Driftwood

[snshn56]

I just came home from the Lake of the Ozarks. I came home with an AWESOME piece of driftwood, along with a few other small pieces of driftwood. Question is, how do I prepare the driftwood for my tanks. A couple of the pieces are small enough to boil, but the others are not.. so how would I fix them up, without losing any fishies??? Help??

 

[Vitaliy]

What I have done in the past is simply wash off the dirt off the wood with a brush. I would then place it in a bathtub (or rubbermaid), fill it up with water, put a heater (or two) and set the temperature to around 90F. On top of that I would dump triple the amount of salt (triple based on the amount you are suppose to use stated on the box). I would leave this for anywhere between 12-24 hours.

 

[gomezladdams]

I scrub then soak in bleach(1 cup/10g) for a day then into a salt bath for a few days,then a few changes of fresh water.probably overkill but id rather be sure I killed everthing on it

 

[Vitaliy]

I scrub then soak in bleach(1 cup/10g) for a day then into a salt bath for a few days,then a few changes of fresh water.probably overkill but id rather be sure I killed everthing on it

I have heard of people using small ammounts of bleach but I have never dared, any side effects with that dosage?

 

[snshn56]

What I have done in the past is simply wash off the dirt off the wood with a brush. I would then place it in a bathtub (or rubbermaid), fill it up with water, put a heater (or two) and set the temperature to around 90F. On top of that I would dump triple the amount of salt (triple based on the amount you are suppose to use stated on the box). I would leave this for anywhere between 12-24 hours.

This is going in a freshwater tank. Won't all that salt hurt my fishies???

 

[Vitaliy]

This is going in a freshwater tank. Won't all that salt hurt my fishies???

Many parasites and diseases in freshwater fish are treated with salt since most fish can tolerate it. The idea is to basically kill, if any, parasites on the driftwood. Rinsing the wood with freshwater will get rid of most of the salt, and whatever it will leak is just too minor too do damage to your fish.

 

[rallysman]

if you use the bleach method, just use extra rinse it in a tub with dechlor, or add a heavy dose of dechlor right before you put it in the tank.

 

[stotty]

This is going in a freshwater tank. Won't all that salt hurt my fishies???

Ordinary salt is a useful remedy for the prevention and treatment of several freshwater fish diseases. However, it can also be harmful if used improperly. It assists in the healing of injuries, promotes formation of slime coating, improves gill function, reduces the uptake of nitrite, and is effective against some parasites.But some species fish cannot tolerate salt( Corys or smooth-skinned fish such as Kuhli Loaches and Clown Loaches & Snakeheads)but in the quantity you are using to clean the wood and rinse it through you should be ok

 

[snshn56]

Thanks all, for your input. I have boiled the small pieces, and put them in the tank. How do I make them sink, or will they on their own in given time? Also, for the bigger pieces, are you talking about aquarium salt? I would rather go that way, than the bleach way.

Thank you all, this is the greatest site for information, and you ALL have made it that way!!

 

[fisher12889]

Would driftwood still need to be treated if its going into a native tank? What if I just left it out in the sun for a few days?