View Full Version : Preparing a rock /driftwood for tank
How do you guys prepare a rock or driftwood to be put in a tank thats already stocked? I don't suppose bleach is the answer :hypnotized:
Rbishop
10-30-2007, 7:46 PM
I would scrob the rocks with a bleach/water solution and rinse free or soak in water with dechlor until it no longer smelled of bleach.
For the driftwood, if small enough, boil it. If not, rinse repeatedly with boiling water to kill off any bad stuff.
riddle4sphinx
10-30-2007, 7:49 PM
:iagree: after you rinse really well, your prime/dechlorinater will remove any tiny little bit of bleach left over so that it doesnt harm your fish
msjinkzd
10-30-2007, 8:14 PM
also check driftwood for any soft spots (that you can readily sink a fingernail into) and remove them with a metal toothbrush or a razor knife so that they do not foul your tank water.
echoofformless
10-31-2007, 1:58 AM
If they came from a reliable source I would just scrub them in running hot water and put them right in. Never had an issue yet.
jmhart
10-31-2007, 12:53 PM
What I did before putting driftwood I found on the beach next to the SF Bay in my tank:
Came from salt water and going into a freshwater tank, so I soaked it in water(had to be weighted down) for three weeks, changing the water every two days to pull out the salt.
I then started scrubbing. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Then I soaked some more and scrubbed some more.
Next, I boiled it for 30 minutes, scrubbed, boiled for another 30, scrubbed. Due to time, I then just let it soak again for another week with only two water changes. Repeated boil>scrub>boil>scrub. Sounds silly, but then I soaked again for another week. I then boild>scurb>boil>scurb. I boiled one last time and then put it in my tank.
I wasn't so concerned with tannins leaching out as the salt and soft spots. I did 4 piecies like this, two of them have been in my tank for a little over a month. No problems what so ever. The massive boil/scrub really helped bring out the grain of the wood.
I know it sounds a little redundant, but it's just what I did and I've had no problems.
echoofformless
10-31-2007, 4:10 PM
Nothing wrong with redundancy. Better to overdo than to underdo things that guarantee safety.