44 replies to this topic

[itsme]

Yes, men are weird.  I won't comment on the fairer sex... are we still allowed to use that phrase?!  Maybe "the less objectionable gender"?! 

[Cricket]

Yes, men are weird.  I won't comment on the fairer sex... are we still allowed to use that phrase?!  Maybe "the less objectionable gender"?! 

lol. I'll take the fairer sex in light of what I assume your comment about us would be

I wasnt even paying attention to that other stuff. The big green fish is a Fundulus conventioni from Alabama 2003. The bass are Christmas tree lights (a gift from the Snorkelmeister). And yes the baggies do have names of stuff in the aquariums both above and below... some fish names, some plants.

in all seriousness Michael your setup is obviously amazing. Very organized and fun I wish I could devote a room to fish (and nothing else). That is one big window for a basement. Is it a walk out? We don't have basements in residential buildings here in Phoenix. Our ground is too hard. Practically every pool is a "hard dig."

Well I've been soaking the branches for a few days. So far no roots. How long is it necessary soak the wood for fishes sake?
Not too worried about it floating or tannins.

[Matt DeLaVega]

No matter what you say, it beats " the female species". Drives me nuts. All you have to do is add an "of". Sorry getting way off topic.

 

I would change the water, add some or a bunch of salt, soak over night, and ship it.

[Cricket]

No matter what you say, it beats " the female species". Drives me nuts. All you have to do is add an "of". Sorry getting way off topic.
 
I would change the water, add some or a bunch of salt, soak over night, and ship it.

ship it? I've been doing water changes daily. Does salt speed along the process?

[Moontanman]

I've grown cypress and water tupelo in aquariums, in greenhouses to be sure, but the effect is very interesting. The most important thing about adding wood to your aquarium, unless you really are trying to grow it, is to make sure it is completely dead and has little organic tissue left other than the dead wood. Greed wood added to an aquarium will most often become covered with fungus and the bioload of rotting wood can kill your fish. I've seen the entire fish population die due the fungus not being particularly picky about what it grows on. 

 

Too that end I usually keep any potentially "green" wood in rain barrels for a year or more to make sure the wood "juice" is gone before putting it in an aquarium. Driftwood is a better choice but it can take a lot of time for it to naturally become waterlogged and sink. I have a slab of bog wood that was dug out of deep swamp mud by construction and I've been trying to get it sink for 40 years and it still floats...  

[Cricket]

I've grown cypress and water tupelo in aquariums, in greenhouses to be sure, but the effect is very interesting. The most important thing about adding wood to your aquarium, unless you really are trying to grow it, is to make sure it is completely dead and has little organic tissue left other than the dead wood. Greed wood added to an aquarium will most often become covered with fungus and the bioload of rotting wood can kill your fish. I've seen the entire fish population die due the fungus not being particularly picky about what it grows on. 
 
Too that end I usually keep any potentially "green" wood in rain barrels for a year or more to make sure the wood "juice" is gone before putting it in an aquarium. Driftwood is a better choice but it can take a lot of time for it to naturally become waterlogged and sink. I have a slab of bog wood that was dug out of deep swamp mud by construction and I've been trying to get it sink for 40 years and it still floats...  

you must have the patience of a saint

[Moontanman]

you must have the patience of a saint

 

 

No, just a bonsai/aquarium nut, it seemed obvious to me that hydrophilic trees would make great combination. 

 

I pick up driftwood everytime I go to the beach, greenwood takes years but I keep several full 55 gallon rain barrels and soak my wood in them until it is either saturated and sinks or greenwood is safe. I keep a large number of things like odd rocks and other decorations I have picked up over the last 45 years. I started keeping native when I was about 8 years old. It makes setting up an aquarium both easy and cheap... 

[Cricket]

The branches have been in the tub For about 10 days with water changes anywhere from daily to every third day. They sink without rocks now tho I still have them weighted so every tip is under water. Is a smell normal? It has a smell :/ also what am I looking for to indicate readiness to go in the tank? All the bark should be cleaned off? Anything else? Any tips or tricks? Thanks

Edited by Cricket, 24 October 2017 - 03:35 PM.

[Moontanman]

The branches have been in the tub For about 10 days with water changes anywhere from daily to every third day. They sink without rocks now tho I still have them weighted so every tip is under water. Is a smell normal? It has a smell :/ also what am I looking for to indicate readiness to go in the tank? All the bark should be cleaned off? Anything else? Any tips or tricks? Thanks
1024171056-1.jpg
1024171056b-1.jpg1024171056c-1.jpg

 

A fuzzy white covering is what you want to avoid, bogwood often has a odor but it shouldn't be unpleasant in aerated water... 

[Cricket]

 
A fuzzy white covering is what you want to avoid, bogwood often has a odor but it shouldn't be unpleasant in aerated water... 

so I want the white fuzz to come and go while in the tub before the aquarium? Does it always happen?

[Moontanman]

so I want the white fuzz to come and go while in the tub before the aquarium? Does it always happen?

 

Yeah, it takes quite a while sometimes, I generally try to pick up wood that has already weathered for years in the wild or bogwood. I never worry about cleaning bogwood. The fish have a good time eating all the little critters off of it!

[gerald]

 

 I never worry about cleaning bogwood. The fish have a good time eating all the little critters off of it!

Unless of course you're raising Elassoma and trying to avoid HYDRA!  I would either sun-dry, heat, or salt-soak wild-collected bogwood (collected from freshwater) if you're using it in a breeding tank or fry-raising tank.

[Moontanman]

Unless of course you're raising Elassoma and trying to avoid HYDRA!  I would either sun-dry, heat, or salt-soak wild-collected bogwood (collected from freshwater) if you're using it in a breeding tank or fry-raising tank.

 

 

Goof point! 

[Cricket]

Yeah, it takes quite a while sometimes, I generally try to pick up wood that has already weathered for years in the wild or bogwood. I never worry about cleaning bogwood. The fish have a good time eating all the little critters off of it!

Patience is a virtue :/ I used to pray for it til I had triplets. Took me a while to figure out God doesn't just gift it. I don't need anymore practice! I've decided it's a virtue I can live without haha

Unless of course you're raising Elassoma and trying to avoid HYDRA!  I would either sun-dry, heat, or salt-soak wild-collected bogwood (collected from freshwater) if you're using it in a breeding tank or fry-raising tank.

I'll do the salt soak then I'll Google it so y'all don't have to explain everything lol

Thanks guys

[Cricket]

Ok this may seem like such a novice question but any idea why the two larger branches are different colors? I picked them both up from under the what we suspect is willow tree and they have been soaking the same amount of time. The lighter colored one was easier to peal the bark from and has a clean cut on the branch. It also smells stronger. Is it possible it has something to do with how long it was fell from the trees? Etc. Or is it more likely that they are two different woods? Tho there really weren't many trees aside from willow there if any others at all.
 1109171437.jpg   55.3KB   0 downloads

The smaller darkest wood was from a pet store. Just resoaking before moving it to a different aquarium. It was in an aquarium with mts that I am hoping not to transfer.

2nd topic. Will it look bad to have these various colored branches in the same tank?

[gerald]

Different branches on the same tree can have different colors due to age, location on the tree, or other unknown factors.  I see no problem with having different colored branches in a tank, and colors may change as they age anyway.  If you still want oak & magnolia leaves, now is a good time for me to gather some to send you.

[Cricket]

Different branches on the same tree can have different colors due to age, location on the tree, or other unknown factors.  I see no problem with having different colored branches in a tank, and colors may change as they age anyway.  If you still want oak & magnolia leaves, now is a good time for me to gather some to send you.

sounds great! awesome thanks. I sent you a message.

[Cricket]

Well here they are in the tank. It doesn't feel quite right yet so I will probably be messing with it lol. And the left side needs more plants badly
 1112171449b-1.jpg   91.12KB   0 downloads  1112171450a-1-1.jpg   122.52KB   0 downloads

[MtFallsTodd]

That looks great Cricket!!!!!

[Moontanman]

Well here they are in the tank. It doesn't feel quite right yet so I will probably be messing with it lol. And the left side needs more plants badly
1112171449b-1.jpg1112171450a-1-1.jpg

 

What kind of black sand are you using?