Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What would be recommended to tack a plant such as a brom. to a corkbark background? How do you get the fishingline through the bark? Is is sage just to use heavyduty staples? What else do you recommend?

The best way I have found was to make my own staples. Go to the hardware store and pick up gavanized wire (which will not rust). The should have some in the area where they sell picture/framing supplies.

Get between a 10-14 gauge wire. You don't want something too thin or too think, so use your judgement.

I used a pair of needle nose plyers as well as wire cutters for the next part, making the staples. Cut off a two (approx) inch piece with wire cutters.

1/2 " from the end, take the needle nose plyers and bend the wire to a 90 degree angle. Using the needed nose, push that into the cork bark.

Now you need to resize the piece. Take an estimate of how much wire you need to finish the job, and trim the wire. Again, make the bend in the wire ~ 1/2" from the end.

I use spaghum moss, and place some moss around the plant I was to staple, I then take the moss & the plant and place it behind the wire. Then, I push the free end into the cork using the plyers.

You get better each time you do it, so I would practice a few times, outside the tank with some scrap pieces of cork and some plant cuttings. It is really easy to do, and if you do it right, you can hide the wire using moss.

Good luck, and if you have any questions let me know.
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Quality Captives

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Quality Captives

You can buy stainless steel staples for a staple gun at Lowes, I use them for marine applications since they won't rust.