Poplar trees for fishtank??

[Niki_up]

hello all, so I have been doing some reading about what kind of woods can be used in the fishtank.

I haven’t seen this question with a straightforward answer.

My understanding is the poplar tree is a hardwood, but it is a soft hardwood.

Does that mean I can use it in my fishtank or not?

 

[Ogertron3000]

I wouldn't use it because of the sap and strong smell. Not sure of the definitive answer but thats my 2 cents.

 

[duanes]

Can't speak to poplar because I've never used it.....but...
Some soft woods also remain buoyant longer than heavy, hard woods, and will float if not soaked and/or weighted down for months, even years.

 

[Niki_up]

Thanks guys, guess I’ll stay away from them and see what other kind of trees are in my area.

Might see some random posts in regards to tree types....I just know in general I’m looking for hardwoods, something like fruit/but trees...which are not very popular in my area.

 

[RD.]

I wouldn't use it because of the sap and strong smell. Not sure of the definitive answer but thats my 2 cents.

Agreed. Check out a beaver dam in the Edmonton area come spring if possible, that's what it smells like when freshly wet. Horse piss. Another wood that is similar, but pre-cleaned and dried and sold locally at pet stores, is Java wood. (typically sold for parrot perches, or for reptile enclosures) It smells just like wet poplar, and for larger pieces it can take months to sink (I presoaked my last large piece in a Rubbermaid tub for 4 months, with numerous water changes) before it sank. But on the positive side you can find some very unique shapes & sizes, and I have used it for years with no issues. It's very hard and dense. Past thread on Java wood and aquariums.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/java-wood-for-aquarium-driftwood.441358/

 

[duanes]

Baby Blue, are you married? I'll bet a tank that smells like horse piss will go ever well with the hubby, Canadian or not.

 

[RD.]

LOL, it only smells like that initially, when pre-soaking, it fades a bit with each flush of new water. I pre-soaked mine in the basement to avoid any issues with the misses.

 

[Niki_up]

That sounds appealing!

I don’t mind the smell as I can soak in the garage or outdoors in the spring, boyfriend might not enjoy me taking over his space with horse Piss smelling wood, but he knew what he was gettIng into haha

Is java wood inexpensive? I ask bc poplar would have been free, aquarium wood is really expensive in my area.

 

[RD.]

That's the catch, Java wood, especially larger unique pieces, generally don't come super cheap. It really depends on the size though, I bought mine at Petland, which certainly isn't the best place to be buying dry goods. Unfortunately we don't have much for hardwood in AB that can be used in aquariums.

 

[Niki_up]

That's the catch, Java wood, especially larger unique pieces, generally don't come super cheap. It really depends on the size though, I bought mine at Petland, which certainly isn't the best place to be buying dry goods. Unfortunately we don't have much for hardwood in AB that can be used in aquariums.

That is kind of what my searches have resulted in, nil!!!

Are you from AB as well?