[skabooya]

Can Cedar be used in a tank? I found a cedar tree that was uprooted during a storm a few years ago and im wondering if i can take its root system for my tank. There is also a lot of cedar wood pieces by the river that would look amazing in a tank. So ya, can Cedar be used??

 

[Rex Grigg]

I have a sneaking feeling that cedar could be toxic in a tank.

 

[spypet]

skab, ceder is used in ship building,
but that does not mean it's safe
for a freshwater aquarium.

take a small piece, clean and soak it as you would any driftwood.
then place the wood in a container of tank water you saved from
a water change. if a slime grows on it within 2 weeks undisturbed
then it will probably biodegrade in your tank, and should not be used.

as for it diffusing toxins, I defer to more knowledgeable people here.

 

[RoseHawke]

I agree with Rex. If someone has some firsthand experience hopefully they'll chime in. I know that aromatic Eastern Red Cedar should be a no-no. I find it odd that it was always recommended (when I was into birds) that it not be used around birds, yet I see birdhouses and feeders all over the place made out of the stuff.) I'm assuming that since Western Cedar is naturally resistant to insects and decay that if nothing else it wouldn't do the invertebrates much good.

I could be wrong (I frequently am .)

 

[yoink]

I wouldn't try it. It is said to be toxic to small animals.

 

[skabooya]

alright. Your opinions are good enough for me no cedar it is.
Now if i was to find a nice piece of driftwood what can and cant be used. Im assuming softwood is no good and hardwood would be awsome right?

 

[spypet]

Petsmart ships throughout Canada. perhaps you should start there. I know you live around a lot of woods, but all the wood used submerged in aquariums is from more temperate zones of the planet, so maybe there is a reason for that.
I live around tons of great rocks with all the glaciers that went through here eons ago. but the problem with them is they are mostly laced with alkaline limestone, so I can't just just pick up any rock and throw them in my tank either.

http://stores.petsmart.com/petsmart/

 

[mistergreen]

Cedar is a popular wood because it can withstand weather & pest & fungus..
It has a chemical in its resin that'll kill or retard the pests.

 

[billionzz]

I've had a large cedar stump in a 120 gallon tank for the last couple of years.
I have shrimp and Discus in the tank and it has never been a problem.

I read some post before (I think by Tom Barr) stating that they have a lot of cedar in an aquarium in Atlanta.

I live by the bay in Texas and this cedar is called swamp cedar. I always boil my driftwood in a large crawfish pot outside, out of all of the different pieces of driftwood I have boiled the cedar was the cleanest.

Bill

 

[Rex Grigg]

Cedar is a large group of wood. The cedar that we are talking about is a soft wood. And it does contain chemicals that make it naturally resistant to rot and such. Hence the warnings.

It's also a soft wood which should always be avoided in the aquarium. Southern cedars are hard woods for the most part.

 

[SCMurphy]

As Rex notes it is entirely dependent on which species of cedar you are using. I have a lot of cedar drift wood from Florida which was extremely weathered when I bought it. I wouldn't suggest using a fresh or even recently dead cedar, maybe one that had spent the last 8-10 years in a stream or river.

Out there in BC you could look for a seller of manzanita wood couldn't you? A wood that is from closer to where you live might cost you less.

 

[cherokeetestpilot]

HI there,

Just my 2 cents. I have a piece of cedar root that has been in my tank for about 6 months with no problems to any of the inhabitants. There are RCS, oto's and a couple of zebra danio's that were hatched in the tank(with the cedar in it). All are doing great. The piece of cedar in there was very old when I found it and completely dried out. I boiled it and treated it accordingly and all is good.