Preparing driftwood

[DrNic]

I've been thinking about trying out some driftwood for the first time. I've read about other people using it and I get the impression that boiling the wood for some time is important, although the length of time boiling appears to vary.

If I purchase wood at the pet store do I still need to boil it?

Can green wood (i.e. cut fresh from a tree) be used?

If I want the wood to sit at a different angle than it normally does can I screw it to some other plastic surface to use as an anchor under the gravel?

What are some of the things to look out for when using driftwood?

Any thoughts/suggestions on the topic would be great!

[Northernguy]

You don't have to boil driftwood but it sure doesn't hurt!The reason its boiled is to get rid of the tannins.They turn the water a tea color.The fish love it but most people do not.Store bought wood should also be soaked to see if it is going to leech the tannins into your tank.To get rid of them soak or boil changing the water often until the water stays clear.
Make sure its very clean of debris.

[bushwhacker]

no you cant use green wood. yes you can screw the wood down on slte or plastic to set it at whatever angle you want.... just make sure its clean and dont have critters in it thats why you boil it as NG said

[Northernguy]

Make sure you are using stainless steel screws or aquarium silicone.
You can soak it in a tub of water to get it water logged.
Take a walk on a beach and find some nice peices.
I think someone here sells it on line.

[PostalPenguin]

Boiling times are up to you. I just recently boiled some mopani and I found that most of the tannins were removed within 2 hours of boiling. While the boiled water was still tea colored when I finally removed them, the pieces have not noticeably discolored my tank water. I change the water about every 30-45 minutes when boiling.

[DrNic]

Thanks for the tips!

I'm going to head to one of the retail pet stores tomorrow. If I find something good I'll post up some photos and boil it tomorrow. Otherwise I will try to get it done on Sunday (both evenings my wife will be away at my mother-in-laws, so I can make a mess without getting into too much troublethumbs2: )

[Northernguy]

I have a gas burner on my bbq that I use for boiling wood.
That way there is no smell to worry about.Your neighbors on the other hand may think strange of it!:hmm3grin2orange:

[bushwhacker]

hmmm log soup ???

[DrNic]

Just like mom used to make! :hmm3grin2orange:

We actually just got a grill but it doesn't have a side burner. Luckily our stove is next to a window so I can put a fan in the window to vent the humid air. Boiling for 2-3 hours is probably going to add some humidity into the house. :ezpi_wink1:

[Taurus]

hmmm log soup ???


LOL...yup! If you're a fish from an Asian or Amazon biozone, that stuff is good for you. :22: But only after it cools down to ~ 80 degrees F

[Northernguy]

LOL...yup! If you're a fish from an Asian or Amazon biozone, that stuff is good for you. :22: But only after it cools down to ~ 80 degrees F
MMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm:fish2: :fish2: :hmm3grin2orange:

[jaysee]

I live at the beach. Can I use beach driftwood in my freshwater tank?

[bushwhacker]

yeah jaysee just boil it really good and rinse it a lot to get as much of the salt out as you can

[PostalPenguin]

I live at the beach. Can I use beach driftwood in my freshwater tank?

You can boil it but you want to change the water frequently. Once the salt reaches equilibrium in the wood and in the water it wont move anymore so boiling it for long stretches without water changes wont do you any good. I would recommend first scrubbing it under hot water to remove the surface salt. Then boil it for 30 minutes to sterilize it, then start boiling it in 15 minute intervals with complete water changes in between. Do about 4 or 5 of those depending the size of the wood and you should be fine.

For added assurance you could soak the would in distilled water after the boilings since DI water has nothing in it and will readily leach the salt out of the wood.

[jaysee]

Awesome! Next time I'm driving on the beach I'll be looking for pieces.

[Taurus]

Ahhhh, when you feel wet feet, you've driven too far into the ocean. :22:

[jaysee]

I almost lost my truck last year. I was out at low tide at the very north point (far as possible from help) when my battery died. :ssuprised: The beach here is very flat so when the tide comes in, it COMES IN. I called for help, but there was no way they were going to get to me in time, so I started unloading my truck of everything I wanted to keep. THANK GOD someone was there to help, cause it would have cost thousands of dollars to get my truck off the beach after that, on top of the damage and probable loss of my truck.

[Taurus]

Wow! No joke, huh?

[domjd05]

The store bought driftwood for aquariums should be boiled for a long time to get the tannins out.. unless you like urine colored water... your choice I suppose, but in my experience, I've bought small medium and large peices from Petsmart.. the small and medium I boiled for maybe an hour and saw no discoloration, the large piece I have boiled several times probably around 5-6 hours total (maybe more) and I am still noticing slight discoloration.

[DrNic]

Unfortunately around here most of the beaches, both fresh and saltwater are pretty cleared out. I've tried looking for wood before but haven't found anything worth keeping that wasn't more than a small stick for the dogs.

I went to one store today but didn't find anything that I was really crazy about. I'm going to try another store later in the week. I'll let you know how it goes.

[PostalPenguin]

Some people have found drift wood in craft stores. Often for much cheaper than the fish stores.

[Algenco]

landscape centers are a good place to look

[DrNic]

Some people have found drift wood in craft stores. Often for much cheaper than the fish stores.
I'll definitely have to check that out!! Thanks for the tip!