Drift wood / rocks

B

bullshark

Bullshark
Mar 12, 2005
35
0
0
50
Toronto
Does anyone know how to prepare drift wood for a tank? I get tons of it up at the cottage and thought it would be great for my tank. But I know there must be a process to make it tank friendly.

I also have tons of rocks at the cottage and again not sure how to treat or ensure the rocks will be ok in my tank - any suggestions. It blows me away to see stores selling rocks for $25 a piece. Nuts.

Thanks for your help!

Dave in Toronto.
 
you can bake it thn water log it by soaking it for a couple of weeks in a large tub or container. the bakin is to kill any parasites. also if it had lots of tanins in it you should biol it changing the water often. hope this helps
 
Hi Dave. Where abouts in TO are you? I am in Stouffville.

I am prepping a big chunk of driftwood for my DIY tank now. What I do is to powerwash off all the loose stuff (you can use the self serve car wash on rinse) and then stick the piece in a plastic 45 gallon drum with about 40lbs (1 bag) of softener salt and fill with water. The salt water will sterilize it and prevent any nasties from growing in it in the meantime. Also, you won't have to worry about mosquitoe larvae germinating in the drum.

Is it waterlogged already? If not, be prepared to wait a few months. My last piece of cedar took 18 months to completely submerge itself. But after about two months in the brine drum, I think you can pour out the salt water and soak it in fresh water for 1 week to rinse it free of salt. Don't pour the salt water on the grass, it will kill it for sure. Ask me. I know :o

Who would pay money for rocks around here when the Shield is only an hour and a half away?
 
Thanks a lot steve - great info. I guess that is why drift wood is so $$ at Big Al's / local fish store.

Any advice on how to pick a proper rock for a tank - we have tons of different types but to be honest I have no idea which ones are ok.

cheers
 
On driftwood, Takashi Amano says that most people tend to pick driftwood that is asthetically too big for their tank; I tend to agree.

On rocks, If you get anything from the shield (cottage country) it should be ok, but too much limestone can change the chemistry in your tank. Some rocks from the Peterborough area have quite a bit of limestone in them.

IMO subtle is better when it comes to rocks & wood in the tank. Too flashy is gaudy IMO.
 
Use a few drops of vinegar to test a rock to see if it will leach calcium into your tank water. If it fizzes even a little bit when the vinegar hits it, throw it back out in the yard. Use the salt water soak (maybe even weight down the driftwood with them) to kill anything that might be growing on them.
 
sky.eyes.woman said:
... Use the salt water soak (maybe even weight down the driftwood with them) to kill anything that might be growing on them.
Click to expand...
Good plan.
 
Thanks a ton Sky.eyes.women ! I like your Detroit sign.

I will grab some rocks from the cottage and give it a go. Thanks all.

Dave
 
Hi all I thought I read somewhere that cedar should'nt be used in aquariums due to the toxins that could leach from it. Does anyone know if certain kinds of wood are not safe for use? I've been collecting various pieces of driftwood from the Kentucky river and am not sure how to tell the what kind of wood Im using. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
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