ID my wood! :) Can it go in my tank?

[knifegill]

Look, there are plenty of resources that will tell you if a given species of wood contains toxic elements. They aren't tailored specifically for fish but if you draw from a number of sources it doesn't take long to paint a picture of the viability of a given sample for aquarium use. Here is the very first thing that came up when I googled 'Madrona Wood Toxic' http://confluence.mickaboo.org/display/MBPublic/Toxic+and+Non-Toxic+Wood+from+Tree+Limbs
Take an hour collecting data and save your money for fish food instead of decorations.

if it wasent found underwater (or near water) it's not proper driftwood and will never be ready to go in your tank, if it is proper driftwood (IE no bark) it's been so heavily weathered and will have no traces of any toxic saps/ resins left in it anyway and is fine for your tank



iim sick and tired of ignorant people who go and find a random stump in the ground boil it for 20 minutes and say "it's drift wood" and then start saying how certain types of woods are toxic becuase that stump killed there fish

WTF? I don't know what you've been through, but don't project your own mistakes or sour experiences onto other people in such harsh ways. Wild wood can be a fine source of decor if it is done properly, and it doesn't have to come from a river. I once had to boil a stick for three days, then it was leaching no more tannins and did a fine job as pleco food.

 

[soxfan692]

I'm just posting because the thread title made me laugh.

 

[swordtales]

That's morning wood...
not to be confused with night wood

 

[swordtales]

Wild wood can be a fine source of decor if it is done properly, and it doesn't have to come from a river. I once had to boil a stick for three days, then it was leaching no more tannins and did a fine job as pleco food.

+2
Suggestion: do your soaking/boiling outdoors.
I once infested my house with hungry newborn skeeters.

 

[knifegill]

Oh, yes.
+1 for outdoors is best.

 

[boldtogether]

if it wasent found underwater (or near water) it's not proper driftwood and will never be ready to go in your tank, if it is proper driftwood (IE no bark) it's been so heavily weathered and will have no traces of any toxic saps/ resins left in it anyway and is fine for your tank



im sick and tired of ignorant people who go and find a random stump in the ground boil it for 20 minutes and say "it's drift wood" and then start saying how certain types of woods are toxic becuase that stump killed there fish

Agreed.
Rinse, scrub, soak, repeat. Repeatrepeatrepeatrepeat. Take the time and have patience and you will be successful. Hurry the process and risk the lives of your fish.
The process should take AT LEAST a month. Seriously. Soak that wood properly and it will look AWESOME in your tank.
About the only wood I would deem toxic would be eucalyptus and wood that is considered "soft" like pine. Other wise....rinse,scrub,SOAK,repeat.

 

[ccebr]

Agreed.
Rinse, scrub, soak, repeat. Repeatrepeatrepeatrepeat. Take the time and have patience and you will be successful. Hurry the process and risk the lives of your fish.
The process should take AT LEAST a month. Seriously. Soak that wood properly and it will look AWESOME in your tank.
About the only wood I would deem toxic would be eucalyptus and wood that is considered "soft" like pine. Other wise....rinse,scrub,SOAK,repeat.

Also agree. Use a wire brush to remove the bark, brush away any moulds etc. As long as it is hardwood it wont rot in the water. You may get a slight slime form on the wood which is bacteria, so just scrub this away. You could also try adding a little salt to the water, and heat it, to leach away the tannins and pollutants quicker. Not had any problems with any of the wood I've found down my local woods, it wasnt from water, or near it, but it was hardwood and completely dead, and treated well for up to a month

 

[bahamaqt00]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Anyone have any input on coating it with fiberglass resin or aquarium safe sillicone? I thought this was a good idea but I could be overlooking a big no-no. It would just be hard for me to boil a 2ft long piece of wood outside in our apartments. And it is pretty delicate so I couldn't really scrub it like it needs to be scrubbed to get all the dirt off.

 

[ccebr]

if you have a wheelie bin spare, fill it up with water, add a spare heater and a pump for water flow, wont be boiling but warms still better than cold. thats what i did for my 3ft piece. prob better to follow the treatment suggestions than put fibreglass on the wood, dont even know if that would work

 

[bahamaqt00]

if you have a wheelie bin spare, fill it up with water, add a spare heater and a pump for water flow, wont be boiling but warms still better than cold. thats what i did for my 3ft piece. prob better to follow the treatment suggestions than put fibreglass on the wood, dont even know if that would work

Yeah the treatment suggestions would probably be the safest way to go. But I was hoping someone has done the silicone or resin idea because It sounds like it would work. And plus I don't want the bark to come off. I like the look of it rather than the smooth under bark wood.