Soft driftwood?

[H2Ogal]

I just got bought two pieces from an eBay seller who couldn't tell me what type of wood it was (only that her area has mostly hardwoods and she didn't think it was was pine).

One piece is very nice, smooth and heavy for its size. The other piece is large and dramatic but very lightweight — and it seems quite fragile. It actually broke during shipping and has been shedding a lot of small bits over the last couple of days while I've been fiddling with in the empty tank (just turning it this way and that to see how I want to place it).

I'm getting ready to boil the lot, but am feeling concerned that the large piece may just be too soft to last any time at all in a tank.

What do you guys think?

 

[irishspy]

If it's already falling apart, I wouldn't trust it. The water will only accelerate the decay. Does it look like grapevine? Some stores sell that as "driftwood," but it will get all fungusy and rot fast.

 

[Lowryder]

I am against softwood in an aquarium. Softwood decomposes alot faster than hardwood and it also contains large amounts of pitch which will harm fish. Even after boiling and a bleach bath it can still leach pitch. If you are unsure if its hard or soft, press your nail into it and if it makes a dent then you have soft wood.

 

[H2Ogal]

Well, darn.

I don't know if it's a softwood species, but it is very soft and easily damaged. Perhaps it was just sitting in whatever watercourse it was in for so long that it had already deteriorated beyond the point of usefulness. (It's such a fabulous looking piece, so this is a big disappointment. Not to mention, having paid for it! Now I have to decide what to do regarding the seller.)

Another question: I've been boiling the wood tonight and don't know if this means anything ... but after several hours of boiling, I started to get a fair amount of foaming/clear bubbles. Nothing scummy or "pitchy" looking, and the bubbles would disappear as soon as I re-dunked the wood. But do foam/bubbles indicate anything in particular? And would it matter that I've been boiling all the wood together? I'm going to be pretty miffed at myself if I've done something to damage the good piece I received.

 

[irishspy]

I don't think boiling them together would do any harm, but I do think that crumbly piece is a wash.

 

[H2Ogal]

Well, the good news is that my squiggly-root piece — the one I really need for my planned 'scape — is waterlogged! (Going to boil it a bit longer by itself, just to be on the safe side.)

I e-mailed the seller to complain about the other piece. We'd had an e-mail conversation before I ever bid during which I told her I wanted hardwood for aquarium use, so I've asked for a refund on the purchase price without having to ship the blasted thing back to her. Will see what happens.

 

[H2Ogal]

Well, this is a quick update: The eBay seller is refunding the purchase price on the bad wood, no need to ship it back. I'd paid combined shipping with the other piece, so not much loss. (Nice seller. And they do have really lovely driftwood, and good prices. If I buy from them again, I'll be sure to ask how hard/heavy the wood is before bidding.)

Thanks, everyone, for the advice and help.