Comments on: 14.10.Wood

By: David Bogert

David Bogert — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:46:03 +0000

In reply to Fanofshrimp.

In reply to Fanofshrimp ……… Yes those woods are acceptable

By: Fanofshrimp

Fanofshrimp — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:04:44 +0000

Hi Dave.

I was wondering, is wood from large bushes, like lilac or sagebrush, also ok to toss in an aquarium?

Thanks

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 23:26:33 +0000

In reply to Luke.

In reply to Luke ………………. Just leave the bark on. It won’t hurt anything.

By: Luke

Luke — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 10:55:58 +0000

Hi Dave, loving the learning here. Actually set up my new aquarium applying with this new info and I have a creek stick set up that looks good. It smells a little and has visible bark. Question, does removing the bark matter? Thanks Dave.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:47:08 +0000

In reply to Jayden.

In reply to Jayden ……. You should be just fine using them in a terrarium or an aquarium.

By: Jayden

Jayden — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:30:58 +0000

I recently went dale hollow (last weekend) and found some beautiful cedar stumps that look like they have been dead for some time now (I’m guessing several years). I had to break a couple roots to get them out of the ground and carried them some ways up a mountain. After getting them home I noticed the red heart of the wood and if you put your nose right up against it it has a faint cedar smell where I had broke one of the roots in half. These stumps get exposed for winter when they drain the lake and are submerged during high pool in summer. It is very hard and dry but the faint cedar smell makes me skeptical to use them in a terrarium. What are your thoughts? Should it be safe to use or should I let it sit?

By: Jerzy

Jerzy — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:35:39 +0000

Thank you very much for rapid answer. Could you possible estimate, what time perspective we’re talking about, when it comes to decomposition of mentioned aspen? It’s very light wood and floats like a cork. I’ll try to waterlogg it, fully submerged, for next couple of months but I think I’ll still be forced to glue it fast to the bottom of a tank. And I make my tanks for 3-5 years, gladly longer if everything works there. That would be a failure if I need to dismantle everything after short time because of decomposing chunk of wood. Once again, thank you, great website with precious informations. Greetings from Norway.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:56:00 +0000

In reply to Anonymous.

In reply to anonymous …….. Aspen is perfectly safe in the aquarium. Aspen wood will decompose with time in the aquarium but so will most woods. I wouldn’t worry about it

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 08:23:37 +0000

Thank you very much for very interesting text, I’ve read it all.
Last week I found beautiful trunk with roots floating in the fjord where I work. I cut the part I thought is interesting and gave it good session with high pressure wash to remove all dirt. I removed bark too. Effect is mesmerising and it would make amazing centerpiece in 90cm long aquarium that I plan. The only problem is, that there’s big chance it’s aspen (judging from the rests of bark found on the piece) and there’s many opinions on internet against using aspen in aquarium. Do you have any experience with aspen? I have possibility to keep it in fresh water for months to check on it but the last thing I want is to use all this time and effort to find out it starts to decompose after a year in aquarium.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:15:19 +0000

In reply to Keith.

In reply to Keith ……….. Fruit tree wood is just fine in the aquarium.