Buying bamboo

[andyroo]

Folks,
Wondering: can you buy bamboo for your aquarium? Or do you have to a) source it at another DIY or garden shop or go out and chop your own?
Is it expensive as compared to, say, bog-wood, slate or PVC?

Can one buy the (dead, decorative) bamboo roots?
A

[Diana]

The larger bamboo grows in more tropical areas than the San Francisco Bay Area, so, for me, I would have to find a source, probably on line.

For you, Andy, you might find some growing somewhere on Jamaica. If you can find some in someones garden ask if you can cut just one piece. Cut it pretty close to the ground and take it home to cut up into lots of pieces.

If you want to grow it, then dig out a young stemwith its roots that is near the outside, and be very careful. The new growing points start underground, growing away from the main plant, and this is the part you really want.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostach ... ifolia.htm
scroll down to the 2 pictures of young stems, with the leaves not yet formed .

[andyroo]

We've got 4 species (that I know of) on-island, all of which are introduced and/or invasive. A vine, a skinny garden version, a bigger nearly structural one and a bulletproof monster.
I've had a bunch of sections of the monster in my tank for a couple of years now and it's performing very well. Fish nibble on it and it's getting slowly skinnier, bit it's still structurally solid.

I'm just interested if bamboo is available in the larger pets industry, as it doesn't seem to be. Is there a reason? Does it have a bad reputation for some reason? Personally I love the stuff.... and so do my fish (apparently).
:)
A

[Diana]

I have seen the larger ones cut into half tubes for reptiles.
Might be 3" to 6" diameter, and several inches to a foot long.

[Martin Thoene]

I can get Bamboo in numerous Chinese stores in Toronto at very reasonable prices and in different sizes.

Martin.