Tank Decor From Nature?

[pkppv]

Would it be safe for me to put sand and wood and rocks from the lake i live next to into a tank? Could i do it straight from lake to tank or do i need to boil or soak it or something?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Adding things like that can be dangerous, because you never know what nasties could be coming along for the ride. Ultimately, there will always be risk involved, but you can minimize it. The large rocks in my tank came from a turtle tank that used to be in my school. BUT, those rocks came from a local creek. The wood on the other hand came from the reptile section of my LFS. The sand is just play sand from the Home Depot. Personally, the sand being so cheap, I'd just stick with the stuff from Home Depot, so that you don't have to run the risk with that. The rocks and wood could be soaked in vinegar to kill most, if not all, of the bacteria. (This will also show if the rocks will react and degrade in your tank.) Then soak them in some tap water to rinse the vinegar off. I'd soak the wood several times to give the vinegar extra time to release from the wood. If you are trying to reduce the tannins from the wood, soak it in hot (but not boiling) water. This will open the pores and the tannins will come out quickly. Leave it for 12-24 hours and change the water. Do this as often or as little as you choose. Once you add the wood to your tank, it will still slowly release tannins into your tank. The fish actually like it (or at least seem to) and it can be beneficial for them. It will lower the pH slightly. This can be removed with regular water changes. It will still have a bit of color to the water, but it's all good. Good luck finding "interesting" pieces.

 

[three-fingers]

I wouldn't recommend sand, it would be very difficult and tiring to clean it enough until it was safe really, while play sand is so, so cheap and 100% safe .

The rocks and wood you would need to leave to dry out then scrub and rinse under the tap thoroughly, with the wood requiring a further soak or two to remove any unwanted tannins or other compounds within the wood.

I collect rocks from rivers and lochs all the time, I'm usually too lazy for wood or sand though, which I just buy .

 

[pkppv]

just seems like tank decorations are so expensive! Id rather buy another 10g setup with 40 dollars than buy a stupid piece of wood for that same price

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I can understand that. But hey if you are buying a 10 gallon, why not a 20?


Sounds like you are coming down with a case of MTS (multiple tank syndrome). My wife got me immunized against that when she allowed the first tank in the house.

 

[TheShrimpGirl]

I did not purchase any of the wood in my tanks. I live next to the ocean. so that's where it all came from. I soaked in hot water, then boiled it for 20 seconds to remove anything harmful. Then into the tank it went!

Same with my rocks.

the sand on the other hand came from the Oregon Dunes.I baked it for an hour in the oven, then ran it through a flour sifter to clear out the chunks and other debris.

Go luck with setting up you tanks!

 

[micko]

I use wood from the ground, proper bog wood, thats been dug up by my father for some reason or another. The rock I now use is granite, I used to buy all expensive rock but now steal pieces off my granda's stone walls whenever I go and "visit".

 

[gatorsean]

yeah check out reptile shops for wood. i found three pretty big pieces and the guy was like how much do you want to pay for it.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

All of the rocks in my cichlid tanks came from the cliffside near my house. I scrubbed them with hot water and that rinsed them in boiling water.

 

[mike455555]

the twig in my sig came from an oak tree down the road (a branch was snapped off and hanging for awhile so it was dead)
boiled it for afew mins let it cooled soaked it with salt soaked it without salt now its in my tank =D

 

[pkppv]

so...now im realizing it was not as bad a question as i thought. I figured youd all say "NO STOP! dont do it! ALL your fish will get diseases!" but i guess thats why we ask questions

 

[Dieses Madchen]

You would be surprised at how many people use things they find in nature. You do still have to be careful and make sure you clean your decor very very well.

 

[mike455555]

just think about it... where did all the wood for our tanks grow? =]

 

[eaglesaquarium]

just think about it... where did all the wood for our tanks grow? =]

In an LFS?

 

[This Old Spouse]

Cleaning is the key. I bought only one decoration in my tank, and that's a rock with big holes in it for my tiger barbs and red eye tetras to play around and through. But everything else (except the play sand) I've picked up mostly by Lake Superior which has the most interesting rocks I've ever seen anywhere. We also have a granite pit a couple of miles from here where I've picked up a few good, large pieces. One huge rock from a tiny lake where our cabin is located produced a wonderful rock that we smashed and discovered some beautiful pink and white quartz inside.

My preference is for tanks that look like they came from a river or lake bed. I'd rather concentrate on the beauty of the fish than the decorations, which I think should bring out the fish's natural beauty.