# Birch Tree With Bark... possible?



## jmconner (Feb 6, 2012)

Hi, I'm new to hobby, but I'm really enjoying myself and eager to expand.

I have been toying with the idea of finding some birch branches to put in a tank, but keeping the white bark, I think it would make a really stunning tank.

I dont know a heck of a lot about driftwood and what is safe/unsafe, how to prepare it, etc, but from what I understand the process generally involves stripping the bark and boiling, soaking for a while....

My question is: would it be possible to make a birch branch safe for a tank while keeping the bark? If so... how?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

Maybe it could be coated/sealed in silicone or potable epoxy? Bark crumbles in water.


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## Lucille (Jun 15, 2010)

I do not know if it would be a problem, but doesn't birch bark contain salicylates?


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

I haven't seen a real birch tree since I moved to Hawaii, but I do know that typically in most trees, the bark layer contains the phloem-- aka the place where the sap and oils move up and down the plant. Depending on the type of tree, you may run into problems. I do know that birch stumps, when rotting, are not silvery white. So maybe play it safe and avoid that.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I think with birch, the bark would actually last longer then the wood - it was pretty often used to make containers and such, and even canoes, I think...
I've often seen birch sticks on the ground where the bark was completely intact, yet the inside was just rotten punkwood, or entirely gone.

I believe the bark has some resins/oils in it that make it rot-resistant (and a useful firestarter). Not sure if this is something that would leach out in your tank

If you are willing to take the time to coat it in epoxy, that should work good, but you might want to drill a hole in an end and fill it with sand or lead or something to make sure it sinks, since while the epoxy will keep whatever leaching out of the wood, it will also prevent the water from soaking in...

I don't think the white would last long in an aquarium though, I think it would get covered over by algae pretty quick.

would still look interesting though.


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## Redneck Badger (Jan 13, 2012)

Hey. I just saw this post.

Its ok to use birch. I had a large birch piece in my tank a couple of weeks ago but you have to make sure it is as dry as hell! Just as well I never had my fish in as two days after the birch roots were in, a slime like substance started leeching from it an hung down like a curtain an covered all the other stuff an gravel. It was a big load of birch too. I had to take everything out and clean it then set all the tank up again. Its lookin good now.
I got a bit of birch driftwood in it now that I found at the same site, it was totally dried out on the shore, I soaked it for a few days in the bath but to no avail so what Ive done is tied it to the rock and bogwood under it with dark 25lb fishing line, you cant see it and the wood will soon absorb the water and hold itself down. It looks nice but not as much bark on as the old large piece, thats now in the lizards viv.


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