# Where to buy driftwood?



## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

you guys know a good website to buy some drift wood (not ebay or amazon, I checked)? I need a 1-2 ft piece for a 45 long dirt tank I'm setting up. Not trying spend a lot.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Perhaps I'm just too picky, but buying driftwood without seeing the exact piece you will get is not for me any more. Spent over $100 and got not one usable piece.
Far more enjoyable to get your own from the source.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

I don't have a source.


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## mrpixel (Feb 28, 2012)

What kind of wood are you looking for?


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Contact member Junebug. She will find stuff you are looking for then show you pictures of the piece before you buy it.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Malaysian or spiderwood.


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## mrpixel (Feb 28, 2012)

Save-On-Crafts has cholla wood by the yard (36in branches), grapewood, Manzanita, Red Bark Manzanita. All debarked wood mentioned was removed with sanding and no chemicals where used on it. She says that the above wood is aquarium and reptile safe. Shipping charge was 17.85 When I tried to ship to NC and MI. So it looks to be a flat rate for the east coast at least. 

Blooms and Branches also sells the above mentioned wood and it sand blasts the bark off so it is also chemical free. The branches here were a little cheaper as was shipping which came out to $13.30 when shipping to both NC and MI.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Wow! thanks for the help.


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## mrpixel (Feb 28, 2012)

BulletToothBoris said:


> Wow! thanks for the help.


No problem at all. If I you wanted a piece that was in one of the pictures, I would call and make sure that is what you would be purchasing. If they said that it was just a display model, than ask them to take a picture of what they have in stock that is very similar to the model piece so you can see what you are getting.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

I ordered 2 pieces from Blooms and Branches. Thanks for the info.


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## mrpixel (Feb 28, 2012)

BulletToothBoris said:


> I ordered 2 pieces from Blooms and Branches. Thanks for the info.


Glad to help.
Take pictures and post once they come in.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm just curious on how people style manzanita branches. I saw a couple examples, but what do you plan on doing with your pieces? A doodle or paint picture would be awesome.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

BulletToothBoris said:


> you guys know a good website to buy some drift wood (not ebay or amazon, I checked)? I need a 1-2 ft piece for a 45 long dirt tank I'm setting up. Not trying spend a lot.



I would go to a local creek or river that has a lot of trees around it and try and find some nice peaces of driftwood. I don't really like to buy driftwood online because you never really know what your going to get, even if they show pictures. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Tom Barr also sells Manzanita. Many glowing reports from happy buyers.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

kman said:


> Tom Barr also sells Manzanita. Many glowing reports from happy buyers.


I can report to being one of those happy buyers lol. He does have good pieces, but the best stuff is if you give him an idea of what you are trying to do and your tank size. He will send you a package of wood pieces that you can zip tie / screw together to get exactly what you want.


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

How do you purchase from Tom?


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

He usually has a thread going in the Swap and shop. You can also send him a PM.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Dead2fall said:


> How do you purchase from Tom?


Either go set yourself up on his board, barr report dot com (he always has a sales thread), or PM here, I think his UN is plantbrain?

Edit: Yes, plantbrain. Here's one of his recent threads:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=807074

He should have one for Manzanita in the For Sale forum, too. (he usually does)


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks all for the info!


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

Shipping with Blooms and Branches is cheaper if buying bulk orders in which they will include shipping. Single or a couple of pieces can be costly to ship. They do have something else very useful though, and that is what they refer to as ghostwood. Research hasn't yielded much info on what ghostwood actually is, supposed to be some sort of California driftwood. But I am told that it is used extensively for wet terrariums due to its moisture damage resistance. Grape wood does not hold well under water, and is best suited for dry applications like terrariums. If buying ghostwood, which is a really handsome wood, Koyal Wholesale has it and you can get free shipping if spending $100, which would give you 6-7 excellent pieces of ghostwood. 

http://www.koyalwholesale.com/advan...ult&search_in_description=1&keyword=ghostwood


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## bsantucci (Sep 30, 2013)

I bought a bunch from substratesource.com last week and had a great experience. One piece was missing and I contacted them on Saturday when it arrived, Monday I came home from work to my missing piece. Really great customer service.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

mrpixel said:


> Glad to help.
> Take pictures and post once they come in.


Very happy with these.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

What size are those branches, on their page? I bought a couple 24" branches just recently.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

24 inch. Yours should look like these.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Oh boy! That's exciting. It would seem I vastly over ordered then. At least I'll have a couple to toy with and possibly only use the thicker branches. I think I ordered 3 of these branches. Your tank is 18" tall, right? Or close to?


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

I just wanted to post an update to my previous statement about ghostwood. I spoke with Blooms & Branches, and ghostwood is manzanita burls that have been collected from the desert. No chemical treatment has been used. They also recommend sandblasted manzanita for pet use, and they say the only thing you might want to shy away from is natural red, since they sometimes spray paint it to cover imperfections. But both SB manzanite and "ghostwood" which is manzanita driftwood are pet safe. ALSO do NOT order ghostwood from Koyal as I previously suggested. They DO treat it with chemicals. Blooms and Branches do not.


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

This is what 2 foot "ghostwood" aka manzanita driftwood looks like bought from Blooms and Branches.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

^^ nice pieces!


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Freemananana said:


> Oh boy! That's exciting. It would seem I vastly over ordered then. At least I'll have a couple to toy with and possibly only use the thicker branches. I think I ordered 3 of these branches. Your tank is 18" tall, right? Or close to?


Yep it's 18" tall, 12" wide and 48" long.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Just another 'blooms and branches' vouch. Here is my manzanita pieces. I ordered 3 at $5 a piece, I used one and a half. I think it was $22 total, shipped. 










I'm pleased with what I received for the price I paid. And I have extra.


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## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

I can't see myself spending money on wood. A nice walk through the woods, by a lake, along a river during low tides or after a storm will find you anything you may want. 
Freemanana, just a side note, that looks like a peace lily in the front right of your tank. Def not aquatic, but great for Riparium. 
Also, look into the bark on your manzi wood. I remember reading how it needs to be removed before submersion. I may be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time. If you soak that piece in a bucket for a week or so the bark should pull right off.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

jeepguy said:


> I can't see myself spending money on wood. A nice walk through the woods, by a lake, along a river during low tides or after a storm will find you anything you may want.
> Freemanana, just a side note, that looks like a peace lily in the front right of your tank. Def not aquatic, but great for Riparium.
> Also, look into the bark on your manzi wood. I remember reading how it needs to be removed before submersion. I may be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time. If you soak that piece in a bucket for a week or so the bark should pull right off.


That definitely is a peace lilly. It is coming out. :wink: 

It's a work in progress, but thanks for the advice. Mistakes have definitely been made. But BnB is a good source for decent wood bits.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Freemanana Does that wood still have the red bark on it? Did you get the sand blasted type?


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

jeepguy said:


> I can't see myself spending money on wood. A nice walk through the woods, by a lake, along a river during low tides or after a storm will find you anything you may want.
> Freemanana, just a side note, that looks like a peace lily in the front right of your tank. Def not aquatic, but great for Riparium.
> Also, look into the bark on your manzi wood. I remember reading how it needs to be removed before submersion. I may be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time. If you soak that piece in a bucket for a week or so the bark should pull right off.


Not everyone lives in a location where it's possible or convenient to take a nice walk through the woods. (especially woods where you are permitted to take wood out)


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

BulletToothBoris said:


> Freemanana Does that wood still have the red bark on it? Did you get the sand blasted type?


It has the red bark which I forgot to remove, yup. I'll have to snag it out and do that.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

kman said:


> Not everyone lives in a location where it's possible or convenient to take a nice walk through the woods. (especially woods where you are permitted to take wood out)



Agreed.


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## Witchlizzard (May 15, 2014)

I placed an order yesterday from Blooms and Branches. I used the Paypal method of payment and it said they would send me an invoice. I haven't received one yet.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Might want to email them I guess.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

They are pretty busy to be honest, but calling/emailing is your best bet.


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## Witchlizzard (May 15, 2014)

Okay, since I haven't heard from them yet, I'll email them.


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

Freemananana said:


> It has the red bark which I forgot to remove, yup. I'll have to snag it out and do that.


They do not recommend their bark type manzanita for aquarium use btw, so be careful. They sometimes retouch it with October Brown floral paint, which is useful if you're buying the pieces for wedding centerpieces (their intended purpose). When I called them to clarify they said the two types of pet safe wood would be sandblasted manzanita and ghostwood (aka manaznita burl driftwood)


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

masscolder said:


> They do not recommend their bark type manzanita for aquarium use btw, so be careful. They sometimes retouch it with October Brown floral paint, which is useful if you're buying the pieces for wedding centerpieces (their intended purpose). When I called them to clarify they said the two types of pet safe wood would be sandblasted manzanita and ghostwood (aka manaznita burl driftwood)


I asked about aquarium use specifically too. My box came with a big stamp that said "NO PAINT" and the packing slip had "no paint" written all over it. So at least it wasn't painted!

What's so bad about bark again? I'll have to search. 

Definitely suggest sandblasted though. Saves time and work.


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## planttastic (Feb 28, 2015)

If I manage to find some drift wood from the river, is there any cleaning I should do to the wood other than saying off.


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

Freemananana said:


> I asked about aquarium use specifically too. My box came with a big stamp that said "NO PAINT" and the packing slip had "no paint" written all over it. So at least it wasn't painted!
> 
> What's so bad about bark again? I'll have to search.
> 
> Definitely suggest sandblasted though. Saves time and work.


Oh that's cool! I didn't know you could request it not painted, the gal on the phone didn't give me that option. 

I'm actually personally more concerned with the fact it's fresh harvest / not sundried than the bark. Manzanita is very rot resistant but when dried properly. I'm not sure how fresh harvest holds up, maybe someone with experience with it could shine some light on that one. People use manzanita branches all the time for aquascapes, just wondering if they use fresh harvest. 

As for the bark, the issue could be either the bark would fall apart under water, or it could harbor pests, or it could leech excessive tannins. That would be my guess. 

I chose ghostwood because it's dead/sundried manzanita wood that is sandblasted. This is collected from the desert and otherwise untreated.


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## Witchlizzard (May 15, 2014)

I got the ghostwood and a couple of sandblasted manzanita branches. After I emailed them, they emailed back with a shipping quote and Paypal invoice. Can't wait to see what they look like.


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## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

planttastic said:


> If I manage to find some drift wood from the river, is there any cleaning I should do to the wood other than saying off.


I have collected wood from Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New York, and NEw Jersey. Some pieces from the water, some just in the forest. I have even pulled off the road when I see something of interest. Have to make sure it's dead and insects haven't started to eat it. Solid and light, and I can't dig my fingernail into it to leave a depression is usually my criteria for keeping or leaving. During hikes, fishing trips, walks around parks with my son or on vacation, and most piece are too big to boil so I fill the bathtub with hot water, buy a couple bottles of h2o2, and dump it all in. I haven't had an issue yet. A good scrubbing goes a long way too.


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## planttastic (Feb 28, 2015)

What is h2o2?


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

planttastic said:


> What is h2o2?


Peroxide. You can buy from grocery store. It's inexpensive. 

I wonder if there is a way to collect target species of driftwood. I mean obviously there is with the ghostwood in California. But what about stuff like black locust that is another if not better rot resistant wood? Other ones too:

http://www.garden.org/articles/articles.php?q=show&id=977


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## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

masscolder said:


> Peroxide. You can buy from grocery store. It's inexpensive.
> 
> I wonder if there is a way to collect target species of driftwood. I mean obviously there is with the ghostwood in California. But what about stuff like black locust that is another if not better rot resistant wood? Other ones too:
> 
> http://www.garden.org/articles/articles.php?q=show&id=977


I use a lot of oak in my tanks. Some maple. some I don't know.


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

jeepguy said:


> I use a lot of oak in my tanks. Some maple. some I don't know.


Looks like you can get red mulberry in NJ, and if you went to South/West PA there is some black locust in there (was looking at range maps for these rot resistant trees). The osage orange is Texas. Wonder if these would actually be useful in aquaria..


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

masscolder said:


> I'm actually personally more concerned with the fact it's fresh harvest / not sundried than the bark. Manzanita is very rot resistant but when dried properly. I'm not sure how fresh harvest holds up, maybe someone with experience with it could shine some light on that one. People use manzanita branches all the time for aquascapes, just wondering if they use fresh harvest.
> 
> As for the bark, the issue could be either the bark would fall apart under water, or it could harbor pests, or it could leech excessive tannins. That would be my guess.
> 
> I chose ghostwood because it's dead/sundried manzanita wood that is sandblasted. This is collected from the desert and otherwise untreated.


Fresh harvest is generally a bad idea. It needs to be dry or it will leach tannins, sap, and generally decompose.

In addition to what you listed, bark is much more likely to rot as it gets soaked, dies, and falls off.


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

I think I read somewhere it takes a year to properly sun dry wood?


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## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

Branches that have fallen from trees, with the exception of a disaster, are usually long dead. Branches fall because they have been dead for awhile and wind or snow finally crack the dead wood. 
It's not that big a deal. 
Find a piece. Soak it somehow where it fits. I usually use bathtub or wheel barrel. 
Remove bark.
Disinfect.
Put in your tank. 
Weight if necessary
I feel bad for anyone who can't drive 30 minutes to a park or forest or doesn't find it convenient to go find and explore nature. I live to be in nature and could not live somewhere where this isn't an option.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

I dont feel like driving 36 hours to the desert for mazanita so I'll just order it. I'm from Detroit so most of the wood here probably has aids on it.

Bump: I did look for wood in Key West and Daytona this past year with no luck.


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## TankFreak420 (May 31, 2014)

I read some where it takes year to sun dry too, but I have pecan branches that have been in my backyard 3 years now in the AZ sun and I wouldn't use them.


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## plantastic37 (Nov 4, 2012)

I know this is late in coming and OP you already have the wood of your dreams (which is very cool btw), but if you need a good source of driftwood locally Pruess Pets in Lansing hands down cannot be beat in the state! Not to mention its a destination all in its own. Having a huge selection of Freshwater/Saltwater fish. Exotic Herps and Birds to boot. Has a huge water fall with a rive through the store. I recommend going there at least once.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Cool thanks.


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