- Dec 11, 2011
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Driftwood from a river?
- Thread starter Vincenia
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btw, softwood can be just as good in a tank. cypress in one I can think of right off the top of my head(in the cedar family)
and unless you study wood grain and structure you would have a difficult time determining the species of wood.
as long as the wood has been exposed to the elements and leached of it's sap it should be fine. waterlogged wood will for most purposes have has enough exposure.
and unless you study wood grain and structure you would have a difficult time determining the species of wood.
as long as the wood has been exposed to the elements and leached of it's sap it should be fine. waterlogged wood will for most purposes have has enough exposure.
My MO has been to use wood I've found on land (not waterlogged).
On the plus: Any nasties/parasites/bugs are not aquatic ones.
On the minus: It takes a while to get waterlogged & sink in the tank.
I still bleach or boil.
For large pieces too big to fit into a pot to boil, I use a rubbermaid bin & bleach/water solution. Never had a problem.
Cheers!
-tim
On the plus: Any nasties/parasites/bugs are not aquatic ones.
On the minus: It takes a while to get waterlogged & sink in the tank.
I still bleach or boil.
For large pieces too big to fit into a pot to boil, I use a rubbermaid bin & bleach/water solution. Never had a problem.
Cheers!
-tim
I don't boil the wood (waterlogged) I simply add bleach to the water it's soaking in.(plain bleach)
- Dec 11, 2011
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If I use bleach to clean the wood, should I just rinse it off pretty good, before putting it in my tank?
It's the sap from softwoods that causes problems? I couldn't remember why; I just remember being told no softwoods.
If you're going to use bleach, then yes, thoroughly rinse, and you can probably let it sit in water with a significant amount of Prime or whatever you use to dechlorinate with overnight.
If you're going to use bleach, then yes, thoroughly rinse, and you can probably let it sit in water with a significant amount of Prime or whatever you use to dechlorinate with overnight.
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I don't use prime or anything to dechlorinate water, since the water that's in the house doesn't contain chlorine and any harmful materials or metals. I can just boil water and puor it over the wood.
Your water from the tap doesn't have chlorine? That's different. In any case, since bleach *is* chlorine, you're either going to want to use a dechlorinator, or lots and lots of soak, rinse, repeat. At least, I would. Possibly paranoid, but I'd rather have that than the alternative.
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So I'm not goin to use bleach.. Just going to boil it, a bit easier on me. After awhile with it soaking in boiling water, going to dump the water and pour more on it.
ok sap will leach out just like any tannin in other wood.and the toxicity depends on the species of tree..some have way more sap than others.
in terms of bleach aka chlorine.. even bottled chlorine will off gas over time..we just play it safe using a dechlorinator.
but rinsing or soaking the wood after chlorine will help remove it.
in terms of bleach aka chlorine.. even bottled chlorine will off gas over time..we just play it safe using a dechlorinator.
but rinsing or soaking the wood after chlorine will help remove it.
