Disinfecting driftwood

[sharkweek178]

I got my first piece of driftwood. I read on the forum that boiling the wood can cause the wood fibers to break down. If I use chemicals, they could be absorbed by the wood and leach out later.
So what's a good way to disinfect driftwood?

 

[Colin_T]

dry it out in the sun for a few days

soak it in a container of salt water.

 

[lnsaneM]

Boiling it would work but depending on the wood it would still release some tannins which is healthy for most fish. I had a large piece which I soaked in my tub for about 10 days and when put into the tank it still releases tannins, my tank is like tea color now.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Where did you get it from?

 

[MetroPlecs]

I boiled my driftwood for several hours then left it sit in water overnight and it still released a lot of tannins. Boiled it a few more hours next night, dumping out the stained water and replacing it with clean water periodically. When I put it in my tank afterward the tannins were no longer an issue. I still had to weigh it down in the tank to keep it from floating up though. Might take 2 to 4 weeks in the tank to soak up enough water to keep it from floating.

 

[GaryE]

I soak it in freshwater til it sinks. I've never assumed it was infected in the first place, and disinfecting seems an odd approach unless you hauled it out of somewhere nasty. Once any larvae have had time to hatch and go, you can give it a swish with a kettle of water to knock off any hydra.

The best driftwood cleaners I've used have been wood eating catfish. They polish it up nicely.

 

[sharkweek178]

Where did you get it from?

It's a piece of spider wood that I got at a pet store.

 

[sharkweek178]

Boiling it would work but depending on the wood it would still release some tannins which is healthy for most fish. I had a large piece which I soaked in my tub for about 10 days and when put into the tank it still releases tannins, my tank is like tea color now.

I'm not as concerned about tannins as I am about pathogens.

 

[DoubleDutch]

It's a piece of spider wood that I got at a pet store.

Then it is treated and dried. What pathogens are you afraid for. I'd soak it and put it in.