View Full Version : found a stump
I read all kinds of posts about finding rocks and vinegar and acid and soup:) But today I found a stump. I think it will make a great center piece in my 150. It is filled with holes but all dried out like a piece of driftwood but it was on the side of the road and I don't think thats where driftwood comes from. I guess it could be wind blown? But that would take an awful long time. Anyway I'm thinking soak it in a twenty percent bleach solution for a week then rinse it and flush with dechlorinated tap water and then give it a soak with some prime or stresscoat or another dechlorinator and then maybe set it in a cooler with a bubbler and some danios. Any thoughts?
Mantis_22
05-04-2003, 7:43 PM
risky question.. I really cant say myself...:(
I would make sure to get one of those dechlorinators that also gets rid of heavy metals if you are going to do this. I can only imagine what it picked up from all that car exhaust sitting by the side of the road.
What is in car exhaust that would not be washed away? Is there a certain brand that gets rid of heavy metals and why would it have them? Thanks.
Get a power washer and blast it. Then soak it in a salt saturated solution for about a month, changing water weekly. Then blast it again with the pressure washer. Let it dry overnight (to get rid of the chlorine), weight it down, then you should be good to go.
Mantis_22
05-04-2003, 9:10 PM
kinda... harsh...:)
thom336
05-05-2003, 2:48 AM
If you have a power washer pass it this was..I got a patio needing doing...
Originally posted by Mantis_22
kinda... harsh...:) I guess I meant to blast the undesirable crud off the surface of the wood, but not to tear the wood to shreds. Good point. :)
Originally posted by thom336
If you have a power washer pass it this was..I got a patio needing doing... No problem. When would you like to come over to pick it up? ;)
There are numerous horrible things in car exhaust (thus pollution). One of the worst being left over motor oil that has been shown to be a known cancer causing agent. Then there are copper alloys and other fancy metals that come out of the exhaust do to normal wear and tear on the engine and exhaust system. I can't remember the exact brand name but I think it was one of Tetra's dechlorinators that also said it would get rid of heavy metals in the water.
i would recomend to never bleach wood. boiliing and salt baths are much better alternatives. boiling it would also help it sink. how big is it?
i doubt that any heavy metals that would be present on/in the wood that wouldn't get washed off by a power washer would get removed by a dechlorinator without lots of the dechlor and a long soak in it.
I don't know how big your stump is or the dimensions of your tank, but if I was going to stick a root stump in my tank (and I have always thought it would look cool), I would saw it in half and put the flat, sawed side against the back of the tank and bury some of the downward pointing roots in the gravel/substrate.
Just a thought.
The tank is a 150, I believe but am not sure it is 72.5x19x24 but I can't remember the exact numbers. The stump is about 28 or thirty inches tall and about eighteen inches around. There are not a ton of branchy roots they all just go out a little but the neatest part is all of the holes. They are really long and run up and down it. I'll see if I can't borrow my sisters dig cam and take a picture. I don't have a pressure washer but I guess renting one would still be cheaper than buying a piece of wood this size. I am going to have to get out the sawzall to trim it up any way so I think I will try your idea matak but I think I won't do it in half maybe just trim off like 20%. Thanks for all of the suggestions, I'm now thinking pressure wash (I just remembered we have one at work:) ) and then soak with metal remover. I might try a little salt too in case there are termites, although I guess they would make a nice snack, kinda like a giant fish pez dispenser.
I guess they would make a nice snack, kinda like a giant fish pez dispenser. :D
Somefinnfishy suggested to me a while back to take my driftwood to a DIY carwash and wash it on the rinse setting. If you do this, rinse it real good in case there is any soap residue in the water stream. Wish i had a tank your size.
Dragon_Lord_Tia
05-06-2003, 1:54 AM
to sterlize it try hydogen peroxie just brush it on wait for it to dry then do it again also stops tann ins from staining the water