# How to attach cork bark to tank?



## MartinShaver (Dec 20, 2006)

I got some huge pieces of cork bark. I have applied a thin coat of black silicone to hide it. Do I put great stuff down and then let it cure then put silicone on to hold the cork?


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## phrakt (Jan 5, 2007)

MartinShaver said:


> I have applied a thin coat of black silicone to hide it.


I'm not sure I'm following you here, to hide what?

I just flatten the back of the cork pieces as much as possible and apply silicone to the parts that get in contact with the glass. Then I use a bit of Great Stuff (cracks and gaps) to fill the holes between the bark where frogs could pass through.


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## philthelizard (Sep 24, 2006)

Yea, I'm not sure what you are trying to hide either. I think the cork bark looks really cool. As far as attaching it, I have done it the same as phrakt, except I use silicone, small cork bark fragments, and sphagnum moss to fill in the frog sized gaps and left the space behind the cork bark open. It also helped me, on some of the larger pieces, to cut them in half before attaching them.

phil


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## MartinShaver (Dec 20, 2006)

Hide the back of the cork bark, the side you dont see. I am making this as a main display tank.


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## phrakt (Jan 5, 2007)

Hmmm, I'm not sure what your tank looks like, but in the tanks where I used cork bark, the back of the bark is only visible from behind the tank, which is against the wall, so I don't really see the point of hiding the back. Besides, I'd rather see cork than more silicone, it looks a lot more natural.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I've seen people fill the back of the cork bark with great stuff (this is with the cork out of the tank). When it's cured cut it flat ans use silicone to adhere it to the tank.


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Mike--I was going to put in my 2cents worth, but like your suggestion much better than anything I've ever tried so far. I use a LOT of cork, and it's always a pain to fill in behind properly. (I've been siliconing the cork to the background and THEN doing the filling--DUH!) That's going to make my new 180 construction with huge pieces of cork a lot easier.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I can't take too much credit, I've never done it, but it's a great trick woth passing on. When I used cork, I hadn't started to use foam, so I backfilled it with dirt. Proved to make a very very heavy tank, but the results were nice.


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

I did the same with cork, before Great Stuff--and even after Great Stuff. But I'm giving you all the credit anyway, because anyone with an icon of Spy/vs/Spy is in my league of appreciation.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Well thank you  *tips head*


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

I collect comics. :wink:


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