Anyne using locally sourced/found/scrounged hardscape?

[Corbidorbidoodle]

I'm really in to finding a cheaper way to do things. I do most of my home and auto maintenance. I get most of my aquarium stuff second hand on CL or whatever.

I'm really in to getting driftwood and rocks from the rivers near my house. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so rivers and wood are plentiful. I've got four tanks with hardware store substrate and all hardscape I've found near my house. I think they look decent, and they're free. The stuff you can buy at the shop is way cooler, and more interesting. But I just prefer to save the money when I can. I do try to be aware of what I'm picking up. I've read a bit and try to avoid certain kinds of rocks and wood. All the wood is hardwood, cept for a cool piece of cedar, that seems to be okay...

Do any of you like to scape with self-sourced accoutrements? What're the best pieces you've found? Any mistakes?

 

[Wrencher_Scott]

Yep, my rocks are all smooth granite from my flower beds. I don't do wood, all I think of when I think of wood is something to rot and breed bacteria. 

[JettsPapa]

I only have wood in my 65 gallon tank, but it's all bois d'arc that I picked up out in the pasture when I was checking cows.  I brought it home, rinsed it with a hose, and dropped it in the tank.  It's so hard and dense that it sank on its own in about two days.

When I was setting up my first tank I added a big piece of petrified wood that I'd had outside in the yard.  Evidently it was hollow, because ants floated up out of it for several days after I put it in the tank.

[Colu]

Nice tanks I have use Manzanita wood or bogwood I haven't foraged for wood  

[Brandon p]

I used local wood all the time. I also use big coral rocks that are everywhere here. I use moss from my own yard. I don’t worry to much I do know the poisonous trees are. After most wood is dead and total dried out over time, but here there lots trees that will kill animaLs not just fish if the sap is eaten. As things like moss I worry that one of the other plants growing in the moss. Now I have done this a so much that I still look for the weeds I don’t know. As for the rocks not worries

Rocks from the lot next lot

wood is local found. The moss trees in the next pics the branches are from live oak tres or a shady lady with moss.

the first is a shady lady branch but the moss is bought, it was left over it is hair cap moss. The second is oak and moss from the yard. It is really impressing me the moss is grow from the tree it’s not the moss that was glued on. . this the moss I used that’s from the yard. The bottom tank was completely covered at one point by the moss. I took pieces for tress and moved tothervtanks.

[DjNEOda1]

I've used driftwood from Lake Erie. 

[PineSong]

I used rocks from Lake Michigan. I have picked up wood from the lake but not used it yet. Your tanks look great and I don’t think anyone would think “if only he had store-bought hard scape…”!

[OnlyGenusCaps]

I go to rock yards and pick out rocks I like.  We don't have the biggest selection of landscaping rocks around me, mostly limestone based stuff.  But fortunately I have very hard water, so it doesn't matter much if I use lime based rocks.  I've been going to rock yards for aquarium rocks since I was a kid.  When the stone is solid by the ton, aquarium quantities can be purchased with the change in your pocket.  I'm (slowly but very slowly) working on a larger tank, and not long ago got 400lbs of rock for about $20. 

[Corbidorbidoodle]

Ooh, I'm gonna check that out. There's a rock place right next to where I work.

[Tanked]

I haven't found any wood that I like well enough or is suitable to use.  I'm still looking.  The only thing close to a mistake was the small piece of marble that almost hit me when it fell off of a building.  Over the years it has slowly melted away and now looks like a blob of softened butter.  All of the other rocks are locally scavenged from streams, lakes, bank parking lots...

[Cajun Charlie]

I have a few pieces of petrified wood, and two coprolites (petrified "road apples"), all collected some years ago in the middle of the Arabian desert.  I used most of the petrified wood for vertical interest, but when my plants started taking up so much room, I retired most of it.  Now I have only three small flat pieces, and two vertical ones that partially obscure my Fluval U3 submersible filter and the lift tube for the undergravel filter.  I don't have any substrate.  My old undergravel filter is topped with a 40 lb., $4.99 bag of local Texas river rock from Rob's Hardware.  I don't have a photo on this tablet, but you can see the petrified stuff at 

.

[Nyssa]

I actually just put in a bunch of rocks into my second 55 that I found at a local park by a pond. They're really nice for adding some texture and interest, and I'm already planning another trip with a bigger bag 🤣

 

I also have a collection of "that's a really nice stick" sticks that I was too nervous to try in my tanks, but after reading through this thread I might just give them a shot after all!

[Brandon p]

On 3/17/2022 at 9:39 AM, Corbidorbidoodle said:

Ooh, I'm gonna check that out. There's a rock place right next to where I work.

If you go to stone work company’s they will domes times give broken pieces or charge a small price. I got black slate ones from one

[sumplkrum]

I have a bunch of driftwood, rocks, and shells that I've scrounged off the beach.

I recommend boiling anything before using it in a tank. You'll get rid of any nasties, extra salt, gunk, and wood tends to sink better after it's boiled.

[Nyssa]

On 3/21/2022 at 3:40 PM, sumplkrum said:

I have a bunch of driftwood, rocks, and shells that I've scrounged off the beach.

I recommend boiling anything before using it in a tank. You'll get rid of any nasties, extra salt, gunk, and wood tends to sink better after it's boiled.

Definitely be careful of boiling rocks, they can have hidden air pockets... and generally that wouldn't end well. 😳

[Corbidorbidoodle]

Dinosaur turds would be so cool to have in a tank, or on a display, or whatever.

I've found a few pieces of petrified wood at this river we like to hang out at. They're not great, but I have them kinda displayed on this book shelf. They'll go in to a tank eventually.