grapevine wood (could be a stupid question)

[SeymourFRESH]

hey, i've been using this grapevine wood for my tank. it doesn't sink, but they often sell it at petstores for reptiles. i've bought a few pieces and let them fill up with water, they finally sink after a few weeks. they look real cool, but i wasn't sure if they cause any problems in the tank (they smell really bad).

do you guys think this wood could cause any harm to my tank? i could be trippin about it, but i had 2 of my rams die within weeks after adding a huge piece of it to my 92 gallon. all they did was hang right next to the wood the entire time, barely ever coming out. my other rams seem to stick near it too, which is quite strange

what do you guys think?

 

[Zagz]

I'm no expert but from what I've read it shouldn't hurt your tank. No question is a stupid question btw. The only thing that ever ends up being stupid is not asking the question.

 

[severum mama]

Do you have a lot of hiding places in your tank? Rams love caves, plants, driftwood, etc., so if there aren't other hiding places in the tank you can see why they would want to stick close to the grapevine. As for the deaths, I'm sure you know how sensitive rams are. Sometimes they just die for what seems like no reason. Keep an eye on the others, and have you tested the water lately?

 

[SeymourFRESH]

yes, water paremeters are perfect (last test was a week ago).

we formed this cave from the piece of grapevine and another piece of driftwood, therefore making it one big cave. so i guess that's why all the fish have gone there, i'm going to make another one once i get more driftwood.