# Cypress roots? Cork back panel?



## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

A few years ago I dug up some remainders od an old cypress stump/roots, in which I grew some bromeliads. The wood, ancient, as it appears, is still in a fair shape and I wonder if there is any valid reason why i shouldn't use it in my tank? 

Another question: does anybody have any experience with natural cork panels attached (aq.silicon?) to the back inside the tank? Any remarks on the subject, please?

Thanks. Edward

( Still optimistic that before year's end my 180 won't be filled with air anymore....)


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## zer0zax (Mar 25, 2007)

If the cypress roots are old, then there shouldn't be any problems. Cypress wood is good stuff, lasts a long time underwater! Even living cypress trees grow in water just fine, no root rot. IMHO the only problem would be if you cut a fresh root off and it leaked nutrients that were still in it.

I have never used cork panels before, but a few people have. Hopefully someone will chime in! Cork is used in vivariums and dart frog tanks with drip walls a lot, I don't know how long it lasts though, probably less time completely submerged, but I would be surprised if it broke down before 3 years...

If your tank is still empty, you might want to throw the stump in and fill 'er up! Run a filter with some activated carbon and replace often, that way you can begin working on sinking the stump, and get a feel for how much tannins it puts off. This should work out for the best, by the time you are ready to set up your aquarium the stump will already have leached off quite a few tannins, and you will be that much closer to having a clear tank instead of tea colored water. The stump will be that much more closer to sinking as well, if it is hard headed and wants to float everywhere!


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

No problem with using cypress, except that I have found it very difficult to waterlog and have it sink on its own.


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## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

This is the cypress root I was asking about. I'm going to trim it a bit from the bottom and attach to a large piece of plexiglass to make it stable. I've done already a 'floating test' (4 days) and it shows a clear preference to rather dwell on the botom of the tank. 

What would be your opinion about the size of the root iside the 180 gal.tank (72x24x24)? At present it is 36" long, 10-12" wide on both ends, 16" high in the middle and on the left - 25". If I shave off 2-3", it will be that much lower.

Any golden thoughts, please? And thanks for the advise up to now!


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## Fortuna Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

Cork probably lasts a long time, after all, its pretty much a closed cell wax sponge and they use it to stop bottles. I'd tack down a piece on all 4 corners and see how it works.


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## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

Well, the cork panels arrived and I would like to plant the whole back wall with Anubias 'Nana' - I decided. This would give me an effect similar to that of some houses up North, overgrown with vine - the whole wall green! Or, at least that's how I imagine it should look like.

I found a source of this, and other Anubias's, as well as some Cryptocorynes and at least three different Echinodoruses grown from tissue culture in short driving distance, so at least those plants I will get healthy and fresh, with good root system ( in potting soil). I imagine that to cover a wall of 72"x24" I will need at least a hundred plants... All the above plants are grown emersed, in greenhouses, next to begonias, carnivorous plants etc. Next time there, I will take some pictures - if anybody's interested.

So the planning takes some shape now. In a virtual form yet, but slowly, slowly I'm getting ahead.

As a substrate I decided on Turface covered with a small gravel. Some dusting with peat and maybe a little of laterite from under my pasture - all this and more after studying my older brothers-in-hobby on this and several other forums. It is interesting to read hundreds and hundreds of questions and opinions from all of you. And thank you very much for all those informations (...spinning in my head!).

Regards. Edward


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## Cocobid (Jan 26, 2007)

Edward how is it going with the cork and cypress roots!!! 
Love to see some pics
About 2years ago I bought some cypress knees, they seem to be nice and dry or not "green". They were bought to add to an aquarium, just never could get them to sink. I soaked one for 6m. 
What type if cork did you buy??

Karen


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## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

Karen, Thanks for your interest.

I continued for a little time on this thread:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/general-planted-tank-discussion/82712-my-180-hardscape.html

I did the hardscape as you can see on the picture there. I sectioned the cypress stump and played with it as if this would be a puzzle and then I started to amass all sorts of plants.

The substrate consists of some lava on the bottom, then a lot of Turface soaked in ferilizers. I capped all that with 'water filter gravel' size 3/16 x 3/32 ( http://www.redflint.com/filter_gravel.htm ).

For a while I somewhat lacked clear idea of how to attach plants and moss to the cork backwall, and with the weather in Florida encompassing in every other week Winter, Spring and Autumn ( not necessary in that order...) it wasn't until yesteday, when I sewed Java Moss into a sort of black netting of Walmart origin and I carefully stapled that 'pillow' to the cork in the central position of the back wall.
Further on, and it took me almost the whole day, I divided a large clump of what it looks like a short Needle-leaf Java Fern into small sections and attached them with 'Super-glue' to one side of dry cork wall, while on the other side i similarly delt with the Narrow-leaf Java Fern and some 'Windelow' one also.

I expect that both corners of the tank will be screened well enough in time to hide any filter pipes this way.

I also divided a huge clump of Anubias 'Petite' (Thanks, Bert!) and again I attached pieces of it with 'Super-glue' to that 'Rhino-horn' section of the cypress stump hoping for the best...

I'm misting all those plants as of now, and since I still have to solve a dilemma how to attach all those little pieces of 'Pellia' (to the other piece of cypress stump on the right) I received in a form of truly a 'mess', the front of the tank is covered by condensation, so I wasn't able to take a picture, but I will try to do it tomorrow.

I remember, with some nostalgia, how easy it was all those times, when I just bred and raised tropical fish in tanks with plastic plants....

Regards

Edward


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