# Help with lighting and scaping spiderwood



## Dimsumhi (Jul 24, 2016)

Advice please?


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

Beautiful piece of spiderwood you have there. I bought a few pieces today as well. Watching this thread closely as I'd like ideas myself.

I thought I'd put anubias under the crooks that will be in the shade, moss on some of the limbs and java fern bunched around it... or something that will handle more light that looks like java fern.

I also plan to have plants growing behind it that I'd like to grown on up out of the tank as it is rimless and topless, but I don't know what that will be yet as I am clueless as to what I can have grow out and look nice.

Hopefully somebody will come along that knows more about this stuff. The reason I replied on your thread is that I intended to post the very same question. Will continue on with my search...

Good luck!


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## Dimsumhi (Jul 24, 2016)

michu said:


> Beautiful piece of spiderwood you have there. I bought a few pieces today as well. Watching this thread closely as I'd like ideas myself.
> 
> I thought I'd put anubias under the crooks that will be in the shade, moss on some of the limbs and java fern bunched around it... or something that will handle more light that looks like java fern.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply! Lol maybe you should start a new thread anyway since people don't seem to care to interact in my thread.

Anyway, I currently have a spec v with a few pieces of driftwood in there. I have anubias nana, anubias petite, and fissidens attached to the driftwood. Since nobody really suggested anything for my new tank, I ended up ordering a few varieties of buce that I plan on attaching to driftwood and rocks. Also ordered anubias nana petite, some Christmas moss. Thinking about ordering some java lace fern as a mid- to background plant since my tank is only 9 inches high.

Anyway, post your driftwood and I'd love to help!


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## vvDO (Oct 18, 2010)

24/7 light is adjustable, you can go anywhere from low to high light with that size tank. If you need more coverage, you'd easily be able to raise the light and up the intensity.

Driftwood would look nice with a few large rocks near the base of the wood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RyRob (May 30, 2015)

IME,spiderwood is kind of difficult to scape with if you don't have the perfect pieces. Most pieces are either just the "branch" part or have good branching with a pretty substantial base that can be tough to scape around or hide. The base takes up a lot of real estate. 

That piece of wood is nice but it doesn't leave you with much of a substrate to work with. If the only plants you plan on having are going to be tied or "planted" on the spider wood, I suggest having a light sand substrate like ADA La Plata sand, other brands of light colored sand will do just fine too, even very clean play sand looks good, IMO. Use the wood and plants as the center piece and the light sand as your contrasting foreground on all sides.

This next bit of advice may make you nervous...cut that piece of spider wood into 2-3 manageable sized pieces that have nice branching to them, making them smaller but increasing the perception of scale and the potential of the scape. I'd then place them in the back corners with the branches facing the front-center of the tank creating a natural "valley" of sorts in between the the pieces of wood that goes to the back glass, separating the two areas. Elavate the back corners with the substrate of your choice and border the elevated wood with appropriate sized stones being mindfull to leave the "valley". Fill in the rest of footprint with a shallow bed of light colored sand. The shallow lighter sand will help make your scape look taller, increasing depth perception

Densely "plant" the wood with some narrow or needle leaf java fern, put nana petite in the crevices of the rocks. Maybe some crypt parva or similar sized ground cover around the base of the driftwood in the substrate used to elevate the wood. Then a mini/micro species of moss to cover the branches if necessary. 

That's how I would do it. Post some pictures throughout your thought process and people should be able to point you in the right direction.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

Dimsumhi said:


> Thanks for the reply! Lol maybe you should start a new thread anyway since people don't seem to care to interact in my thread.
> 
> Anyway, I currently have a spec v with a few pieces of driftwood in there. I have anubias nana, anubias petite, and fissidens attached to the driftwood. Since nobody really suggested anything for my new tank, I ended up ordering a few varieties of buce that I plan on attaching to driftwood and rocks. Also ordered anubias nana petite, some Christmas moss. Thinking about ordering some java lace fern as a mid- to background plant since my tank is only 9 inches high.
> 
> Anyway, post your driftwood and I'd love to help!


I will when I get the rest of my equipment up and running. 

Too funny about the buce. I did the same thing.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Awhile ago someone posted a strange method they discovered for aquascaping with spiderwood. They put moss in a blender, made a little mossy smoothy, and then dumped that in their (at first fish-free) tank with high water flow and carbon. At first it was a complete mess, but the moss quickly cultured onto the branches. After draining out the excess moss smoothy that hadn't stuck to anything in the tank, what was left over was really stunning. I'll try to find pics.

I think shrimp would really love something like that. Moss increases surface area for shrimp to rummage, and being a shrimp is like 100% about rummaging.


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## Dimsumhi (Jul 24, 2016)

TyrannosaurusSex said:


> Awhile ago someone posted a strange method they discovered for aquascaping with spiderwood. They put moss in a blender, made a little mossy smoothy, and then dumped that in their (at first fish-free) tank with high water flow and carbon. At first it was a complete mess, but the moss quickly cultured onto the branches. After draining out the excess moss smoothy that hadn't stuck to anything in the tank, what was left over was really stunning. I'll try to find pics.
> 
> I think shrimp would really love something like that. Moss increases surface area for shrimp to rummage, and being a shrimp is like 100% about rummaging.


WOW. I would love to see that actually. Just curious, why carbon?


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## RyRob (May 30, 2015)

I've heard of this method. You mix the moss with some plain yogurt in the blender and create a moss "paint" and cover the wood with it. I've heard a lot of great results doing it this way and a lot of people prefer it from what I gather. 

That's probably why they used carbon and high flow. That yogurt will rot and foul the water. High flow ensures good water circulation and the carbon removes whatever the yogurt is releasing. 

I've never tried it so indulge yourself with more research if you decide to do it. Google moss yogurt method or something along those lines.


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## SeeF1L (Sep 24, 2016)

The moss trick is used in regular gardening also. Great to paint on concrete statues to get them to "age"  jussayin.. Would love to see pictures of this project.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Can't find the thread but I saved a picture from it to my aquascape folder!

If I remember correctly, the carbon was to increase the growth rate of the moss and encourage it to take on the stunning yellow green color you see below.

I don't think this person used yogurt - I am 100% certain I would remember that! But that does sound quite interesting.


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