# Tank decor??



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

I've been trying to find a certain type of decor, a tree branch style about 2 1/2 -3 feet long. But dont really want real wood. I would much rather have fake decor.

Where does everyone here go for there decor? 

Any online sites you can link me to?


----------



## Guest (Feb 27, 2010)

i just covered my white sand with some multicolored darker pebbles.


----------



## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

eh... might look into terrarium/reptile stuff, they have plenty fake branches and stuff like that.


----------



## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

NooB1 said:


> I've been trying to find a certain type of decor, a tree branch style about 2 1/2 -3 feet long. But dont really want real wood. I would much rather have fake decor.
> 
> Where does everyone here go for there decor?
> 
> Any online sites you can link me to?


Big Al's http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18311/cl0/driftwood?viewType=Category (that is specifically to driftwood-type deco but they have tons of other stuff)

That Pet Place http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info/22958/category.web

Never bought from either of them but they have tons of selection. When we start our next tank we might buy some deco from one or the other.


----------



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Zakk said:


> i just covered my white sand with some multicolored darker pebbles.


I bet that looks pretty cool too.



Toshogu said:


> eh... might look into terrarium/reptile stuff, they have plenty fake branches and stuff like that.


Seriously would have never thought of that, great idea thanks!



hXcChic22 said:


> Big Al's http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18311/cl0/driftwood?viewType=Category (that is specifically to driftwood-type deco but they have tons of other stuff)
> 
> That Pet Place http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info/22958/category.web
> 
> Never bought from either of them but they have tons of selection. When we start our next tank we might buy some deco from one or the other.


Thanks for the links I'll check them out, appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Thanks folks appreciate it.


----------



## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

Why not use real? The fish love it.


----------



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Cacatuoides said:


> Why not use real? The fish love it.



I'm sure they do, but I'm just getting into the hobby. So correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a tank harder to maintain with live plants? Don't get me wrong eventually I woulD like yo give it a try. But right now I don't have the lights for it or any experince with live plants.


----------



## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

NooB1 said:


> I'm sure they do, but I'm just getting into the hobby. So correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a tank harder to maintain with live plants? Don't get me wrong eventually I woulD like yo give it a try. But right now I don't have the lights for it or any experince with live plants.


Not necessarily as long as you get real aquatic plants. We learned the hard way that Petsmart's "aquatic plants" are not usually real aquatic plants and suffocate underwater. Sometimes plant matter can also start rotting and raise the nitrates in your water (not good). 
If you want to start out with plants, get a stalk of bamboo from the pet store and put it near the back of the tank under the filter opening, so it can grow out of the opening and get air once it gets tall enough. 
Another easy plant you can try is a "banana plant" http://livingaquatic.com/product_info.php?products_id=172&osCsid=2d67d2ec6934db2ebe070ef5a1e26624 We've had great luck with ours. Within days of placing it in our tank, it started sending out roots and shoots.


----------



## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

java fren is another good low maintenancelow light plant


----------



## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

okay, So bamboo can be put totally under water for a while? And any how, Noob, i was talking about the drift wood


----------



## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Cacatuoides said:


> okay, So bamboo can be put totally under water for a while? And any how, Noob, i was talking about the drift wood


Yeah, ours had been completely underwater until right before we moved it into our planted tank. Right before, the leaves on the top breached the surface of the water. Now it sticks out the top of our 20 long.


----------



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

hXcChic22 said:


> Not necessarily as long as you get real aquatic plants. We learned the hard way that Petsmart's "aquatic plants" are not usually real aquatic plants and suffocate underwater. Sometimes plant matter can also start rotting and raise the nitrates in your water (not good).
> If you want to start out with plants, get a stalk of bamboo from the pet store and put it near the back of the tank under the filter opening, so it can grow out of the opening and get air once it gets tall enough.
> Another easy plant you can try is a "banana plant" http://livingaquatic.com/product_info.php?products_id=172&osCsid=2d67d2ec6934db2ebe070ef5a1e26624 We've had great luck with ours. Within days of placing it in our tank, it started sending out roots and shoots.


First let me say thank you, i think you've hit all my threads aswell as been extremely helpful. Th ename says it all I am a noob to this so i apppreciate the feed back. 

Also i will look into the bamboo, but y tank is pretty deep i believe 24 inches tall, i have remeasure but fairly certain, would a small bamboo last that long under water?

Also would i need to ge an MH light?



br00tal_dude said:


> java fren is another good low maintenancelow light plant


Thank you for your input, I will look into that. I appreciate it.



Cacatuoides said:


> okay, So bamboo can be put totally under water for a while? And any how, Noob, i was talking about the drift wood


Ah.. I see, went right over my head. But i dont want to use real drift wood neither, cause it turns the water brown correct? I dont want the water to look brown. But if there is a way that you can keep the color looking freash i may try it.


----------



## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

The reason the water turns brown is because Tannins leak out of the wood. If you boil the piece(s) for a bit it pulls a lot of this out. It might still turn it a slightly teaish color, but personally I think it makes it look natural, and the fish like it and there colors seem to be more "true" in my opinion. They aren't stressed at all.


----------



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Cacatuoides said:


> The reason the water turns brown is because Tannins leak out of the wood. If you boil the piece(s) for a bit it pulls a lot of this out. It might still turn it a slightly teaish color, but personally I think it makes it look natural, and the fish like it and there colors seem to be more "true" in my opinion. They aren't stressed at all.



Thank you for your opinion and advice, and i aactually think i have seen this. I was at the fish store, and i seen some fry in a regutar tank with no real wood, there color fairly bland. Then i seen the same type of fry from the same parents in another tank with a peice of wood, the water did have a teaish color to it, but the fish's color was wayyyyyyy more apparent and stood out. If that is the case then i would probably give real wood a try the color difference was amazing.

Is there a chemical in the wood that makes that color happen?


----------



## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

NooB1 said:


> First let me say thank you, i think you've hit all my threads aswell as been extremely helpful. Th ename says it all I am a noob to this so i apppreciate the feed back.
> 
> Also i will look into the bamboo, but y tank is pretty deep i believe 24 inches tall, i have remeasure but fairly certain, would a small bamboo last that long under water?
> 
> Also would i need to ge an MH light?


Yes, your bamboo should be fine underwater. I don't know what size tank you have but ours was in a 29 gallon and was, in fact, the only plant we put in there that survived. It started sending down roots from the leafy part at the top, even though they never hit the substrate. 

I don't think you need a special light either... bamboo is one of those miracle plants that can live with almost any light level, I believe. I mean, my grandmother had a grove of it that was in almost constant sunlight, but in China, it grows in forests where I imagine it doesn't always have the best lighting. I've heard mixed reviews on having bamboo in tanks. We personally had good luck with it and didn't have a special light (it was just the one that came with the setup kit) or put any type of plant food into the water.


----------



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

I've never really had a problem with plants, except for when I didn't have enough lighting, but one thing I do have a problem with is driftwood... It won't sink... And it's a 17" piece that can't be held down with large rocks. I've got it underwater right now in a bucket soaking but how long do you think it'll take before it will sink on its own. Or will it ever?


----------



## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

Oh, it can be held down with rocks!!! You just need bigger ones, or more of them . Try using a piece of slate or three. If you soak it for a while, depends on how soon you want it in the tank, and a piece of slate or two or three pieces of slate, you will be fine.


----------



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

i put a 15 pound piece of slate on it, no sinking.. lollll :]
Rumors are keeping it in hot water will help, no?


----------



## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

15 lb piece... dam that wood is persistent to stay up ^-^. I'm not sure I got mine from someone on here and she already had it attached to a slate and the other a rock... how big we talking here length wise.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've heard of soaking for a year or more. lol. I have a piece in a tank that is still floating after 6 months, but it is finally sitting a bit lower in the water and no longer lifting my lid. Usually you see new wood bolted to stone. I gather thats what makes mopani wood so attractive, it sinks, even when new. I've heard of boiling wood, too. But I don't know if that makes it sink faster or just kills stuff. Kind of impractical for the big pieces, anyway.


----------



## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Live plants make a tank easier to maintain imo. The consume alot of excess nutrients and also eat n3. Not only that they provide oxygen, and help keep the fish from stressing out. more plants you have the cleaner your water will be. Just make sure to research the plant and make sure it likes the water parameters you got. It's a bit of a hassle to start, but long run makes maintenance easier. Case in point, my tank is near algae free. only have a couple of green spots on my wood and I don't clean my back glass in hopes there is enough algae for the ottocinclus to survive on. Front and side glasses only need to be scrubbed once a month and thats cause of mineral deposits.


----------



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Toshogu said:


> Live plants make a tank easier to maintain imo. The consume alot of excess nutrients and also eat n3. Not only that they provide oxygen, and help keep the fish from stressing out. more plants you have the cleaner your water will be. Just make sure to research the plant and make sure it likes the water parameters you got. It's a bit of a hassle to start, but long run makes maintenance easier. Case in point, my tank is near algae free. only have a couple of green spots on my wood and I don't clean my back glass in hopes there is enough algae for the ottocinclus to survive on. Front and side glasses only need to be scrubbed once a month and thats cause of mineral deposits.


Thank you for your input, I am looking into some plants now as part of my research. I appreciate you taking time to reply.


----------



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

It's 17" long, and im gonna guess 4 or 5" thick. How could I go about attaching it to a piece of slate?


----------



## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

fishing wire, or drill and stainless steel bolt washer and nutz, fishing net, rope, silicon glue, etc.. etc... etc... etc...


----------



## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well what kind of wood is it? Some woods will drop on their own if you just leave them alone and let them get waterlogged. Before you go off and create big fancy ways to sink it, let it be for a good 2-3 weeks. You should have an idea in that time if it will sink on its own or not. My Manzanita took only 4 or 5 days to sink.


----------



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

I have no idea what kind of wood it is to be honest... I got it off of ebay. Here's the link..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280464243679&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT


----------

