help please :)

[drich]

what bark does not mold or rot other than cork bark cause cork is expensive!!!!!!


thanks,
drich

 

[phoenixxavierre]

what bark does not mold or rot other than cork bark cause cork is expensive!!!!!!


thanks,
drich

Depends on what size container, how much air flow and how much moisture you add. There's always boiling your bark prior to placement, then allowing it to dry out some. The barks I've boiled didn't mold to the best of my recollection. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken.

I should add that I myself don't normally boil bark, but then I don't usually have any problems with mold unless it's a very moist, very small enclosure, such as a vial. In larger enclosures such as a tank I have rarely had mold problems, regardless of the type of bark I've used. I usually go for the curved bark of any type, particularly if it has a knot/hold in the bark.

Basically, if the bark is soaked all the time, it'll grow mold. I have bark in some of my tanks, but I only mist about 3 times a month, and apparently that's not enough to cause it to mold or there simply isn't any mold present. And I just used some curved tree bark I found outside, no boiling involved. No mold yet, but then I live in the high desert, too.

 

[andrews87]

What species of T are you talking about exactly ? Some are better off with nothing, Cork Bark works great (Especially with real plants if your looking for the Natural setup), but it all really depends on the species, size of the container, as well as the substrate to how well it works for you. T's hate change, so I would pick whatever makes the T happy as well as yourself and stick with that. Good Luck !

 

[esotericman]

Nothing. Cork is made up of suberized cells, which is a waxy polymer which does not allow water through, furthermore, those cells were dead while still hanging on the tree! All other woods are full of sugars and meant to move water, thus will suck it up and hold it, giving bacteria and fungi a chance to break it down.

Now then, all woody plants have "cork", it is just that the cork oak has LOTS OF IT, which is why we use it.

I have used ash, sycamore, and elm cork in my aquaria before, and they perform well enough for my standards, but then again, I understand that when you give micro-organisms food and water they are going to grow. Thus rot will always happen unless things are bone dry or inorganic.

My suggestion is to relax, and let the rot happen.

 

[drich]

ya i live in florida and i could get something out of my back yard but no cork bark but can i use palm tree bark?

 

[PitViper]

I'm in Maryland and the tanks I don't have cork bark in, I have wood and pieces of logs from outside that i heat treated in the oven and I have never had any problems with mold or rot, I have logs from outside in 3 of my avicularia tanks.

 

[fartkowski]

I have always used pieces I got from the park.
I don't even bake it at all.
From the park, to the cage.
I have never had any problems.
Been doing it for years.

 

[esotericman]

Sadly "palm" could be nearly any plant, some are safe, some I wouldn't use. The fibers in most of those sorts of plants will eventually separate with age, but that's not a risk to your animal. Any "bark" which has NO odor should be OK.

 

[drich]

a palm tree its like 25 feet tall

 

[esotericman]

True palms are nothing more than giant grasses, but in common names, many cycads are called "palms", they're NOT the same. I wouldn't touch a cycad for hobby use, they're quite toxic and filled with carcinogens. Just like in our hobby, common names are a deadly trap with plants.

 

[drich]

so what should i use?

 

[Rue]

Cork. And if you don't want to pay for that, poplar, or some of the other woods that were suggested...