driftwood

[billy61788]

i was wondering if you could use wood that you find outside in a tank...and if so what has to be done to it before putting it in the tank?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

No you can't because it will start to rot. However, if you ever go to Louisiana on vacation, you can get some driftwood. Otherwise, just buy it from a reputable dealer and disinfect it.

 

[billy61788]

alright thanks

 

[JoKeR]

Then whats the diffrence beetween driftwood and the other regular wood .

 

[crimsontsavo]

Well 55,

Driftwood/bogwood is or has been submerged and wont rot like "dry" wood does.
Basically it is naturally "sealed". It does eventually decompose though.

I'm using a piece of wood wood (dry) in my tank now. Rather it's a small limb to make an overhang for my shiners.

If you're gonna use dry wood anyway- watch your water/fish carefully.
Wouldnt hurt to put it in a bucket of water for a week or two prior to using it in your tank. Gives some time for living land things to die and rot there instead of in your tank.

If you have the room- you can make your own drift/bog wood.

Get your wood- and sink it in a pool/tub/pond and just leave it there for a while. Could take weeks- probably will take months to years.
It depends on the wood, the size and the kind of wood (tree) it is.

HTH"s.

 

[Punkfish]

I've got some pieces of English Oak that I took straight off a tree (the pieces on the ground were too rotten). It hasn't caused me any problems. I soaked it for a couple of weeks to remove most of the tannins and then anchored it down in the tank until it was fully waterlogged (the last piece took about 4 months to become waterlogged).

 

[crimsontsavo]

I think some wood can kill your fish- but I'm not sure what kind.

 

[iloveyou]

hmm.. i was considering doing the grab wood from outside thing... im glad i didnt.... i wanted something big and natural looking for my tank.. i guess ill just put a bunch of rocks in

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I'm guessing you were going to use wood from outside to save money. if you do the same with rocks, make sure you get it from a stream that's not polluted. Otherwise it might leach chemicals into your water. Always boil and/or bleach any new rocks.

 

[iloveyou]

i was jus gonna grab some rocks from around

not rlly any streams around here lol... hmmm
id boil them of course tho

 

[Idolz]

is drift wood you find on a shore line ok?

 

[Punkfish]

Do you mean a coastal shoreline? If so it will be covered in salt. The salt can be washed off, but I doubt you could remove all of it. I notice from your sig that you have corys - they are intolerant to salt, so I wouldn't risk it.

If however you meant a freshwater shoreline, then you can just clean it and soak it as normal.

 

[Idolz]

I was thinking fw, thanks