Can I use Driftwood from rivers/lakes?

[Zodiac007]

I was going to buy a few large driftwoods at the petstores but turned out to be way overpriced. They're like $40 for a medium piece and like $70 for a large piece. So I'm thinking of going to my local rivers or lakes to collect some driftwoods. I live in Vancouver, BC Canada. So I'm thinking about collecting them from the Capilano River, Fraser River or from one of the many lakes around here. And they're freshwater of course.

I know I'll need to scrub them and boil them. But since they're already soaked with water, does that mean I don't need to soak them anymore? Just boil and scrub and I can put it right in the aquarium right?

Planning on collecting some large rocks at the rivers and lakes too since they too are way overpriced.

Has anyone use driftwood they've collected at a river or lake and did everything work out fine?

Thank you

[bushwhacker]

yep all the time, clean em boil em and you'll be fine

[Wild Turkey]

Yup, its actually preferable, since they are often already waterlogged and will sink

[Northernguy]

Thats all I ever use!
With all the lakes and rivers around here it didn't make sense to spend 50 bucks on a peice of wood in a store.
Just clean it really well first .I used a chisel and steel brush before I boiled it.

[Kaz]

Curse you and your access to clean freshwater lakes, rivers and streams!

I had to pay full price for my driftwood and I got the cheapest kind too! The driftwood is really nice though.

[bushwhacker]

guys think of it this way.. every piece of drift wood in our tanks came from someones river lake or stream..... some of em cleaned em first. some of em didnt... if you can find a nice piece why spend your money?

[Zodiac007]

also, would it matter if the wood is still alive? and how would you know if its completely dead?

[bushwhacker]

zodiac al ya gotta do is look you'll know if that woods been in the water for a while if its layin on the beach and its grey or white its dead, if there are no sharp edges its prolly been there a while.... if your worried and its small enought bake it for 8 hours or so

[mac]

Yes getting logs from rivers and lakes is okay. As long as the lake or river is not a real rubbish place like a storm water drain in a town or something like that.

For me I just get the logs clean them and add them in the tank strait away.
I for one like tannin.

mac