Driftwood

[ArkyLady]

I'd like to find a couple pieces of driftwood to add to my aquarium. Is there anything I should look out for when buying this? Been looking on Ebay and some of the pieces are shiney glazed and some are "treated" ... they say they are fish safe, but I'd think just natural driftwood would be best/safest right? Maybe I should forget Ebay for this and get them from someplace reputable that I'll know I'm getting something safe for my fish.

Also, should I do anything to the driftwood when I get it? Boil it or anything maybe?

[Cuddlebug910]

I haven't yet purchased any driftwood, but I've got a couple links you may want to check out. As far as I know, most people boil their driftwood before adding it to their tanks. Not sure if this applies to the "pretreated" driftwoods... But I think they do it not only to sanitize, but to remove some of the tannins from the wood. Check out www.aquabid.com, the fishworld's version of eBay. Also, www.floridadriftwood.com and swampwiz.homestead.com are two site where you can choose the piece of driftwood you want to order.

[O-man21]

They have them at any fish store, but not a petco or wal-mart, you need to soak it in a bucket of water for about 3 days so it will sink(unless it's weighted)

[TnCgal]

Arkylady,

The link that Cuddlebug gave you ( www.floridadriftwood.com )is very good and they have a great reputation for delivering beautiful peices of driftwood.

If the peice is small enough, you can boil it several times if you like, some people soak it in their bath tubs, or rubbermaid containers for several days. This will be up to you based on the size and shape of the peice you buy.

Remember, that when you first place a peice of driftwood in your tank, your water will most likely turn a golden color to a tea-color. The reason for this is because it will be leeching "tannins" into the water causing it to get softer and a shade of tan in color, so don't be surprised when this happens as so many people that are new to driftwood are - this is perfectly normal and will go away after several water changes.

Some people LOVE the new color of the water because it gives the appearance of being closer to the fishes' natural environment, but other people find it cosmetically unappealing, which I personally did at first and even took my driftwood out because I couldn't stand it - but that a couple of years ago now and I have since replaced the driftwood, my water is crystal clear, and my water is nice and soft for my fish. Good luck ! :)

[ArkyLady]

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out.

I had read somewhere that some fish will munch on the driftwood, is this true? That is why I was concerned about adding driftwood that had been chemically treated somehow.

[TnCgal]

I'm not going to say that there are not fish that do this, but that is not the norm. They will, however, snack on the inevitable algae that can accumulate in the cracks and crevices of the wood.

[ArkyLady]

ahh TnCgal, I bet that's what they meant then. I believe when I read that I was reading up about pl*cos. I've read so much the past few months it kinda all blends together :)

[TnCgal]

Plecos love driftwood, so I have a feeling that is what you read !

Good luck ! :)

[O-man21]

I have pl*co's that have carved themselves creves in the drift wood. I say that yes there are fisht that eat the wood, and I have heard that it can be good for them

[Finzzup]

ArkyLady's question about driftwood reminded me that I still have all the 'stuff' from my 55 gallon from years ago, so off in search of it all I went. Found some GREAT rocks and some slate that we had on the bottom and one nice piece of driftwood that is somehow attached to a slate bottom should fit right into the Eclipse 6G tank. Hubby had bought it in a fish store at the mall... There is also a HUGE piece that I hope we will one day use again... ;)

Driftwood is still just driftwood, right? Even though it's been boxed up for 10-12 years? If I soak it or boil it, I should be able to use it again...?

[John_K]

Yes, the driftwood should be fine, as long as it was stored in a safe location away from chemicals.

[TnCgal]

Arkylady,

I'm going to move this thread over to the General FW forum since this is not directly a beginner's question ! :)

[BK]

if you are ordering several, more than 3, or are looking for larger pieces you could try www.fellerstone.com. I believe they have swahala, malasian, and cypress. i have ordered several boxes of driftwood from them and have recieved some absolutly gorgeous pieces.

[cacti]

You can find pieces at the river or ocean in some places. Driftwood can add a lot to the natural beauty of an aquarium. I would like to get a big aquarium some day and a huge piece of driftwood to put in it. I will need a piece about7 or 8 feet long or two long pieces in conjunction and try to pick out an interesting natural piece. I will probably disinfect it with some kind of a bleech solution with water. I will probably need to use a paint brush or spray bottle to get into deep crevices. The only thing I am not real sure about would be how to weigh it down. I know I would drill big holes in the bottom of the wood and use silicon glue or something to glue rocks in it. Is there a better way? :D

[wetmanNY]

In Arkansas you should be able to find pieces of wood that have washed up on gravel bars in a nearby stream. People who are bleaching their natural driftwood are often not quite sure what kind of creature deep in there they are trying to kill...

[ArkyLady]

Is it safe to bleach them at all? Seems like the bleach would soak into the wood and do bad things :)

[Slappy*McFish]

If you collect your own driftwood, soak it in VERY salty water for a couple of weeks in a large trashcan....this will do a couple of things..

1. Sterilize and kill anything on or in the wood
2. leach the tannins from the wood reducing water discoloration when added to the tank.

After the salt soaking, you will want to scrub, scrape, and clean the wood very well to remove any dirt and soft decaying wood.
Then rinse it off well under the hose, and soak it for a few more days in clean, fresh water to remove any salt from the wood.

Most store bought driftwood is already safe to use.

[wethead]

Living in Pa. about 60-65miles from "That Fish Place" i had really good luck with thier driftwood. I'ts better if you can pick it out yourself,but i've also bought it from them out of the catalog.
You just have to be careful to order the right kind, as they handle several. The one i bought was Blue Ribbon brand "natural", no soaking required & my pleco's love it. It does'nt stain the water, & the price even with shipping is very reasonable....Rich

www.thatfishplace.com