I grabbed this from another forum.
So the concensus on the info on safe wood is:
Sycamore...
Apple, bark on ok
Pear
Cherry
Fruit wood should be dried thoroughly because of the sugary sap
Heather wood, the twiggy bits great for nano tanks
Oak, ok with bark
Beech
Hawthorn
Birch must be totally dry (no sap) and free of bark because it contains pitch
eucalyptus check this as some leach oil for a long time
cork bark
Maybe's - probably avoid
Maple is contentious… some say yes, some say no, so probably avoid it
Hazel - mixed opinions on this one,
Definate no's are:
PINE (that's where turps comes from)
YEW, totally toxic.
lilac, seeds are poisonous,
ivy poisonous
Grape rots very quickly
Cedar
Cypress
Spruce
(Avoid anything with a cone on it!)
Sumac
Walnut (has been known to kill cattle so a few tetra's aint gonna last long)
Horse chestnut - conkers are poisonous when young and fresh
There are a huge amount of documented ways to prep it too. The safest is the old favourite… boil it for a few hours or more.
What about bigger pieces that are impossible to boil…Some bake them in the oven, some strip the bark and give it a pour over with boiling water.
Nothing definative really, so I would suggest, be safe where possible and boil it.
No mention of willow yet *crazy*
I'll keep looking, or if anyone has any experience with any of the ones mentioned please add to the list
So the concensus on the info on safe wood is:
Sycamore...
Apple, bark on ok
Pear
Cherry
Fruit wood should be dried thoroughly because of the sugary sap
Heather wood, the twiggy bits great for nano tanks
Oak, ok with bark
Beech
Hawthorn
Birch must be totally dry (no sap) and free of bark because it contains pitch
eucalyptus check this as some leach oil for a long time
cork bark
Maybe's - probably avoid
Maple is contentious… some say yes, some say no, so probably avoid it
Hazel - mixed opinions on this one,
Definate no's are:
PINE (that's where turps comes from)
YEW, totally toxic.
lilac, seeds are poisonous,
ivy poisonous
Grape rots very quickly
Cedar
Cypress
Spruce
(Avoid anything with a cone on it!)
Sumac
Walnut (has been known to kill cattle so a few tetra's aint gonna last long)
Horse chestnut - conkers are poisonous when young and fresh
There are a huge amount of documented ways to prep it too. The safest is the old favourite… boil it for a few hours or more.
What about bigger pieces that are impossible to boil…Some bake them in the oven, some strip the bark and give it a pour over with boiling water.
Nothing definative really, so I would suggest, be safe where possible and boil it.
No mention of willow yet *crazy*
I'll keep looking, or if anyone has any experience with any of the ones mentioned please add to the list