Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm thinking about building a wooden old west scene to put in my 55gal aquarium. Basically, I want it to look like the store fronts like you always see in movies. Any ideas what woods I should use and which woods I should avoid. Any other suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Well, you should avoid wood that has an odor, like pine, snadalwood, cedar...

Any wood that you get from someplace other than the pet store ought to be boiled with a few changes of water, so particle board (or anything else with glue in it, for that matter) is definitely out too.

I'd be more concerned about the glue. What are you going to use? aquarium silicone? Gets a little stringy for model work, doesn't it?

I hear hot glue may be Ok, but that's a little thick too, isn't it? you may want to experiment with just any old stuff to see if the glue will be OK before you get too worried about what kind of wood to use.

I'm not sure what kind of glue to use either. Possibly TitebondII? I know i'll need to use some glue, plus I was hoping to use galvanized nails. Would the galv. nails be a problem?

Where are some good on-line sites for purchasing aquarium decorations?

thanks

EWW! I would not use nails.

I dunno about titebond, sounds like you're gonna be building some awful thick scenery if you need nails. Would this stuff be a little large for model railroad work? If so, hot glue may be fine. I know it's safe for an aquarium, and this may be a bigger concern than you realize.

I haven't been able to find any good aquarium decoration stores myself. I know second nature, and top fin make a lit of the decorations.

Have you considered looking into reptile and bird cage decorations? some of the companies that make really wild decorations design them to be safe for all three.