Ok, ANOTHER question. I was wondering if I could create homemade driftwood by just taking pieces of wood from anywhere, dropping it into a bucket full of water and letting it sit for a 2-5 days (more?), then taking it out and putting it into the tank. Please tell me if this is safe or not!
driftwood!
- Thread starter half0tempo
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Can you explain what you mean by anywhere? If you ever pick up wood out of a yard or anything of the like, you better not be in a ahurry to use to, I would tie a rope around it and hand it from the cloths line or someplace like that and leave there untell it is "Completely Dried Out" and I know this will take a long time depending on the wood. Myself, I would not even think about doing it this way.......I know cutting down tree for firewood, you cut the three down and split it the year before and let it cure all summer/fall and winter, then use it the following winter....
yeah make sure the wood is dead first. if its something you found on the ground and looks all dried out then id boil it for a few hours to kill everything that my be on it and then youll wanna submerge it in a bucket of water for like a week or two so it gets waterlogged so it stays down and doesnt float. keep it down in the bucket of water with something heavy. i wouldnt use metal to keep it down only cause there my be a chance that rust of anything of that sort gets absorved into the wood and then leaks out when its in you tank.
i don't receommend that you use any wood that has not been treated for pesticides, poisons, chemicals, bugs etc. You use it at great risk!
I have never used wood that I found laying around, but the price of lfs wood is enough to make me. I've heard of lots of people using wood they found. I would first cook it in the oven at around 400degrees F. Dry heat is much more effective at killing bacteria, fungus, and spores than boiling (only gets up to 212 degrees). However I would also boil it after I had baked it for three reasons 1. removes a lot of the tannins 2. helps to water log it 3. leaches out any possible contaminants
You will have some people that are very catious tell you don't use it, and other people will tell you to just soak it and use it. I think if you take the time to prepare it properly there is little risk involved.
Read this
You will have some people that are very catious tell you don't use it, and other people will tell you to just soak it and use it. I think if you take the time to prepare it properly there is little risk involved.
Read this
What type of fish are you going to be using it with? If you are going to put it into your $1000 discus setup- I wouldn't use it. If you have some danios- I would use it. Currenty all the drift wood I use I have found along creeks and rivers. I first scub them down in warm water to remove dirt and gunk. Then I soak them for a couple of days before adding them to the tank. I have no problems from this wood.
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The wood needs to contain tanins (it's the stuff that makes the water turn brown when you first start to soak a piece of driftwood). It's the chemical that stops it from rotting in water.