Bamboo clippings?

[fastfly48]

Hello all, and everyone else...bad joke.

ok well I was looking at my tank tday (big surprise) and randomly thought of adding some bamboo clippings into the mix. I have some bamboo in the garden and I though that perhaps I coulsd cut off some (with-out the leaves) and stick it in my gravel in the tank...to give a kind of vertical element to the aqua-scape. I've seen some stores growing bamboo in thier tanks, but I don't want to grow it I just want to use some clipppings from the garden as ornements. So is this this possible?
I'm gussing the problems would be:
= the bamboo leaching nutrients from the water or polluting the water
= keeping the shoots in the gravel, though a wieght will fix that...
= the life span of the bamboo and how long it qould last in water...

I would clean the clippings up really well and leave them in boilinf water for a week or two.
Hope does this all sound?
I don't know what kind of bamboo we have but (obviously) it's not aquatic, but that's ok becasue I'm not looking to grow it or anything.

Any help/advice would be super duper.
Keep it cool
Ryland

 

[azn_fishy55]

Its best to use a bamboo that is already dead,they should sell some at graden store and such.Then you should coat the bamboo with a aquarium safe varnish or silicone to prevent it from rotting as fast and leaching nutrients.Also to sink it I only heard to silicone it to the bottom of the auqarium or to a piece of glass then cover the piece of glass with the substrate.HTH

 

[fastfly48]

Thanks for that Fishy55

You said.."prevent it from rotting as fast". Does this mean that even if I buy dead bamboo and seal it that it will still rot? Or does "as fast" mean, like, years?
Anyways, I'll give it a crack and see what happens.
Thanks again for your help.
Ry.

 

[BlazerFRS]

I think it'll still rot, but it'll probably take at least a year imo. Just a guess but I don't hink you'll be replacing them too often if you seal them well.

 

[azn_fishy55]

Yeah if you seal them they won't rot as fast as they would un sealed.With sealing they could maybe last a few years to a few months is un sealed.

 

[fastfly48]

thanks for all that guys.
So has anyone actually tried it? do you think it could look any good?
I'm hoping so...
anyways, thanks again.
cheers.
Ry.

 

[krap101]

i think a couple people have. i was thinking about doing this, but dont really have that much of a supply over here . if you have like an open top you can grow the bamboo, but that could look messy.

you could try mangroves?

 

[azn_fishy55]

Mongroves roots get awfully big and I think the leaves have to stay above the surface of the water.They also need high light I think,but other than that they absorb large amount of nutrients.

 

[travis simonson]

I'm not sure about the qualities of dead "fixed" bamboo. It may prove to be a really nice aquacaping tool, but I could be completely wrong. We here in the U.S. don't have the advantage of getting to experiment with such cool new plants. If you're willing to be a test pilot for us, give it a shot and watch your water parameters. It may be that it doesn't deteriorate at all. That would be wicked, but I can't say that it will really happen. If you've got an adventurous spirit and a tank to try it on, go for it man. Just keep an eye on your water parameters, just in case it craps out on you. Keep us updated

 

[fastfly48]

Cheers for that Trav

I will give it a crack and see what happens....heck I could even post some pictures of it for you! yep, I'm going for it...wish me luck!

Ryland.

ps. I'll keep you posted!