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Wood choice for the planted tank

184K views 113 replies 68 participants last post by  Michael 
#1 · (Edited)
Can we assemble a thread that lists acceptable wood choices for the planted tank? If you know it's safe for tank use please add it to the list. Lets assume that it should be clean and not green wood, but seasoned and dead. For definitions of dead, seasoned see post #40. If we can get a good list we can make this a sticky. I'll keep editing this 1st post of the thread as the list gets bigger. For details about each wood see individual posts by contributors.

1. Manzanita
2. Colophospermum mopane (AKA mopani, mopane drift wood)
3. Chola (cholla, choya) wood
4. Rose wood roots
5. Malaysian drift wood
6. Ribbon wood
7. Cypress
8. Oak
9. Mesquite
10. Cedar - some are iffy on this one.
11. Grapevines - reported to rot quickly
12. Ironwood
13. Beefwood
14. Australian Pine
15. Azalea
16. Rhododendron
17. Madrona
18. Crepe Myrtle
19. Western Hemlock Roots
20. Contorted/Corkscrew Willow
21. Osage Orange / Bodark
22. Buttonwood
23. Baldcypress / Taxodium
24. Cherry trees- Maybe OK after aging, I would not risk them fresh.
25. Tulip poplars- Liriodendron tulipifera
26. Linden trees- Tilla sp
27. Maple- Acer sp.
28. Glossy Ligustrum, Ligustrum lucidum
29. Mangrove
 
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#35 ·
I have used some well aged catalpa (catawba to our southern friends) in a small pond and plan on using it in my next aquarium rescape. It is a very pretty, gnarly wood with a lot of charactor. When I say well aged, I mean well aged. These are small branches off of trees dozed out 25 years ago. It is pretty durable too.
 
#37 ·
Considering that I've seen a lot of people use "driftwood," which is by definition random bits of wood that had aged and degraded in the water to the point that what is left is no longer rotting, wouldn't the operative word in this thread be "aged?" I think that any hardwood that has been left rotting in (moving) water long enough (1yr+) has leached any bad toxins out of it and can be used. I've seen cedar - yes actual cedar at a LFS in their display aquarium for several years which they pulled out of a pond which they drained and thought it looked cool. Cedar has known toxins in it and is a soft wood to boot! I wouldn't personally used a known toxic wood in an aquarium without personally making sure it had been soaking for at least a year or more though.
 
#40 ·
DRIFTWOOD has kind of become the catch all term for any wood used in an aquascape. when in reality the woods commonly used fall into one of three catagories seasoned wood, driftwood or boggwood. Seasoned wood: wood that has been cut or a deadfall that has cured in the elements. most manzanita wood used in aquariums falls into this catagory. allthough it is safe for plants and fish seaoned wood is the most risky for people to use that are looking to go out and find a cool piece for theyre new aquascape.curing out in the elements is the lest effective way to remove tannins & other toxins from wood. in some cases it even locks them in. so if this is the route you choose make sure you know what kind of wood your dealing with and soak it well before use.
Driftwood:wood that has been adrift on a body of water river, lake or ocean. these woods are usually low in tannins & other toxins depending on how long they where adrift. driftwood picked up along the coast though low in tannins has salt deposits that need to be removed before use, this can be time consuming and requires repeated soakings.
Boggwood:one of the most plant friendly but hardest to get given the fact that this is wood that has submerged for long periods. soft woods decompose rapidly when submerged but hardwoods can last hundreds of years. the bark & softer new growth decomposes leaving behind the heart wood.
boggwood is virtually tanin free because of the amount of time its been submerged. often times pieces will have native aquatic plants & mosses on them when found. when used in aquascapes plants seem to more readily attach to boggwood than many other types of wood. caution need be taken though when using boggwood gathered on your own, it needs to be cleaned well to make sure any waterborn hitchhikers are removed. pressure washing does the trick and also removes any soft wood that may be left.

well thats my 2cents worth , hope it may be of use
 
#41 ·
I have used plant trimmings that I think are Crape Myrtle. Very hard wood, no tannins. I do know plant material rather well, and am 90% sure it is Lagerstroemia indica or Lagerstoremia hybrid. Both species are grown around here a lot, and it is entirely possible for someone to prune then dump in the neighbor's field.
 
#42 ·
In my new set up I am using Western Hemlock roots. The tree was blown down about 15 years ago and roots never touched water, except rain. I soaked them for two month and then boiled for 4-5 hours in metal trash can in the back yard fire pit. The water in the aquarium is clear from day one, no tannins or toxins.
So, from my experience, soaking and boiling Western Hemlock roots, they are very good wood for the aquascape.
 
#43 ·
One that I know has not been mentioned is corkscrew willow or contorted willow branches. I've used them in my aquariums and have collected them from my back yard. They have a skin on them that you'll want to clean off. They will sink over time. I like to use the smaller end branches. They have a nice curly shape that resembles root structures, or use them for bare hardscape accents.

 
#46 ·
Hi. I am new to this forum and relatively new to planted aquariums. I set up my 45 gal last September. I have been trying to determine if a branch from one of my parents trees would be acceptable. The tree is a Gimlet which is a kind of Eucalyptus. The wood is very dense, sinking immediately, and very smooth after is drops its bark each year. I added a small twig to one of my betta tanks about a month ago. He is doing fine but I thought I would ask the experts before I add this when I rescape my tank next month.
 
#47 ·
[snip]I have been trying to determine if a branch from one of my parents trees would be acceptable. The tree is a Gimlet which is a kind of Eucalyptus.[snip]
At this point, it looks like you've got more experience with Eucalyptus than the rest of us! I just searched the thread for "eucalyptus," and this is the first mention of that tree. Your experiment with the Betta suggests that it may be safe, but, if it was me, I'd want to try another experiment, this time with more wood in the water, before deciding that it is OK. Please, let us know your results, if you do go ahead with this.
 
#48 ·
I used pine that had floated around a reservoir for some time- I know it goes against common convention but it sank readily and behaved itself. Possibly proving that most things which have floated around for a while are probably safe and realistically, who wants to look at the same tank set up for the entire life of the wood? I guess it's no good if it literally melts in your tank but you get what I'm saying.
 
#49 ·
A possible addition to the list: glossy ligustrum, Ligustrum lucidum. Three months ago I set up an El Natural 10 gallon with a large (relative to the tank) piece of this species.

No problems so far. The wood was well weathered, and needed work with a Dremel and power washer to remove the soft parts. It sank without soaking.

This species is a common landscape plant and exotic weed in the southern USA as far west as Texas. Volunteer plants often need to be removed from landscapes and natural areas, and the plant develops a fairly gnarled base at a young age.
 
#52 ·
I don't see sage listed.

This isn't intended to be a scientific exercise in woods. This is a list of woods that many people have kept in their tanks with no adverse affects on fauna. The Malaysian D/W I have purchased at LFS say only that. I don't know what type wood it was. I know it was very heavy and did not float. Maybe someone else can comment.
 
#53 ·
Howdy all! I use and have used Cypress wood in tanks for quite some time with no issues or problems. I think if there was problems with Cypress in the water then 2 of the best fishing lakes in Texas would be lost. I love Cypress simply cause it will outlast any other wood in water and moss attaches readily to it.
 
#57 ·
Bruce, I am not completely certain, but I think in this case "rose wood" refers to a tropical hardwood used in cabinet and furniture work, and so named for its red color. This is a different species from ornamental roses.

But you still might be able to use your rose stump. Have you boiled or pressure washed it? Has the bark come off? Does the wood seem hard and durable? I doubt that it would be toxic. It would be a risk, but you could try it, and let us know if we can add it to the list or not.

--Michael
 
#65 ·
Thought this was on here already, but now that I double-check I don't see it:

Sycamores (genus Plantanus) are trees found in mostly wet areas - swamps, riverbanks and floodplains, etc. all over North America. Given their environment, their roots are rot-resistant, have a very unique, twisted sort of character to them (they're also often found with rocks wrapped in between and embedded within them), and can be used in tanks with the bark still on them (it's very thick and durable in its own right, so stripping the bark is a challenge to begin with).

Anyway, I use them in a number of setups, with everything from discus to wild-caught mollies, and they're perfectly aquarium-safe. Not to mention they look really cool - and kind of creepy, even.
 
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