The sticks are from trees in my yard. You just have to be careful what type of wood you use and they only last a few months before you have to replace them. They really hinder a lot of aggressive chasing and haven't caused any injuries from my experience. If I remove them the 12" escondido will just chase everything relentlessly around the tank. With them he cruises about and don't really chase anything. Most cichlids are not open water swimmers anyway. They prefer structure to swim through and hide in to feel comfortable.