Driftwood types...................

[CHARD]

Can you turn any tree branch into Driftwood??

 

[Kabong]

Technically im sure you could,
But if your talking about a live or fresh piece of wood. The amount and time and effort it whould take to turn it to "Driftwood" whould make it unpractical.
Unless of course you have a kiln and a sandblaster

 

[StreetCypher]

You will probably run into problems if you just hack a branch off a tree and throw it in.

As for types of wood, i remember there were a few types of wood that aren't suitable for aquarium use... i think one was cedar... but i can't remember.

 

[Kissofthegorami]

Driftwood has to be dead... really dead or it will rot in the aquarium. Driftwood has been dead for a long time, in some cases a hundred years or more. All toxins and volatile chemicals from the wood are gone at that point and real driftwood has great water-carved lines and shapes. If you don't want to buy pricey driftwood at a store, you can try ebay or just go to a clean beach or lake and pick some off the ground.

 

[Kissofthegorami]

As for types of driftwood, malaysian is the most sought after because it has a dark color and is heavy so it easily sinks.

 

[ChileRelleno]

Excellent info and other links to this subject and others available here,
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/aquascaping/wood.shtml
the person who manages this sight and writes the articles has his own opinion, read all the info and make up your own mind.
However he is very thorough and not biased, just opinionated.

 

[CHARD]

Thanks guys...

 

[normd]

If you buy any Malaysain Driftwood for you tank make sure you soak it in water for at least two weeks and do water changes in that bucket. This will help with any off color bleeding in your tank. My fish love it as a hiding spot.