I live right next to the beach in SW Washington and there are always some really interesting pieces of driftwood to be found. I read a couple of articles on the process and they contradicted each other. Any insights would be great.
2007-02-07 03:57:40 · 6 answers · asked by meathookcook 6 in Pets ➔ Fish
Do not use bleach on driftwood; bleach will seep into the wood and may later release when it is in your tank.
Scrub the exterior to remove pieces of algae or whatever.
If the pieces are small enough, boil them for a couple hours (flip them over and do half the piece at a time if you have to).
If the pieces are too big to boil them, soak them in the bathtub in water as hot as possible for a couple days. This has the added benefit of helping to remove any remaining tannins.
Allow the piece to dry completely (about a week's time) before putting it into your tank.
2007-02-07 04:10:58 · answer #1 · answered by Zoe 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Soak the piece in boiling hot water to bring out the salt and to kill bacteria and other unwanted organisms. Pour off the water and replace, repeating the process a couple of times.
With the wood laying in the water the final time, allow the water to cool possibly even for a day or two. Then test for salinity by measuring water for electrical conductivity.
(Place a couple of metal rods in the water and check for the resistance across. The LOWER the better. Do the same thing in the water in your fish tank. If the levels do not match, change the water in the wood and repeat the boiling/testing process again. When the two measurements match, you can transfer the wood to the tank.)
If you are concerned about the testing process, get a salinity tester for the water which will give you PPM.
2007-02-07 12:05:20 · answer #2 · answered by Marvinator 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, you should not use it. Boiling it only concentrates the salts and minerals and but the nitrates and other harmefull chemicals and encases them into the wood. I am sure they are fabulous pieces, but really should really not be used in a fresh water aquarium.
If you MUST use them they need to be aged. Out side after a Chlorene bath, yes you heard me chlorene (Bleach bath) then aged out side in the elements away from the beach. Only then will the parasitic's be gone from the porus wood. Rinse thoroughly and I do mean WELL.
Keep an eye on your ph. Since wood is porus, no telling what can survive even a good ageing.
Good luck
My same observation, anything from the sea should never be put in to a tropical tank...no matter what.
2007-02-07 13:39:53 · answer #3 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you're concerned about heterotrphic bacteria or fungus, you can boil it / dunk it in a 1:10 solution of bleach then dry it. Sometimes its better to be on the safe side than sorry.
Other than that, you should be able to plop it in. Depending on the type of wood, you will need to anchor a heavy stone to it to keep it from floating (unless you want a floating log, which are sometimes cool... especially with green sock moss).
Some people soak the wood for up to two weeks in a bucket to help extract extra tanins in the wood and to help it waterlog / sink better.
2007-02-07 12:05:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Don't use real driftwood. It will decay over time and put bacteria and other stuff in the tank. I'd suggest putting it next to the tank or on a coffee table if its that interesting. Just dry it out first.
2007-02-07 12:57:24 · answer #5 · answered by Jacob 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
rinse throughouly in cold water, then carefully place it into the tank
2007-02-07 12:03:05 · answer #6 · answered by candyfloss 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋