Hu'lu/bottle gourd/calabash as DriftWood?

[Fishmanic]

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[Fishmanic]

and you get to participate in Tank of the Year in December

 

[Sgooosh]

if it works, maybe you can start a whole market for this and sell them
they also use gourds to make maracas/rattles

do you think it is safe?
i like those, i put beans in them

 

[Sgooosh]

Yes, and to finish your sentence @Fishmanic, he should also enter in the tank with this new decor into the TOTM contest when he is able to

and you get to participate in Tank of the Year in December

i might enter my 10g or 15g too
when do you have those?

my underwater gourd garden lol
the cories and the swordtail fry will love it

 

[Fishmanic]

I dont know if gourds or squash would be safe
Next nano tank of the month would be March

 

[Byron]

I was tagged, and having read the initial question I will respond without reading anything further in this thread, because the answer is easy. Squash is not safe for an aquarium, though small pieces can be fed to plecos that are omnivore or herbivore. Think of what everyone advises when we feed such foods...be sure to remove it within 24 hours. This is an organic vegetable that will rot under water and cause a real mess. Fish might possibly b killed, depending upon the squash, but the organic filth created in the tank is something you want to avoid.

Wood is also organic obviously, but we never use soft wood because it rots too rapidly. None of this matters much in habitats with flowing water, but in the confines of any aquarium it can be deadly.

 

[FranciscoB]

I think Byron misunderstood the question, as the OP was asking about using squash gourds as driftwood, such as for caves, etc., not as food.
The answer is still the same - No, it is not so good. After a while t softens and eventually rots, albeit takes longer than fresh squash. It can a last a while but it is not durable.
Te question of using dry coconut was asked as well. Dry coconut shells are much more durable and I know of a number of people who use them longterm with no issues. I have not used them myself.

 

[Byron]

I raised the squash as food issue only to prove my point that squash rots and fouls the water so it cannot be used. But we are all in agreement (I hope) that you cannot use squash as decor. I agree on the coconut.

 

[Sgooosh]

I raised the squash as food issue only to prove my point that squash rots and fouls the water so it cannot be used. But we are all in agreement (I hope) that you cannot use squash as decor. I agree on the coconut.

thanks, I get it now
coconut is more of a shell whereas squash is just dried fruit flesh