richy

just wondering where everyone gets their aquascaping materials, such as rocks, driftwood, etc.

Paul Higashikawa

LFS, OFS(on-line fish store:P), trading, own collection, etc.....Many many options. Ask around, and you'll never know what you will find.


Paul

JanS

The rocks I collect locally as long as I can make a positive ID on them to be sure they're safe. Shipping just gets to be too high for them otherwise.

Stuff like driftwood I either order online or pick up at places like a convention. I couldn't believe the price for a chunk that was maybe 8" or so at a fish store I traveled to not too long ago - about $30 for the same thing I've gotten for around $5 at the other places mentioned above.

IUnknown

http://www.aquariumdriftwood.com/
Very good quality mangrove pieces. I highly recommend them. Ignore the pictures on their website, they look horrible (driftwood is wet and they look varnished). Just buy the center pieces, or tell them what you are looking for and they really help out.

tsunami

I don't know about good quality with aquariumdriftwood. Their driftwood is decent, but I have received pieces that downright smell --often like rotted eggs or sulfur.

Just recently, my 55g was having a tremendous odor issue with these driftwood pieces I had just recently bought from aquariumdriftwood. I sent about four emails to the company, and they refused to handle the issue with any sign of courtesy.

After the second email, they started ignoring me all together. I ended up having to take out the driftwood from the tank and throwing it out in the garbage. Seventy dollars worth of rotting driftwood.

And I've been a customer of theirs for three years -- and when I have a problem, this was how I was treated.

No thank you.

Carlos

richy

i always take a gander at the pieces of driftwood at the lfs, but they always seem to cost so much. $4/lb for the "african" types and about $20 for one piece (relatively good-sized) for the regular ones. the pieces don't away look that nice tho. i want to plan a trek one of these days into a forested area or take a look or on a beach or something. i'm just not entirely sure what the legality is of going about this method, esp in CA, where environmentalism is a relatively big issue. anyone in CA know?

cS

By exercising common sense and not walking around with a saw, pick-axe, or explosives, I see little reason why the authorities would take issue with you.

richy

haha... good one... i suppose you are right. i wasn't planning on bringing a saw or anything. i was thinking of wearing a mask.

skylsdale

I collect all my stuff locally: rocks, sand, gravel, wood, etc. Sometimes the wood stinks, sometimes it doesn't, etc. It's trial and error as far as different types of wood, even when dealing wiht how long it's been dead, etc. But, I've collected pieces for FREE that would have probably coast $30-50 at a fish store...and wouldn't have nearly been as interesting in shape/form.

AFK

Anyone else can describe their experience with aquariumdriftwood.com? I just submitted an order form via their website, but they're absolutely horrible at returning my calls or emails. What's the best way to handle this company? I'm desperate for nice looking driftwood!