LAYOUT vol.003

English version of this article originally published in
Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine.

Compositional materials such as driftwood and rocks are equally indispensable to Nature Aquarium as aquatic plants and fish. Driftwood in particular defines the composition as the backbone of a layout and it becomes useful for maintaining the layout. Depending on how they are used, driftwood can produce a powerful composition or a natural looking layout. In this issue, I would like to introduce a few key points for using driftwood in Nature Aquarium.

Selection

You must keep in mind the size of your aquarium when selecting driftwood. Except for an open top aquarium, driftwood too large to fit inside an aquarium is unsuitable. In Nature Aquarium I normally arrange several driftwood to create a framework of a composition. By combining a number of driftwood pieces, you can make somewhat small driftwood pieces appear as single large driftwood. By making slight adjustments to the orientation and the angle of driftwood, you can get the composition closer to the image you have in mind.

Positioning

 You can use a rock as a technique to change the angle of the driftwood and secure it in place. By wedging an appropriate size rock between the substrate and driftwood or by placing rocks around the driftwood, driftwood becomes less likely to move and renders a natural feel. If you attach willow moss on the rocks placed around the driftwood, willow moss will grow in time and provide a sense of natural unity to the driftwood and rocks. Since willow moss does not grow on rocks as readily as on driftwood, nylon Riccia Line is more suitable for attaching it than Moss Cotton, which is a cotton thread. If you have a number of rocks in different sizes ready before you start on a layout, you can use them to produce a break in the pattern when laying them around driftwood and impart a natural feel to the layout.

Planting the Driftwood

When the driftwood is arranged in the aquarium and the framework of the layout is made, it’s time to attach willow moss on driftwood. It would look more natural if you place willow moss on parts of driftwood and leave some area exposed. Willow moss should be placed on key points such a bend and a tip of driftwood. If used to cover unsightly places such as an artificially cut end, they can enhance the layout. I use Moss Cotton to attach willow moss to driftwood. Moss Cotton, which is a cotton thread, melts way in a few weeks under water. Since the color of the thread is the same as the color of healthy willow moss, it is not very visible and it disappears by the time willow moss has grown attached to the driftwood. Once you get used to the task, you can wrap Moss Cotton on driftwood that are arranged in the aquarium. However, it is not easy to do so in the beginning, and I recommend that you do this by taking driftwood out of the aquarium one piece at a time. If you take a few pictures of the arranged driftwood with a digital camera, they will be very handy for putting the driftwood back the way they were. Be sure to spray some water on willow moss to keep them from drying out while you are attaching willow moss to driftwood and after you are done.

Planting the Ferns

Microsorium “Narrow Leaf” and Bolbitis can be grown attached to driftwood. Attaching them is normally the last step in the production of a layout. That is because these aquatic plants have a strong presence and serve as the key elements in a layout. Their placement must be determined looking at the overall balance of a layout. There are three methods to attach these aquatic plants to driftwood depending on their locations.
The 1st method is to attach them directly on driftwood using Wood Tight, a metal wire encased in a vinyl tape. Because Wood Tight comes in a similar color to driftwood, it is not very visible. It can be removed after the plants grow attached to the driftwood.
The 2nd method is to secure them on small stones with Wood Tight and place them in appropriate areas. This method is used in the area where driftwood pieces are packed tightly, and it is difficult to attach the plants directly to the driftwood with Wood Tight.
Yet another method is to tuck plants such as Microsorium between driftwood branches. The only time that this method can be used is when driftwood branches happen to be touching each other in the location you would like place the plant. However, this is the most simple and natural looking method.
Having a good command of these methods to attach Microsorium and Bolbitis on driftwood along with the technique of wrapping willow moss to driftwood is the key to success in using driftwood naturally in Nature Aquarium.

Foreground

When white sand is used in the foreground, as in the layout below (for which the DATA section below applies), the sand brightens up the foreground and lightens the image. It creates good balance with the mid-ground, which has a much heavier impression formed by a number of dark driftwood pieces.
In a number of other Nature Aquarium layouts, aquatic plants are used in the foreground. In such cases, the general rule is that aquatic plants are planted from the foreground back, after arranging driftwood and rocks.
For the layout seen in the top of this page, driftwood pieces are arranged in an arch form in mid-ground. After Rocks are placed around them, Glossostigma is planted in the foreground.
Since Glossostigma grows relatively fast and spreads by sending out runners, it is best to plant them with some space between each plant. Another important point is to plant them half an inch to an inch away from the glass surface of the aquarium since the runners reach the glass pretty quickly if they are planted right up to the glass. I planted Echinodorus tenellus around driftwood and among rocks to produce a natural look. Echinodorus tenellus also spreads by runners and they eventually grow in amongst Glossostigma, making the foreground appear more natural.

The SUIKEI detailed data