Rate My Fish Tank

Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:57 am GMT   Reply      

Hi! I'm new and I was browsing the 10 gallon tank gallery and came across a tree stump center piece in one members tank and I really like it but I do not think the member who owns the tank is active anymore to answer my question. Do any of you know where they might have gotten this stump at?

Pic location:
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/22813

If you look closely, it almost looks like its two objects instead of one. Any help is appreciated :)

-Jane

Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:42 am GMT   Reply      

Its a fake, you can get them at any petsmart, petco etc.

Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:56 am GMT   Reply      

Thanks mro2you2 but I knew it was probably a fake. The thing is I looked at petsmart, petco, drs froster&smith, aquariumguys and more sites... even walmart but the closest driftwood/stumps those sites have either do not look anything like that or they are much too big for a 10 gallon tank like in the pic.

The closest look-a-like is here:
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+6635+18456&pcatid=18456

Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:35 am GMT   Reply      

You can get real logs/driftwood but they have a special coating to keep bugs and wairing down on it.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:42 am GMT   Reply      

I was thinking about getting real wood as a center piece but I'm wary about it messing with my PH levels. Coating or no coating, I rather stick with fake wood to be safe. But thanks for the idea :)

I'm just going to browse the gallery here to get some inspiration on a theme for my little 10 gallon tank. Maybe I should ditch the center piece idea, let the java moss take over the tank and turn it into a moss farm with the tetras as farmers XD

Thanks again for your help :)

Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:51 am GMT   Reply      

logs soften the water and taht will be good for tetras because they are Very sensetive to ph and they need soft.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:22 pm GMT   Reply      

its too bad you can't find it. It's very natural looking (at least in the photo). I like it!

Sat Nov 21, 2009 9:16 pm GMT   Reply      

I have a small version of that. I got mine at Petsmart. They do have the big ones at the stores near me. They keep them under the fish tank displays, not in with all the other tank decorations.

Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:57 am GMT   Reply      

@natalie265:
I know! I wanted to go with a natural theme and have lots of hiding places for the neons as well and I really love the roots in the pics. I'm still searching and will be going to petsmart in the morning thanks to dizzcat :)

@dizzcat:
THANK YOU! I don't get out much and usually browse stores online. The petsmart site doesn't have this stump but I will be going to the local petsmart here in the morning to check if they have it. Thanks again! :)

Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:20 pm GMT   Reply      

what about mia!!! :D

Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:28 pm GMT   Reply      

I'm not convinced that the stump is fake. A lot of aquarium stores including Petco carry real, African I think, stumps that are real wood. The wood is actually a stump that has been gathered from bogs and similar places.

I have quite a few beautiful stumps. One I had a a center peice in the middle of a feild of val (a reed like plant), and it looked like a tree stump sticking out of a feild of grass. I'd still have it if it weren't for the antibiotics I had to put in the tank which killed the val.

Try to find the real thing. Many people have been able to get real wood stumps that are of a very heavy and hard kind of wood, so it's heavy enough to stay on the bottom.

You can grow all kinds of anubias, java fern, java moss, and other plants on the wood too, which makes it look even better.

Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:40 pm GMT   Reply      

Take a look at my pics. The wood was all bought from various aquarium stores. It will act like a tea bag for a few months with its tannins leaching into the water, but it's harmless for fish.

In my experience real wood doesn't change the pH that much. I never had an issue with it, but someother people on this site seem to think it made their pH go down too much. Personally, I don't think it was the wood in these instances, but something else decaying like fish poop, uneaten food, decying live plant leaves, or something.

Get the real thing!

Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:23 am GMT   Reply      

UPDATE!

Sorry for not getting back sooner but the holidays have been hectic :)

I found the stump in the pic at the local Petsmart and its HUGE! I tried fitting it into a 10 gal tank they had at the store that had the same measurements as mine and there is no way it could fit. The tank in the pic is suppose to be a 10 gal tank as well. Either the measurements are way different than my standard 20x10x12H tank or they cut the stump to fit their tank. Btw the stump is fake, made of poly-resin.

They did have a smaller version but it was shaped differently and made me think of some sort of alien/tentacle monster so I passed on that idea. I DID get a couple of nice pieces of african mopani driftwood (real wood) and may use them. I say MAY USE because I never seem to leave empty handed whenever I go to Petsmart, Petco or any other pet store :) so I figure I fiddle with real wood a bit to see if it suits me.

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful advice! I greatly appreciate it!


@Peterkarig:
Love your pics! I'm envious! As for using real wood... I'm still wary but as I mentioned before I did get some pieces to toy around with. I've read on other forums about boiling the wood to get most if not all the tannins out quickly instead of just letting it soak. I'll being do that or a combination of both if I plan on using real wood. Thanks again for your advice :)

Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:45 pm GMT   Reply      

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3202488&lmdn=Product+Type

Petsmart:

Top Fin® Craggy Driftwood Aquarium Ornament Item: 3202488

This product is as close as you will ever come to that picture you provided above in this forum question. Actually, the Petsmart ornament is nicer, and it's fake too

did he say fake? oh he did...sorry, I only use natural wood, but for you, fake it is

anyway, check out Petsmart item, I am sure you will be pleased

Happy fishing

Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:49 pm GMT   Reply      

It says ages and worn drift wood. I think it's real.

Besides, I've seen really nice real wood peices at my local Petco.

They even sell real wood with anubias already growing on it.