Angelfish Gardens

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway was established by the Maine Legislature in 1966 to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural beauty, character, and habitat of a unique area. It is a magnificent, 92-mile-long ribbon of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams winding through the heart of northern Maine's vast commercial forests.

Angelfish Gardens Mainely Driftwood was collected from the shores of the Allagash River under the terms of a special license containing many restrictions. The wood was taken from dry land along the river's edges, none was removed from the Allagash River water. Since collection a few years ago, the driftwood has been stored in a large pile, fully exposed to sun and wind, covered during periods of rain and inclement weather. Each piece of wood is turned regularly and the pile is rearranged to provide equal exposure and to discourage fungal, bacterial, or insect damage.

There are numerous opinions on the proper preparation of driftwood for use in an aquarium and I have talked to enough experienced aquarists to have determined that no method is right and no method is wrong. In a survey of a large group of online aquarium enthusiasts, the overwhelming majority of respondents preferred driftwood that has not been pre-treated by soaking, boiling,treated with preservatives, or mounted. I agree with these preferences; it allows the customer to mount the wood in any orientation that please the eye, or serves the desired purpose. It also reduces the shipping charges significantly because a completely dry piece of wood weighs considerably less than a water logged piece of wood. I frequently see driftwood pieces attached to a piece of slate which helps to anchor the wood; the salesperson assures the buyer that the wood will sink with no special preparation. More often than not, the wood requires several hours in boiling water and/or weeks, sometimes months of soaking before it truly sinks on its own and remains in place. Some types of wood, such as Mopani, is truly sinkable from the first day you bring it home, but the shape, size, and coloring of this wood is limited, and there are some questions regarding its hardness; none of my wood chewing Ancistrus Bush Nose catfish have ever spent time chewing on the very dense Mopani, preferring the somewhat softer, more porous, traditional wood gathered from ocean beaches and riversides.

For these reasons, Mainely Driftwood receives minimal preparation. Each piece is selected for its interest and usefulness in an aquarium, and vigorously cleaned with an assortment of wire brushes. Soft spots are trimmed and removed when possible in order to reduce the potential for rotting in those areas. The traditional base is a piece of slate, similar to roofing slate, and slate is very easy to drill with a power drill and a hard metal drill bit. If requested, and for a small fee, I will include a suitable piece of slate, with or without one or two holes pre-drilled so that you can easily connect wood and slate with common stainless steel screws.

Most of the wood currently offered is big, some suitable as centerpieces in large aquariums. I will be extending the selection with smaller pieces as I prepare and clean them. Please contact me if you are looking for a particular size or shape and I will do my best to accommodate you. The images offer two views of each piece which don't adequately display the unique possibilities for your application. Some pieces contain secret hideaways as well as through and through tunnels. I welcome requests and suggestions. The prices are reasonable and some initial estimates are determining that shipping for most pieces will be around $15, give or take a few dollars. I will not know the precise shipping charge until I have packaged and weighed your order, so I suggest planning on $15 and I will refund any over payments as required. I am basing these shipping estimates on the slowest, least expensive options, such as UPS ground delivery.

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