i plan on goin huntin for some driftwood for my tank. would any wood work? or are there some wood out there that are hazardous to put in a fish tank?
thanks
thanks
driftwood
- Thread starter fishingaddict
- Start date
Make sure it has been in the water for several years. If it still looks green, floats don't use it. Pine trees will leach some harmful oils into the tank, stay away from water that has pine trees on its shores.
u want to soak anything u find like that for days make sure it bleeds out all the tannins that might still be there and put a goldfish in the bucket when u think u are done soaking to see if it may be toxic so u dont kill your cool fish lol.
I just put some driftwood in my tank but before I did, I had the same thought--get some for free from the lakes behind my house. So I did a bit of searching on the subject not too long ago, and from what I found out...The wood has to be completely dead, if its not completly dead it will put bad bacteria or algae in your tank. I read in a few places that you can boil driftwood and it will be tank safe, but how do you boil a big log?? I also read if you cant do that, fill a kiddie pool with water and bleach and soak the wood in that.
After everything I read, I ended up just buying driftwood from a member on here, it was the easiest and worry thing for me to do but I think I was also lucky to find the piece.
Good luck though
After everything I read, I ended up just buying driftwood from a member on here, it was the easiest and worry thing for me to do but I think I was also lucky to find the piece.
Good luck though
Howdy,
Native driftwood is great - if you know what you're doing.
- the river has to be clean, no industry along the shores!
- the wood has to be well weathered, washed out to the fiber. If it has bark, it's too young. It needs to look like it's spent years and years in the water
- only use wood from flowing bodies of water, never from stagnant areas.
- do not use wood that was covered with mud, it must be located in the stream
- Stay away from conifers. Look at the vegetation along the stream and upstream closely!
When I harvest driftwood, I first hose it down with a high-pressure cleaner (carwash). Then, I soak it in saturated salt solution (in the bath tub) for three days (daily fresh). That disinfects it all the way. Then I soak it for a couple of days in daily fresh water to de-salt it.
And off it goes into my tank. Generally, you have to weigh it down. I tie it to a rock with fishing line.
Self-harvested wood is a lot of fun. I got mine from a canoeing trip
HarleyK
Native driftwood is great - if you know what you're doing.
- the river has to be clean, no industry along the shores!
- the wood has to be well weathered, washed out to the fiber. If it has bark, it's too young. It needs to look like it's spent years and years in the water
- only use wood from flowing bodies of water, never from stagnant areas.
- do not use wood that was covered with mud, it must be located in the stream
- Stay away from conifers. Look at the vegetation along the stream and upstream closely!
When I harvest driftwood, I first hose it down with a high-pressure cleaner (carwash). Then, I soak it in saturated salt solution (in the bath tub) for three days (daily fresh). That disinfects it all the way. Then I soak it for a couple of days in daily fresh water to de-salt it.
And off it goes into my tank. Generally, you have to weigh it down. I tie it to a rock with fishing line.
Self-harvested wood is a lot of fun. I got mine from a canoeing trip
HarleyK