# Hunting for roots



## johnnymax (May 22, 2019)

I would like to have a natural look in my new 75g tank ultimately. I would love to have tree roots in it.
What I am going to do is go to rivers and creeks and look along the banks.
We have had so much rain and flooding at rivers that I should be able to find what I want.
What I am going to do is look along the banks where it has eroded the river bank back and washed back a cliff.
Where it has eroded back to trees and exposed their roots. I will bring my hand saw and cut a section or two the is about 8 or 10 inches taller than my aquarium.
Then I can trim it to height so it sits on the glass bottom flat and have it trimmed flat above the surface of the water.
If I can get sections that have small long roots and thick with even smaller root, it will make great hiding places for fry, or abused fish.
Has anyone here done this?


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## fish_gazer (Nov 9, 2017)

johnnymax said:


> Has anyone here done this?


I have not. It's an interesting thought though. Just be careful that thing doesn't tip over on you.


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

Only thing i can think of is, if you have live plants in your tank already, be aware of what kind of tree/plant roots you add. Some trees and or plants give off toxins from the roots in order to compete with others for space/territory. This may kill your existing plants, if you have any.


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

I did this with Casuarina tree roots in my 450gal. The Coastal Works Dept. here cut a number of the trees down along a stretch of beach about 6-7 years prior to when I cut them so they were dead and saturated/hardened by the salt tide. I selected and cut two sections.

After a few months in my Discus Tanks they started to erode slightly so I took them out and worked on them for a few months; I treated with wood preserver then coated them with Pond Armor. See pics below.


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## Kipnlilo (Feb 23, 2018)

I couldn't agree more with the Pond Shield Pond Armor. Great stuff!


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

Kipnlilo said:


> I couldn't agree more with the Pond Shield Pond Armor. Great stuff!


I wasted around 3x more than I actually used due to my clumsy hands but you're right that stuff is amazing.


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## Kipnlilo (Feb 23, 2018)

ken31cay said:


> Kipnlilo said:
> 
> 
> > I couldn't agree more with the Pond Shield Pond Armor. Great stuff!
> ...


You have to use the thinning method recommended or else you will use to much and it will be thick. Trust me! I did that the first time I used it.


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

Kipnlilo said:


> You have to use the thinning method recommended or else you will use to much and it will be thick. Trust me! I did that the first time I used it.


That's exactly right, I thought about this after I finished.


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