# Rainforest Canopy | Epiphyte Laden Branch



## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

*Rainforest Canopy | Epiphyte Laden Branch*

I have been meaning to start this project for a while. I have seen a few other similar ones around. Giga has a setup with a pretty nice nice planted branch and the journal thread is right here... http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/80829-83gallon-tower-tank-6.html

I plan to do this one in a 30 X High, which isn't a lot of room. I want to take some time to find real small epiphytes that will scale well with the branch that I am making and the enclosure.

Earlier this morning I started making the branch feature. I might have selected a thick piece of manzanita for it, but decided to use GS foam. All that I did to star the shape was to place a piece of waxed paper over my bench top with a few scraps of wood underneath to make a more dimensional surface, then I just started to spray a twisted branch shape about 24" long. After it cures I will flip it over and apply more GS to the other side to get a more or less cylindrical branch form. I would shoot a picture of it now, but it's pretty ugly and not much to see. 

I don't see very many very memorable pictures of this kind of thing on the Internet, which is surprising because trees loaded with epiphytes can be so visually striking. Back in the day I climbed a few tall trees down in Costa Rica and it was really amazing. If anybody might know about any real good albums on flickr or Pinterest or wherever I'd be interested to get the link as more visual reference. Here is a Wikimedia Commons image that shows a tree with some larger bromeliads and aroid climbers and stuff like that. 









(Wikimedia Commons image: FileirkvdM epiphytes.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I'm going to do this as a Forest Floor setup with false bottom. It might also be engaging to pick out terrestrials for the planter pots. Terrestrial plants will need to be very short to fit with this idea. It would be great to find some more unusual mini terrestrial orchids, aroids and gesneriads. The bottom area might need some extra illumination because the epiphyte branch above will be well-lit but throw a lot of shade. 










I don't know about livestock yet. I understand that there are some dart frog species (_Ranitomeya_ spp.??) that are almost entirely arboreal. I might just make this a plant display. Some sort of insect might also work. There might or might not be connection between the branch and the bottom planted area with some fake vine features.


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

I'm struggling to make space for one tank... you're making me jealous  subscribed.

Have you considered a wire or plastic rod inside the great stuff for added strength?


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I don't have much space here either; I can only make room by shuffling stuff around. And my basement shop is a mess.

The GF branch is pretty flimsy and I haven't even started to carve away at it yet. I plan to put several coats of Drylok on it and I hope that will stiffen it up.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Here's the GS branch feature all expanded. 










Now I need to start carving away at it.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I just remembered this older picture that shows scale in that 30 X High tank pretty well. I took it apart some time after getting this shot. This new setup will just have the single artificial branch in it, but the pictures shows pretty well how much space there is in there.










I want to use mainly very small epiphytes and also use very short terrestrials underneath. I want to do some research and try to incorporate some more unusual terrestrials that I haven't tried before.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I carved away at the branch feature to get the general shape. Now I am going to coat it with the Drylok. I'm also going to have to stiffen it with some kind of reinforcement; I might use some of this thick anodized aluminum bonsai wire that I have. The Great Stuff foam is really flimsy and the branch shape just bends with any weight at all. 

The expanded GS foam has a lot of air pockets in it and I bet that epiphytes would like the surface a lot. I'd like to get a can of the black GS for ponds and try some of it unfinished for growing orchids and ferns.


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## frograck (May 1, 2005)

would a 1/2' thick piece of PVC pipe work to stiffen the branch?


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

frograck said:


> would a 1/2' thick piece of PVC pipe work to stiffen the branch?


It would have worked if I had sprayed the foam around it. I don't know how I would get a pipe inside of the foam now. I think that the bonsai wire will work. I can put it right along the top so that the plants will cover it.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Well I was able to skewer the branch end-to-end with three pieces of thick bonsai wire and I only poked one little hole through the side. It's rigid enough now.


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

I saw someone do it successfully, no idea which thread its in, but someone made a fake branch then glued cork bark to it. I imagine it'll take a little finessing to do right, its something I want to try one day. Random thought


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I think I did see that post. I don't think that I would want to use a cork tube because then it would just look like a limb of a cork oak.

This little project is just a trial run. I want to develop this idea further and eventually make a display with lots of visual impact in a larger enclosure.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Here's the foam branch with Drylok and a steel eye bolt. There is another eye bolt on the other side too. 

I left the foam surface rough and with the Drylok it made a more or less convincing bark-like finish. After getting this shot I covered the log with sphagnum moss. I'll post a picture of that in a bit. 


1-VII-12-epiphyte-branch-I-m by hidrofit, on Flickr


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I got this thing planted up tonight. Here is a quick shot showing the branch with sphagnum moss. I used the sheet sphagnum, which is a lot easier to attach than regular long-fibre. I used monofilament fishing line to attach the sphagnum, then cotton sewing thread to mount the plants. I'll get a picture the whole planted feature tomorrow. 


1-VII-12-epiphyte-branch-II-m


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

Where do you get sheet sphagnum from?


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I just got it at a local garden center. They sell it for lining basket planters.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Here it is planted up. I could have selected better plants for this; these are just some random epiphytes that I had around. I mainly just want to use this planting to observe how the plants grow and also as growout. Now I need to set it up in the enclosure.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Looks pretty sweet......Can't wait to see it grown in.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm going to get it set up in the enclosure tonight. It will hang with some monofilament from a pair of eye bolts up at the top.


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## curlykid (Jan 28, 2011)

wow! it looks beautiful! keep us updated.


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## skanderson (Aug 25, 2011)

another good reinforcment item for branches is fiberglass rods. you can get 4 foot ones at home depot for just a couple bucks and they will never rust. you can also bend them if you heat them with a propane torch and then cover with whatever you like. nice to see how that branch starts, keep us posted on its growing in.


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## KVans (Jun 21, 2012)

Very cool! Its gonna look sweet when it grows in.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

KVans said:


> Very cool! Its gonna look sweet when it grows in.


Thanks. I still need to set it up right. I haven't had time and it is still just leaning up in the enclosure. I hope I will have time this weekend.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

IT took me a while but today I made some time to work on this thing. I replanted the bottom of the tank and now I'm going to hang up the branch feature. I hope to have pictures up later on.


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## tnwalkers (Jul 15, 2012)

ok i'm hooked i'm subscribing


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

It still doesn't look like much, but I got this thing set up better. I should get a picture to show the whole enclosure.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

hydrophyte said:


> I should get a picture to show the whole enclosure.


Yes, you should!!! We are all in suspense lol!!!!


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

hydrophyte said:


> It still doesn't look like much, but I got this thing set up better. I should get a picture to show the whole enclosure.


Yes please


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Well like I said it doesn't look like much, but now that I have it set up I'm just going to leave it and let everything grow out.

I definitely want to keep working on this theme/concept. 

I might try to do more with manzanita shapes. I have this new manzanita feature that I made and the longest thick branch that descends down to the lower right would look cool planted with little mini epiphytes.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I didn't go too much further with this thing; I didn't really like how the foam branch turned.

However, I have another project in mind using the same general concept. I will just use a nice manzanita branch for it. I might have pictures on the way pretty soon.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

This is a quick placeholder for a nice Flickr album with _in situ_ orchid photos...

soph_cernua_lit_25_07_10_4 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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