Awesome driftwood, safe for tank? Identify plz?
- Thread starter newdreamz
- Start date
famowood... i've contacted the company and read their msds and although it's toxic in liquid form once it's set it should be perfectly safe.
http://www.glazecoat.com/GlazeCoat.htm
http://www.glazecoat.com/GlazeCoat.htm
I ran into the same issue you are having right now about a year ago when I first setup my 55G tank. While I don't know what the tree itself is I was given a lot off good advice about getting a general ID
First off what mainly grows in the area you found it in? Or in this case what grows up stream from where you found it?
Was it water logged when you found it? It seems to be dry now, but if its been in the water for a long time it may have already leached out the chemicals in the wood.
You seem to be leaning towards cedar from what I've read...when you cut it did it smell? This is how I got proof positive that the piece I had was cedar. I cut into it and got that nice earthy cedar smell.
Now then...if you cut into it and smell cedar...well there's good and there's bad cedar (I researched this way to long). From what I got the cedars that you find in the northern parts of the country should not be used for aquariums. There are aquarium safe cedars though. These mainly grow in the south in swampy and marsh areas in the South East. I can't really break it down anymore there, but from Michigan it's probably not safe.
Blah...and I just read that people smelled cedar on it...so ya...it's probably not safe as is...so I would say if your willing to wait soak it. Soak it for a long time not just till it becomes water logged, but do water changes every few days over the course of a few months. Otherwise the epoxy idea would be a good one. Just make sure to use an epoxy that is safe in water and cures inert.
So...I think that's everything that I remeber from my driftwood ordeal...if I missed something please excuse me...it's late here.
First off what mainly grows in the area you found it in? Or in this case what grows up stream from where you found it?
Was it water logged when you found it? It seems to be dry now, but if its been in the water for a long time it may have already leached out the chemicals in the wood.
You seem to be leaning towards cedar from what I've read...when you cut it did it smell? This is how I got proof positive that the piece I had was cedar. I cut into it and got that nice earthy cedar smell.
Now then...if you cut into it and smell cedar...well there's good and there's bad cedar (I researched this way to long). From what I got the cedars that you find in the northern parts of the country should not be used for aquariums. There are aquarium safe cedars though. These mainly grow in the south in swampy and marsh areas in the South East. I can't really break it down anymore there, but from Michigan it's probably not safe.
Blah...and I just read that people smelled cedar on it...so ya...it's probably not safe as is...so I would say if your willing to wait soak it. Soak it for a long time not just till it becomes water logged, but do water changes every few days over the course of a few months. Otherwise the epoxy idea would be a good one. Just make sure to use an epoxy that is safe in water and cures inert.
So...I think that's everything that I remeber from my driftwood ordeal...if I missed something please excuse me...it's late here.
my vote would be cedar.. the roots appear to have lines remnant of the stringy cedar bark.
that piece is pretty old. looks like subjected to weathering.
judging from the cut and structure of the wood left behind..the tree had heart rot.(pretty common for cedar)
I say soak it and test.
the resins are probably long gone from that wood.
that piece is pretty old. looks like subjected to weathering.
judging from the cut and structure of the wood left behind..the tree had heart rot.(pretty common for cedar)
I say soak it and test.
the resins are probably long gone from that wood.
just in case...
Famowood(R) Glaze Coat High Build Epoxy Coating
resin:
Glaze Coat Resin - Fullscreen
hardener:
http://www.scribd.com/full/20715169?access_key=key-3hm3o5y077jy9fk9ltx
end product:
http://www.scribd.com/full/20715074?access_key=key-1u9hs5ri82yc3vvqicc0
it's basically the stuff they coat saloon/restaurant bars with.
Famowood(R) Glaze Coat High Build Epoxy Coating
resin:
Glaze Coat Resin - Fullscreen
hardener:
http://www.scribd.com/full/20715169?access_key=key-3hm3o5y077jy9fk9ltx
end product:
http://www.scribd.com/full/20715074?access_key=key-1u9hs5ri82yc3vvqicc0
it's basically the stuff they coat saloon/restaurant bars with.
i appreciate all the time and help everyone has put in to try to help me out. Thanks!
Im thinking sealing it would be the safest way to be sure it wont harm anything. Plus it will add to the lifespan of the wood.
If i epoxy it, do i need to soak it first?
Im thinking sealing it would be the safest way to be sure it wont harm anything. Plus it will add to the lifespan of the wood.
If i epoxy it, do i need to soak it first?
Well...I could see a possible issue with soaking it and a possible issue with not soaking it. If you soak it you may run the risk of the epoxy not completely setting or possibly not sealing everywhere.
Or if you don't soak it, the wood might float.
The easy way around (I think atleast) would be to weight down the wood with something, this is a whole nother topic, and then seal it. In that order because obviously...if you seal it then drill into it...kinda not sealed anymore.
Or if you don't soak it, the wood might float.
The easy way around (I think atleast) would be to weight down the wood with something, this is a whole nother topic, and then seal it. In that order because obviously...if you seal it then drill into it...kinda not sealed anymore.
Plecosterone
We don't need no stinking badges!
It looks like cedar to me. I use cedar in my tanks with no problem. No matter how long it has weathered you will still get "stained" water from it. The piece I used was weathred for over 20 years in my back yard and it still turned the water a golden brown color. It did eventually go away and didn't even look bad to begin with. It will also always want to float so the best thing to do is screw it to a piece of slate to keep it down. As far as rotting is concerned, I don't think I will be around long enough to worry about it.
