# Where to buy little driftwood?



## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

Is that 10 watts of flourescent light? 2wpg of flourescent light on a 5 gal tank is actually pretty good. Especially if you're only growing low light plants. The downside of low light plants is that most of them grow slow.



> what is the point of driftwood? like what is it exactly and why does it appeal to people with aquariums? does driftwood add to the ecosystem quality of planted fish tanks or sumtin?


 :lol: Thats hilarious. well for starters, it looks natural, if you have algae eaters they love to chew on it, you can anchor certain plants to it and they'll take root to the driftwood. The main reason though is, it just looks good.

Marcel


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

sweet. i want a piece. but where can i buy one online with a photo of actual piece? petco/petsmart don't seem to carry it. ive gone to several different aquarium stores. :help:


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

You are not going to find it on-line with a photo of each piece. No merchant is going to spend $10 to photograph and list each piece of $2 driftwood. You are going to need to hit your LFS and look around. I can't believe that none of the stores you have gone to don't have drift wood.


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## mario (Feb 5, 2003)

Floridadriftwood.com sells their driftwood with pictures of the actual piece. Currently they only have very few small pieces, but here is the link anyway. Good luck... mario


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Best place I've found for driftwood is actually Ebay. Just bought this gorgeous piece for my 15g... Driftwood on Ebay. They've got plenty of pieces that are smaller, though.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

The best place I have found for driftwood is the river about 15 minutes from my house :mrgreen:

There is always something to be found... as long as it looks like it was fully submerged for a long time, is heavy and looks nice... perfect.

Did I mention the price? An afternoon spent at the river... priceless!


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## jonah (Nov 29, 2002)

Wasserpest said:


> The best place I have found for driftwood is the river about 15 minutes from my house :mrgreen:
> 
> There is always something to be found... as long as it looks like it was fully submerged for a long time, is heavy and looks nice... perfect.
> 
> Did I mention the price? An afternoon spent at the river... priceless!


I was thinking the same thing. Every pond, creek, river and lake within a hundred miles of my house has tons of driftwood, small and large. It's actually easier with small pieces, you can boil them before adding to your tank.


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

is driftwood just anywood that is "drifting". this summer i mite go to a state park or sumthing and out of the city. maybe i will find some. can u describe driftwood and how do identify? are there different types?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

An ideal piece of wood should NOT drift. It should be really heavy, full of water and sink immediately. If it is dry, the rotting process will start under water, which is not a good thing. It should be completely done rotting. No more fresh wood.
You should be looking for "drift"wood from flowing water, like rivers, instead of lakes. After a long time in a river most of the tannins and whatnot have leached out of the wood, that will minimize the impact on water chemistry in your tank.
Don't forget to clean it thoroughly with a stiff brush, or if it fits in a pot, cook it a little to avoid introducing strange new creatures to your tropical fish community :mrgreen:


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Here is a piece I found in a pond down the road earlier this year...

Most wood you find locally is OK to use but to be sure it does not buffer water or bleed to many tanins into your water column I would suggest a good boiling and or soaking for a while and check the water that it is in.

Also I try to find wood that is very hard (no rot at all) and I try to take it from water areas that have constant water flow over wood. Many insects lay eggs in wood and it could be disastrous to have a hatch in your house, and YES... that is from personal experience !

My wife was none to pleased with me a few years back when my tank and hood (and living room) was overrun with some bizarre looking critters. 

Its much more fun and inexpensive finding pieces in lakes and streams the just going out and buying the same ole thing for an aquarium! 

8)


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

wow. that piece looks nice. hopefully i can find one that is good. i need a really small one tho because i have a 5.5 gallon planted. if this planted tank goes wel, i mite be able to convince my parents to let me plant my other tanks. im on a pretty limited budget.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Find yourself a stream and look at eroded banks where trees border it, many times you will find exposed root systems with some dead hardened pieces in the water below, the piece I just showed you in that photo is the root of a bush.


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

hah. i would be very lucky to find that. i live in a big city and im just a kid. i can't drive myself anywhere. hah.


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## geekgirl (Feb 4, 2003)

hey evan, I have three small pieces of driftwood. Any one would be the right size for a 5.5 gallon tank. I would send one to you for $5 (cause shipping would be about that,) if you want it. Let me know, and I will send you pics so you can choose one. I can also send you some plant cuttings.

Stacey


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

cool. could i see some pics and like measurements? thnx again.


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## geekgirl (Feb 4, 2003)

aah, cyberspace ate my post. I just looked and photo'd. I only have 2 of the pieces. I forgot I used one in my little tank when I redid it. 

I've been having trouble with attaching files. I'm going to try imbedding the pic. If it doesn't show, PM me with your email addy and I'll send it directly to you.


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## geekgirl (Feb 4, 2003)

yay, it worked! Okay the piece on the left is almost completely bleached out. It will not release tannin into your water. It was in my tank for a LONG time. The piece on the right has never been in water since it was harvested. They were both labeled "african driftwood," so I have no idea of the particular type, but you don't have to weight them. They will sink even when dry.

The reverse side of the left piece is slightly knottier. The reverse of the right piece is very smooth.

I do recommend you simmer any wood you get though. Even the "cured" piece could harbor little nasties you don't want in the tank. A good simmering will make it safe.


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

cool. 8) im not sure if they will fit in my tank tho. im planning on adding quite a few plants. what do you think? these are my tank measurements

16" width, 9" depth, 10" height + about 3 inches gravel. so actually about 7 inches water level.


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

do you think the piece on the left will stand if it is turned left 90 degrees in relation to that picture?


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## geekgirl (Feb 4, 2003)

No, it wouldn't stand unless you buried a substantial part of it in the gravel. You could mount it on a piece of slate though, and bury the slate. It would take a fair amount of room, but if you're into the driftwood look, you don't really want a little tiny piece.


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## mandi0808 (Mar 25, 2003)

Evan, if you are in Dallas, there is a store called Boutique Pets on Garland Road by White Rock Lake. They carry driftwood. That is where I have gotten all of mine. Their number is 214 321-1219.


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

damn. i just called them. they are 17 miles from my house. that is going to be a long drive. i hope they have some good pieces. i have to convince my parents to take me, and my mom is on a business trip. damn damn damn. :evil:


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## hubbahubbahehe (Sep 13, 2003)

hey wasserpest, is monterey really a good area to get driftwood??? i been to a river here that drains to the bay.....but the wood is not nice like asian driftwood


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## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

I actually went and bought two big pieces for my larger tanks. I took a hammer and chisel and broke off pieces for my nano tanks. (I figured sawing would be unnatural looking).

Ray


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

hubbahubbahehe said:


> hey wasserpest, is monterey really a good area to get driftwood??? i been to a river here that drains to the bay.....but the wood is not nice like asian driftwood


There are some nice streams South of Monterey, like in the Los Padres Mountains, Arroyo Seco area, around Big Sur... You can find amazing driftwood around Yosemite (Merced River).

The other day I went hiking in the mountains, and after about 4 miles I found this awsome piece of wood. Waterlogged, it weights about 40 lbs (my estimate). With lots of swearing and sweating I carried it back home. As heavy as it is, it doesn't sink completely. It's swimming in my pond right now. Either it sinks by itself one day, or I schlepp it back to the river, and tie it to something and let the water run over it another half year, or it becomes a "dry ornament" in my backyard. Choices, choices...


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## hubbahubbahehe (Sep 13, 2003)

omg that thing's a beast!


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

anyone with experience from Aquariumdriftwood.com ??


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## hubbahubbahehe (Sep 13, 2003)

aquariumdriftwood.com?? fuuuuggggetttaaaboutit!! go to wasserpest.com!!! ehehe just kidding....sorry, no i haven't


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

well...I might have to make a weekend trip up the canyon  plenty of streams up there.


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## AquaTony (Jan 21, 2004)

I like drift wood that is attached to a slate. It appears more natural to me because it looks like a trunk of a tree. The two pieces I have in each of my tanks appear to be coming out of the ground naturally. In my opinion this is more natural in appearance and in some cases makes a big visual impact without taking up a lot of space in the tank. In both of my tanks with wood, the fish can swim all the way around the wood.

I've bought my driftwood from various shops, I always tend to look around for stuff that I might need in the future. You could make a peice like this as well, you'll need a peice of slate at least 1/4 inch thick. You'd have to be able to make at least a couple of holes in it. Then cut one side of the wood to make a flat surface and screw the wood to the slate. I don't think most people have the slate and tools at home to make this, but it would be fun.

On another note, we are in the nano tank forum. I haven't and probably won't put any drift wood in my smallest tank, 4 gallon. I have never seen a peice of wood that would look natural in there. I think when you start to get to tanks of less than 10 gallons it becomes increasingly difficult. I've read somewhere that people search for and collect rocks that are small, but can be used to make an aquascape appear much larger. In fact, people have paid a lot of money for rocks that are very detailed. I would suggest that finding the right peice of wood for a nano tank could take on a life of its own.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I didn't even realize this is in the Nano section  

I think it is easier to find small pieces than suitable large pieces. If you go out collecting, you'd have to look in areas with slower current. But there is an infinite variety of smaller root pieces, suitable for nanos. Just need to scale it down in your mind. With some carefully selected decorations you can make the tank look much bigger than it really is.

The slate idea is great. I had a piece of wood leaning against the rear glass, and it would always fall over. Finally I used a rubber sucker and rubber banded it... now it stays. A slate would have been a better solution. How do you drill holes into them, without breaking them and going through lots of drills?


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## hubbahubbahehe (Sep 13, 2003)

LOL i didn' tknow it was in the nano section either wasserpest......hey, did it get moved?? =P


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## AquaTony (Jan 21, 2004)

How do you drill holes into them, without breaking them and going through lots of drills?[/quote]

Good question, like I said I've always shopped for mine. I asked some guys around work. We agreed there must be a way to drill it. I know that one of the pieces that I bought was drilled. Roofers that work with slate roofs use a special hammer and simply make a tiny hole, good luck with that. I don't see why you couldn't use another material that would be easier to work with as long as it doesn't leach into the water. It wouldn't even have to be heavy since it will be covered by the substrate.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

You are right, acrylic would probably work just as well. As long as the wood isn't too heavy and falls over anyway, rescaping your tank while doing that :hehe:


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## BonesCJ (Jan 13, 2003)

I wish there was some way I could get pics of the nice pieces of driftwood one of our local pet stores has, like piles of it and its good root wood, sinks right off the bat. I have it in all my aquariums and they sell it for $3.95 a lb, so a small piece i just bought only cost 3 dollars. If people were intrested I could see about what it would cost to purchase it here and ship it too you.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

BonesCJ said:


> I wish there was some way I could get pics of the nice pieces of driftwood one of our local pet stores has...


I am sure this has some ppl interested. Could you just take a camera and snap a shot? Maybe after asking them if it is okay? I can't imagine they would mind.

What kind of wood is it? Do you know where they get it from?

For larger pieces, it would probably get expensive. But for smaller ones, someone might take you up on your generous offer.


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## BonesCJ (Jan 13, 2003)

i'll see if i can't find out.


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## yv1 (Sep 26, 2003)

i have a completely different suggestion that works beautifully in my 5 gallon....

BIRD ACCESSORIES! I bought a plastic, yes plastic 'bird perch' decoration and covered it with moss...and it looks quite nice when the moss grows in. no worrying about water contamination or anything  
they are branchy and have a nice shape. just weigh it down with a piece of rock tied to the bottom...

lets see if i can get a good pic.......


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## yv1 (Sep 26, 2003)

heres a b4 and after shot...in my 8 gallon (larger piece) with java moss










and heres one in my 5 gallon with x-mas moss growing out on it...










and here's another xmas moss piece in my other 5 gallon, you can see how i tied the rock to the bottom to keep it upright...










i highly recommend the plastic wood, once its covered up with moss you can't even tell its plastic


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