redecorated, dont think I like it

[vicdad999999]

Yesterday I took everything out of the 150, i do this everytime I do water changes so i can do head counts, But usually put it all back in somewhat the same way. Did a 50 gallon water change..But ive been itching to redecorate and add a bunch of driftwood to it and after getting a reply yesterday i did. Now I dont why but im not likeing the way it looks, so maybe next water change and hopefully when more wood sinks (which is why its not so bright) it wont look as bad. But plecos seem to be enjoying looking around more. And the cories as well. What do you think? go back to less stuff in it? Heres a before.

and heres after

Dont know, maybe wait a week and see what else sinks. This is all the wood blocking the lights atm.

kinda tossed on just redoing it again tomorrow.

 

[Aqualady40]

if you do not like it just re-do because you are going to constantly frown upon it when you look at it...satisfy your urge and just plunge back in...I do this all the time too...at the end of the day...you have to see it and be pleased....btw I like those pieces

 

[rlstoll]

I would agree. I like the before picture better. But that might change completely when the rest of the wood isn't floating at the top.

 

[Convict2161]

I like it

 

[Mrc8858]

I think the new one looks more natural and balanced. I'd stick with it that for now.

 

[Convict2161]

I think the new one looks more natural and balanced. I'd stick with it that for now.

Agreed it may grow on ya.

 

[vicdad999999]

ok, so this is what it looked like few weeks ago most had sunk already. Had a canopy I finally decided I dont like canopies as its a pita to do anything. So I put 2 pieces of glass from a 55 gallon I stripped as a top instead. The only piece that hasnt sunk is the big one on left and I suspect itll be another 6 months at least before it starts to do that sorta sink in the middle of the tank thing.

and what it looks like now, a majority of the long pieces are in the back I used as base to buildup walls of driftwood for the fish to explore and feel safe. Wish I could take better pics in here but they always come out dark for some reason.

 

[Bdonaldson]

ok, so this is what it looked like few weeks ago most had sunk already. Had a canopy I finally decided I dont like canopies as its a pita to do anything. So I put 2 pieces of glass from a 55 gallon I stripped as a top instead. The only piece that hasnt sunk is the big one on left and I suspect itll be another 6 months at least before it starts to do that sorta sink in the middle of the tank thing.

and what it looks like now, a majority of the long pieces are in the back I used as base to buildup walls of driftwood for the fish to explore and feel safe. Wish I could take better pics in here but they always come out dark for some reason.

I like the last pictures. It looks very natural. That's what I am looking for. Where did you get your driftwood?

 

[PockX]

Nice tank..I liked the before and after

 

[vicdad999999]

There are 7 pieces of malaysian I bought at a reptile show in new hampshire. The long piece is a softwood that took about 2 years to sink. Its roughly 3 feet long and was about 10 inches wide at the base. Every year the wife and I go out driftwood hunting for use the following year typically in april after the rains, with the melting snow here in maine then the rains all the rivers flood, we wait till they start to recede and go out daily for for a few weeks collecting. Then I scrub them down and weed out bad ones, leave out all spring on a table, then leave in the house for the winter to dry. Bigger pieces I drill a hole in them to make sure they are dry before placing in tank as I did have an issue one year with leaches taking over a tank. So I make totally sure now. but heres pics off all the wood thats in it. Some of its hardwood, some softwood. and the big piece is a hardwood thats floating. im assuming at least another year for it to partially sink. first pic is that center piece sorta floating years back. The piece under it is in a 55 skunk botia tank, takes up alot of real estate in it.

and believe it or not all this is in it, collected last year.

and the new floater.

sorry if i blind anyone with next pic just to show size when I found it.

most of these were already submerged the last one was underwater but after drying have to start all over with submerging again. And thanks for the nice comments, I have tank envy when I look at everyones tanks.

 

[Bdonaldson]

There are 7 pieces of malaysian I bought at a reptile show in new hampshire. The long piece is a softwood that took about 2 years to sink. Its roughly 3 feet long and was about 10 inches wide at the base. Every year the wife and I go out driftwood hunting for use the following year typically in april after the rains, with the melting snow here in maine then the rains all the rivers flood, we wait till they start to recede and go out daily for for a few weeks collecting. Then I scrub them down and weed out bad ones, leave out all spring on a table, then leave in the house for the winter to dry. Bigger pieces I drill a hole in them to make sure they are dry before placing in tank as I did have an issue one year with leaches taking over a tank. So I make totally sure now. but heres pics off all the wood thats in it. Some of its hardwood, some softwood. and the big piece is a hardwood thats floating. im assuming at least another year for it to partially sink. first pic is that center piece sorta floating years back. The piece under it is in a 55 skunk botia tank, takes up alot of real estate in it.

and believe it or not all this is in it, collected last year.

and the new floater.
sorry if i blind anyone with next pic just to show size when I found it.
most of these were already submerged the last one was underwater but after drying have to start all over with submerging again. And thanks for the nice comments, I have tank envy when I look at everyones tanks.

So if I were to look for some driftwood I would want to look near lakes or rivers? Can you put any tree limbs in your tank? And what is the process that you go through to make them safe for your fish?

 

[vicdad999999]

We get mostly from lakes and rivers. When we get it from lakes I try and get it in deeper water like 10 feet or more as our lakes on the shoreline have gas slicks from the boats and im not to keen about putting it into the tanks. Other thing we look for is smell. If it has a sweet, rotted or the dead low tide smell i toss it as thats how i was always told when I was a kid collecting it for our neighbors tanks. After we bring them home I take a garden hose and I have a semi-hard bristle brush I scrub the heck out of all of them to get rid of loose bark, dirt, debris and then let sit to dry. Alot of peeps dont worry about the drying process but again we have leaches everywhere and had a horrible outbreak in one of my tanks that I had to completely dissasemble and put all my fish down. Nothing kills leaches and when they attach to the fish its horrible to watch. So I dry completely. Larger pieces take about a year to dry out, the rest only a few weeks like in the pic with all the miscellaneous pieces. generally you want to use hardwoods as soft are harder to move around after a months in the tank, they get spongey. Alot use bleach to make it safe, but im allergic to it, the smell or vapors causes me to swell up. The drying of it will kill anything that was harboring in it like parasites which is my main concern. Havent had an issue since doing it this way. you dont want to use any wood thats green (fresh or fallen within the last few months) as it will kill your fish. Ive never used any wood that was aromic, and I dont think I ever will as im not entirely sure what kinds are safe and what are not. I go for pine,oak,maple and birch primarily. (edited) forgot, alot of my pieces I get are too big to boil, but hopefully this year ill get the cast iron bathtub hooked up in the field over a fire pit so i can boil in that and see if that quickens the pace to use in the tanks.

 

[Bdonaldson]

We get mostly from lakes and rivers. When we get it from lakes I try and get it in deeper water like 10 feet or more as our lakes on the shoreline have gas slicks from the boats and im not to keen about putting it into the tanks. Other thing we look for is smell. If it has a sweet, rotted or the dead low tide smell i toss it as thats how i was always told when I was a kid collecting it for our neighbors tanks. After we bring them home I take a garden hose and I have a semi-hard bristle brush I scrub the heck out of all of them to get rid of loose bark, dirt, debris and then let sit to dry. Alot of peeps dont worry about the drying process but again we have leaches everywhere and had a horrible outbreak in one of my tanks that I had to completely dissasemble and put all my fish down. Nothing kills leaches and when they attach to the fish its horrible to watch. So I dry completely. Larger pieces take about a year to dry out, the rest only a few weeks like in the pic with all the miscellaneous pieces. generally you want to use hardwoods as soft are harder to move around after a months in the tank, they get spongey. Alot use bleach to make it safe, but im allergic to it, the smell or vapors causes me to swell up. The drying of it will kill anything that was harboring in it like parasites which is my main concern. Havent had an issue since doing it this way. you dont want to use any wood thats green (fresh or fallen within the last few months) as it will kill your fish. Ive never used any wood that was aromic, and I dont think I ever will as im not entirely sure what kinds are safe and what are not. I go for pine,oak,maple and birch primarily. (edited) forgot, alot of my pieces I get are too big to boil, but hopefully this year ill get the cast iron bathtub hooked up in the field over a fire pit so i can boil in that and see if that quickens the pace to use in the tanks.

Ok thanks for the info. I'm going to look for some this weekend.