# Trying something new



## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

I purchased these birch bark tubes from a company out west that makes birch bark canoes. They are about 30 inches long and completely hollow with no slits down the side. 
My idea was to fill the tubes with great stuff before using them in my vivs.
Anybody see why this wouldn't work out?


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Here is an end after being filled and trimmed.











I think I will use this one as my center piece.


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## SMenigoz (Feb 17, 2004)

I've used birch bark "hollows" to encase or hide some pots in a tank and they've held up for over a year so far.
Scott


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Definately give it a try. It'll be a good experiment to see how the birch bark does long term. 

Mind posting where you found them and their cost?


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Here is where I got them from. Home of the Birchbark Canoe $6.50 a square foot. I suggest you call and mention this site and project as I had talked to them and explained what we would need prior to purchasing. Normally you would get extremely clean flat pieces as they use them for canoe building. For our purposes the more snarly and scarred the better. And as you will see the prices are really cheap especially compared to driftwood or the materials one one need to create something even close to this. Also birch bark last a long time under wet or humid conditions which is why they use it to build canoes.


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## nathan (Jul 24, 2009)

Very neat idea ! Im sure it will look awesome when put in a viv . . .


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

I am Just going to continue my build here. This is a 20 vert destined for a pair of Varadero.

Great stuff background in place.










Hand tweaked the great stuff using my "pinch and poke" method.










And finally a dry fit before I start painting the GS. I don't use the silicone with peat or whatever method. And in the past I found that after painting, once you get moss algae and plans going it looks just as good IMO.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Some thoughts:
Birch bark doesn't breathe much, it has resin in it that makes it water-proof. Could make problems getting your great-stuff filling to cure. 
Also, old school reptile care books advise against resionous woods.

Sustainably harvested?

My Dad was dreaming of building a birch bark canoe, but it required a very large, live birch tree (which are getting harder and harder to find) to be cut down, and he could not bring himself to do so.

I'm guessing these are the top limbs of the big trees they cut down to make canoes.
Personally, I would not support that sort of business.
Just my $0.02
Sincerely,
Buzzkill Brian


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Thanks for the input Brian


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

It is possible that they collect these from the forest floor that have already fallen, which would mean that it would be perfectly sustainable.
In fact, being that the bark is intact, I would think this is the case.


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

That is exactly what they told me when I asked.


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## rollinkansas (Jun 9, 2008)

What is the outside and inside diameter of those tubes? I take it they had different lengths available? Where you also able to choose what diameter you wanted?


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

You could try a design like this....









No reason you can't do that in a viv. Might go for a denser planting but the same basic principle can be used...just an idea


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

rollinkansas said:


> What is the outside and inside diameter of those tubes? I take it they had different lengths available? Where you also able to choose what diameter you wanted?


The people at that store seemed very helpful... if you call them up and let them know what your looking for I am sure they could help you.


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Dendro Dave said:


> You could try a design like this....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That tank really looks awesome Dave. We can always count on you to bring up cool stuff.

By the way I have 2 more tubes here if anyone is interested locally. One is already filled with GS and the other is empty. I had ordered 3 since they were cheap enough, but not sure I will use them. PM me if interested. Trades are welcome.


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Getting there.... a little more detail in the paint and then just let it cure before planting.

just wish my camera didn't suck so bad.


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> You could try a design like this....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dave, is that your build, and are those cork tubes?


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Added a little more paint detail.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

That looks great...The detail in the paint really makes it look natural and the dark background the Birch really stands out.....Thumbs up!


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Azurel said:


> That looks great...The detail in the paint really makes it look natural and the dark background the Birch really stands out.....Thumbs up!



Thanks... I really wish my camera could capture all the detail. It really does look a whole lot better in person.
I ordered some broms and tillies from a couple of our sponsors on the board. Hopefully by next weekend this baby will be complete.
By the way that background is a water feature. I am waiting for it to completely cure before I run water over it and make any necessary tweaks.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Looks great! 
What paint do you use over the background?


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

I use mostly spray paint. Chase or Krylon. Just make sure it says non toxic once dried. For fine work I spray a bit into the cap and use an artist brush.


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## JeremyHuff (Apr 22, 2008)

Dancing frogs said:


> It is possible that they collect these from the forest floor that have already fallen, which would mean that it would be perfectly sustainable.
> In fact, being that the bark is intact, I would think this is the case.


The website says the tubes are collected from dead trees which makes sense if the bark slides off. That said, they are also boasting that they were getting a huge shipment of bark from Siberia, where the care for the living tree isn't much of a concern.


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## jeffro (Aug 13, 2010)

I don't normally post but figured I'd add my .02 since birch from Siberia was mentioned. I dont want to offend anyone, just throw my opinion out there. One of my former forestry professors headed a governmentally sponsored expedition/timber cruise in Siberia to determine if it could be viably (profitably) harvested and I got to hear about it at great length...believe me, i had him for 3 classes over 5 years and he would not shut up about going to Russia, it must have been all the vodka they drink there _all the time_, breakfast lunch and dinner.

Most of Siberia is inaccessible to the infrastructure that traditional forestry practices need (roads for logging trucks, moving heavy equipment and logs through the forest etc) not to mention it is sparsely populated. There are alot of very big old growth trees that with modern practices (mostly heavy lifting helicopters and selective harvesting) can be very profitable as well as sustainably managed.

Because of so little activity going on in that part of the frozen North with so little people exporting the resources there, I am sure there is a wonderful source of birch bark strewn all about the forest floor from accumulated years of debris falling/ trees dying with delayed decomposition due to the cold climate. Too bad it is human nature to not be able to manage resources in a sustainable manner...


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Finally started planting. I am still waiting for my broms and tillies to arrive along with my mixed fauna kit.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Brotherly Monkey said:


> Dave, is that your build, and are those cork tubes?


No thats not mine, its just a pic I pulled off some aqua-scaping website. It may be a takashi amano tank, not sure. I couldn't link directly to it...then I ended up pulling the pic off flickr, actually just for that reason, afraid people would think it was mine  ...Don't want credit for work I didn't do.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Looking good!


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

great work!


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Ready for some frogs! Yeah!


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## alex111683 (Sep 11, 2010)

why does it seems like the paint in the backround is washing away? you said you used spray paint right?


bobzarry said:


> Ready for some frogs! Yeah!


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Its not washing away...LOL. Its the lighting and different camera. I found an older camera that I think takes better pictures. But the newer camera has a LED flash and this has the older type flash. Also keep in mind that in this picture the water is running over the background, though its hard to tell in the picture.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

be careful with the broms planted in teh substrate, they can easily rot from being too wet


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

I thought about that Julio. Its purely Orchard bark mix under the spagnum.. so it drains very well. I am hoping this will be enough. I did not want to mount to the glass as later I will probably mount some film canisters there and the back wall is all water except for the far right where I also have a brom that is hidden mostly by the tree trunk.

If you see a better spot in there for them I am open to suggestion.


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Thought I would post some different angles to give a better idea of the space in relationship of the trunk and background. My photographs tend to flatten the depth of field an awful lot. Tomorrow I get my frogs. Hope they will be happy in there.




























By the way, if anyone is interested in trying a tree trunk I still have 2 available for locals. I am not interested in shipping.


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

And here is the reason for the whole build.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

It looks great to me. If the bark doesn't breathe sufficientely, and I'm sure you probably thought of this already, you could drill small holes on the back side and let it cure for a few days before putting it in the viv.


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Its long well cured now. But thanks fore the suggestion.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

very cool shot!


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Sweet viv and broms dude. The frogs aren't bad either


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Thanks everyone


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## xxxxxxxxxchris92486 (Apr 17, 2010)

Very nice tank, i like how the painted background comes out. I don't have a clue on which way the colors should be done. Like where to put white to make them look shaded and all. Im not very artistic. But i may have to give it a try. Would you mind haring the kind of paint you used? Theres soo many of them out there. Also beautiful frogs. That will be my next pair after everything is set up.

-Chris


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## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Chris:
For paint just make sure it says on the spray can "non toxic once cured". Then work from dark to light. .. black first, then Brown and then towards white but mix the white with black and brown to get different shades. 
While the paint is still wet you can mix color right on the background. Once it dries you can come back and put more detail in with various brushes.
With this type of construction I always suggest to try your first one on a piece of cardboard and use it for just practice.


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