Driftwood, how to make it safe?

Post pictures of your beloved catfish aquaria here. Also good for pictures of your (cat)fish rooms or equipment discussions. If you are posting pictures of identified catfish, please do so in the appropriate husbandry and reproduction forum above.
Post Reply
User avatar
fishypaw
Posts: 19
Joined: 03 Feb 2006, 01:40
Location 1: Scotland

Driftwood, how to make it safe?

Post by fishypaw »

(hopefully this is posted in an appropriate forum room, i wasnt sure which i should use)

i have been thinking of collecting driftwood from one of my local lochs (lakes) partly as the selection of bogwood and mopani wood is limited and costly here plus i never seem to see any realy big bits.

i have used rocks before that i have collected from various sources. i usualy clean them thoroughly with hot water and a scrubbing brush (no chemicals) then pour over lots of boiling water to steralise them. touch wood (pardon the pun) i have never had a problem from this.

basicaly i am wondering if i collect driftwoof what is the best way to make it safe. are there any chemicals that i should try and will boiling water work with wood. i am worried that boiling might split it or make it fall apart.

any advice would be appreciated.
Nick

40g - 10 black neons, 5 harlequins, 5 khuli loaches, 4 ottos, 1 male beta, shrimps, corys - 4 albino, 3 pepper, 2 leucomelas, 2 sterbai, 2 julli, 1 similis, 1 sodalis
40g - 30 blue neons, 5 blue rams, 2 angels, 2 bristlenose plecs, 1 female beta, 1 tiger loach, shrimps
10g - lots of baby java ferns
5g - giant java fern about to be sold
Top
User avatar
Jackster
Posts: 338
Joined: 16 Sep 2005, 14:04
My cats species list: 1 (i:0, k:0)
Location 2: WI

Post by Jackster »

I think that boiling it would be the best way to go. I would caution that you identify
the type of wood your collecting as some woods such as cedar can be toxic.
I one killed a very nice Royal pleco with a piece of white cedar I collected from a local river.
Personally I prefer African root (Swahala also called Mopani) but others seem to prefer
Malaysian wood. I know that African root is safe for wood eating plecos and it lasts
a very long time in the aquarium.
"The Jackster"
Need Bristlenose?
Top
pictus_man_77
Posts: 407
Joined: 13 Sep 2004, 09:53
Location 1: bromsgrove, Worcester Birmingham, U.K.

Post by pictus_man_77 »

i always boil the wood i put in for about 5 minutes. That usually does the trick :D
Top
User avatar
MatsP
Posts: 21038
Joined: 06 Oct 2004, 13:58
My articles: 4
My images: 28
My cats species list: 117 (i:33, k:0)
My aquaria list: 10 (i:8)
My BLogs: 4 (i:0, p:97)
Spotted: 187
Location 1: North of Cambridge
Location 2: England.

Post by MatsP »

And to quote Shane, big pieces go quite nicely in the dishwasher. If you search for "How do I clean driftwood", in the forum search, you'll find something useful.

The other way to get wood for your tank is to take/cut pieces of trees in your garden (or a nearby forest, although the owner may [rightly!] not appreciaete you cutting branches off the trees in the forest! Smallish fallen off bits(a couple of inches thick and a few foot long) would be fair game tho', as long as you don't clear the whole forest of fallen off bits.]

Oak, beech, cherry, apple - any leafy tree really, works fine. Branches of pine or spruce may contain stuff that you don't really want in the tank - not a good idea I would think...

Obviously, your local DIY shop/garden centre would possibly also have pieces of wood that may work - but avoid anything that has been treated in any way.

Of course, dry wood needs waterlogging - you need to put it in a bucket/tub of water until it's at least almost sinking...

--
Mats
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Tank Talk”