Wood And Leaves

[ghent_3rd]

I want to get some branchy wood and some leaves to add to a couple of my tanks. I live very close to a public park in Leicester and was hoping that any of the oak or beech would be OK. I know what an oak tre looks like but am unsure on the beech tree???

I am going to get some indian almond leaves from eBay for my fighter tank and also my cory tank to add a bit of realism in those 2. Also, are cories better suited on a playsand or a bit of a darker sand/gravel??

 

[saltynay]

Sand what ever the colour doesn't matter. Any live wood takes a couple of months of prep work before it is tank suitable.

 

[ghent_3rd]

Bumped this as could do with some more input please!!

 

[Truck]

Bumped this as could do with some more input please!!

leaves and wood are fine especially oak and beech...they will need a long soaking though...till they sink

 

[saltynay]

Oak and beech are able to go into the tank but you need to; Strip the bark using wire wool and all rotten wood, Bake in the oven for several hours, Strip again, soak in salt water for 3-4 weeks changing the water twice a day, bake again, soak in hot water for 2-3 weeks, have one last scrub with some iron wool and rinse clean. It will then be safe for your tank.

 

[dave_oddballs]

or go to your local fish store and buy some for as little as £2.99.
lol

 

[Truck]

or go to your local fish store and buy some for as little as £2.99.
lol

why when you can get it for free?

 

[dave_oddballs]

contrary to popular belief, the best things in life don't come free!
for the sake of a few quid why risk contaminating your aquarium,
not to mention its less bother, none of the boiling, less soaking time (in most cases!)
if you put something in your tank that you found in the park, a few days later your fish were dieing, would you sit there and think, oh, oh well it was free!
i wouldn't, therefore i wouldn't risk it over a few quid.
thats why, even when its free.

 

[Truck]

contrary to popular belief, the best things in life don't come free!
for the sake of a few quid why risk contaminating your aquarium,
not to mention its less bother, none of the boiling, less soaking time (in most cases!)
if you put something in your tank that you found in the park, a few days later your fish were dieing, would you sit there and think, oh, oh well it was free!
i wouldn't, therefore i wouldn't risk it over a few quid.
thats why, even when its free.

your fish arent going to die...we soak them to get rid of nasties anyway and where do the LFS leaves come from?! the same place.

look around on the planted forums, loads of people use leaves that they have picked up...and wood.

 

[dave_oddballs]

well you do that then!
i would not, if you cant afford a bit of bogwood, how do you afford to keep fish?

 

[Truck]

well you do that then!
i would not, if you cant afford a bit of bogwood, how do you afford to keep fish?

such a sweeping statement.

george farmer - planted tank specialist, looking for wood for his tank

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRNZakgnCRo

you can end up paying £30+ for a nice piece of bog wood when infact i would rather go down to the local river and find some myself. its all picked in the same way whether you pay or not...its just collected from different parts of the world.

 

[mixmaster jay]

i want that piece of wood lol

 

[Honeythorn]

I have to ask, is Willow safe to use? It is a water loving tree and most often found overhanging rivers, ponds and the like. Branches drop in all the time. Is it safe to use after the prep?

 

[Truck]

I have to ask, is Willow safe to use? It is a water loving tree and most often found overhanging rivers, ponds and the like. Branches drop in all the time. Is it safe to use after the prep?

i would have thought so yes...make sure its dead though

 

[saltynay]

I have to ask, is Willow safe to use? It is a water loving tree and most often found overhanging rivers, ponds and the like. Branches drop in all the time. Is it safe to use after the prep?

Hard woods are generally ok although do some research as always