treating driftwood?
- Thread starter Bl33dy
- Start date
It should be fine as long as the area you got it from wasn't really polluted. I would boil it for a few hours first a large canner might work or a turkey fryer if they are big pieces. I had some small ones and tried to stick them in the microwave for a few minutes, I really don't suggest you do this, not one of my better ideas. After boiling it let it soak until it sink it is best to try to weigh it down with something, some wood takes a very long time to sink.
I've found driftwood in rivers/creeks and used in in my tank many times, aslong as it isn't cedar, since sometimes that wood can put harmful toxins into the water. Cedar has a distinctive smell, so it is easy to tell if it is cedar or not. Before putting the driftwood in the tank, I rinsed it very and a brushed of all debris, as well as make sure the wood is not soft in an area (if it has a soft area, this means it will have a higher tendency to rot in the future). Then I boiled a few time, and put it through the dishwasher (with of course no dishwasher soap) and that cleaned it very well. I placed it in my tank after that with rock weights and it takes a very long time for the pieces to become water logged, sometimes a year IME. Don't worry if the pieces release some tannins into the water, as this is not harmful to the fish as long as it is not too much.
Good luck!
Matt
Good luck!
Matt
i will try boiling it if i can find a big enough pot, that my girlfriend will let me use
and also, how would yall suggest that i wiegh it down??
and also, how would yall suggest that i wiegh it down??
Send her shopping lol that should work for a few hours.
To weigh it down I zip tie mine to a rock and add some java moss to cover the zip tie.
You can tie a rock to it as joy613 suggested and use fishing line to make it less conspicuous. Some driftwood takes months before it will stay on the bottom by itself and sometimes it just never stays down. After a couple of months you can try and cut the line and see if it will stay down on its own.
alright guys, instead of boiling the wood, ive opted to leave it in a bucket of scalding water, changing the water frequently, because my girly def. wont let me use her new pots
ive noticed that some of the wood is soft(rotten) but its not alot, and i think i can just break it off. my next big question is, what if the wood is rotten and i put it in my tank not realizing the extent of the rot. to phrase it better, what harm would putting partially rottin wood, or even freshly cut wood for that matter, cause my tank???
ive noticed that some of the wood is soft(rotten) but its not alot, and i think i can just break it off. my next big question is, what if the wood is rotten and i put it in my tank not realizing the extent of the rot. to phrase it better, what harm would putting partially rottin wood, or even freshly cut wood for that matter, cause my tank???