Boiling Driftwood

[dolo]

Hey guys,

I was going to go out on sunday to different streams, creeks, and rivers to find a nice piece of driftwood. I was told that I had to boil the drift, then clean the wood (no chemicals), then I had to soak it in water before I could put it in my tank.

So my questions are:

Is those the correct things that I need to do with the driftwood?
How long do I have to boil the driftwood?
How long do I need to soak the driftwood?
When would it be safe to put the driftwood in the tank?

If I forgot anything else, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[HackJob]

metal brush, boil or bake to kill the bugs that come home on the wood. You don't want anything soft. So imagine scraping with either a metal brush, or pressure washer. If it falls apart, leave it in the stream. Soaking the driftwood is only to water log it so it sinks. If its already submerged you make not need to soak it. Just be careful what you take home. I prefer to grab mine at an ocean beach. It has already been scoured and salt bathed. I let the soak for about month to desalinate, and water log, then into the tanks they go.

 

[dolo]

metal brush, boil or bake to kill the bugs that come home on the wood. You don't want anything soft. So imagine scraping with either a metal brush, or pressure washer. If it falls apart, leave it in the stream. Soaking the driftwood is only to water log it so it sinks. If its already submerged you make not need to soak it. Just be careful what you take home. I prefer to grab mine at an ocean beach. It has already been scoured and salt bathed. I let the soak for about month to desalinate, and water log, then into the tanks they go.

So I just want to make sure about when I am able to put the wood in the tank? Are you saying I should wait a month if the wood is NOT water logged? When can I put it in the tank if it is water logged?

 

[joe jaskot]

You can kill the living organisms on the driftwood by soaking it in a bleach solution. After collecting the driftwood, scrub it well with a brush. Soak it in a container of water and bleach. Let it sit overnight. Rinse well. May want to soak it in clean water and add some dechlorinator. Driftwood can then be placed in tank.

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

I wouldn't soak it in any bleach, I would instead boil it for however long it takes for it to stop leaching tannins (the things that make the water tea colored)...if it doesn't seem to stop leaching tannins, then maybe its best to try a different piece of driftwood or you could just let it leach tannins into your tank, after all, the tannins given off are harmless to your fish

 

[virgil2090]

if you dilute the bleach,about a tablespoon per 5 gallons or more,it can help kill anything on the wood.then soak it again with de-chlor.boilint will not be easy with long branches,soak them in hot water in the tub,weight them down.don't use soft woods,anything that smells off,or if you think it was treated wood,the kind for decks,other stuff called pressure treated,stay away