wondering about a certain kind of wood.....

[ChinnyMom]

hey all,

i've looked over the safe/unsafe wood list and have not seen mopani listed on either. i have access to mopani wood (i use it in my fish tanks). and i was wondering if it would be safe for chins? anyone know?

 

[Amy555]

Hmm, well the wiki talks about it being a fairly resinous wood which is not a good sign. It also says it's a heavy hard wood too (probably sinks in a fishtank?) so it might not be very fun to chew on either. I'd lean to a no but I havent seen it on any lists but I did find this: http://board.birdchannel.com/Topic211316-46-1.aspx#bm213756

 

[ChinnyMom]

yes, it is hard (but plant roots tend to find their way into it), and does not need pre-soaking for it to go in a tank.

my brain totally skipped on the tannins/resins part. you're right, it most likely has unsafe properties in that regard.

 

[lauralynne]

I wouldn't use it.

From Wikipedia:

The part of the name, colophos, apparently refers to the strong turpentine smell of the resin. Colophony is another name for rosin, a substance obtained from turpentine.