# Branchy driftwood layouts?



## JanS

I need some inspiration from all of you talented members. I bought one of the packages of branchy driftwood FishandTurtleJunkie a few weeks ago and am excited to get it in one of my own tanks.

Does anyone have any photos of their branchy layouts they'd like to share for inspiration? I'm not looking to copy it, but I'd like to get some ideas since I'm not the most artistic person on the board in that area....   

TIA!


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## CmLaracy

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/57618-cmlaracys-75p-ada.html

run through the pages, I think it's what you're looking for!


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## zig

Jans here's a scape I did last year using branch type driftwood, I used cable ties to hold the join them together if needed, and then I used a large piece of bogwood as the central base which all the branches are tied to somehow, gotta be inventive for that bit to hold them all from falling down.

This was the basic layout with the driftwood










I then just built the plants up around it, added a bit here and there.










and it finished up like this










I would just spend some time playing around with the wood at your disposal, you would be surprised at what you will come up with, there are probably many different layouts you could do with the same pieces of driftwood, just in different combinations. I saw the wood in the buy/sell section and it looks great, best of luck with it.


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## nationof2

I'm sure you'll come up with something great! Just keep playing with it... the same pieces can fit together in many different ways usually. Set it up and look at it for a couple days before you put water in just to make sure it will hold your interest.


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## JanS

Very nice CM and Zig! 

I guess that's part of the fun being able to create our own.

I just thought it would be nice to group specifically branchy shots in one thread so everyone could peruse them.


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## CmLaracy




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## Phil Edwards

Jan, I'm having trouble finding the place you got your wood from. Is it an online store or a local shop?


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## cleek

zig thats fantastic u just game me an idea!


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## cs_gardener

Phil Edwards, look in the APC For Sale/Trade forum, let's see http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/sale-trade/47477-manzanita-driftwood.html

I bought a package as well and it's really nice wood for a great price.


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## JanS

Phil Edwards said:


> Jan, I'm having trouble finding the place you got your wood from. Is it an online store or a local shop?


Oops, sorry, I should have specified that.


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## jazzlvr123

zig said:


>


whats the carpet plant in this pic?


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## Afyounie

It looks like maybe glosso or HC. But its really hard to tell from this angle.


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## jazzlvr123

looks more like UG to me but like you said its hard to tell


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## FishandTurtleJunkie

Phil Edwards said:


> Jan, I'm having trouble finding the place you got your wood from. Is it an online store or a local shop?


Phil it would be an honor putting some pieces of wood together for you. If you ever need anything let me know.


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## DonaldmBoyer

Hi Jan!

I recently re-did my 40G cube with this branchy layout......still a bit cloudy in this picture, but you get the idea (I hope).










-OR-

The original design back from this past summer:










Hope it helps!


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## spypet




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## zig

jazzlvr123 said:


> looks more like UG to me but like you said its hard to tell


It is indeed HC with Eleocharis acicularis and Eleocharis parvula to the right of it.


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## jilly

what is the name of the grassy stuff that you have growing on the actual driftwood in that one aquarium?


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## zig

jilly said:


> what is the name of the grassy stuff that you have growing on the actual driftwood in that one aquarium?


Hi jilly, the grassy stuff is a moss, Taxiphyllum barbieri (versicularia), otherwise known as Java moss, its a pretty standard moss and widely available. Its originally tied to the driftwood with some cotton thread.


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## jazzlvr123




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## jilly

does the driftwood ever rot or go bad? How long can I expect a driftwood design to last?


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## jazzlvr123

it all matters on the wood but generally if wood is properly treated it will not rot or go bad, the parts of the wood that go bad are usually removed during the curing process. burn the bark off then take a power washer to it. everything thats left will do fine submersed


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## Afyounie

Has anyone ever used crape myrtle limbs as driftwood?
I have seen it around my house a lot and the texture and colors are really nice and the branching is also really nice.


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## JanS

Beautiful shots everyone! There's definitely some great inspiration there.


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## FishandTurtleJunkie

Afyounie said:


> Has anyone ever used crape myrtle limbs as driftwood?
> I have seen it around my house a lot and the texture and colors are really nice and the branching is also really nice.


I did a search and found that most of the species Lagerstroemia are harmless if ingested by humans. I would venture a guess that it would make some nice driftwood if cured properly.


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## Afyounie

Thanx


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## rountreesj

This is my tank I did this past week with a medium manzanita package.


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## Minsc

jazzlvr123 said:


>


Hey Jazzlvr, where did you find this piece of wood? It has the exact amount of "branchiness" I need for a specific tank...


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## jazzlvr123

I got it from tom barr who trimmed it from a manzanita bush in up here in Cameron park. just go look for a mazanita bush and trim off some dead branches im sure you'll find something as branchy as the one I have. Regards, Kyle


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## helgymatt

Heres my driftwood in a 29 gallon...









and heres what I did with the leftovers...I know, nothing special








and heres one more just for fun.


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## dirrtybirdy

this is my rio nego biotope. havent got any life in there yet. =P


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## helgymatt

Your biotope looks cool. I would have to have the right place to try to do that.


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## dirrtybirdy

right place?


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## helgymatt

I'm just saying I wouldn't put it in my dining room. A brown murky tank doesn't "fit" every room of the house. Maybe like a den, or a basement or something. Just my opinion...no pun intented if you have it in your dining room


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## dirrtybirdy

lol none taken. my dining room is also my living room, bed room and kitchen. lol i live in a studio. it feels good to get out of the parents house. lol =P


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## Carlos1583

Man I really llike those manzanitas...I just might have to buy some from fishandturtlejunkie soon


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## MacsRock

Here is mine:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/49588-oceanic-40h-journal.html


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## dirrtybirdy

Carlos1583 said:


> Man I really llike those manzanitas...I just might have to buy some from fishandturtlejunkie soon


do it! i highly recommend his products! thats where i got mine from


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## MacsRock

dirrtybirdy said:


> do it! i highly recommend his products! thats where i got mine from


I second that!!


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## JustOneMore21

I got my wood from FishandTurtle too. Used it in 4 of my planted tanks. 

Here's my 40 breeder when I set it up:









And a couple days ago:









(some of the wood disappeared)


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## slowhand35

Nice photos


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## Carlos1583

Well I went ahead and dropped the money for one of the medium packages. I'm excited about getting it and working on it this weekend if it arrives by then. Hopefully I won't make a crappy looking hardscape


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## FishandTurtleJunkie

I hope you guys that bought driftwood from me dont mind me using some photos of your tanks for my upcoming website, they look fabulous!


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## curt_914

Once I get started you can deffinitly use some of my pics!! Drift wood is soaking, and I hope to get some plants next week! Will have the 20 up in a couple weeks and the 55 shortly after.

Curt


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## dirrtybirdy

FishandTurtleJunkie said:


> I hope you guys that bought driftwood from me dont mind me using some photos of your tanks for my upcoming website, they look fabulous!


dont mind at all =P


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## dirrtybirdy

bump for more layouts!


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## rountreesj

this is a 55 gal sort of branchy layout:


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## Tex Gal

Love all the layouts. You guys are artists!


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## Bert H

So, Jan, did you ever set this up? Pics???


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## JanS

Thanks for bumping this back up Dirrtybirdy. I had forgotten about it, and some great pics have been added since I last looked. 



Bert H said:


> So, Jan, did you ever set this up? Pics???


Sigh, I've been waiting for the weather to warm up so I can soak them in a Rubbermaid outside (it's easier for changing the water), and spring just isn't springing around here. We even had an inch of snow on the ground Sunday morning....


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## ValorG

I was going to wait to put these up when I was gonna update my thread..... but heres 1 pic of my tank.


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## dirrtybirdy

getting plants today.


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## Pitt420dude

Here is what I did a while back.


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## volatile

I quite like this one from the ADA Nature Gallery.


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## bratyboy2

thats really funny i have that pic saved to my computer for a later tank idea...maybe a 20 long


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## PRESTON4479

rountreesj said:


> this is a 55 gal sort of branchy layout:


Very nice Rountreesj! I have been searching high and low for some ideas on scaping my 55g. I just ordered a medium package of manzanita and have aquasoil on the way. I am planning on taking everything out of it and starting fresh. I just wanted a basic idea on using the branchy driftwood since I have never used it before. Not to mention its really hard scaping a 55g considering the 13" you've got to play with.

Rountreesj, what is your foreground plant in this pic?

Thanks for starting this thread Jans!


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## Tex Gal

Ok Jan, you're just gonna have to use the bathtub. It will work, that's what I did. By now your wood would be sinking and I'd be gazing at your creation!


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## PRESTON4479

Tex Gal said:


> Ok Jan, you're just gonna have to use the bathtub. It will work, that's what I did. By now your wood would be sinking and I'd be gazing at your creation!


We never did get any pics from JanS did we?


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## JanS

Tex Gal said:


> Ok Jan, you're just gonna have to use the bathtub. It will work, that's what I did. By now your wood would be sinking and I'd be gazing at your creation!





PRESTON4479 said:


> We never did get any pics from JanS did we?


LOL! I know, I have it all sitting out in the garage in a Rubbermaid container waiting for a soak, and I guess I could get started on it now. It's been sort of one of those "out of sight, out of mind" deals since I've had it sitting so long.
It's been sort of a bonus to wait though, since there are so many beautiful inspirations here.


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## theofilos

Here is mine a 120l high tank, I will update with plant pics this week. I used tire ups to tighten the branches.


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## foofooree

here's mine just set up


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## rountreesj

foreground is glosso...


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## Garuf

This is my current scape, I'm hoping it will grow in more yet.


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## jazzlvr123

theofilos said:


> Here is mine a 120l high tank, I will update with plant pics this week. I used tire ups to tighten the branches.


i like your wood placement here thats a great start. now don't screw it up once you add the plants  (jk)


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## jackh

Garuf said:


> This is my current scape, I'm hoping it will grow in more yet.


what kind of sand is that in the front?


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## jackh

updates anyone?


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## Left C




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## DCBuckeyeguy77

Left C said:


>


Whats that tall thin leafed plant that is in the background of the first picture?


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## chris127

looks like some sort of vallis. probably jungle val.


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## tetrax

DCBuckeyeguy77 said:


> Whats that tall thin leafed plant that is in the background of the first picture?


Hi,I believe that it´s Vallisneria Nana or Vallisneria Narrow Leaf.

Regards!!


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## Garuf

Cheap sand, just unbranded stuff from the LFS.


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## foofooree

an update on mine:


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## PRESTON4479

Alright, I just got mine done. Let me know what you think.



Sorry about the picture quality.


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## Brendan Redler

Looks good but it doesn't direct your eye anywhere...it's just in there near the middle.

Look at all the really cool stuff with "branchy" driftwood and you'll see that it's sort of directional, or else radiates from one point.


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## FishandTurtleJunkie

Heres mine so far (work in progress):


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## foofooree

FishandTurtleJunkie said:


> Heres mine so far (work in progress):


wow, nice. I would expect you to have a nice layout


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## fishman9809

FishandTurtleJunkie said:


> Heres mine so far (work in progress):


now we know why your called the driftwood dude!!!


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## waterfaller1

When I first set it up in april









now


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## dirrtybirdy

from this...









to this









the water is cloudy =(


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