Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Floating Gardens

jewett

Site Contributor
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
827
Reaction score
28
Location
West Jordan UT
I really like using drift wood in my newt tanks, for various reasons, but I got tired of the junk that would build up under the wood pieces. It was difficult to move the wood around without disturbing the newts (a lot) and then I could never get the wood back in the same position where I thought it looked the nicest. I also felt that too many black worms were obtaining refuge in the wood and that bugged me too. So I thought up a solution and I really have liked the way it looks.
I got 12lb fishing line and tied it to the ends of the drift wood. I liked the 12lb because it has been strong enough to support the wood, but thin enough to manipulate into knots. Also, it does not prevent my tank lids from closing securely because it is so thin. I left the ends of the fishing line long enough that I could keep the ends on the outside of the tank and secure them with suction cups (that are attached to the outside of the tank). I could then "cinch up" the fishing line, which resulted in the driftwood being suspended several inches above the bottom of the tank. This leaves the tank bottom free of any obstacles to my cleaning and water changes, and the black worms have not been able to use the wood as sanctuary.
I have been very please with the results of my "floating gardens." I think they look great with the drift wood all covered in java moss, and the newts utilize the extra space this created by the water surface, where they can hang out in the mostly submerged moss but can easily stick their heads up to breathe. I can also watch them better when they feed because the bottom of the tank is so much more easy to observe. And it has made water changes so much easier and faster for me.
I have done this in my Cynops pyrrhogaster tank, Cynops/Hypselotriton orientalis tank, and in the bigger set up I am working on for my Mesotriton alpestris colony. In the fire belly tanks the wood has been suspended since this past Spring and every thing has held up very well.
At first I thought I would have to spend a bit of money on "fish tank safe" suction cups, but then realized that I could in fact go with the cheap ones from the dollar store because the cups would not actually be in the tanks as they are attached to the outside, and therefore could not leech any weird chemicals in to my water. And to the best of my knowledge fishing line is fairly inert and so does not cause a problem either. I was also very careful to make sure that I left no fishing line looped where a newt could get entangled and drown, or get cut on. I have had no problems so far, and because the line that the newts have direct contact with is heavily covered by java moss I do not see this ever being a cause for concern.
Sorry no pictures, though! I am a horrible picture taker so all the pics have turned out goofy, and it always takes me forever to re- size pics to post, anyway. I bet the idea would look better in your imagination than my actual tanks, anyway!
Heather
 

Molch

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
1,385
Reaction score
36
what a nice idea!

someone on dendroboard posted a thread about a viv with floating mountains a la Avatar; basically the terrestrial version of what you did :)

maybe if one coated the fishing line in silicone and then rolled it in sand it would be thicker, more like a liana, and make a better surface for moss to grow on?
 

jewett

Site Contributor
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
827
Reaction score
28
Location
West Jordan UT
Hey, I got a little less dumb and remembered how to post pics! They are not great though, so please don't be too disappointed but here are some pics of when the project was first completed. There is elodea in there now, which I had taken out to tie the drift wood up and wanted as much stuff out of the way as possible. But here you go:
 

Attachments

  • 100_1620.jpg
    100_1620.jpg
    66.9 KB · Views: 438
  • 100_1653.jpg
    100_1653.jpg
    101.1 KB · Views: 2,332
  • 100_1655.jpg
    100_1655.jpg
    132.3 KB · Views: 2,111
  • 100_1617.jpg
    100_1617.jpg
    111.6 KB · Views: 1,273
  • 100_1661.jpg
    100_1661.jpg
    52.2 KB · Views: 344

jewett

Site Contributor
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
827
Reaction score
28
Location
West Jordan UT
That last picture is just an example of the suction cups I used to attach the wood with the fishing line to the outside of the tank. I kind of wedged the cups under the frame of the tank to help stabilize but I have not really had any problems with the suction cups coming off.

Oh, and this is a 55 gallon long tank, housing 3.3.0 Cynops pyrrhogaster. My temps are about 17C, and I have java moss, java fern, elodea, and now some vallesneria potted via method a la Molch.
 

daedae

New member
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
52
Reaction score
2
Location
Lafayette, Louisiana
Great looking setups, and a very neat idea! Do you have any filtration set-up? I'm just asking because for a set-up I am currently making, I'm unsure if the plants do enough filtration. Thanks
 

jewett

Site Contributor
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
827
Reaction score
28
Location
West Jordan UT
No filtration - I rely on the plants and water changes only. I used to use a filter with these guys, but they seemed to dislike even the smallest of currents and I was always worried about the possibility of escape due to the power cord exiting the tank. So now no mechanical filtration at all - only plants and water changes. And thank you for the compliments!
Heather
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top