Using wild driftwood in aquarium

[jjohnwm]

I can't say what driftwood costs here, since I've never bought any. I have a piece of store-bought wood that was gifted to me and it probably made me more nervous to use that than anything I've found myself. I prefer actual driftwood that I find on beaches. I pretreat mine the same way you do...just kidding, I don't do any of that stuff. No peroxide, no boiling; I'm decorating a fishtank, not making soup. If it's already sun-dried, I like to waterlog it in a tub in the yard; if it's not dry, I prefer to sun-dry it and then waterlog. But, honestly, if I find a good-looking piece of waterlogged wood, I've been known to give it a good hot rinse with the garden hose and then use it. Can't say I have had any problems with it. Do whatever makes you comfortable.

Wood spotted while driving down a country road? Maybe. Along a heavily-travelled highway? That would make me nervous. Even wood from farm country might be contaminated with pesticides or other nasty stuff. A dead and thoroughly dried-out fallen tree in a quiet natural setting, completely stripped of bark and all soft material, is usually safe. Cut or break off the branches that are not in contact with the ground, no soft or wet or rotten stuff.

Tannins? Yep, any wood will release tannins, some varieties more than others and for longer periods of time. Changes in pH are practically undetectable in most cases.

Try to avoid aromatic woods like cedar, pine, etc. as they contain a lot of potentially dangerous oils and substances that can be toxic. Cedar is used to line chests because it's a natural insecticide; doesn't belong in a fish tank. I won't use any wood that still smells like fresh-cut lumber. The older and more weathered it is, the better.

 

[Omrit]

There is no wild/domestic driftwood, but I buy it because I don’t know which woods are safe or not and don’t know much about how to identify those that are not safe

There really isn't an unsafe driftwood, any toxic the tree might have had will have long since left. I wouldn't use any wood with a scent(like cedar or pine), and if it has a strong scent then it probably has not actually become driftwood in the first place.

If you are having a hard time telling what is and is not driftwood just look for heavy/dense pieces that already want to sink, those should always be safe.

 

[kzimmerman]

I use native driftwood, and I’ve also used fresh out of the creek. Just scrub it off real good. I waterlogged pieces in a 55g tank in my garage, with a light bleach mixture a week or two before I use it. Some of these pieces have been around for 10 years, no problem except for light tannins.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Just scrub it off real good.

I've done the same. Dragged it off the beach, tossed it in the back of the truck and headed for the Magic Wand car wash. I'd adjust the mixer to the 'rinse' setting and blast the muck off of the wood then wheel it home and toss it in the tank.

Always have been concerned; never have been disappointed.

 

[duanes]

You call that driftwood.
Now this is driftwood.

 

[eon aquatics]

I dont like to use wood in my aquariums because it makes the water dirty.
Depends on the kind of wood though, you could try pressure washing, bleaching and sun drying it.
Epoxy works well if you get the kind that isn't harmful to fish.

 

[duanes]

I realize this may seem like semantics, but the term "dirty" is a bit of a misnomer.
Wood secretes tannic acids into the water, giving it a tea-like stain, so that's not actual dirt.
And these tannins are beneficial to certain fish, especially black water (often Amazonian) river species like those from the Rio Negro, and its tributaries.
These tannic acids can have an anti-bacterial effect helping to ward off certain infections such as HITH.
And in nature can be constant, or seasonal.
Because my tank are outside, tannins are washed in from surrounding vegetation, especially after a long dry season.
And I use a lot of sunken wood in my tanks, because it matches the biotopes where I catch my fish.
In some less buffered waters, these tannins can lower pH, but if the water is highly buffered (like mine with a high KH and an 8.2 pH), even thick tannins only slightly budge pH lower to 8, when especially concentrated.
Some biotope aquarists go out of their way, to promote tannins.
There is actually a FB group called Blackwater Aquarium Enthusiasts.

 

[jjohnwm]

I agree with the above; water can be dirty or stained, but those are two different things. Tannins will stain the water as shown in the above post, imparting that distinctive blackwater "weak tea" appearance. Yes, it's natural and healthy, and some may like the look of it. Personally I detest it, and when I get a new piece of wood installed in one of my tanks I am counting the days until the colour slows down or even stops appearing altogether...but I certainly know that it isn't "dirty" and my only beef with it is entirely related to cosmetics. With each and every water change you will be removing some of the tannic colour; there is a finite amount in any piece of wood, although it may take many days or weeks or months before it is completely exhausted.

Wood can at times make your tank actually "dirty"...but all it takes is a good physical cleaning with a pressure washer, a car wash or even just a garden hose and stiff broom to remove whatever mud or algae or other debris from its surface before use. Once you acquire a piece of driftwood and clean it up like this...anything you see growing or appearing on its surface is a result of being in the tank, i.e. your tank is making the wood dirty, not the other way 'round.

And, sorry, but the idea of sealing the exterior surface of a piece of driftwood with epoxy is absolutely terrible. For the epoxy to adhere properly to the wood, the surface must be not only spotlessly clean but also bone dry. Carefully applying one or more coats of some coating in such a manner as to completely cover and seal up all the surfaces on a convoluted complex shape like most driftwood would be a nightmare; how will you ensure that every pore, every wrinkle, every deep striation in the grain and every surface imperfection is properly sealed? If you miss one or two spots...and you will!...then water will still get into the wood and thus all that work is wasted. If you do miraculously manage to seal it perfectly...you will find that the wood will never be able to become waterlogged, which means that in the vast majority of cases it will remain as buoyant as a big cork and will forever require something to hold it down on the bottom. Odds are that air, trying to escape, will work its way to the surface and appear as silvery spots under the clear coating also; not a good look, and one that is guaranteed to turn a nice-looking piece of wood into an eyesore.

To many folks, myself included, nothing looks as attractive and natural as real driftwood. If you agree and want to use it, then use it au naturel rather than monkeying around trying to turn it into a piece of hard plastic. You can also buy plenty of sorta kinda half-***ed "natural" decorations made of plastic or fired clay or whatever; the best I can say about those is that once they become overgrown with algae, they start to look less garish, but whatever floats your boat is the way to go.

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

I agree with the above; water can be dirty or stained, but those are two different things. Tannins will stain the water as shown in the above post, imparting that distinctive blackwater "weak tea" appearance. Yes, it's natural and healthy, and some may like the look of it. Personally I detest it, and when I get a new piece of wood installed in one of my tanks I am counting the days until the colour slows down or even stops appearing altogether...but I certainly know that it isn't "dirty" and my only beef with it is entirely related to cosmetics. With each and every water change you will be removing some of the tannic colour; there is a finite

To many folks, myself included, nothing looks as attractive and natural as real driftwood. If you agree and want to use it, then use it au naturel rather than monkeying around trying to turn it into a piece of hard plastic. You can also buy plenty of sorta kinda half-***ed "natural" decorations made of plastic or fired clay or whatever; the best I can say about those is that once they become overgrown with algae, they start to look less garish, but whatever floats your boat is the way to go.

Totally agree, I don't like tannin stains in my water, I like crystal-clear water. I also love natural driftwood even though I'm starting to lean towards a pure rockscape. And don't get me started on the "fake natural" decor...