# My log!



## foxfish

I collected this log to use as a yule log this Christmas but - I had an idea...
I thought I might hollow it out & fill the hollow with soil & plants so step one.....


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## George Farmer

Looks like a nice substrate too!! lol


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## foxfish

That's good old Guernsey granite


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## Arana

OK i'm hooked, what's the next step?


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## foxfish

Well the log is 33'' long & that is the size of my tank so I hope to actually fix it right across the length but at about mid water.
Next step however will be to drill multiple holes right though the log because I would like to see the plant root exit the bottom, I also need to cut the ends at the right angle to enable a nice neat fit in the tank.
Once the holes are drilled i will completely coat the wood with several coats of epoxy.....


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## foxfish

So I cut out the plant pockets & cut the ends to fit my tank, i will line the pockets with the green mesh to hold the soil but, allow the roots out!
I have also coated the log with two coats of epoxy, The log is now soaking in my outside rain water barrel...


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## Arana

more, more


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## ghostsword

Very good idea mate.. Really good..


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## Mirf

Can I ask where you bought your epiglass from? Also will just the 2 coats be enough to prevent it from rotting?

I'm seriously considering trying this on a fake background build for my fire bellied toads after a makor disaster with the yacht varnish.....


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## foxfish

I am afraid I cant give you any more until I have soaked my log for a few weeks!

I hope the epoxy will keep the log intact especially the bark but, I think it would need several more coats to guarantee a complete seal. The bark makes it very difficult to fill every nook & cranny however the log does have a very good coating.
Polyurethane should of given you a good seal too - Bondaseal G 4 is a good product.
I wrote a bit here viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13510 about making backgrounds.
I buy my epoxy wholesale in 4.5lt cans 10 at a time but, it is still expensive   

I will now give some thought to how to fix the log in place, I have a few options like making up two perspex strips about 75mm wide that I can fix into the log ends & clamp to the top of the tank. This would enable me to easily remove the log for "maintenance"!!

I doubt if the log will sink even after soaking as any water ingress will be very slow?
However I want to see what happens after a few week in the water butt....


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## Mirf

I was looking at the g4 but it would have cost about Â£40 to do and it's only a 30 inch tank  

I already had the yacht varnish, so it seemed sensible to use what I had....big mistake! It took over 2 weeks to cure and as soon as it went in the water it started to melt  . I was not amused having spent 3 weeks carving and covering the poly, then grouting. I make all my own backgrounds for my viv's, but I'm still struggling to find a fail safe sealant for aquariums.

Have you thought about using some powerful magnets to secure the wood? Drill a hole and fix one magnet either end of the log, with a good covering of aquaruim sealant to stop it rusting, then the other magnets would simply sit outside of the tank, securing the log in place?


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## foxfish

~Did you look at my link - black spray foam can give good instant results without any sealer.
G4 "clear" has a yellow tinge like virtually any polyurethane varnish but it is available in black or green, you can mix the two colours to get various shades.
G4 is not that expensive about Â£15 per litre, that should be easily enough for a 30'' backdrop.
Epoxy, is not so easy to work with but will give a completely clear finish or any colour you like with added pigment however it is quite expensive at about Â£25 per litre & it wont stretch out like G4 either!

Re the magnets - cunning idea!


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## Mirf

I did indeed see your link, sorry I should have said that in my previous post. I loved the cave set-up you did for your friend.

I need to build mine out of poly. It's not just the back 'wall' I will be making, but also a land area dropping down into the water so the fbt's can safely get in and out (they are not good swimmers) It will also be getting covered in a layer of coir before the final waterproof layer goes on and I wil probably be including bits of bog wood, rocks and the like as well.

The main problem I'm having is achieving a natural look. Most waterproof finishes tend to be high gloss :? (not sure if G4 is or not?) Â£15 a litre? The links I was looking at for G4 pond sealant was coming in at a tenner for 250ml.....

As for the magnets....I have my moments


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## foxfish

Yes G4 has a very high gloss but, you can apply sand to the top coat to get a amphibian friendly mat non slip finish.
You should be able to get clear for about Â£12 & coloured at about Â£15
I find that adding a few different textures & shade of sand gives a great finish - play sand, sharp sand black sand is a good combination.
http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/G4_Pon ... ured2.html


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## Mirf

Thanks for the link, sadly they only sell the clear in 5 litres and I can't find it cheaper than Â£18 plus delivery, but that is still a hell of a lot cheaper than I had found previously.

Sand would be the easiest option but may be a little too rough on their somewhat delicate skin. The idea is to try and make it look more of a riverbed type theme.

Wonder if it would work over waterproof grout and coir......hmmmmm I see some experimenting coming on  

Apologies for the complete hi-jacking of your thread   

What plants are you planning to use with your log?


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## foxfish

You wont get a rough texture if you work the sand into the surface with a brush as the grains become coated - you do need to experiment   
Reference to the log - I will be back in two weeks......


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## Mirf

Time to start playin......I mean experimenting 8)  Thanks for your help, it's very much appreciated.


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## foxfish

Back to the log!
I have just been looking into buying a small quantity of soil to fill the log, it seems 3 kg is the least you can buy.
That would be fine but - 

1 x  Oliver Knott NatureSoil Black 3L Normal  Â£19.99  

Â£19.99Sub-Total:

Â£15.00p&p

Â£34.99Total:

Crikey!!


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## foxfish

Right - I made up a couple of perspex ends for the log & tied it in place........


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## danmil3s

that looks good mate nice to see something a bit different  cant wait to see how it looks planted


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## Mirf

Loving the look so far. It's going to look stunning when planted.


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## foxfish

Well the log has been in the tank for about one month, the plant are growing well & their roots are showing. 
I took the log out to have a better look..


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## Angus

really nice idea,  good to see someone thinking outside the box i think it looks really snazzy, can you still see the green mesh when the log is in the tank or has that got roots all over it?


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## Tony Swinney

Great stuff Foxfish, nice to see something different. I like the way the log is removable too - would make a great emersed set up in a tank 

Tony


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## oliverar

Yes, I agree it is very different, and I am sure lots of people will copy your idea!


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## Themuleous

Quality planting and use of hardscape  love it. Thats it truely different, not even a variation on a theme.

Sam


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## flygja

What a great idea! As with the others, I'd glad you thought out of the box on this.


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## foxfish

Thanks everybody for your positive comments.
In fact I can see many variations to the theme, I like the fact the log is removable as this not only enables easy maintenance of the plants but you can reposition the log on its return so the tank has a different look on a regular basis.
I have also thought that if I could make another similar log then the variations to the layout would be endless - I could rotate the logs keeping one in an immersed state while the over lives in the tank. Or I could on occasions have two logs in the tank!
I have tried a few methods of holding the log in position but, at the moment it is simply jammed in place! Not quite as basic as that because I have coated the ends with 5mm of silicone & this actually works very well, the log does in fact lock firmly at what ever height you place it. However there is not much of a choice of angle due to the limited tolerances. The danger of using this most basic method would be if the log was left for to long in one position, the wood could swell up with water & expand enough to crack the glass!
I can also now see, how I could possible incorporate associated equipment either withing the log or fixed to the back out of site. 
For instance I think I could fix a custom built spray bar into the log.


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## foxfish

A bit of an update -


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## Garuf

Absolutley spot on! Looks great and exceptionally healthy.


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## Angus

looking nice and blended now  good riverbank effect.


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## Themuleous

Loving the cascade effect from the glosso


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## Mirf

It looks fantastic.


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## ghostsword

It is indeed a fantastic idea.

Why not wrap some moss to the log, making it look less like a newly placed log, but a aged log, very old and abused by the plants? 

It is due to people like you that the hobby keeps breaking new grounds in inventiveness and reassessment of what is possible within a confined space. 

A true inspiration.


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## foxfish

Thanks guys, yeah I like the way the glosso is draping down, I would like to see more & longer   
I have been using http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/prod ... product=82 ready mixed ferts + 5ml of Flourish 6 days a week in my 225 lts & I must say the tank looks very green & algae free at the moment.
Unfortunately I dropped my SLR a few months back & i have yet to get a replacement so I just cant get any decent pics with my compact  :?


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## toadass

Well done Foxfish,..Great imagination and originality


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## foxfish

One more week & more growth, I wonder if the glosso will re root when it reaches the bottom!


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## foxfish

Another week & we have touch down on the right hand side!


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## Nelson

thats excellent   .


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## Gfish

I read this thread when you first started it and I couldn't work out where you were going with the hollowed out log. I thought, this guys either a bit of a nut, or he's got way too much time on his hands 
But now, well, it's an excellent example of imaginative aquarium design. It goes way past the word Aquascaping and I love these extreme design ideas that pop up occasionally. I have a plan to do an emersed growth tank with branches coming in from above with plants and moss attached, but seeing this makes me wish to be far more adventurous!

The plants draping down look fantastic! Such a lovely effect and as you said, this just opens up so many possibilities going forward. 
Thanks so much for showing this and inspiring us. I feel like building something really quite radical now.

By the way, I did do a big 4.5ft chunky branch along the back wall of my 5ft tank that I cut along the top and down the back so it had a 90degree angle to it's rear but the natural twist and shape to the front. I cut a chunk out of the far left rear and drilled down its length, then inserted a plastic pipe with silicone at the end and once set I drilled the wood and pipe to create a spraybar. It worked very well and looked the business. I only removed it when I made changes to plants and filters down the line but it's still an idea I will use again I think. But next time I'd like to do a large branch with multiple spraybars. One drilled and inserted down each branch 


Thanks again, and congratulations on a stunning tank!


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## foxfish

Thanks very much to everyone who has responded   

I can know see how I can make a nice scape from this beginning, the bottom of my tank really does not fit the log anymore.

I have a new tank waiting to replace this one - however I have many other hobbies that are taking up my time at the moment  :?


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## George Farmer

Very cool.  Innovative without being tacky.  Well done.


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## Themuleous

Love it, love it.  Just gets better 

Sam


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## foxfish

To answer a few questions (pms) ...

I am not absolutely sure but, I think most wood will be OK.
Anyhow this log is pine, I found it a couple of years back, I stored it my shed & intended to use it as a decoration at Christmas time!
There are a few points to remember though, wet wood will swell up & increase in size so be careful if it is a tight fit in your tank.
I coated this log with three coats of epoxy, the wood needs to be very dry for the epoxy to cure properly.
I also soaked the wood after it was coated in a water butt for 3 weeks before it went in my tank.
I weighed the wood before soaking & after just to see if it had absorbed any water & increased in weight - it had not.
I tried a few methods to hold the log in position, in the end I found that by coating the ends with 5mm of silicone, the log holds in place nicely.
I can see lots of different configurations for scaping with a log & it would be great to see someone else have a go?
I can see a plain sand bottom with HC cascading down & growing into the sand? (I am probably better at making things than designing plantscapes)
If i can help anyone who could take this idea further then I would be happy to do so, I could possibly make another log for someone but, I fear the postage to the UK would be high!


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## Angus

those ideas sound really interesting foxfish, i dunno if you seen the winning tank from the hannover aquascaping comp, it had HC growing on wood, it looked amazing.


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## Westyggx

Loving this scape, it has inspire me to change mine a little 

Can you tell me, is this plant the one you have in your foreground?


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## foxfish

Yes the plants on the right are Pogostemon helferi.
They take a few weeks to get going  & adjust to underwater life but, once established multiply like crazy.
The plant itself has a very brittle feel & can easily break when handled, I thin the patch out every two weeks by removing the actual plants.
There is a line of Anubias nana just behind & to the right of the pogo that is growing very well under the shade of the log.
On the left is a forest of  Cryptocoryne wendtii, this plant grows very strongly & needs trimming every week.
The log is planted with the same Cryp & Pogo plus of course the ever growing glosso!


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## Westyggx

foxfish said:
			
		

> Yes the plants on the right are Pogostemon helferi.
> They take a few weeks to get going  & adjust to underwater life but, once established multiply like crazy.
> The plant itself has a very brittle feel & can easily break when handled, I thin the patch out ever two weeks by removing the actual plants.
> There is a line of Anubias nana just behind 7 to the right of the pogo that is growing very well under the shade of the log.
> On the left is a forest of  Cryptocoryne wendtii, this plant grows very strongly & needs trimming every week.
> The log is planted with the same Cryp & Pogo plus of course the every growing glosso!



Ok cool, looks very nice! I have some glosso in my tank, i have just trimmed it all down but now it looks ridiculous and i hope it grows back ok!

If you are cutting every week may i have some of the cuttings? 

Cheers


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## foxfish

Unfortunately all my excess plants go to new homes locally & besides that I live in the channel Islands so the plants would spend several days in the post & at this time of year might not fair very well.


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## foxfish

I got a bit fed up with the glosso, to much maintenance for me so I took it out!



The picture taken from the top shows how different the plants grow & look growing in the log, compared to the same plants growing on the bottom.


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## mlgt

Coming along lovely. Really enjoy this thread. Well done to you!


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## Emyr

Awesome Tank. Really like that A lot. Didnt even know Glosso could do that if left to grow out of something.


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## dazza

Wow its pretty amazing what you've achieved here


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## GreenGrow

very original!!


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## Ghettofarmulou`

Epic


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## Danny

Ghettofarmulou` said:
			
		

> Epic



Great post for number 8    only 17 more now


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## jack-rythm

how is it going? it looks amazing, love seeing new and different tank additions


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## O'Neil

Just when you think people have thought of everything, you see something like this....

I'm well impressed! +1


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## drodgers

late to the party  I love this any updates?


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## foxfish

I took the tank down some time ago now.


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## drodgers

Thats too bad !  Sometime this season i have a 55g cube that needs planting i defiantly want to use your log idea.


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## foxfish

One thing that was very noticeable about the log tank was the very good flow pattern.
Because the log was situated pretty much in the centre of the tank, the flow could take a circular direction around the log.
The spray bar seemed to push the whole water column around in a never ending circle resulting in very good co2 distribution & exceptionally  fast growth!


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