Local Pond decor?

[PaulieFish]

So I was reading a thread where someone went to their pond and took some rocks and what not and put them in their tank, I was wondering what would be the process for this, was thinking about heading down to my pond since I am broke for some decor.

I know a good cleaning without soup but, I dunno.. thoughts? bad idea? I would really use some driftwood in my tank.

 

[Viper]

So I was reading a thread where someone went to their pond and took some rocks and what not and put them in their tank, I was wondering what would be the process for this, was thinking about heading down to my pond since I am broke for some decor.

I know a good cleaning without soup but, I dunno.. thoughts? bad idea? I would really use some driftwood in my tank.

I actually went to my local creek and picked up a rock from there. I also went to a local retirement home that has some nice round rocks and "picked" a few up. I then proceeded to put those rocks in a pot and boil them in water on the stove for a little while. Then let them cool off of course (they get extremely hot) and then put them in my tank. I've had no problems with them at all.

It really depends on how the environment is treated in your area though. If there are pesticides and insecticides that are used in your area, it is not a good idea to put those rocks into your tank.

As for the driftwood, I would go with wood that is meant to be put in fish tanks and has been pre-treated for that purpose. Any other wood that you may find out in nature runs the risk of leaching unwanted elements or chemicals into your tank. Also, untreated wood will most likely rot and start decaying in your tank leaving you with a mess that you never asked for. I know there are some woods that people have used with success, but I am not sure of which kinds and some research would need to be done before attempting this sort of thing.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I got most of my rock from a creek... you have to be careful about boiling them though, some can explode. A good method is to go upstream from houses, public, roads, etc and find them. As far as wood goes, most hardwoods are ok, but like viper said, there can be some risk involved. It is best to once again go upstream from the public and find it, preferrably submerged. Stay away from soft woods as they can leach sap and will rot in water. The best dw is wood purchased for use in aquariums that has been collected, soaked, and tested to be pesticide/fertilizer free

 

[PaulieFish]

Yeah think I am gonna stick with treated wood and stick with normal stuff instead of being cheap lol