# Wood for tank



## Ed Seeley (10 Aug 2007)

Hi guys,
I'm looking for some wood to look like roots in my tank.  I've seen the Redmoor wood AE have but Richard's only got medium and big bits left and it seems a lot when I'm going to chop them up!
I've found this site, http://www.anvil-art.co.uk/collectionprice.htm that seems to have some nice looking pieces, but will they be ok for a tank do you think?  They are all driftwood and have some nice looking bits.  What do you reckon or has anyone got any better sources of thin twisty wood?


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## jayne (10 Aug 2007)

Not sure if you're looking for mail order only,but if you can get down to Gloucestershire then Aquatic Habitat and Aquajardin both have some in.

The piece in my tank was from Aquajardin and cost Â£15.


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## Ed Seeley (10 Aug 2007)

Thanks Jayne.  Not ruling out LFS, in fact just been to my nearest good one and came up empty.  They have huge roots, but no intricate thin ones.  Gloucestershire might be a bit far for me to come from Nottingham though....


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## Ed Seeley (10 Aug 2007)

Well just looking around the house and I've 'found' some very thin branches that I believe came from IKEA as decorations in flower arrangements!  They are willow branches and very dry and dead.  Useable do you reckon?  I'm going to stick them in to soak for a while and I'm sure 5 won't be missed....


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## oldwhitewood (13 Aug 2007)

Extremely difficult to find decent wood in the UK, I am going to find a  way to get this stuff I am sure of it.


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## Graeme Edwards (13 Aug 2007)

If you get your self up to a mountain, granted not that easy, and look for dead heather wood, very very cool looking wood, very branchy/root like, of all thickness. I have quite a bit, but havnt used any yet. Im not sure if it will be ok, im hoping it will.

Ill post a pic later tonight when i get in from work.


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## james3200 (14 Aug 2007)

What do you make of this stuff -





31"Length x 8.5"Width x 14"Height





22.5"Length x 14"Width x 18.5"Height

Apparently it sinks immediately and cost me Â£80 delivered, not bad for the size i think, using it in my discus tank


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## Ed Seeley (14 Aug 2007)

That first piece especially looks very nice.  Where was it from?  

Also which part of Croydon has bananas growing wild?


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## james3200 (14 Aug 2007)

lol

The second piece is to come out at you to the front of the tank, the first to go down the length if you see what i mean

It is Malaysian bogwood apparently and the seller is -

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/RockArtSource_ ... idZ2QQtZkm

Enjoy


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## Ed Seeley (14 Aug 2007)

Cheers James.  All the way from Texas eh mate.  Looks very, very nice though...


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## james3200 (14 Aug 2007)

Yea i think so, like how you see what your buying too

Should be with me this week so will let you know my feedback


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## GreenNeedle (14 Aug 2007)

Another top find there


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## Graeme Edwards (14 Aug 2007)

After some home I.T problems and hours after i said id post some pics, here you are.

Heather dead wood, a small selection I have.










Cheers.


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## Ed Seeley (14 Aug 2007)

They look ace Graham.  Have you used some of this wood in any tanks?  Heather's a pretty hard wood so I assume it'd be fine for use.  I'm just thinking of the small rather knarly small shrubs I've got in my garden and a dead branch of a Japanese maple I need to prune and whether they'd be of any use in a tank.  I guess I'll have to put them into soak too and see what happens!


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## ulster exile (15 Aug 2007)

I wouldn't use your Japanese maple as AFAIK these are softwood and have a lot of sap that can run out of them, which is why they're only supposed ot be pruned at certain times of the year.  

I wanted to use the branches from two hardy fuschias that I trained into standards (but subsequently died last winter) but was advised not to as well.


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## Ed Seeley (15 Aug 2007)

Japanese Maples are definitely hardwoods; the whole Acer genus is.  They are also relatively slow growing with tough wood.  I wouldn't use any wood unless it's had a winter to harden off.  I think they'll be  as good a choice as any wood, but I'm not too sure on how suitable any recently dead wood will be in a tank to be honest.


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## Graeme Edwards (16 Aug 2007)

I havnt used any of the wood yet. Its very hard and well weatherd, it would be from the top of a mountain. It just need a wire brush going over it, and i cant see why it wont be fine to use, ill keep you all posted when i use it.


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## james3200 (17 Aug 2007)

Well i got the wood today, and its great stuff









that's the layout i was going for and think it has turned out pretty well the left pice will sit in the substrate a bit so both pieces will come up at an angle more


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## Ed Seeley (17 Aug 2007)

That is great wood James.  It's going to look great in your tank.
The funniest thing though is the plug tangle behind!!!  Just how the area under my tanks used to look!


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## james3200 (17 Aug 2007)

lol noticed that, must sort it out, those tanks are temporary ones in the garage which is pretty much the same..lol


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## oldwhitewood (19 Aug 2007)

There must be a way we can get this wood and 'process' it, i.e make it suitable for a tank.

The type of dead tree you typically see in farmers fields, is it a ewe tree or something? That would be ideal.


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## Ed Seeley (22 Aug 2007)

I thought I'd posted this reply yesterday, but evidently something went wrong with it!

I'm trying to proces the wood I've selected in a large water butt where I'm going to leave it for a long time, maybe even until next spring/summer.  I've done this before with wood from the LFS that went mouldy and it did the job brilliantly.


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## oldwhitewood (28 Aug 2007)

Do you think the wood used in ADA tanks is roots or branches?


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