# Bog wood: Anchoring and Stability



## mark4785 (28 Aug 2011)

I was recently reading THIS article and one thing that has always puzzled me is how aquascapers manage to branch out their bog wood pieces horizontally from a central point. If you observe some of the pictures you can clearly see that a lot of the bog wood is arranged like this.

How is this achieved? Is there some glue or string involved? Where can such pieces of bog wood be acquired as I've personally only come across bog wood that resembles a big boring boulder?

Thanks in advance,
Mark


----------



## JohnC (28 Aug 2011)

i've used cable ties before. String also good. Silicon sealant can be used as glue (aquarium safe). i've seen more complicated weighting of larger, taller bits of wood by drilling a hole into the "base" part to fix it to a piece of slate to stop it toppling.

best way to find out what the experts have done tank by tank is work through some of the more detailed setup journals. 

best regards,
john


----------



## Gill (28 Aug 2011)

I Like to use a Hot Glue Gun. Works perfectly for wood and attaching plants like moss, anubias aswell.
If I am using Hot Glue, Then I presoak the Wood, And then Dry them over the hob or in the oven. Glue then Together onto a Peice of Slate and Let them Dry - Job Done. 

I have seen a few people screw them onto slate, Drill them and use Plugs, Drill them and Attach weights to them to weight them down. I have Used Building Bricks in the past, to Help Position them straight up or at an angle with Gravel to set them in postion inside the holes of the brick.


----------



## mark4785 (28 Aug 2011)

> Then I presoak the Wood, And then Dry them over the hob or in the oven. Glue then Together onto a Peice of Slate and Let them Dry - Job Done.



What type of pieces of wood would you or others typically glue together and then glue onto slate? Would you purchase any of these?: http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/aquasca ... 8_515.html

Presumably, where you have glued the wood to slate you would put some rocks or substrate there so it's not obvious that glue is holding it in place?

Can you recommend a 'Hot Glue Gun' (with glue included which is fish-friendly) that I could purchase?


----------



## Gill (28 Aug 2011)

mark4785 said:
			
		

> > Then I presoak the Wood, And then Dry them over the hob or in the oven. Glue then Together onto a Peice of Slate and Let them Dry - Job Done.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yep works fine for that wood. And yes glue substrate or smaller rocks around the point of glueing. Unless it will be covered with the substrate anyway. 

Glue Gun, I just use the one in the DIY section of a Department Store/Discount store. Never had any probs.


----------



## mark4785 (28 Aug 2011)

Gill said:
			
		

> mark4785 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Umm, sorry to keep firing the questions but where exactly do you acquire the slate and could you possibly recommend the exact glue-gun you use?

I'm VERY anxious about putting glue into the water so the exact glue you use would be very helpful!!

Mark.


----------



## Gill (28 Aug 2011)

No Worries, will have a look in the garage for you to see which brand it is. In the Morning 

The Slate, Large Diy chain like B+Q quite cheap or most garden centres stock it.


----------



## J Butler (28 Aug 2011)

Hi Mark,

Tom Barr wrote a few posts on how he attaches and stabilises his wood to slate:

mounting and stabilising wood

Although I have never checked, I believe most garden centres should stock slate.


----------



## mark4785 (28 Aug 2011)

Thank you Gill.

J Butler, thanks for the link. I had trouble following the guide as most of the pictures he uses to illustrate what to do are offline


----------



## J Butler (28 Aug 2011)

I think only the last picture is missing from the actual guide, the majority of the pictures are from the various pieces of manzanita that Tom sells. I presume he removes the images once he makes a new topic for all the new wood he has to sell.

Sorry I can't help you more as I've never actually tried it myself. I'm planning to do something like it soon though so I bookmarked the link


----------



## mark4785 (30 Aug 2011)

Gill said:
			
		

> No Worries, will have a look in the garage for you to see which brand it is. In the Morning
> 
> The Slate, Large Diy chain like B+Q quite cheap or most garden centres stock it.



Did you manage to find the name of the 'glue-gun?'

I visited B&Q today and found absolutely no slate. Just the very thick slate that is used for flooring!


----------



## Gill (30 Aug 2011)

oh yeah, it was a Stanley one, and another I have is 3M


----------



## Tom (30 Aug 2011)

You could try the "Aquascaping Clay" or Milliput reefers use for securing rocks. I used it in my last scape.


----------



## JohnC (30 Aug 2011)

Tom said:
			
		

> You could try the "Aquascaping Clay" or Milliput reefers use for securing rocks. I used it in my last scape.



Milliput is one i never thought of.


----------



## mark4785 (30 Aug 2011)

Gill said:
			
		

> oh yeah, it was a Stanley one, and another I have is 3M



Thanks for the brand name!

Do I need to use a specific type of glue in the aquarium with this gun?

Edit: I have been going through some of the journals and I'm finding it difficult to find anybody who has glued bog wood to some slate. Most people seem to balance them on rocks or panes of glass. Thankfully my dad as sourced some slate from a friend of his; I think it must be 30cm by 20cm. I will obviously need a smaller slice than this.

I've searched eBay and another online aquatic shops and I just cannot imagine any of the pieces of sumatra/bog wood looking interesting in the aquarium. 

I'm looking to achieve something like this:


----------



## mark4785 (31 Aug 2011)

bump


----------



## Deanne (9 Feb 2018)

Look on eBay at Fennstones. I’ve had large slate pieces from them, they are very helpful.


----------



## Andrew Butler (9 Feb 2018)

Deanne said:


> Look on eBay at Fennstones. I’ve had large slate pieces from them, they are very helpful


I think he might have found a piece by now- look at the post date 2011!

I didn't realise people had used pieces of slate to stabilise the wood before; I thought that was my idea - obviously not.

Anyone interested reading this now and having questions you can get decent pieces of slate from places like topps tiles which are also honed.
I found using aquarium safe silicone and A4 grade stainless steel wood screws work a treat.
Drop me a message if you have any further questions.


----------



## Deanne (9 Feb 2018)

Didn’t notice, sorry!


----------

