Excellent question! We have discussed wood in the past, however, I had completely forgotten about grape wood.
I will post the most complete list I can and then link to your thread when the time arises!
So, here we go:
DO NOT USE IN ANY SET UP:
Cedar (Toxic)
Pine (irritant)
Cypress(Toxic/irritant)
Or any other Conifer
Sumac (Toxic)
Raspberry, Blackberry (Wood is toxic)
Yew (Berries safe for Gin, rest of it is Toxic)
Eucalyptus (Some types are safe, however this can be hard to be sure of)
Apple (Some types leach toxins, also rots quickly, affects PH in wet set ups)
Ficus, dead (Toxic)
Any type of pressure or chemically treated treated lumber (Ultra Super Mega TOXIC wet or dry)
Anything that has a milky sap when live (Just to be safe, as most of these are toxic too)
Anything that has brightly colored (other than green) leaves when live (just to be safe)
DO NOT USE IN WET SET UPS:
(This is any set up where it will get wet or be submerged)
Grape wood (Most types can leach chemicals that are toxic to many fish and amphibians)
Unsterilized Driftwood (Parasite/disease vector, may also be toxic)
Cactus Wood (Not toxic, but is a haven for mold and bacteria, hard to clean)
Oak (ultra high tannic acid leachate, throws pH all out of whack)
Black Cherry (Leaches Toxic chemicals when wet)
Willow, dead (Leaches the active ingredient in aspirin)
SAFE FOR WET/DRY/SUBMERGED SET UPS:
Maple, all types
Ash
Aspen
Cork Bark (non processed)
Coconut Husk and Shells
Bamboo, live
Bamboo, non treated
Date Palm wood
Live willow (likes it wet, but not submerged)
Live Ficus (use with caution, sap is irritant to many species)
Boiled Driftwood
Mobani Wood
Cactus wood (for dry set ups only)
How to treat/sterilize/prepare dead wood:
Boil it.
Boil it for hours upon hours upon hours.
Then soak it changing the water every day until the water stays totally clear.
For wood you found and properly identified yourself, boil it a minimum of 6 hours. Yes, you will have to add more water throughout. It is a long
stinky process.
For purchased wood, properly identified, boil it for at least two hours if it has not been sealed with urethane or epoxy.
Important Note: if you use real wood in you aquatic set ups, you MUST invest in a good liquid reagent based pH and Hardness test. Real dead wood in water will lower the pH over time and lower the water hardness over time. Good tank maintenance is an absolute.
Important Note 2 : When in doubt, leave it out!
Important Note 3: Natural wood will get algae and even plants growing on it over time. If you are not a fan of algae, use fake wood, it is easier to clean.
Personal preference:
Get a big fire going in my back yard fire pit, throw on the gigantic aluminum pot I got at the thrift shop for 5 bucks, fill it with water, and the drink beer while boiling the wood till it darn near sinks. This takes a full weekend, not including trips to the loo and getting replacement brewskis.
(Do not use a nonstick coated pot in a fire)
For my axolotls, I use only fake wood. They like their water pretty hard and I can be a lazy guy at times.
Hopefully, some of the pros can add to this. Also hopefully some of the international members can add their two cents worth in, as I am sure they have different kinds of wood there also.