[jcross]

You are essentially describing the titebond 3 method for backgrounds. You mix in titebond 3 wood glue to tree fern fiber and put it on the background. Takes a week to dry and it goes on less like an adhesive and more like wet clumps of tree fern fiber but it works and is fairly durable to vivarium conditions. The downside is that it doesn't hold water at all.

I knew there was something like this already on here! Thanks for the insight. If it doesn't hold water as you say, I think I might just bite the bit and go full tree fern panel then. Thanks again.

 

[jcross]

I use something similar for the sides of my tanks. Doug (pumilo) showed me how to do it. You just put the tank on the side you are working on (so gravity helps you) then use a crazy amount of (safe) silicone and frost it onto the glass like frosting a cake, then press loose tree fern into it a handful at a time. I usually use an entire tube of silicone for each 18x24 side of a tank. A skyscraper would use 1.5 tubes, for a total of 3 tubes for me as I only do the sides this way. Tilt the tank back up and the stuff that didn't stick falls away.

This way, the adhesive doesn't coat the tree fern - it just holds the tree fern in place allowing the plants to interact with the natural surface of the tree fern rather than Titebond or whatever other adhesive is being used. Shingling plants are my favorite, and their roots really like tree fern fiber constructed this way. No reason it wouldn't work on the back of a tank as well as the sides, but it will come out a bit flat. You could silicone wood to the tree fern if you wanted to dress it up.

Mark

Thank you so much for this! This is exactly what I'm looking for. I appreciate it.