Milled tree fern and GS background

freaky_tah · #1 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012, 03:22 PM

I'm going to be starting a new tank shortly, and I was looking for some different substrates to cover the GS with other than the coco fiber I've used in the past. I figured I'd just go with milled peat, but I was wondering if anyone has used the Exo-terra tree fern substrate instead?

Anyone have any experience with it as a background? Do you think I should mix it with peat, or just go 100% tree fern?

Thanks!

freaky_tah · #2 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012, 07:58 PM

No one has used this at all?

hydrophyte · #3 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012, 08:10 PM

Do you mean that you want to cover the GS with shredded tree fern using silicone? I had that idea a while back and I have been meaning to try it. My pleurothallid orchids like tree fern a lot and I have though that this would be a good way to get them to grow nice and thick on a foam background.

freaky_tah · #4 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012, 08:13 PM

Yep that's what I mean. Or mixing it in with some peat if that may provide better results. I was going to try the exo terra tree fern substrate and was curious if anyone had done this before on here.

hydrophyte · #5 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012, 08:14 PM

I will try to give it a shot. It might also work real well on manzanita branches.

In order to get as much of the shredded tree fern to stick as possible it would probably be better to not mix in coco or peat, but they could be sprinkled on after the tree fern is already stuck.

A background like this would be very rough. Would this cause trouble for frogs?

freaky_tah · #6 (**permalink**) 01-14-2012, 08:18 PM

Yeah I wonder what that would end up looking like after it was completely covered?

mordoria · #7 (**permalink**) 04-10-2012, 01:41 PM

Has anyone tried this yet?

jacobi · #8 (**permalink**) 04-10-2012, 01:58 PM

Why not just use a piece of tree fern? I can't imagine it would actually work that well. Not much tree fern fiber would actually stick on, and you wouldn't get the porosity you get with tree fern pieces.

Jake

freaky_tah · #9 (**permalink**) 04-17-2012, 06:06 PM

I used the method I mentioned above and it worked perfectly. I mixed it in with peat and I had no troubles getting it all to stick and cover the background; I didn't want to just use panels since I wanted some contour. That tank is currently growing out at the moment.

hydrophyte · #10 (**permalink**) 04-17-2012, 06:16 PM

Can you get a picture of it?

I wonder how well this would work with Titebond II(???).