Is it safe to use regular branches from trees? Im setting up a tank w/ native fish, and Ive seen trees laying in lakes and rivers, so I want to create that same effect w/ a branchy piece of wood. What do you think?
Tree branches
- Thread starter fisher12889
- Start date
i dont know any fish that live in trees,
dont use branches you find, they may contain sap or other toxins. try mangrove root or something from your local.
dont use branches you find, they may contain sap or other toxins. try mangrove root or something from your local.
Howdy,
I don't recommend it. Tree branches are too fresh to be used w/o affecting the water quality. This is not a problem if you have a drip system and constatly get fresh water in (as in the lakes and rivers you mention). But most of us don't have that. Here's what I do, and how I select my driftwood:
I am getting a bit lazy and copy/paste my old reply
If you want more info, use our search option and you'll find tons of stuff . Okay, here's my copy/paste:
Native driftwood is great - if you know what you're doing.
- the river has to be clean, no industry along the shores!
- the wood has to be well weathered, washed out to the fiber. If it has bark, it's too young. It needs to look like it's spent years and years in the water
- only use wood from flowing bodies of water, never from stagnant areas.
- do not use wood that was covered with mud, it must be located in the stream
- Stay away from conifers. Look at the vegetation along the stream and upstream closely!
When I harvest driftwood, I first hose it down with a high-pressure cleaner (carwash). Then, I soak it in saturated salt solution (in the bath tub) for three days (daily fresh). That disinfects it all the way. Then I soak it for a couple of days in daily fresh water to de-salt it. Boiling is most often not an option when you deal with Monster-Tank-sized driftwood.
And off it goes into my tank. Generally, you have to weigh it down for a short period of time. I tie mine down with fishing line: weighing it down with rocks tied to its bottom. Do not pile rocks on top of your wood, since it might pop up to float and the rocks fall against the sides of your tank. Depending on the depth of your tank and the buoyancy of the wood, it might even hit your canopy
Self-harvested wood is a lot of fun. I got my latest piece from a canoeing trip
HarleyK
I don't recommend it. Tree branches are too fresh to be used w/o affecting the water quality. This is not a problem if you have a drip system and constatly get fresh water in (as in the lakes and rivers you mention). But most of us don't have that. Here's what I do, and how I select my driftwood:
I am getting a bit lazy and copy/paste my old reply
If you want more info, use our search option and you'll find tons of stuff . Okay, here's my copy/paste:Native driftwood is great - if you know what you're doing.
- the river has to be clean, no industry along the shores!
- the wood has to be well weathered, washed out to the fiber. If it has bark, it's too young. It needs to look like it's spent years and years in the water
- only use wood from flowing bodies of water, never from stagnant areas.
- do not use wood that was covered with mud, it must be located in the stream
- Stay away from conifers. Look at the vegetation along the stream and upstream closely!
When I harvest driftwood, I first hose it down with a high-pressure cleaner (carwash). Then, I soak it in saturated salt solution (in the bath tub) for three days (daily fresh). That disinfects it all the way. Then I soak it for a couple of days in daily fresh water to de-salt it. Boiling is most often not an option when you deal with Monster-Tank-sized driftwood.
And off it goes into my tank. Generally, you have to weigh it down for a short period of time. I tie mine down with fishing line: weighing it down with rocks tied to its bottom. Do not pile rocks on top of your wood, since it might pop up to float and the rocks fall against the sides of your tank. Depending on the depth of your tank and the buoyancy of the wood, it might even hit your canopy
Self-harvested wood is a lot of fun. I got my latest piece from a canoeing trip
HarleyK
Havent you ever seen a tree toppeled into a lake or river? Fish love to hide in and around them, and I want to create that affect in my tank.i dont know any fish that live in trees,
dont use branches you find, they may contain sap or other toxins. try mangrove root or something from your local.
If those rivers are relativly clean that youre collecting fish from,you should be able to find some branches that have been submerged a few years.Much safer than fresh sappy wood.
Do you have any pics of what your talking about?great if your tank is the size of a river or lake
do some thing fake if you want the look hobby lobby has a kinda stuff
just go get some branchy driftwood and/or water plants to float on top for cover..but i see where ur coming from by wanting the same effect...not only for the fish but the looks too