# How to fix manzanita wood tree?



## kadoxu (1 Nov 2016)

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a new tank, were I plant to do something like this:


The thing is, I don't have a piece of wood attached to a rock...

I'm afraid that just burying it in the substrate won't be enough to sustain it's weight for long...

What's best? Fixing it to a rock, like the one in the following video? And what should I use to fix it?



I remember reading about fixing wood pieces to rock around here, but can't find the thread anymore... 

Thank you!


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## Aqua360 (1 Nov 2016)

kadoxu said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm planning a new tank, were I plant to do something like this:
> 
> ...




I'd just tie it with clear fishing line. I got some for 3-4 quid, and it's quite literally lasted me for years as I use it to tie plants, ornaments etc as above. Works well. I would avoid gluing in this case, would probs work; but be a hassle unless done bone dry


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## Jim.. (1 Nov 2016)

Aquarium silicone?


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## tim (1 Nov 2016)

I've had good success by drilling through a piece of slate and using a stainless steel screw into the bottom of the wood, nice and stable and the slate can be hidden under the substrate.


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## zozo (2 Nov 2016)

Depending on it's structure, patience and beeing carefull when fiddling around in the tank then using super glue might work well.. I glued a 30 cm long piece of wood verticaly to another piece of wood wich is dug into the substrate. The vertical piece resambles an old tree sticking out emersed. One thing is glue will never hold for ever on wood because it will slowly decay from outside in, get soft and the glue will just loosen over time.. So, smart use of plants does the job..For example put Anubias close to the base (substrate) on the wood.. In time the anubias will shoot it's roots into the substrate and secure/anchor the wood also used mosses which grow over the 2 pieces and fix them together.. That's natural bonding and anchoring.. My vertical trunk already stands for 1,5 year now still pretty ferm.. Bolbitis heudeloti is also a plant which can used for that, it's a pretty strong rooting fern.. And ferns are plants you'll find in the forest at the base of trees..   I'm holdin in total 3 vertical pieces of wood in position with the help of plants in 1 scape and all stand like a house..


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## kadoxu (2 Nov 2016)

Jim.. said:


> Aquarium silicone?


To attach to a rock? or directly to the tank?



tim said:


> I've had good success by drilling through a piece of slate and using a stainless steel screw into the bottom of the wood, nice and stable and the slate can be hidden under the substrate.


I think I'll try it! I just hope that my mini drill is up for the job...



Aqua360 said:


> I'd just tie it with clear fishing line. I got some for 3-4 quid, and it's quite literally lasted me for years as I use it to tie plants, ornaments etc as above. Works well. I would avoid gluing in this case, would probs work; but be a hassle unless done bone dry


This will probably be my plan B if drilling doesn't work.



zozo said:


> Depending on it's structure, patience and beeing carefull when fiddling around in the tank then using super glue might work well.. I glued a 30 cm long piece of wood verticaly to another piece of wood wich is dug into the substrate. The vertical piece resambles an old tree sticking out emersed. One thing is glue will never hold for ever on wood because it will slowly decay from outside in, get soft and the glue will just loosen over time.. So, smart use of plants does the job..For example put Anubias close to the base (substrate) on the wood.. In time the anubias will shoot it's roots into the substrate and secure/anchor the wood also used mosses which grow over the 2 pieces and fix them together.. That's natural bonding and anchoring.. My vertical trunk already stands for 1,5 year now still pretty ferm.. Bolbitis heudeloti is also a plant which can used for that, it's a pretty strong rooting fern.. And ferns are plants you'll find in the forest at the base of trees..   I'm holdin in total 3 vertical pieces of wood in position with the help of plants in 1 scape and all stand like a house..


Hum... that would be perfect, but my plans are to use only Monte Carlo and Eleocharis Parvula, so I believe that's not an option for me on this specific case, and considering the wood piece will make a lot of shade bellow it, I believe not a lot of rooting will be happening there. I'll take this in consideration for future scapes though!



Thanks guys!


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## zozo (2 Nov 2016)

You could consider TEC7 polymer kit, it's aquarium safe and even cures submersed if it ever comes to that.. And i've seen James Findley using such a heatgun with glue cartridges, don't know the english name for.. He used it to glue rocks to the base glass panel and rock to rock. This glue cures pretty fast when it cooles.. I guess the cartridges are some kind of PVC or other plastic you melt with the gun to apply it, it cures inert.. If i remember correctly it is in his video Altitude where he uses that stuff.

Edit:
It is..


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## Jim.. (2 Nov 2016)

It could work with either although you would need several points of contact between the wood and surface, I don't think it would work with a single "trunk". Personally I would fix to a rock, easier to cure outside the tank and much easier to move if you change your mind.

Very similar technique to the hot glue gun zozo mentioned.



kadoxu said:


> To attach to a rock? or directly to the tank?


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## zozo (2 Nov 2016)

Dry start, if you tend to change your mind often..


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## kadoxu (3 Nov 2016)

zozo said:


> Dry start, if you tend to change your mind often..


I tend to plan for a couple of months before actually doing anything... I've been planning this one for a month now... and since I'm now looking to move home, I'll probably have a couple more months of waiting before I actually start. So I tend to stick to my guns!


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## Joel S (4 Nov 2016)

I heard on the Scape Fu podcast the idea of tying wood to gravel(or rock)-filled nylon stockings. That way you can easily use thread, fishing-line, or cable ties or whatever, which is very fiddly, annoying and occasionally impossible with just rocks. Then you can bury, hide, or even possibly plant-up the little sacks of substrate. I'm probably going to try it with my next tank.


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## Joel S (4 Nov 2016)

btw hot glue and silicone don't really work on wood in my experience.


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## MrHidley (4 Nov 2016)

I have used hot glue with rocks in a couple of tanks, worked well, it didn't work quite so well on the wood though.


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