Driftwood Dominated Tanks

graphicdesign_r said:
Nothing like strip mining the rainforests so we can have beautiful tanks!

Kudos to those of you who use local/eco friendly stuff and make it work. I have what I believe is Malaysian wood, but it was given to me by someone who got out of fishkeeping.
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It’s "fine" that you think anyone will strip mine a tropical rainforest for driftwood. For timber, yes, there is deforestation. Driftwood would be burned and used for fuel if people like me didn’t want to use it for their fish tanks.
 
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Btw, every year during the rain season, the rivers flood. Tons and tons of driftwood gets beached when the dry season comes. No boats or hooks are needed to collect the stuff.
 
Thanks guys, the wood sank in one day in the tank, no weights needed!

chefkeith, you might want to double check the driftwood thing. Most sinking driftwood is quite old, 100-1000 yrs old...or so they say. I would believe most driftwood is renewable except for the ancient root driftwood. But as someone else said, using it as driftwood is a better use than burning it on a fire! This wood is a work in progress I need better stuff, maybe in the spring.
 
lousybreed said:
chefkeith, you might want to double check the driftwood thing. Most sinking driftwood is quite old, 100-1000 yrs old...or so they say. I would believe most driftwood is renewable except for the ancient root driftwood. But as someone else said, using it as driftwood is a better use than burning it on a fire! This wood is a work in progress I need better stuff, maybe in the spring.
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Yep, it’s old alright. There's no telling how long it's been weathered. I imagine it has spent about 6 months submerged, followed by 6 months baking in the sun; repeatedly every year for who knows how long.

Malaysian driftwood can last for many years (20+) in our tanks also, but I hear it can rot prematurely if you boil it first.
 
My new driftwood

I'll contribute a couple pictures of my new driftwood to this thread.

Neither piece had completely sunk yet in this picture but they since have and I've removed the extra chunks of slate rock that you see here.

The upright piece is a hollow low, but it's hard to tell from the picture. The fish can swim right down through the entire thing.

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Both of these pieces were collected by a lady in Hannibal, Missouri. I picked them up from her house. How's that for local?
 
bladeruner143 said:
I think it is a lot better to buy it from the lfs because you run really no risk any of any harm to your fish, and c'mon we've all spent a ton of money on our tanks for the most part, whats 7.99? (which is actuall a high price for driftwood!!!)
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My LFS has nothing under $15 with most in the $22-$27 range. Wish mine was that reasonable.
 
graphicdesign_r said:
OK so you're just a :troll: . That's fine, have fun with that. Enjoy being a misanthrope.
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The rest of the world isn’t as terrible as you think. You really should try to be more positive.

I'm not an expert, but I strive to learn. I've studied this part of the world mostly because that's where my clown loaches are from. I've often thought of traveling to this region (Borneo/Sumatra) to be part of field study on Clown Loach Migration and Spawning. Maybe someday I’ll make plans to go if I can be with the right people. My past experiences make me want to play it safe though. I’ve been fortunate enough to make a living boating through the Great Lakes/NY State Canal System / ICW (Intercoastal) /Atlantic Ocean as a First Mate/Cook/Deckhand delivering boats. I feel that my experience (many not so pleasant) of travel on the water for weeks/months at a time has given me a far better understanding of the water. Being on the water was downright scary when the weather was bad, but the people I meet along the way made it all worthwhile.

Anyways, peace to you.
 
Took my ball and went home.

Sorry, sometimes fighting the good fight can only be done by abstaining from the discussion. Two questions and I'm staying away from this thread/topic:

If the trees in the rainforest are not a renewable resource at the current rate of deforestation, how is the driftwood used as a habitat for local species going to replenish itself?

If a tree falls in the woods and no environmentalists are around to complain would anyone care?

Not picking another fight on this, as I said I'm outta here, but it's food for thought.
 
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