I have some awesome pieces of driftwood that I picked up from an island in the Atlantic that I would like to use in my 55G tank. THE question is - what do I have to do to get these ready for my tank? Being that they came from salt water, will I be able to make them safe for freshwater? Thanks!
Driftwood preparation question
- Thread starter CoreyMac
- Start date
We boiled ours for about 4 hours in a turkey roaster using 2 burners on the stove changing water as needed, But they weren't from sw....
it's usually recommended to boil them... if they are too big... maybe soak them in buckets of hot water to disinfect them...
soak them in water for a month or more and change the water frequently to remove any tanins.
soak them in water for a month or more and change the water frequently to remove any tanins.
Yes, boiling is the fast way, soaking in a large container would take allot longer, some posters recommend 4-8 weeks,....:eek3:
I had got a peice from saltwater, and I had soaked it in hot water that I had at a boil, and then after that I put a little bleach in it, let that soak for a day then just let the tub water on hot run on it for awhile. let it sit in the sun for a day or so, then let it sit in new hot water. Then I put it out in my pond for awhile and it ended up sinking after a month so now its inside in my tank. lol
Soaking in old garbage bin full of water is a good way (I just tie diving weights to them and drop them in the swimming pool for a month or two), let them sit for a month submerged, then strip off any soft/rotting wood and they should be good to go.
Ok question. Is this a chlorinated swimming pool? Cause that might pose a bit of a problem.:eek3:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99665
THEJRC
Third String Messiah?
Boil like everyone says (if it's too big drop it in a pail and pour boiled water over it in cycles). and afterwards let it soak in a pail full of water and vinegar for about two weeks then do the boil or hot water process again to clear everything out. That'll pretty much prep the wood. Another option would be to boil/hot water treatment and then leave it outside for a month or so then boil and place in tank.
If your concerned about water discoloration (tannis) you may want to soak for a few days in vinegar water, flush the pail and wood and soak again repeating the same process every few days for about two weeks. Tannis will turn the water a tan/brown color (which I argue looks good in some tanks as it's closer to natural) and it's argued whether it's good for the fish or not (many say it's good). What I do know is tannis is not harmful to the fish. (my goby's seem to be happier when the water is slightly tinted with it but that might just be my mind).
I've done several nice peices of driftwood this way and had great results, just make sure you rinse / boil well on the last stage before placement to get all the vinegar out.
If your concerned about water discoloration (tannis) you may want to soak for a few days in vinegar water, flush the pail and wood and soak again repeating the same process every few days for about two weeks. Tannis will turn the water a tan/brown color (which I argue looks good in some tanks as it's closer to natural) and it's argued whether it's good for the fish or not (many say it's good). What I do know is tannis is not harmful to the fish. (my goby's seem to be happier when the water is slightly tinted with it but that might just be my mind).
I've done several nice peices of driftwood this way and had great results, just make sure you rinse / boil well on the last stage before placement to get all the vinegar out.