Native scaping materials from north america?

[LukeOscar]

I used to get rock work from a landscape yard on the WI/IL border, where they would weigh my truck on the way in, and on the way out.
I would take an eyedropper and small bottle of vinegar in and put few drops on the rocks to see if they sizzled.

These days I collect plants from Lake Gatun Panama, or other local waterways.
Some plants work, some don't.
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The Hygrophilla above has done well
The Salvinia and water lettuce below, started as 1 or 2 plants each
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The Mangrove pods were also found washed up on the Pacific shore.
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Logs washed up are also used, as are terrestrial tropical plants hung on the surface of the tank.
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damn those look superb. good work. you guys are raising my hopes for this new tank.

 

[duanes]

Above collecting plants and mosquito fish to start a 180 gal, tank, a few years back.
Below Lago Mira Flores.

Of the 4 rivers I've collected so far, the only plants, were terrestrials on the banks.

All the above in Panama, below a tributary of the Rio Magdalena in Colombia.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Aquarium Wood

What wood can I use in an Aquarium?

aquariumscience.org

Rocks in the Aquarium

All rocks found in a rock yard, stream,backyard or woods are perfectly safe in the aquarium with NO treatment.

aquariumscience.org

Whilst I pretty much agree with most things above, No matter what the author of the piece on Wood would tell you , there are a few types of wood that just a few months after cutting and leaving lying in the sun, you should not put in your tanks.
or rather there are a couple of rules to follow in using wood in your tank.
If it still bends - it’s not aged enough
If it’s still green at all when cut - it’s not dead enough.
If it’s Yew or Conifer then it needs to have been dead quite some time - for conifer sap can still leach out after months to years of the wood being cut and left for dead.
if you have a good water change regime you may never notice it , but it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
One thing to add, here in the uk we have to be careful where we collect wood from. They changed the law so we cannot cut it down from woodland and in some areas it’s actually illegal to simply pick it up too! So worth checking any local laws.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Whenever im traveling around sometimes i check landscaping/gardening centers for regional specific stones/granite. My rock garden right now has mostly chunks of shenandoah bluestone and quartz. Next time im in central MD im looking for some patapsco river rock aka ellicott city granite.

Just like fishman dave said make sure youre not breaking laws when collecting rocks out of nature. Its amazing how strict some of the laws are about this stuff.