You could also make one from polymer clay, in the colors of your choice. Should be fairly easy to silicone the pieces together after baking.
Birdhouse or wooden house model inside aquarium???
- Thread starter iljadej
- Start date
i think it's best ..if you use wood.. to try and determine which wood is being used.
I have no idea where some information is coming from regarding woods..but generally most wood that has been exposed to the elements can be used for 'driftwood'
Ideally most prefer hardwoods like oak , in most cases the softwoods have a higher resin content..remember that the difference in hardwood and soft wood is based on the cellular structure of the wood..in some cases softwood are as hard or harder than many hardwoods. and some softwoods are more resistant when exposed to water.
all wood can develop a fungus when first exposed to water this is usually a clear or off white fungus or slime that will eventually go away...it's part of the decaying process.. all woods will eventually 'rot' away.. it's more a matter of time which is ,in part, due to the species of wood.
the biggest issue when using a bird house or wooden house model is sinking the house..as most woods will float..and often hobby woods will include Balsa as the wood as it is easy to work with but is very buoyant..btw, Balsa is a 'hardwood'
I have no idea where some information is coming from regarding woods..but generally most wood that has been exposed to the elements can be used for 'driftwood'
Ideally most prefer hardwoods like oak , in most cases the softwoods have a higher resin content..remember that the difference in hardwood and soft wood is based on the cellular structure of the wood..in some cases softwood are as hard or harder than many hardwoods. and some softwoods are more resistant when exposed to water.
all wood can develop a fungus when first exposed to water this is usually a clear or off white fungus or slime that will eventually go away...it's part of the decaying process.. all woods will eventually 'rot' away.. it's more a matter of time which is ,in part, due to the species of wood.
the biggest issue when using a bird house or wooden house model is sinking the house..as most woods will float..and often hobby woods will include Balsa as the wood as it is easy to work with but is very buoyant..btw, Balsa is a 'hardwood'
votes with those above for plastic--check kids toy stores, preferably resale type shops where you can get just what you want rather than having to buy a big set with stuff you don't need.
or you could just keep it as a birdhouse in your soul.
or you could just keep it as a birdhouse in your soul.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/driftwood.php
http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=91
There are lots of woods sold for aquarium use - Mopani, Malaysian, Manzanita, and that standard pale driftwood that probably is collected from beaches in the USA. No wood that I've ever gotten sold for aquarium use has had a long period of having a white fungal/mold growth. Almost all of it has been completely clean and other than leaching tannins and needing to be waterlogged, it has been no trouble.
Grapevines sold for reptiles have always rotted for me, making a mess along the way. I have tried thick oak branches and they too, are messy, although twigs seem to do fine. I know they say that in a couple of weeks or so that slime will go away, but I really don't want to wait that long, it doesn't make the water look too great either.
Pine is generally not recommended for aquarium use. I didn't think of Balsa but that could work, you could probably also make something out of popsicle or craft sticks and 100% silicone if you feel like being creative.
The Legos sound like as good an idea as any. I don't think there are any dollhouses small enough to work, usually these are big enough so you can stick your hands inside of them and put itty bitty furniture in them, aren't they?
Maybe try one of those resin Christmas village decorations? It's the right time to buy them, anyway.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=91
There are lots of woods sold for aquarium use - Mopani, Malaysian, Manzanita, and that standard pale driftwood that probably is collected from beaches in the USA. No wood that I've ever gotten sold for aquarium use has had a long period of having a white fungal/mold growth. Almost all of it has been completely clean and other than leaching tannins and needing to be waterlogged, it has been no trouble.
Grapevines sold for reptiles have always rotted for me, making a mess along the way. I have tried thick oak branches and they too, are messy, although twigs seem to do fine. I know they say that in a couple of weeks or so that slime will go away, but I really don't want to wait that long, it doesn't make the water look too great either.
Pine is generally not recommended for aquarium use. I didn't think of Balsa but that could work, you could probably also make something out of popsicle or craft sticks and 100% silicone if you feel like being creative.
The Legos sound like as good an idea as any. I don't think there are any dollhouses small enough to work, usually these are big enough so you can stick your hands inside of them and put itty bitty furniture in them, aren't they?
Maybe try one of those resin Christmas village decorations? It's the right time to buy them, anyway.
