Critique my hardscape Opinions on piece of wood please.

[Andrew Butler]

The picture below shows a piece of Beech I have which will be dried properly, soaked and smoothed out before use. I cut the 4 pieces (legs) which would be holding it up then thought I will make it lean back a bit more and without thinking it through cut some off and took it off balance so I then had to cut them back further to level things up again and am now left with a piece that's probably a little shorter than I'd like an the 4 legs. The masking tape just shows the outline of the tank it would be going in and the pen mark is the overall height of the aquarium (600x500x360mm LxWxH).

So what are other peoples thoughts? - Do I give up on this piece of wood and try to hunt another piece or 2 down, if I was to put the wood on the bottom of the tank another couple of inches would be gone too (could I stack it on some eggcrate or similar). I'm just trying to get things a little sorted so I can get the wood dried out in readiness.

I'm looking to create something a little along the lines of 'escape' by Lauris by that I mean the wood (but different) and gravel look as shown in the photo below, the planting I'm thinking will be different also.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/escape.40308/

I look forward to hearing opinions
Andy

 

[mort]

My initial thought is that with the legs being hidden by the sand you will be losing the most interesting part of the wood. If you are able to find more wood it might be worth getting some with more of an angle too it which would make it a little more interesting. Unless you are going for more vertical planting in which case your wood above could look really good.

 

[Keith GH]

Andrew
My first suggestion would be make a Mock Tank, sand can used as a substrate. You certainly require more wood not the same but wood but with shape and various sizes.

No mention of Inhabitants or planting.

Keith

 

[Andrew Butler]

My initial thought is that with the legs being hidden by the sand you will be losing the most interesting part of the wood. If you are able to find more wood it might be worth getting some with more of an angle too it which would make it a little more interesting. Unless you are going for more vertical planting in which case your wood above could look really good.

My thoughts exactly, looks like I'm going to have to hunt another tree down! I knew when it wouldn't balance I had fudged it up.

Andrew
My first suggestion would be make a Mock Tank, sand can used as a substrate. You certainly require more wood not the same but wood but with shape and various sizes.

No mention of Inhabitants or planting.

Keith

My plan is to rustle a few pieces of ply together and do that, I have the sand here ready just wanted to find some wood now and get it cut and dried. I was hoping to only use the one piece of wood - that was before I cut too much off, I think it would have been suitable but it's a bit too late now!

Inhabitants will largely depend on the final look I go for but something along the lines of pencilfish, dwarf ottos, lambchop rasbora and a few shrimp - all undecided.

I understand it helps to have a look in your mind nut I think mine might change with the wood I select.

Planting still mainly undecided but along the lines of a few Anubias attached to the wood and probably some Cryptocorynes in the substrate, I'm largely undecided but want to keep it quite sparse and a bit like a riverbed with the gravel but I'm sure all of this will change!

 

[Keith GH]

Andrew

You have convinced me you are a definite for a Mock Tank this will help you in your plants and inhabitants selection.

wanted to find some wood now and get it cut and dried.

Where are getting the wood from as it should be ready to use (after a soaking) from your LFS?

Keith

 

[Andrew Butler]

Hi Keith

You have convinced me you are a definite for a Mock Tank

I knew this for my bigger tank but was just going to use the smaller aquarium itself upon arrival as I plan a fairly flat bottom, may reconsider this though.

Where are getting the wood from as it should be ready to use (after a soaking) from your LFS?

No; I'm locally harvesting it (with permission) stripping the bark, getting it cut something like then plan to kiln dry before soaking it and lastly giving it the final trimming.
I've not been able to find any wood I like at any LFS and the prices of the pieces I haven't liked are a bit alarming to say the least! Why pay all that for something you don't like when with a bit of effort you can find something that's safe to use for free and you like it?

Andy

 

[mort]

All the wood I've used I collected locally as well. I have found that really thin branches (like finger thickness) don't tend to last more than a year but I do have a pair of ancistris who eat it.

 

[Andrew Butler]

All the wood I've used I collected locally as well. I have found that really thin branches (like finger thickness) don't tend to last more than a year but I do have a pair of ancistris who eat it.

I'm looking at a minimum of 40mm but after a walk around today just couldn't find even 1 piece of wood that was within reach or wasn't rotten I liked the look of. How do you go about selecting your pieces?

 

[Andrew Butler]

These pics might help put the size into context a little more

 

[mort]

I'm looking at a minimum of 40mm but after a walk around today just couldn't find even 1 piece of wood that was within reach or wasn't rotten I liked the look of. How do you go about selecting your pieces?

TBH I don't worry too much as they tend to completely disappear behind plants in my jungle style tanks, so as long as its roughly a nice shape I go for it. I only really add it for the fish that eat it. It also goes in bark and all.

 

[Keith GH]

Collecting wood can be very dangerous if you do not know your woods and exactly where they come from.

Keith

 

[Andrew Butler]

so as long as its roughly a nice shape I go for it. I only really add it for the fish that eat it. It also goes in bark and all.

It's the nice shapes I'm struggling to find.

Collecting wood can be very dangerous if you do not know your woods and exactly where they come from.

I know my trees reasonably well and would only pick things I understand to be safe and can identify.

 

[Keith GH]

Andrew

I know my trees reasonably well and would only pick things I understand to be safe and can identify.

That is great news.
Many collectors would not know one tree from another or where it came from.

Keith

 

[Andrew Butler]

Andrew



That is great news.
Many collectors would not know one tree from another or where it came from.

Keith

This time of year it is a but trickier though!

 

[mort]

I only use beech, oak or fruit wood which should all be easy to spot this time of year. The most interesting wood I find is oak as it's normally nice and twisted with plenty of bits brokenn off by the wind.

 

[Andrew Butler]

I only use beech, oak or fruit wood which should all be easy to spot this time of year. The most interesting wood I find is oak as it's normally nice and twisted with plenty of bits brokenn off by the wind.

I've spent the last 2 mornings scouring round but just can't find any suitable pieces! grrr

 

[Keith GH]

Mort

Fruit trees can be a big problem as you do not know what it has been sprayed with or added to the soil.

Keith

 

[mort]

Mort

Fruit trees can be a big problem as you do not know what it has been sprayed with or added to the soil.

Keith

I've either used my own trees, those on friend "organic" allotments or wild apple from our local woods. So I'm fairly certain that nothing has been used. You do raise a good point however.

 

[Keith GH]

Mort great that way they should be perfectly safe. Grape vines are another bad choice.

Keith

 

[cookie.dou]

Can't see the photos for some reason in the latest post =(.. but you're gonna need a lot more pieces of wood first!