Willow Branches

[gems]

Hi, I quite often see dead willow branches for sale, to be used in flower arranging I think. I thought they'd look great in a tank with plants but I'm not sure if they're safe to use. Does anybody know, or has anybody tried it? I had a look at the packaging, it just says untreated willow branches. I'm assuming they're dead
thanks!

 

[minxfishy]

I would be wary as I think they would rot if kept in water for a long time and would imagine they have some kind of sap in them. Im probably wrong but I havent heard of anyone using them in their tanks.

You could always try keeping one in a bucket of water for a while and see what it does, maybe others here will know more about them.

 

[Dave Spencer]

I have heard of people using willow branches as a means of controlling green water, which can be a bit hit and miss. Nobody really uses them as part of the decor of a planted tank as there are far more interesting types of wood around.

Dave.

 

[Edge]

I've been to all the fish stores in our area and have never seen any tall thin wood, or anything similar to the willow in shape. We have a Juwel Trigon corner tank with small community fish in, with it being 24" high we're looking for something tall & thin to give some visual interest at the top. If you look at pieces of bogwood tall enough they're usually big hefty things and cost a fortune. Any alternative suggestions would be great

PS the OP is my wife, so this doesn't count as hijacking

 

[celaeno]

you'll be sorry if you put willow branches in your tank. i did because some forum suggested it as a means of clearing green water, but i left the (ineffective) willow branches in my tank too long and it started to rot. my poor female betta got infected and died shortly after.

 

[gems]

OK, so Willow is out, thanks. Does anybody know of anything similar that would work, as in something tall and thin? Thank you

 

[rhostog]

Would bamboo work? I've not used it, but according to my books it should be OK if it's cleaned first, and you might need to stick it to a piece of rock or glass to anchor it.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Driftwood is branchy and theres one other type I always forget the name of

 

[minxfishy]

Not real but you can get some nice 'mangrove' root style decorations.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

You could probably use real mangrove roots too.

I've asked about twigs before and the answer I got was any twig from a hardwood tree that isn't poisonous and is old and totally dried out would work. Remove the bark and soak it and it should be okay.