just what all types of wood have ppl used?

[rattler_mt]

i live up in the middle of nowhere and getting "viv appropriate" wood is a pain and expensive. you wouldnt believe what a chunk of grapewood costs me. i have a couple pieces of ghost wood and one large piece of grapewood in two tanks. so far so good. the grapewood hasnt molded any that i can see even with me spraying it heavily a couple times a day.

i want to build and plant tank. its roughly 4 feet long, 12 inches wide and 18 inches tall. my conversion program says its roughly 44 gallons. in order for me to get enough grapewood/cypress/ghostwood to do what i want, its going to cost me the equvilant of a couple car payments which is unacceptable. i was wondering if anyone has used cottonwood? ive got tons of the stuff around, some of it is probably 8 years old or more. i realize it may not be the best or last the longest but if i can get 5 years or so out of it i would be happy, i have my doubts about me leaving a tank up that long before i get the urge to tear it down and try something new. plus ive got so much around here i can be quite choosey about what shapes and pieces i want to use. i fugure purchasing a couple pieces of cypress or ghost wood for the extreamly wet areas around a pond but doing the rest in cottonwood where its not so soaked.

anyone care to comment?

oh and does anyone know what ghostwood is? if i didnt know any better i would say it looks like the cedar we have around here after its been exposed to the elements out on the prairie for 5 or 6 years.

[slaytonp]

I have used collected manzanita, mountain mahogany (sand blasted roots, not branches) all of which are very dense hard woods that last a long time in wet conditions. The latter grows in only certain zones in the Sierras and finding old uprooted trees would be a rare even now. I also understand Osage Orange is a good one, but that doesn't grow in my area, so I've never tried it.

Cottonwood is very soft and loose grained, so deteriorates rapidly under moist conditions.

[mnchartier]

I have used the ghost wood and cypress, but started to use Malaysain driftwood, with no problems. I have about 5 or 6 medium sized pieces in one tank that have started growing moss by it self. You can get this from a lot of aquarium stores and Dr Fosters on-line, better to try to find local to pick out pieces