For Sale: Any interest in manzanita?

[trennamw]

One region's trash is some hobbyists' treasure, so ...

I'm visiting family where manzanita grows wild, and was considering bringing some back ... Is anyone interested, given the likely shipping costs?

It would not be sand blasted as the stuff online is. Just picked off the forest floor of Plumas County CA, and hosed off a little.


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[keegster803]

What does it look like?


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[trennamw]

What does it look like?


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I don't have any yet But everything I've seen online when I search "manzanita for aquarium" is consistent with the manzanita I grew up with.

At this point I'm just curious if it's worth throwing some attractively shaped pieces in the car on my way home.


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[azmodan]

Definitely worth it, in anything for your own future aquascapes. If you can I'd recommend looking out for stump-looking pieces, those are always popular. I'd be interested in some like that if they're not too large.


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[trennamw]

Definitely worth it, in anything for your own future aquascapes. If you can I'd recommend looking out for stump-looking pieces, those are always popular. I'd be interested in some like that if they're not too large.


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How large is the right size for stump like pieces?

And is there anything I can do to reduce the work of the people who buy them? I have a good place to soak them. I see them listed as sand blasted or sanded, and some say they scrape them with a knife. If it's just about getting bark off I'm surprised it doesn't slide off after soaking. And I may have someone who can sand blast them.


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[azmodan]

The stump-type pieces can vary depending on tank size -- I'd just look for a variety. I wouldn't worry too much about soaking them as you'd want them as light as possible to ship, but any sort of sandblasting would be great.

 

[Autumnsky]

Also I think I remember this stuff needs to be dead stuff, nothing living, possibly from laws in Cali.

Stumpy twisted, smaller stuff for nano tanks.

 

[trennamw]

Also I think I remember this stuff needs to be dead stuff, nothing living, possibly from laws in Cali.

Stumpy twisted, smaller stuff for nano tanks.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm seeing info in a few places that it should be dead, for a variety of reasons. Hard to say what I may find. I think I know a homebuilder there who routinely pulls out entire shrubs, maybe he has a place to toss them to dry and I'll make a trip down now and then to harvest?

I wonder if spending several months under periodically melting snow helps get the tannins out ...


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[trennamw]

What I saw that was dead was mostly very grey and split ... So the upside is no bark, but then I wondered if it'd take more to prep since it's older. Didn't bring any home.

The bushes look like, each winter the snow encases them then snaps branches at the base, so they die but keep their shape. And maybe it's the months under snow that make the wood swell so the bark comes off. I suspect some have been through a season of dry sun too.

But if that's something that works for people I'll get a lot next time. It'd take all of 20 minutes to fill my car with stuff of interesting shapes.


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[azmodan]

Do it!

 

[Autumnsky]

Especially stuff for nano tanks.