what to do with driftwood or bogwood you found in the wild?

[RedFishBlueFish35]

if you find like driftwood or bogwood around a river... how do you know its one or the other or something entirely else?

what should i do first before puting it in my 125 gallon tank?

thanks in advanc for replyinging

 

[RaRalph]

was it just in the plain out in soil? or was it in a river?

 

[Fat Homer]

i would boil / soak it in hot water for a week or more just to make sure your killing off any hitchhikers that may have tagged along for the ride...

 

[calpoly12]

what i do is boil it. I have used a 55 gallon metal trashcan before for this purpose. This should kill a lot of the bacteria, etc. and remove and tannins. Next soak it in saltwater for a week or two in order to kill anything that is left. Finally give it a good two week soak in freshwater to finalize it.

Honestly, it can be a very long process. I would not rush it due to the fact that if you mess up and put some nasty bacteria in your tank, you will soon find dead fish. It also depends on if the wood is already waterlogged or not. One final thing is DONT USE SOFTWOODS AKA 'PINE TREES'. Hardwood species (broadleaf) are fine to use as they will not continue to release sap throughout their lifespan. Manzanita is a great plant to use as it has beautiful shape and color.

 

[bigbadfish711]

if you find like driftwood or bogwood around a river... how do you know its one or the other or something entirely else?

what should i do first before puting it in my 125 gallon tank?

thanks in advanc for replyinging

I think you were asking what the difference is between bog wood and driftwood.

Driftwood is wood that floats on the water.
Bog wood is wood that that has been preserved in a bog.

When you find driftwood at the lake or river make sure the wood is dead and not green/ fresh cut. The wood should have no bark on it and be weather. You can boil the wood if the wood is to big to boil then use a larger trash can or rubbermaid tote and fill with hot water and let the wood soak. Changing the water every day for about a week just to be safe. The hot water will also help to water log the wood. If the wood is not completely water logged by the time you go to put in to your tank then you can just weight it down with a rock or screw a piece of slate to the bottom of the wood and place under the substrate.