Jump to content
ReefCleaners.org

Kat's Tea Party Under the Tree - Retired


metrokat

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 796
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • 2 weeks later...
Alright, time for some peechurs. I love the zen quality of planted tanks, and I am rather taken in with miniature gardens. The foot print of the pico is 7X7X8 making this the ideal size for the miniature garden idea.


The picture that inspired me the most is below:

tumblr_md325vrQq61rfc73zo1_r1_1280.jpg


At first I used emarco mortar over a PVC pipe to make a tree trunk, that didn't work out that well. Then I used polymer clay to make a creepy looking 'thing' which was just a prototype.

20140502_152138.jpg20140502_161744.jpg


I contacted a professional sculptor but they were unsure of using polymer clay and of making what I wanted. So I had to try again.

20140518_152939.jpg

I baked this for the suggested time, it hardened. Then I sealed it with krylon fusion clear.


Using birdsnest skeletons, I painted them with krylon fusion and used them for branches.

20140613_131145.jpg


The finished product is a spooky tree. Sealed with krylon fusion and cured in salt water for 4 weeks.

20140625_170154.jpg

Link to comment
An idyllic garden should have a little red wagon.


Going full speed ahead (no pun intended) with the miniature garden theme, I found an itty bitty wagon.

I sealed it with Krylon Fusion Clear. (more on that fiasco later)

wagon.jpeg


The wagon should have some potted plants to be pulled around. So I found some itty bitty pots.

20140620_191041.jpg20140620_190910.jpg


Got2Envy sent me some pretty baby Majanos which would look super cute in the pots. They took a week + to decide they liked the pots enough to stay in them. I had some jumpers for sure.

20140620_191008.jpg20140624_164957.jpg


When they seemed settled I super glued them on the wagon.

20140705_214613.jpg


And here is my little red wagon in the tank :)

20140707_142255.jpg


The cerith snails give you an idea of the scale also. Too long of a spray time with krylon fusion to get a thick seal resulted in a white coating where the paint was applied multiple times. I didn't realize that I should have waited in between coats for it to dry. It was difficult to get short burst of spray for something so small, needed to be sure to get every nook. I was pretty sad when the white film developed. But then I thought, hey it's a gardening wagon, it can't be squeaky clean!


Now to find a hermit crab to drag the wagon around ....


omgomgomg

Link to comment
Islandoftiki

It makes too much sense! The majanos will love living in the little pots, and they look amazing. I'm not a big fan of tchotchkes in aquariums, but this actually wins my admiration for clever trinkets. This is how you do it without making it looking tacky.

Link to comment

Potted majanos! Brilliant!

Thanks. I have no experience with these guys other than I have heard they multiply rapidly. I'll be happy if they decide to stay in the pots. My other options were potted xenia (I have a test pot that i did :lol: ) or micro zoas. I might still do a pot of zoas, not sure yet.

 

I love this

 

So freaking much!!!!!!

:) Thanks Doc

 

It makes too much sense! The majanos will love living in the little pots, and they look amazing. I'm not a big fan of tchotchkes in aquariums, but this actually wins my admiration for clever trinkets. This is how you do it without making it looking tacky.

:blush: Thank you, that's very nice of you to say. I have another couple of frivolous ornaments planned but I hope that they don't overwhelm the theme. The tank in terms of coral l is very very simple, just GSP for now. Maybe 1 other coral and a mushroom or micro zoa.

 

:lol: you're too much woman! Clever idea.

me thinks it needs to have a broken wheel to match the spook tree tho

:P Well, truthfully the reason it's a spooky tree is because birdsnest branches don't get very long without fusing into a web. The branches are thin and short. I ran out of ideas on how to make the branches longer, I have actually glued multiple pieces of branches to get them this stubby length already.

 

My hope is to have some sort of coral or macro grow on the branches. It will then no longer be a spooky tree. :)

Link to comment
Islandoftiki

Thanks. I have no experience with these guys other than I have heard they multiply rapidly. I'll be happy if they decide to stay in the pots. My other options were potted xenia (I have a test pot that i did :lol: ) or micro zoas. I might still do a pot of zoas, not sure yet.

 

No, they don't generally multiply very fast. Not the green/red ones. You know, because they're pretty. The brown ones grow a lot faster. I tried to propagate them for a while, but it takes too long and you have to target feed them almost daily. Majanos love to find holes in live rock to hang out in, so I suspect they will be happy in the little pots and wont move around much. They're easy to peel up and move around. You can get quite rough with them as they heal quickly and are hard to kill. Like most things, if you cut them in half, you will get two small ones.

Link to comment

Looks good Kat :).That blue macro algae that people have would look really cool for the leaves.

Blue Ochtodes? Very very good idea. The growth pattern would be interesting since it grows bushy. Might be like a blue poodle tree.

4832419649_c6a1713c35_z.jpg

 

I'm going to have to trim it in shape. :lol:

 

No, they don't generally multiply very fast. Not the green/red ones. You know, because they're pretty.

:lol:

 

They're easy to peel up and move around. You can get quite rough with them as they heal quickly and are hard to kill. Like most things, if you cut them in half, you will get two small ones.

The brown ones went and plastered themselves everywhere so I did have to peel them off. Not sure if bits were left and will come back.

Link to comment

OMG, so cool! I think you definitely need some micro zoa's because they would look like flowers!!

 

I love envy's majano's :wub: I got some too!

 

If you could get blue ochtodes growing on the branches, you could totally trim it to look like a bonsai tree. Red titan also grows in nice tighter clumps.



LOL I guess you read my mind Kat!

Link to comment

Yep! they are family!

So I have Tiki's majanos by way of Texas? They totally NEEDED to be in a wagon, you know to move 'em around state to state. :lol:

 

OMG, so cool! I think you definitely need some micro zoa's because they would look like flowers!!

I love envy's majano's :wub: I got some too!

If you could get blue ochtodes growing on the branches, you could totally trim it to look like a bonsai tree. Red titan also grows in nice tighter clumps.

LOL I guess you read my mind Kat!

:) It's such a little tank that whatever I find has to be the right fit, the room for a re-do is zero. I've been looking for micro zoas, I have a few, and I'll try them out in pots. But can't have too many pots. HOWEVER! I might possibly start my own signature potted zoa line. :haha:

Link to comment

Cloves are also flower like just for more garden ideas :o

 

What about having micro zoa's growing around the base of the tree? ever so perfect... or among the "grass"

 

Maybe I am getting carried away :lol:

Link to comment

Cloves are also flower like just for more garden ideas :o

CHICA YOU ARE SCARING ME, are you reading my mind?!! Okay fine I will reveal my hopeful plans for the branches. :angry:

 

BLUE CLOVE POLYPS FOR FLOWERS.

 

omgomgomg omgomgomg

omgomgomg

 

Right now it is just a hopeful dream. I have had 3 shipments of blue cloves with no survivors. I have 2 more shipments incoming and I need some prayers here. If these 2 don't work out I have to kill the blue clove flowering tree plan.

Link to comment
Islandoftiki

I'm shipping some of the blue clove polyps from my 25 gallon tank to Kat tomorrow, so now she'll have two different corals/nems from my tanks. :)

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions


×
×
  • Create New...