# Has anyone tried this?



## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

I can't get over how cool the idea of an underwater bonsai tree is. I was wondering if anyone had successfully made one of their own?

I don't mean like a submerged bonsai, I mean driftwood/dead branches with moss or some other plant added on top.

Here are a couple examples:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Cratoneuron filicinum/iekoko/ada2008 1-10/3.jpg (I think this one won 3rd or 4th in Amano's contest)

http://akvarisztika.budapet.hu/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/185.jpg


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## Voozle (Mar 22, 2009)

Haagenize tried something similar here, although on a relatively small scale due to dorm restrictions.


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## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

Awesome! I thought I was set on a iwagumi and now this has filled my mind with ideas...


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## invisibleprisms (Feb 13, 2010)

Thats an awesome idea, you should use java moss, it is very loose and puffy so it would look really good as tree foliage. Not to mention a really easy moss to care for


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## TwFG2 (Mar 2, 2010)

So it's just driftwood with moss growing on it? Anyways, it looks awesome.


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## fishsandwitch (Apr 20, 2008)

Very cool with more challenging and rewarding possibilites such as subwasstertang, using anubias, and trying multiple plants species on one tree


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

I am growing several fissidens moss on some small driftwood pieces that actually looks like trees. I tied some pieces on some of the little "branches" that the stick has. The moss is growing out slowly but it looks really awesome so far. I will submit pics when it grows out more.


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## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

dthb4438 said:


> I am growing several fissidens moss on some small driftwood pieces that actually looks like trees. I tied some pieces on some of the little "branches" that the stick has. The moss is growing out slowly but it looks really awesome so far. I will submit pics when it grows out more.


I would love to see this .


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## BeachBum2012 (Jan 16, 2010)

I'm just starting my attempt at a tree.

This is what I have so far.








Just waiting on plants so I can fill it up.


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

not bad not bad, just a little suggestion l would break the lowest branch on that piece of driftwood pointing down. lt seems a bit distracting but that's just me. Now if you got a plan for it and are gonna use it to your advantage go for it! Other than that nice job on the sloping of the substrate


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## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

looks good so far! Looking forward to seein more!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

the flame moss bonsai tree is awesome!!!! im so doing this some time soon!


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## Larry Grenier (Apr 19, 2005)

Extremely cool! Go for it!


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## PhishTank (Dec 18, 2007)

I plan on doing this in my new Mr Aqua cube. What about finding the perfect piece of driftwood for the trunk and using needle canvas or some other mesh to create the canopy like a moss wall? To me that seems a heck of a lot easier than attaching moss directly to wood. You could cut it to design the foliage of the tree and curve it in any fashion as well. And it might even make trimming easier when its all filled in. Thoughts?


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## AquaDean (Nov 20, 2009)

I've been working on one for a while now. I also used a Mr. Aqua 1 foot cube, a great tank for the $$. I've ordered a couple more of them to play with.










Links in my signature for how I made the tree.


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## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

Alright guys, so I've recently acquired the driftwood I want to use for this tree project, but there is an issue. I thought super glue would work for attaching small branches to the main piece of driftwood I have, but that was a fail. I've been trying to figure out what would actually stick wood together that would be aquarium safe. 

Some people seem to think hot glue is safe (though others disagree) but it apparently doesn't hold well under water. I have no experience with silicone, but I was under the impression that it is more of a sealant than a glue? Has anyone used silicone to glue small bits of driftwood to driftwood?


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## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

And here's the wood:










you can see the spot where I tried the superglue










some of the twigs


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## fuzzyfred101 (Apr 7, 2010)

silicone works great for glass but i have never tried it with wood thought. and have you tried super glue gel, i use it a ton on my nano reef with great success


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## tuonor (Nov 26, 2009)

Try Slo-Zap or Zap-A-Gap from a hobby store (one carries radio control vehicles). 

My guess is the problem you're having is the uneven mating surfaces; these are super glues that can be used for filling gaps and making fillets. Far superior to any super glue you'll find in a hardware store...


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I used the gel to attach java fern and Anubias to wood. It fails after a while but am hoping the plants make a firm attachment before that happens. What about underwater epoxy?


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## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

tuonor said:


> Try Slo-Zap or Zap-A-Gap from a hobby store (one carries radio control vehicles).
> 
> My guess is the problem you're having is the uneven mating surfaces; these are super glues that can be used for filling gaps and making fillets. Far superior to any super glue you'll find in a hardware store...


Sigh.. well, I just tried the zap-a-gap, but the only thing I managed to glue together was my fingers..

I think I need something that doesn't just run and soak up into the wood, is epoxy thicker? This is mildly frustrating .


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## fuzzyfred101 (Apr 7, 2010)

Just make sure epoxy doesn't leach any toxins into the water wile it is curing, that would be my only concern


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## AquaNorth (Jan 27, 2010)

There are epoxys that are used for underwater rock work. Dr foster & smith has it.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

I read a forum not long ago about Attaching plants to driftwood and read that Super Glue Gel works AWESOME even applied under water. This could help you with glueing your branches on the tree. Reefers use super glue gel to attach coral frags to live rock. Ive been wanting to make a tree for quite some time but havent stumbled across the right piece of wood yet.


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## Im2Nelson4u (Feb 7, 2010)

Hows this? This tank was grown with LEDs in my experiment tank. 

http://socalaquascapers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4609


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## hamsterman (Jan 17, 2007)

very nice tree Im2Nelson4u!


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## goddessjen (Mar 9, 2008)

This http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+13723+3962&pcatid=3962 is the epoxy that I used to do the woodwork in my 110 (along with some ss wire). It works great but you gotta make sure you really get a good contact between putty and wood.


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