Sticks

[Ben Belton]

So I bought a box of sticks.....

My tank is empty. No water and no substrate. I wanted to piddle with the sticks and start thinking of an aquascape. They don't really stand up very well on their on in an empty tank.

I know this is a stupid question, but how do you work with them before you fill the tank? Big mound of sand in the middle and stick (pardon the pun) them in it?

[JLW]

I would soak them in a barrel or something for a few weeks first. Otherwise, they float.

As far as aquascaping, generally pick a point in the tank, one of the two corners typically, and use this as the "base" from which multiple pieces seem to originate.

[Ben Belton]

My intention was figure out how to practice before any water was involved.

[sukrol]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUbfpeBDUpI

[krisw]

Ben, I scape dry anyways, so it's the same as when doing it for real. If my tank is already full of water, I'll practice on a towel in front of the tank that's folded to the same footprint of the tank. As for sand, it depends on what type of scape you're looking to create. Scapes with a ton of perspective and slope will be easier if you're using sand in the tank.

[sns26]

Fool around with things in a dry tank, with or without substrate. Look at pictures and how-to videos on the net for inspiration, but don't get too bogged down in doing it right the first time (says the person guilty of doing that EVERY TIME). Remember that wood creates shaded areas, and that plants don't grow real well in those shady areas. So don't overdo it.

As you fool around, don't forget that you are not stuck just stacking the pieces you got on top of each other. You can cut them smaller. You can screw, hot glue, or zip-tie them together. And you can attach them to small pieces of slate or plastic "egg crate" diffuser material (cheap at home depot). Once the pieces soak and moss/plants grow over them, all this "construction" will become invisible.