i know this maybe a stupid question but i was wandering can i use the wood from tree in my back yard to put in my tank? and what would i do to make it safe if i can?
wood
- Thread starter anyoldthing1
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It's a little more complicated than that-not all wood will work. Just search the forum for 'driftwood'; there are a bunch of threads on this subject.
Yes, that would work. Only thing is you would want to do this with caution. Be careful of what lake you get wood from. You dont want to add anything to your tank that has been exposed to polluted water.
On that same note, remember that just because something comes from a body of naturally occuring water, that doesn't mean that its safe to go in your enclosed tank. Lakes, streams, creeks, etc all have naturally occuring water changes and filtration that are constant, whether that be from rainfall, waterways, etc. Since our tanks are an enclosed ecosystem, pollutants that wouldnt harm fish in lakes can quickly kill fish inside our tanks.
Parasites are another concern when it comes to adding things found from outside water sources, but boiling should get rid of those.
I have used wood from my backyard. I had a dead branch on an apple that I didn't trim off for the first 2 years. By the time that I cut it off it was thoroughly dried and all the bark had peeled off on its own. I felt pretty safe using that piece but in general would worry about wood not being quite dead enough. Too much sap in newly cut wood is not a thing I would want in my tank.
