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Unbalanced Drift Wood - Bracing Ideas? - Large Pics Beware!


s3xtcy

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Hello! Today I found the piece of wood I want for my new tank, but it has a balancing issue.... - it doesnt stand up unless supported by something, (at the moment my food container :D )

What I thought about was drilling a deepish hole upwards from the base and then putting in a "L" shaped piece of metal, the shorter leg of the "L" into the driftwood and the larger end can be turned around to support the wood in the most conveniant direction. My question is, is this a good idea? What kind of metals can be used in a tropical tank? has anyone else had this problem and come up with another way? I thought about a glass plate at the bottom too but the L seemed more user friendly and easy to install...

Thanks in advance!!

Pictures:

Front View:

DSCF2434.jpg

High Left Hand side view:

DSCF2437.jpg

High Front / LHS View with Skewers to indicate placement of metal Pole:

DSCF2439.jpg

Front View with Green line to indicate Placement of metal pole

DSCF2434-1.jpg

All ideas / reccomendations are greatly appreciated! Thanks :bounce:

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Rest it against the rear wall of the tank. It wont fall over if you have gravel in the tank.

the tanks going to be a little big for that unfortunately! - The tank is a UFO880 and I want this sitting towards the front... Thanks though!

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Use cable ties and rocks to weigh it down where needed, you could even find another piece of driftwood and secure it to that.

One heavy rock where the person with the blue finger nails hand is should do it.

long flat rock tied to the other end

Thank you! I will begin rock hunting again..

Is there any reason why the metal idea isnt popular? Can metal be used safely in a aquarium? How about a plastic garden stake, approx 8-10mm, that you can get from bunnings etc, the ones that are designed to help vines etc grow? That would be safe wouldnt it?

EDIT - like these ones! except fully plastic not metal tube. http://www.housecharm.co.uk/items/11-5024160079008/Gardman-Garden-Stake--Green.html

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

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is it that the "bases" of the driftwood( the pieces rouching the table are not flat or is it that the piece is too top heavy?

you could always try sawing the bases a lil bit so they have a flat area to sit on but beware store brought driftwood can be very hard and difficult to cut

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the main base isnt quite flat on the bottom, but I dont think that even if it was that it would quite be enought to make it balance. Can you just silicone the glass to the base? Or is there a special trick to make the bond strong? It is a storebought piece of wood, and it will be extremely hard, I drilled two holes in my last piece to attatch a plant to it and it took a lot of drilling! haha! Thanks!

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Great thanks everyone :D I went on the hunt for a plastic rod today, but was unable to find anything suitable except someone did suggest to contact a plastic welder and see if the rods they use are what I am looking for. but I will probably just find a piece of glass and glue it up, ill let you know how I get on! any tips for siliconing it to the glass? eg shave it flat first or leave it slightly off, and use alot of silicone? Thanks!

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My original bits of driftwood were aquakneadited to pieces of glass so they would stand up, but they came unstuck quite quickly. We had followed all the instructions on the packet but it still didn't work. It did work when we jammed a bit of plastic into a dent in a rock though, so maybe the metal idea has merit if it's screwed into the woody end and stuck to less non porous at the other.

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My original bits of driftwood were aquakneadited to pieces of glass so they would stand up, but they came unstuck quite quickly. We had followed all the instructions on the packet but it still didn't work. It did work when we jammed a bit of plastic into a dent in a rock though, so maybe the metal idea has merit if it's screwed into the woody end and stuck to less non porous at the other.

You can't use the kneadit as a glue, you have to mold it around the base of the wood. I've had a couple pieces like this for several years, haven't come loose.

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go to a curtain shop and get a plastic rod (the ones they use for adjusting the angle of blinds it can be heated gently over a kitchen element and bent to shape

Hey thanks! how thick is the plastic rod? I think im going to use the glass and silicone idea, but I think the aqua kneadit has alot of merit, is it expensive? and where can I get it from?

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Hey thanks! how thick is the plastic rod? I think im going to use the glass and silicone idea, but I think the aqua kneadit has alot of merit, is it expensive? and where can I get it from?

Mitre 10 has it, bunnings, etc. It's not too expensive.

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I have about 15kg of driftwood in my reptile enclosure, and all of it is off the ground so to speak - and none of it is secured in any way - but its safe and wont budge. youve just got to find ways of locking it together naturally, combining that with the the edges of the glass etc and it can be stable.

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You can't use the kneadit as a glue, you have to mold it around the base of the wood. I've had a couple pieces like this for several years, haven't come loose.

Hmmmm. We had a blob of kneadit on the glass and the wood was pressed into it, it did come up around the base of the wood at least a centimetre.

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Done it!!!

Simplest trick in the world. Find a big rock, and put it on the unbalanced bit, I know it was mentioned before, pics of new layout :

Just need the tank now, going to see it today :happy1:

Front View:

DSCF2503.jpg

Right Hand Side:

DSCF2502.jpg

Left hand Side:

DSCF2501.jpg

Top View:

DSCF2504.jpg

What does everyone think?

PS the corner of the concrete roughly represents the back corner of the new tank :)

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