Bogwood?

[ApistoNut]

i live in bristol near some rivers etc, where could i find some bogwood for my tank as im short of cash and would prefer to "find" a good piece rather than buy it??

3ftx1.5ftx1.5ft
2 male dwarf gourami
3 baloon mollies
4 baby platties
1 sword tail
7 scissortail
1 red tailed black shark
2 albino corys
1 rusty plec

 

[OldMan47]

I would say that it is time to start looking. Make sure you know whether or not you can legally gather the wood at your local river. We don't want you in trouble for breaking the law. Once you get a nice solid piece of wood home, give it a good scrub before placing it into your tank.

 

[tenohfive]

The wood you'll find in your local stream won't be anything like the bog wood you buy from shops. In fact I'd heard you have to be very careful about what you get from local streams etc as certain types of wood when they break down can release more than just tannins, and can actually put the tank at risk.

 

[OldMan47]

I have a piece of property with a small stream running through it and have lots of pieces right from my own creek. Avoid soft woods because they break down far too fast but almost any hard wood will be fine. I only avoid using walnut because I know that walnut contains substances that prevent growth under the trees and I don't want whatever that chemical is attacking my fish. I have no idea if it would be a problem for the fish but there are always lots of other wood bits so why tempt fate.

 

[ApistoNut]

Thanks for the advice I'll try getting a solid piece from the river who cares about doing it legally its only wood and I can run very fast I'll just keep an eye on the wood in the tank otherwise I'll have to save for the shop prices booo!! I don't know how people can charge such prices for broken trees lol

 

[cocomonkey24k]

I'm glad I have found this topic. I didn't know you could use hard wood from rivers/streams Thanks for the info guys I will be heading upto my local streams/rivers in search of some new wood

 

[mattbleasby]

I have always wondered this aswell. Becuase i didnt know if the stuff you get from LFS was treated in ways... I have always been tempted to pick up abit while walking the dog out.

 

[tenohfive]

You guys do know that bog wood isn't just wood pulled from a river somewhere, right?

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog-wood

 

[ApistoNut]

Well I just bought a smallish piece for 3 pound in my LFS but do I need need to soak it because I don't want my water turning brown?

Well I just bought a smallish piece for 3 pound in my LFS but do I need need to soak it because I don't want my water turning brown?

 

[coldcazzie]

yes if you don't want the tannins then soak it in a few changes of boiling water. If you have a pan big enough you could boil it but big pieces put in a bucket and pour kettles over. If it is small then q pan or bowl and several changes of boiling water through this afternoon should do it. Although it may still leach some, it might take a few months for them to all go.

 

[CrazyAirborne]

i would be careful using any old wood. This article applies to amphibians, but gives some good info and ways to treat wood. http/www.caudata.org/cc/articles/wood.shtml