Getting wood from the river..

[sick_lid]

My problem is I don't like paying shop prices for driftwood... Down here, there are some great looking pieces of wood in a lot of the shallow areas, that do not look rotted at all. If i clean them up real good, can they successfully go in my tanks? They are that barkless wood that's real light colored and pointy.. How do I go about doing something like this?

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

you should be able to...just beware of hitch hikers. Also if its soft wood it will rot in your tank fast, but if it is hard wood you should be fine.

 

[fobrinkle]

make sure to powerwash or boil the wood before you use it. I have a few pieces that I picked up at a local lake. One has beeen in with my Piranha's since August and they are fine.

 

[ScreaminGreen]

to be extra careful, i usually boil the water for 2 - 4 hours, then soak it in a bucket for a week or two (to leach the tannins out, which discolor water). that should do the trick!

 

[Freezekougra]

I'm in need of some wood too

No rivers with wood in teh city :S

 

[frnchjeep]

All my driftwood comes from local rivers. If they are too big to boil, I soak them in the bathtub and then stick them in the oven for like an hour. If they are too big for the oven I put them in the bathtub and pour boiling water over them then let them sit in the sun for a few days.

 

[sick_lid]

thanks everyone, esp. frnchjeep, since i'm taking the bathtub advice!

 

[shelbyzman]

Yeah boil the driftwood. Also like it was mentioned earlier, make sure the wood isn't brittle. You don't want little pieces of wood coming off in your tank