Do I need to boil driftwood

[SmallFishi]

It smelled just like the store probably because it had been there for a while or something, you know how smells can attach to clothes, wooden chests etc.
It smelled fine after nice and earthy definately not a stinky wood.

 

[evster]

It wouldn't really hurt to boil the driftwood, but from my experience buying several pieces at petco its not really necessary. Some pieces I've boiled, others I have not, and I've never had a problem with any of them.

One thing I've heard is that boiling driftwood shortens its effective lifetime in your tank. I can't confirm this, but I believe I read it here in another post.

 

[CaitxSith]

thank goodness I have a giant pot to boil it in

awesome piece of driftwood by the way.

and cool dog

 

[Rallysman]

Here is the driftwood I collected. It was scrubbed with bleach, power washed, and the put in the tank with dechlor.

 

[SmallFishi]

Wow that's amazing like antlers! I love your fish!! What size tank is that?
What is the looong fish?

My wood had a label that says it was cleaned to remove extraneous material! and is ensured to be safe for aquariums but that it will give off tannins.

 

[Rallysman]

Thanks! The tank is 265 gallons and the long fish is a silver arowana that I rescued out of a 150

 

[SmallFishi]

Gosh that's a big tank I am pretty terrified of the hugeness of my 55 gallon haha.
I love seeing the big fish at my LFS they have a fish that is similar in color and length to yours but it has more of a rounded lower mouth I am not sure what it is but it's beautiful to see them in the nice big tanks that's for sure.

 

[gomezladdams]

Id at least soak it in bleach then hot water let it sit awhile.
I wouldnt consider a piece of wood safer just cause it came from a store,Id probably be more worried about it.

 

[wataugachicken]

no need for bleach - if done improperly it'll kill everything in the tank.

 

[Rallysman]

no need for bleach - if done improperly it'll kill everything in the tank.

That's what dechlorination is for