What woods Work in Fish Tanks
- Thread starter donaldastwood
- Start date
Thank you all so so much for the advice. I am still not sure what to do. Because of the guy saying that they are suceptible to fungus etc. But i think that i will soak it in hot water for a few weeks and see what it does to the water chemistry. My wife wont be too impresed with something else soaking in the corner...but its worth it...
Lil_Stinker;1084132; said:Birch is bad...
Rots fast, shreds causing all sorts of issues... (think filter & clog)
People have told me it is also very susceptible to diseases, which may be why it got up-rooted...
Not such a problem here because it was uprooted close to someones house because a part of their waterproofing had failed... so the roots had to come up.
But does it really rot and shed as much as you say?
Birch is a hard wood. It shouldn't rot to quick if at all. I would wash it really well and maybe even sand blast it a bit if you have access to a sand blaster, boil and soak to insure its good and clean then see. I think it should be alright. Its closely related to oak and beech trees.
Let me lnow how the birch works, I had a white birch I pulled out, let it sit through the winter & it fell appart like pulled pork the next year..
Here is an excerpt about using birch wood as a perch for birds:
"Birch is Betula species. LEAVES & BARK contain salicylates and a few substances with hemolytic properties (destroy red blood cells). The low concentration of salicylates in birch BARK "is unlikely" to cause toxicity in avians. Salicylates can be provided to avians (birds) as an analgesic. WOOD of birch (Betula) is used for ice cream and popsicle sticks and toys. Removing bark would eliminate any exposure to salicylates. Birch should be considered safe for natural wood perches."
So basically make sure you get the bark off and it should be safe.
"Birch is Betula species. LEAVES & BARK contain salicylates and a few substances with hemolytic properties (destroy red blood cells). The low concentration of salicylates in birch BARK "is unlikely" to cause toxicity in avians. Salicylates can be provided to avians (birds) as an analgesic. WOOD of birch (Betula) is used for ice cream and popsicle sticks and toys. Removing bark would eliminate any exposure to salicylates. Birch should be considered safe for natural wood perches."
So basically make sure you get the bark off and it should be safe.
Driftwood is driftwood! Not a peice of wood you find in your neighbors yard and let it soak. It takes a long time for a piece of wood to become driftwood, certainly well over a few seasons.
