driftwood with nails

[Holly9937]

I got a piece of driftwood with a used tank I bought. I had been soaking it, and just realized that the wood is attached to the slate with nails which are turning the spot they sit in the plastic bucket orange (I'm assuming rust?!)

I figure I should not put it in the tank that way, but can I cut the wood off the slate and nails and use it? Or could things have leached up into the wood and ruined it?

 

[Puffernewbee]

I would just pull out the nail and re-attach the wood to the slate with a stainless steel screw (cheap and easy to find at any hardware store).

 

[Kasakato]

They should of been using stainless steel. The driftwood I have, has one screw holding it to the rock. I would take the nail out, and clean the hole up. Maybe even take out the bit of wood in the hole. Then just get a new stainless steel screw and attach is back together.

 

[TKOS]

Don't worry about the bit of iron corrosion that has been absorbed by the wood. You just want to make sure that any new rust isn't getting into the water. Any plants in the tank will take care of the excess in the wood.