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Collected Branches - Go/No Go?

OllieTY

Member
Joined
20 Jul 2020
Messages
177
Location
Birmingham
Hi All,

Starting to collect branches for a tank I'll be setting up soon, and wondered if I could get some advice on whether they'll be safe to go in...

The woodland I went to has a pretty good mix of Oak, Birch, Chestnut, as well as pine and fir.





The branches I picked up were definitely dead/dry, But I am wary as I don't think Pine/Fir branches would be suitable for the tank...





The bark on them seems grey or dark red. I picked up some thicker branches which seemed to have been there for longer, with the bark peeling off and covered in lichen. I would assume that these may be rotting, and might just chuck those out....
 
I know pine sap is toxic, even though it is dead and dried I would not use it, can't help with the others.
 
I know pine sap is toxic, even though it is dead and dried I would not use it, can't help with the others.
I'm hoping nothing I picked up was pine, I suspected similar to what you have stated. It's really hard to tell where these branches originated as the trees are pretty well mixed. The area I was collected from did have significantly less pines than other areas on the park, but there still could be a chance. I'm hoping my photos will help me exclude any of the dangerous ones....
 
I wouldn’t use any of them if I was you. It’s tempting to use what you have accessible, but at the cost of ruining your tank I’d pass.
 
None of those twigs looks coniferous? I’ve used fallen oak in my tank and it’s great stuff. I would recommend oak as it rots slowly compared to beech and many other woods. If you find an oak tree anything beneath it is likely to have fallen from it. There is a list of safe woods I found using Google..worth finding perhaps? Most UK hardwoods are OK, also see thread below


UK wood in aquariums
 

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Anything l get and l have doubts l leave outside for month or long then check any signs of rot or softening scrap. I tend to collect a lot of oak and lately hawthorn some left outside for year or two still dense no rot
 
As far as I can tell, I don't think my branches look like they've come from either. Does anyone have a good eye for this? I think Pine and Fir have very distinctive bark patterns and layout, but I'm sure none of mine match that....
 
Hi all,
I think Pine and Fir have very distinctive bark patterns and layout, but I'm sure none of mine match that....
Yours are all deciduous trees, but difficult to say what they are from the photos. If the buds are paired (opposite) they are probably Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). Oak twigs have grey bark with brown buds clustered at the tips.
Does anyone have a good eye for this?
If the branches have stalked buds? They are Alder (Alnus glutinosa)

alnus-glutinosa-wb-atal.jpg

From < >.

cheers Darrel
 
What’s the consensus on old dried out ivy wood? I’ve found some ideal bits of ivy which is very old and bark is paper thin and flaking off. but having searched on if it’s safe, the internet tells me little other than it’s either not to be used or it’s fine and several people have done so without issue.

Any opinions or anecdotes of it having gone wrong? Or gone right?
 
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