Foraging in the UK

[Buggy]

I've spent the last couple of weekends foraging in a nearby woods for oak leaves and alder cones.

Today I watched a video and there was a passing comment about a large piece of wood that was foraged which was chestnut. Whether it was horse or sweet I'm not sure. I hadn't realised there was wood we could use in an aquarium, that also looked appealing, to be found in the UK.

Would anybody happen to know which ones are safe? And if chestnut is, then is both horse chestnut and sweet chestnut useable?

Other than beech and hornbeam leaves, is there anything else I could be looking out for?

 

[mort]

Sweet chestnut is safe and I've used the leaves a lot over the years (easy to grow your own tree as well).

This link has been posted a few times and gives some ideas Free tank decor! but there have been plenty of discussions on the subject over the years. Sadly I don't have Darrels photographic memory for link retrieval, but a forum search for heartwood might send you into a rabbit hole for a while.

The base is that fruit wood tends to be good and that even wood that is a problem when it's green, is normally fine after it has thoroughly dried out (like juniper, pine etc). You can take the cautious approach and chuck it in some water over the winter and if daphnia is happy in the water, you know it's likely fine to use.
Personally I like beech or oak if I can find it but have used other wood mostly for twigs (I have hazel and fruit trees in the garden which are good but don't last as long as harder woods, Heather is good as well).

 

[foxfish]

I find by far the most sucsesfull way to search the forum is via Google ie … UKAPS free wood.

 

[Buggy]

Thank you very much for that link.

When I have time later I'll have a sit down and carry out a proper search of the forum. You've given me some useful keywords there.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

. Sadly I don't have Darrels photographic memory for link retrieval, but a forum search for heartwood might send you into a rabbit hole for a while.

Sadly no longer photographic. But here is a photograph <"Now is a good time to find PYO Oak branches for Aquascaping">.

I find by far the most sucsesfull way to search the forum is via Google ie … UKAPS free wood.

Same for me now, it now often starts with Google. I know I will have put the <"scientific names"> in which makes searching for trees etc a lot easier.

Other than beech and hornbeam leaves, is there anything else I could be looking out for?

Have a look at <"All the leaves are brown">. I'm a big <"Alder "cone" (Alnus spp.) fan">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Buggy]

Have a look at <"All the leaves are brown">. I'm a big <"Alder "cone" (Alnus spp.) fan">.

cheers Darrel

One thing I took from reading through your very informative links (as always) was that Alder cones are used to produce an aphrodisiac. Food for thought.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

One thing I took from reading through your very informative links (as always) was that Alder cones are used to produce an aphrodisiac. Food for thought.

That is the great thing about the WWW, there is gold amongst the debris, it is just you have to shovel a lot of sh*t to find it.

I've always put the cones in after the fish have spawned, maybe they would have been more successful if I'd put them in right from the start?

cheers Darrel