Diftwood - is it safe to put in?

guppygal

AC Members
Jun 30, 2006
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Hey

I see real drift wood in the lizard section of the petstore. Can I put it into the tank?

What is a good plant for a 10g that require NO/little work?

Guppy gal
10g
3 male guppies
 
I would think the wood would be fine. I might just boil it to make sure it is clean and any mold/fungus spores are dead.

Plastic plants would be your best option for no work but if you want to try live plants I would try some java moss, java ferns, or anubias nana. They are low light plants that will require very little care.
 
ya its safe, just boil it in a large pot and keep changing out the water when it gets really brown. You will know the wood is ready when the water stops getting so brown, a little brown is ok depending on your tank size, even allot of brown is ok, just depends on what youi want your water to look like :p


my small 8" peice took like 12 hours of boiling changing the water every hour or so. and it sunk right to the bottom.
 
Bunny13 said:
I would think the wood would be fine. I might just boil it to make sure it is clean and any mold/fungus spores are dead.

Plastic plants would be your best option for no work but if you want to try live plants I would try some java moss, java ferns, or anubias nana. They are low light plants that will require very little care.

What type of care is very little?
 
paku said:
ya its safe, just boil it in a large pot and keep changing out the water when it gets really brown. You will know the wood is ready when the water stops getting so brown, a little brown is ok depending on your tank size, even allot of brown is ok, just depends on what youi want your water to look like :p


my small 8" peice took like 12 hours of boiling changing the water every hour or so. and it sunk right to the bottom.


Oh My! I didn't realize I might have to boil for hours ... hmmm .... maybe I will look into some other hiding spots.
 
you don't really have to boil it to be safe! that probably isn't a bad idea, but I put my piece (attached to a slab of slate) in a 5 gallon bucket for a few days. I changed the water every day or so and after 3 or four days, the water stopped turning colors. Its a really good idea to put driftwood in your tank because its so pretty (different wood tones) and the fish really like to hide in/under it. I'd give it a shot if I were you!
 
just my 2 cents, I'd boil the driftwood especially if it was specified for reptile use. i've heard people use decorations for reptiles in their aquariums, and they grew mold!

i don't know if they add chemicals to reptile decorations, like anti-mold or other harsh stuff. that's why i try to steer clear of those things if they don't specifically say "safe for aquarium use."
 
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