I could sand them? What about the roots of the planted plants? Would they find their way out through the moss? Which moss gives a nice low profile?