Sterilizing this drift wood

[WhistlingBadger]

When I get driftwood out of the friendly local creek, I take the following precautions:
1. I only take wood that I find in or near clean water, usually a creek in the mountains.
2. I only use wood that has obviously been high and dry for a long time.
3. I only use wood that has been tumbling around in the water long enough to have lost its bark.
4. I scrub the wood thoroughly with a wire brush to remove any attached crud and/or critters.
5. After all of the above, I let it bake in the Wyoming sun for a couple of weeks, turning it over every couple days so all of it gets exposed. This serves much the same purpose as pouring boiling water over it.

Any critters that survive that and make it into my tanks? Maybe they deserve to live.

 

[Uberhoust]

I put all sorts of wood in my tank. For the most part I follow a process very similar to @WhistlingBadger. The only difference is that I will often wipe the full piece down with full strength 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Primary to try and kill off any spores of fungi or algae that are resistant to drying. Doubt it kills all of them, and you could question the effectiveness but, overall if you are concerned it is a treatment that will not hurt the fish, providing you don't treat the piece and then immediately drop it in the tank. Do not use regular bleach for this otherwise you risk releasing bleach into your tank. I mentioned this only because I am fighting cyanobacteria in one of my tanks but not the other and I suspect I accidentally introduced it from either the substrate or the wood, not sure which. Peroxide might have some color bleaching affects on some wood, I haven't seen in with mine but then mine have been sun bleached anyways.

 

[ChasingFish]

As I posted previously , I pour boiling water over my driftwood before use. I never have had a big enough pot to actually submerge the wood in boiling water. Some , like you’re talking about , would need a washtub as big as Granny Clampett’s.
And , again , I refute the erroneous opinion that nature is harmless. There are cooties and bugs that survive long periods of dry dormancy and emerge hungry and searching for food. Ever seen “Alien” ?

I do agree, I too am worried about the cooties and bugs. Well, I'll try the Granny Clampett bathtub boil. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[10 Tanks]

I do agree, I too am worried about the cooties and bugs. Well, I'll try the Granny Clampett bathtub boil. Thanks for your feedback.

Hello Chasing. Living in "The Hawkeye State", you shouldn't have to do anything with your driftwood except to let it thaw. The overnight temperatures in your area this time of year will easily kill any pathogens that might have been living on that piece of drift wood. You don't need to go all the effort you're planning, unless you really want to do it.

10 Tanks

 

[ChasingFish]

Hello Chasing. Living in "The Hawkeye State", you shouldn't have to do anything with your driftwood except to let it thaw. The overnight temperatures in your area this time of year will easily kill any pathogens that might have been living on that piece of drift wood. You don't need to go all the effort you're planning, unless you really want to do it.

10 Tanks

Hmmm...it has been in the teens, I suppose that is probably true. Thanks for the input! (To the OP, sorry i wasn't trying to coop your thread!)