Wood For Tank

[Gilli]

I'm wanting to change my tank decor around a bit - its too flat looking. Its a 4 foot long but very deep tank and I don't seem to have much luck keeping large long plants growing. So I would like to have a really long thick tree branch in that would run the length of the tank and angel upwards so that I could grow some ferns/mosses on it here and there.

Ive been doing a bit of research and see that I can use some types of wood but that some I cant. Has anyone else done this with good results? I have plenty of woods near me so I could find some no bother but I'm not sure what kind - I do know pine and maple are out. Ive read oak would be ok but what about horse chestnut or sweet chestnut or sycamore? Obviously it would have to be thoroughly dried out the soaked.

Any advise would be appreciated

 

[minnnt]

Something like this?


DSC02261 by David Raynham, on Flickr

I have had success with beeck and oak. I have also used pine (although not many places agree) with no ceonsequences what so ever. As long as it is VERY VERY dead and free from back you should be fine.

 

[Gilli]

Yes thats exactly what I mean - thank you for showing me the photo - it looks great! Do you mean I have to strip all the bark off of it? How long did you pre- soak it for before putting it in the tank?

 

[TomShootsPhoto]

Hey!

I usually strip the bark of the wood with a really sharp knife. You just cut a little line, and tilt the knife at a 45 degree angle and push . There is also some tools that you can get! If you aren't experienced with knifes, you should definitively NOT do the first method, it's dangerous !

The wood has to be soaked, not just to wash it. I soak mine for about 2.5 weeks, and change the water every day. Once it's soaked, it wont float. If you got the wood from your LFS, soaking is not necessarily, but put some stones on it to prevent it from floating up.

I hope it helped!

 

[Gilli]

Thanks for the reply. are there any woods that I should avoid?

 

[TomShootsPhoto]

Thats a difficult question, since there are so many wood types out there.
Beech,Red wood and Oak are generally OK. You could go to your local LFS and check what types of wood they have there too.

The only thing wood can do to you is mess with your PH, some a little, and some a lot.

Hope it helped