While cutting and busting up wood for the fireplace, I came across some decent looking logs/roots. I know I have a piece of basswood, it would work perfect as a cave. The others are pine, and I think birch is the other. Also I gathered some river rocks to use. Im thinking about setting up a river/lake look in my 55g rather then selling it lol. Basically I plan to use river rocks, some oak leaf to go on the bottom, and the wood I think would look great. Any extra info would be awesome to have too
I collect and use native wood and roots I find without any problems....this last piece was from the fire wood pile...lol.....I keep a rain barrel in front of my house that I keep my native collect wood in to help water log it....some takes longer than others and some never will sink so I have to drill it and attach usually a native collected rock and fishing line so it will stay down...lol.....
Wood is collected some place...be it in your own back yard or someplace else.....most store bought is sand blasted and scrubbed, soaked etc....some naturally is heavy and sinks other have to be water logged or slate attached to keep it underwater
When I collect wood-I scrub it, get any bark off and soak it-I will often use a spoon and dig out any soft spots-some I boil and some I don't-however, they may release tannins if you don't boil and soak it for a long time...really big pieces you can use the dishwasher hot setting with no detergents.
Try and stay away from pine, cedar trees and vines-they can leach sap forever and pollute the tank...also black walnut trees due to the juglone toxin they can emit and kill the fish
Naturally dead/dried is best
Sometimes native woods will break down faster and carry insect as well as have a fungus that will grow on them-my fish, shrimp, snails- usually will eat the insect and the fungus and if not the bugs die and the white fungus will resolve on it own with time-I have never had any deaths related to native collected wood or rocks I use in my aquariums, however, it never hurt to make an extra water changes and always observe the fish/livestock for any problems and remove native collected items when a new problem pops up...
Be careful and use common sense with native collected items....
Thanks for the input. Basically my plans are a "native" setup I plan to setup the tank and later when the warmer weather rolls in, catch some bluegill or something. Been watching a lot of native fish setups on youtube from people catching them and others. Though I do plan to research the fish a lot more and other types of native and local fish.
That will be a neat tank....when I collected I had several native tanks and loved them...in my area we have lots of neat species that will do well in 55g tanks that are pretty colorful to boot.....I love the pumpkinseed perch really beautiful fish-never got any breeding/spawning but that was not my goal....they can be messy fish...lol....I had gar, striped bass, perch, catfish in the big tanks and darter, shinners perch in other tanks...hard to keep plants with the big guys and most perch...but they love wood and sand and leaves substrate...parasites can be a problem depending on the time of year you collect-cold month best....since I use natural methods I used fresh crushed garlic in the food I made for them from crappie fillets and spinach paste I made for them and froze in large batches....lol....bass and cats can eat...laffs....and of course lot of red worms and grasshoppers....lol....loved watching the native tanks....
If you have just bluegill-use sand and leaves for the substrate and I bet you will get spawning-they dig pits..pretty cool.....no heater needed either....beautiful fish too.....
Remember check your local laws with native collection and keeping and once you have them in the home aquarium you can't release them back into the native habitat in most states.......
I use to enjoy catching the bluegill, and the rare rainbow trout <-- good eaten lol. It might be awhile for picture time, as I plan to gather plants and all from the river but right now that water is COLD!!! Also it iced over and killed most of the live plants growing in the shallows.
Oh, that basswood I cut from a dead tree but it was still kinda fresh looking on the cuts. Would that be ok to go ahead and setup and work with in the tank or should I let it dry or just not even use it? Im told once its dry it is very light wood, they use it to make the little airplane toys. It looks nice and would be a great cave perhaps.
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