Where To Find That Perfect Bog Wood!

[craynerd]

I was talkin to Simon (from TFF) a few days ago and had a look at his tank (which looks excelent btw!) and commented on his bog wood. "what a great piece of bog wood" i said to be supprised by his answer that it was actually 3 pieces joined together.

Look at all the great tanks that are winning the competitions, the hardscapes are phenominal! The pieces of bog wood/rock ect they get are outstanding. Look at amano`s tanks, i have never even seen rocks and wood as beautiful as he uses.

So i am sat here, making all the preperations for my new tank setup, ording the ADA products, spending the money, looking at my plant selection from LFS and greenline and then it suddenly hit me. One of the key factors in making a planted tank i have not found or even seen before!!! Where the hell am i going to get that one piece of bog wood from that will justify me buying the expensive equipment. I mean you wouldnt buy a Fiat Panda car body with a BMW engine in it would you?

So, the question is, what do i do. I know what i want, but where do i get it? Idealy i want root wood similar to what Justin Law has used in his "Summer Dance". Like an open palm piece. This brings me on to my second point. I have so many cool ideas going around in my head, but how can i expect to plan for them if i dont have the correct hardscape. So should you buy your stuff then plan or vice versa?


So, few points of debate, how critical do you think it is to find that perfect piece (will you ever find it?), would you plan and then find or buy then plan the aquascape? and secondly....where have you seen some nice root / bog wood in the UK. My LFS wood is fit for only the bonfire!!

Chris

 

[cheesemaker]

I was talkin to Simon (from TFF) a few days ago and had a look at his tank (which looks excelent btw!) and commented on his bog wood. "what a great piece of bog wood" i said to be supprised by his answer that it was actually 3 pieces joined together.

Look at all the great tanks that are winning the competitions, the hardscapes are phenominal! The pieces of bog wood/rock ect they get are outstanding. Look at amano`s tanks, i have never even seen rocks and wood as beautiful as he uses.

So i am sat here, making all the preperations for my new tank setup, ording the ADA products, spending the money, looking at my plant selection from LFS and greenline and then it suddenly hit me. One of the key factors in making a planted tank i have not found or even seen before!!! Where the hell am i going to get that one piece of bog wood from that will justify me buying the expensive equipment. I mean you wouldnt buy a Fiat Panda car body with a BMW engine in it would you?

So, the question is, what do i do. I know what i want, but where do i get it? Idealy i want root wood similar to what Justin Law has used in his "Summer Dance". Like an open palm piece. This brings me on to my second point. I have so many cool ideas going around in my head, but how can i expect to plan for them if i dont have the correct hardscape. So should you buy your stuff then plan or vice versa?


So, few points of debate, how critical do you think it is to find that perfect piece (will you ever find it?), would you plan and then find or buy then plan the aquascape? and secondly....where have you seen some nice root / bog wood in the UK. My LFS wood is fit for only the bonfire!!

Chris

I don't think you'll ever find that perfect piece. Everyone has their own opinion of a perfect bogwood, what shape/colour/size it should be. Then you walk into LFS scouting around, something else strikes you. You'll say that piece looks just fine in my tank.

I think it's abit like working with what you've got, rather than finding one that'll fit. The whole theme changes with a different bog wood. what you think?

 

[lljdma06]

My advice is to not try to search for it. Go to your LFS, if they have bogwood, great, if they don't, don't sweat it. It's a personal thing. Don't be afraid to ask when they get stock in. Take your time to look for a piece and as said before, don't base your aquascape on a bogwood design. You design when you get the bogwood. You can have a general idea, but be prepared for it to change.

llj

 

[phlawed]

bogwood is one of the most artistic points of a tank...I have never met an aquarist that bought a piece of bogwood and just threw it in a tank said "Perfect" It usually gets moved around alot and other things added around and into before someone finally says "OK satisfied" haha. Bogwood is unique, meaning no two peices are exactly alike. So for me, that is the beauty of it. Some might be simular, but none are exact unless fake (nothing fake goes in my tanks). So to say "Where can I find the 'Perfect' bogwood?" might be a tough question. Its more like "Where can i find a good peice of bogwood to build around to give me a 'Perfect' setting." Hope that helps lol. This is just my experience. I am sure somebody has found that "Perfect" piece that just fit and worked perfect first time, but I have never met them.

 

[simonbrown403]

Thanks for you kind words about the tank Chris.

To be honest with you i don't thing the pros wonder around for days looking for the perfect piece, i think people like amano the order a load just grab whats there and make the best of it.
Its all down to the artist eye and placement to create the feel and look he/she is looking for.

I think the problem with a lot of use is we are constrained our imagination and by other peoples aquascapes, we only seam able to mimic instead of, create, its only when you have no money do you realize how much mimicking we do.

Another limiting factor is our lack of knowledge on plants (growth patterns, requirements, light, positioning, fore/back and midground etc) the type we use and where we put them.

Basically what I'm saying is you have to fit the plants around the hardscape, and not the other ways round, be creative, don't be afraid to try things and learn by your mistakes.
IMO that is the only way we are likely to get anywhere.

Simon.

 

[phlawed]

Thanks for you kind words about the tank Chris.

To be honest with you i don't thing the pros wonder around for days looking for the perfect piece, i think people like amano the order a load just grab whats there and make the best of it.
Its all down to the artist eye and placement to create the feel and look he/she is looking for.

I think the problem with a lot of use is we are constrained our imagination and by other peoples aquascapes, we only seam able to mimic instead of, create, its only when you have no money do you realize how much mimicking we do.

Another limiting factor is our lack of knowledge on plants (growth patterns, requirements, light, positioning, fore/back and midground etc) the type we use and where we put them.

Basically what I'm saying is you have to fit the plants around the hardscape, and not the other ways round, be creative, don't be afraid to try things and learn by your mistakes.
IMO that is the only way we are likely to get anywhere.

Simon.

agree 100%, i have lost many plants and just removed many plants becuase i feel or felt they did no belong, its all trial and error until it begins to look like what you want

 

[Bloo]

Aquaessentials of course sell ADA bogwood - but at a price everyting is always at a price

 

[oldwhitewood]

I think there are some things to consider with bogwood depending on the type of aquascape you are doing. An averagely shaped piece from an LFS will look great once moss and ferns are growing on it, you can get three biggesh pieces, tie on moss and narrow leafed java fern and place in a certain way you can have an instant ADA type look.

The problem arises when you want to base an aquascape around the popular jutting branches etc. I would love to have a tank where the roots of bogwood break the water surface, but there is no way I have ever found wood that will do this sufficiently. The only wood you can get that will achieve that is ADA old black wood from aquaessentials, this is straight from the Rio Negro and has that rooty type look. Even then though it's tricky because you can't actually see what it looks like online. It's the same with rocks and hardscape materials in general, ADA collect their rocks from specific mountain ranges, they're expensive sure but they're great pieces. I'm going to the lakes in a few weeks to hunt out some good rocks as I'm convinced the best way to get rocks as materials is to collect them in the wild. ~Will they be as good as the rocks you see in amanos tanks? No.

The bogwood though, if you want that certain look you can only go for the ADA wood, I managed to get some wood from my LFS which is OK, I posted about it ages ago, it's quite decent but not big enough and maybe a little too complex, again I guess at some stage I will have to bite the bullet and buy the ADA wood.

 

[George Farmer]

Hardscape is all too often overlooked IMO.

For the Nature Aquarium style (as opposed to Dutch where there is little or no hardscape) it is generally the basis on which the rest of the layout is formed. So finding that piece or pieces of wood/stone etc. is vital.

Of course sacrifices can be made regarding hardscape shape/form and the planting can, to a certain extent compensate for something perhaps less than our desired aquascape. Most of us do not plan 100% how the layout will look upon completion, after all plants grow at different rates etc. so only those with plenty of experience will have the foresight to do this.

I have never been happy with my hardscape so far in any of my layouts. This is one area that next time I will take plenty of time in getting just right. Once its in place and the plants have grown in then altering it is generally a chore so it's worth being patient and searching out the appropriate hardscape materials to acheive our goal. Realasing what the goal is - that's another matter entirely!

 

[oldwhitewood]

I would also like to add I have never been happy with any hardscape I have created either. This is due to lack of great hardscape materials and also my own lack of skills.

Until you are at the stage where you can create one amazing thing after another a la the dude below furggeett abouuut it!

 

[George Farmer]

I would also like to add I have never been happy with any hardscape I have created either. This is due to lack of great hardscape materials and also my own lack of skills.

Indeed Neil. Even the US are having a hard time getting hold of decent ADA style rock/stone. Us humble Brits have no chance.

I have some great news though, the Falkland Islands is covered in awesome stones, all sizes, shapes, hues. I can send 30Kg back home free so I'll let you guys know when I have any spare. Unfortunately I can't download any photos so you'll just have to wait 'til Aug/Sept. I've even heard there's some decent wood at one part of the Island so you never know.

"Lack of skills" is something that we all share by default. This realisation though allows to improve our techniques, hopefully one day to a level where we are content. But by (some of) our desire to seek perfection this may never happen and it is this that drives and motivates us to improve. Will we ever be 100% happy with our creations? I doubt it. I suspect even the winners of international aquascaping contests feel there is room for improvement. And look how Amano's work has evolved!

That is one of the best aspects to this hobby/art. There's always something more to learn.

 

[oldwhitewood]

Well the rocks sound interesting, I have this LOST style image of you journeying to the other side of the island to find pieces of wood in my head now

Some would argue that perfection can never be reached but it is the journey to attain it that gives us the most enlightenment and wisdom. I however say to myself wait till amano does something then try and copy that as best you can

 

[George Farmer]

Well the rocks sound interesting, I have this LOST style image of you journeying to the other side of the island to find pieces of wood in my head now

Except this place has more freaks!

Some would argue that perfection can never be reached but it is the journey to attain it that gives us the most enlightenment and wisdom. I however say to myself wait till amano does something then try and copy that as best you can

You've nailed it Neil. The best thing that Jeff Walmsley has said in his whole PFK planted series is that Amano is the "spiritual leader" for the Nature Aquarium fan.

 

[oldwhitewood]

to both points

Amano is the Dumbledore to our Grffyndor...erm *coughs* I'll get my coat....

 

[RYO]

Except this place has more freaks!

Ain't that the truth
Lol i haven't got a problem around here with rock as such, I'm a stones throw away from Snowdonia ranges(more rock than you can shake a stick at) pity i don't like the rocky look
To get any reasonable wood i have to travel into cheshire and that can be hit and miss at the best.