Can You Use Any Wood?

[SamUK]

I want a fairly big branch or root to put in my tank and you only seem to be able to get small pieces of bog wood and i can imagine if you could get big pieces like i want then theyd be pretty expensive.


i was wondering if i could jus use weights on a branch of normal wood i could get from down by the river or sumfin.


obviously id find a piece that had been there a while so it was totally dead and preferably from out the water or where a flood has dumped it so its had some water damage done already.


would that be ok or would it rot or something?

 

[Judmacaroni]

I think they would realise toxins in the water for your fish cause I know when we started out we looked into it! how big would you be looking for cause my hubby (Big Mick) is getting in more stock soon he sells bits for reasonable prices. PM him for info he knows a lot more than me!!

But def think ordinary wood is not good for fishes!!

 

[annka5]

I think it would rot too, unfortuantely.
You could seal it completely with aquarium-safe varnish though (assuming you don't have fish which would gnaw on it!) You'd have to be very careful that it was completely sealed though.

 

[Judmacaroni]

I didnt know you could get aquarium safe varnish! That would be worth lookng at!! Would be hard to make sure you got it all covered properly tho I suppose!

 

[Judmacaroni]

pc messed up sorry!

 

[Judmacaroni]

!

 

[The-Wolf]

Sam
You can use driftwood found by the side of rivers/ponds/lakes etc
just be 100% sure it is gonna be safe for yor tank.
maybe you should read my wood topic (link in sig) to give you some other ideas.

 

[pieman]

Whilst on the topic of putting things that we find in tanks

Would I be able to put some seashells in my tank bearing in mind these havn't been near water for around a year

 

[The-Wolf]

Whilst on the topic of putting things that we find in tanks

Would I be able to put some seashells in my tank bearing in mind these havn't been near water for around a year

not in a normal tank.
quite simply the will break down releasing calcium, clacium hydroxide and other nasties that will drasticly effect your water params.
you can use them in cichlid/munba tanks as the fish like the higher ph, kh etc.