Local drift woods?

[powellmacaque]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I figured wood could be considered part of the planting process.

I live in Central Florida, but I attend school in Pensacola, and I was wondering if any local woods can be used as driftwood? I was thinking about something like Cypress, but any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Notophthalmus]

Cypress is great in tanks. Just be aware it gives off a lot of tannins.

Avoid pine (toxic) and palm (rots quickly). Ordinary hardwoods like oak, hickory, maple, and gums are fine. Just use well-seasoned pieces, not fresh green wood. I've heard white cedar is good in tanks too, but have no firsthand experience.

 

[powellmacaque]

Are there any steps I should take to rinse the wood?

 

[jameshilljr]

when I prepared the driftwood that I have, I placed the driftwood in a 55g trash can filled with bleach water for a week. I then rinsed the driftwood, and refilled the trash can with prime-treated tap water and let it sit for another week. Even after the 2 week soak time,and being in my tanks for the past few months, the driftwood still doesn't sink, and still leaches tanins.

 

[Cory Keeper]

I don't think you should use bleach, I turned a piece white doing that,

 

[DAVIDFBT]

I woudn't use bleach either, it could soak into the wood and seep out in the tank later.

 

[powellmacaque]

My mom has an all natural anti-bacterial disinfectant that works really well. Could I soak it in that?

 

[DAVIDFBT]

You could boil it for 5 minutes to sterilize it. Not only will it sterilize it, it will also get rid of most of the tannins. I wish I had cypress wood just growing around me, you're very lucky.

 

[plantbrain]

Do not use anything to kill stuff, the water and tap will do that just fine..........

Old Cypress is good.

Swamp Cedar is very nice also, those are the main 2 woods that work well from FL. If you go up towards Gainesville, stop over the in the small speed trap(you'll see why) town of Waldo. Right at 24/301 there's a place call Tom's Cypress, they sell driftwood and Cypress etc.


Google search it or do a phone pages search.
I collected most of my wood locally in the swamps/snorkeling in the rivers.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[powellmacaque]

Oh trust me, I'm well aware of Waldo. I'm about a 45 minute drive southwest of Gainesville.
I'll have to check it out some time.
I'm in the process of boiling the pieces I collected at a local park. I will definitely supply some photos when all is said and done.