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Help me pick up the woods

1K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  aussieJJDude 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I just bough 1 big MoorWood and other little moorwoods.

I tried the big one in the tank but my impression is that it is too big for the tank, and overall excessive.

1) What do you think about it? Does it fit? Do you prefer left or right profile?

Left


Right


2) I was also thinking about tieing the little woods to the big one in some way, in order to increase the ramification. What do you think about it? Should I add 1, 2 or no one?
And how can I make them tied solidly? I was thinking about fishing line...

WoodA



WoodB


WoodC


2 Woods


3) I would like to add a second wood opposite to the big one, in order to compleate a "wood arch". But this wood is not a MoorWood, and the difference can be seen....In the future the woods will be covered by ferns and other plants so I don't know, is it a problem that the 2 woods are different?
 
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#2 ·
Hey,
A quick question before choosing placement. Where is the tank viewing angle(s) going to be located? Front only, front with either left or right or all 3 sides - excluding the back?
Doing that will help determine a suitable layout.

As for tying the two woods togethor, I personally prefer wood B and C. The peices that form wood A vary to much in size, and don't look appropriate. However B and C have a much closer size to the larger piece and IMO, is more pleasing on the eye. I would suggest placing the "smaller additions" so they face away from the front, to increase depth in the aquascape.
As for mixing wood varieties, is fine to do so. Many of the hardcore aquascapers choose not to as it can break up the unity of an aquascape. But since you're doing a biotope, I wouldn't worry too much, in fact it may add to the layout. If you decide to add stones, then I would make sure all stones are the same type.

As for it being too big, I going to say that its a bit too small! ;-) I tend to like my hardscape being the dominate part of the aquascape, as the hardscape forming the different shades of light in the tank increasing complexity of the tank. (And draws visual interest too!)

AS for tieing them you could drill/screw them together or even use silicone to glue them together. If you use fishing line, ensure that a fish can not get trapped - aka: making little holes or areas where the line doesn't sit flush with the wood... However, if needed you could use those places to mount plants and help cover them. :)

As for the other moorwoods, I would potentially have them underneath the main piece facing the opposite direction, pulling you into the the "V" at the top of the wood. ANd if anything, provides a good place to resemble roots slightly sticking up out of the substrate.

~~~~
If you got time, I would "set up" the hardscape and leave it for a few days to see if your happy with it. After that time, then I would reccomend filling or tweaking if you don't like it... Regardless, if you do tweak leave for a couple of days before doing and future adjustments or filling the tank.
 
#3 ·
The tank will be mainly seen from the front side, and sometimes from the left side. Almost never from the right side (the side of the filter)

I do agree with your for woods B and C, wood A is far more ramificated but too thin.

I personally prefer the left profile because it shows a couple of ramification that with right profile won't be seen (as they go toward the back side). However, I find a bit disturbing that in left profile those 2-3 ramification go VERY near the front glass...should I maybe cut short them?

Well I don't think that a bigger wood can fit in that tank :D It takes half of lenght and all the height!
As for the other moorwoods, I would potentially have them underneath the main piece facing the opposite direction, pulling you into the the "V" at the top of the wood. ANd if anything, provides a good place to resemble roots slightly sticking up out of the substrate.
Sorry I didn't get this point :) Especially the V stuff ahaha
Anyway I think I won't put another moorwood and leave just the big one with more space for plants...It just doens't help to create an arch at all :p

If you got time, I would "set up" the hardscape and leave it for a few days to see if your happy with it. After that time, then I would reccomend filling or tweaking if you don't like it... Regardless, if you do tweak leave for a couple of days before doing and future adjustments or filling the tank.
Yes I have time and I will follow your advise :) Thank you
 
#4 ·
Considering that your main viewing areas are the left side and the front, I would got with the left profile. And TBH, each side doesn't really matter IMO, they both will look nice once you have substrate in there. (I would suggesting building up the substrate a bit to the wood piece being at the highest point...)

How close is it to the front glass? If its a few inches, it's fine. If you're worried about how the ends looks, covering them with mosses, anubias, java fern (micro and mini variety).

~~~~

Since you will have A and B/C pieces left over, you could use them to create "roots"; by laying them half buried into the substrate pointing to the right hand side. This would draw the eye into the center part of the wood, where it has a "V" shape caused by two of the limbs of the wood. At the same time, these pieces along the ground also help keep things interesting, and give you a place to plant plants in between.
 
#5 ·
In the end I found another wood way more attractive (for my tastes), more branched and less thick and linear then the other way. I have to work on it cutting and rettaching branches in order to make it fit in the tank :D What do you think?


Right


Left

I just have to decide where to place it, I prefer it on the left. Opinions?
 
#6 ·
Left.


I think flipping it 180, a good place for your cichlids to hang out and move their free swimming fry around, not to mention makes great cover for the other species of fish!
(and far more natural too, look like roots coming into the river from the bank. If you want, some large boulders located around the roots and then as you make it further from the stump, smaller and smaller rocks - until you just use sand - would make it look nice an naturalistic too. Even if the rockwork is the opposite, getting bigger as you get away from the stump also has a natural feel too.)
 
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