Different types of woods..

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Smcoyle87

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jun 17, 2011
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Location
Maryland, USA
Ok so I don't really know where else to post this question but, in looking for wood to put in my aquariums, i can only seem to find "mopani wood"
Where have you guys found other types of bogwood? any suggestions?
 
Many people on this site gather their own and boil it. I believe that the general rule is to use hardwoods rather than softwoods.
 
Smcoyle87 said:
Mopane is a very hard wood from Africa..not soft lol

Nobody said it was.

He said that many use what they find after a boil.

He then pointed out that hard woods are the preferred choice over softwoods.

And eBay, amazon or online aquatics sites will have a range of DWs

I know a few hard woods but it's best to find "dead" wood as this will reduce the chances of fungal growth etc
 
@renegade.. so when gathering wood, is there any type we should try and stay away from?

Stay away from softwood trees .. i.e.pine trees. Hardwoods like maple and oak sould work. Problem with those .. although easy to find naturally ... may not float at first ... if ever. That's why boiling, aside from sterilizing, is important to help waterlog the wood.

Mopani DW is a great choice as it will sink ... but it doesn't have that branchy / tree root look. Malaysian DW, which has more of a trunk / root look is my favorite, it can be stacked to give you many various looks and sinks.

Another type is Manzanita which I've heard is more branchy.

Regardless of which would you get ... Boil, rinse, Boil again and repeat a few times. Boiling also helps to release tannins (harmless to fish) which gives the water a tea color and lowers pH slightly.
 
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