Is Bamboo Safe In A Tropical Aquarium?

[Jimmy Twotimes]

Guys

Thinking of makin my own ornament from bamboo canes. Just wanted to check it was OK in aquarium and how long it lasts before they might rot?

Any ideas most welcome...

 

[nmonks]

It's perfectly safe, used it many times. Lasts a year or two, then needs to be replaced.

Just make sure not to use a variety that has been sprayed or treated in any way. Bamboo floats, too, so you need to find a way to secure it. Using silicone to fix a bunch of canes to a slate is one good way. Bury the slate under the gravel, and Bob's your uncle.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Jimmy Twotimes]

It's perfectly safe, used it many times. Lasts a year or two, then needs to be replaced.

Just make sure not to use a variety that has been sprayed or treated in any way. Bamboo floats, too, so you need to find a way to secure it. Using silicone to fix a bunch of canes to a slate is one good way. Bury the slate under the gravel, and Bob's your uncle.

Cheers,

Neale

Great Stuff - i was just gonna go down to DIY shop and get some but how am I gonna know if its treated or not? I doubt the DIY shop assistants will know...any tell tale signs?

Cheers

 

[nmonks]

Not sure how to tell with a 100% reliability, but if it is bascially the cheap stuff sold at B&Q for gardens, that's untreated raw bamboo. What you don't want is the stuff that has paint at the cut ends or has been varnished.

I've used it many times. The trick with bamboo is to have the canes sticking above the waterline, so that from within the tank it looks more natural. Also, try clumping the canes in one or two places instead of scattering them about. Arrange the canes so they spread out from one point in the gravel, i.e., the bases are close together, but the tops are at angles away from each other. Then, it looks more like a rosette of bamboo stems in the wild instead of a flooded row of bean plants in someone's garden!

Cheers,

Neale

 

[smithrc]

just give it a rub over with sand paper to remove the outer surface... weigh it down for a week or so and it'll sink

It does smell funny arter a few weeks and it makes the water surface 'thick' for a while too.
You will also get a white film growing on the surface for a while (unless you have a plec that likes it (like gold nuggets or other baryancistrus)

that all pass after a while and none of it is dangerous

 

[Jimmy Twotimes]

just give it a rub over with sand paper to remove the outer surface... weigh it down for a week or so and it'll sink

It does smell funny arter a few weeks and it makes the water surface 'thick' for a while too.
You will also get a white film growing on the surface for a while (unless you have a plec that likes it (like gold nuggets or other baryancistrus)

that all pass after a while and none of it is dangerous

Nice one guys will give this a bash...