Customizable artificial wood

[NatureFish]

If you've read some of my other threads you can see that I'm currently obsessed with trying to find the perfect wood and moss for the future tree in my planted tank! However I would like to take the whole drift wood thing to another level. Instead of finding the perfect piece by luck I was wondering about making my own synthetic wood... So that's what this thread is about. Making synthetic wood. My first question is what can one use to make one! In my mind I designed the tree in two parts. The armature and then what I will be using to coat the armature. So I need to know if the following can be put in a shrimp tank.

-Rock putty
-Mortar
- cement
- wire or some kind of bendable material for the armature.



Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[PassengerTN]

I over complicate things, but. You could use some sort of thin stainless steel rod, a few of them actually, bend them to make the branches and silicone smaller rod pieces for smaller branches. Then take styrofoam cut and shape (in small sections) to your likings, and run them onto the rods stacking them. Then use the concrete/drylok method that people use for DIY 3D backgrounds.


You'd honestly be better off finding wood though.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[NatureFish]

I over complicate things, but. You could use some sort of thin stainless steel rod, a few of them actually, bend them to make the branches and silicone smaller rod pieces for smaller branches. Then take styrofoam cut and shape (in small sections) to your likings, and run them onto the rods stacking them. Then use the concrete/drylok method that people use for DIY 3D backgrounds.


You'd honestly be better off finding wood though.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

That's kind of what I was thinking. I know finding wood is easier but it's really hard to find exactly what I'm looking for in the dimensions that it needs to be.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Mattfinn]

As far as making your own wood I can't offer much there but I recently have been looking for more dw and I ended up taking several twiggy branches as I was after something twisty and tied them together at the base with fishing line and it is looking like a tree

you can see it on the left.

 

[Mebbid]

 

[rkilling1]

Thomas Barr is just now starting his 2015 batch of driftwood.


He sells all kinds of shapes and sizes. I got all of mine from him.


GNARLED MANZANITA, 2015 - Aquarium Plants - Barr Report

 

[NatureFish]

Those were really cool! I think real wood would look more natural but I still think building my own wood sounds fun. I had a day dream yesterday about another way of making it. I was thinking of getting a filter intake sponge as a trunk for the tree and then make branches out of a rolled up sponges and then coat them with silicone and make bark out of slate.

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice