Adding wood

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BmxBandGeek

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 29, 2004
Messages
30
Location
Traverse City, MI
OK, i recently added more plants to my tank, then i was lookn at pictures of members tanks..and i noticed the better lookn tanks were really planted and had driftwood in them..my question is..how would i add driftwood? just go to the beach, and pick up some good looking wood then wash it and stick it in the tank?..i have a 37gallon tall tank with an eclipse filter and 6 zebras, 2 red-tail black sharks, 3 goldfish and 1 pleco
 
I bought malaysian driftwood from the lfs. Soak it in very hot water for about a week, changing the water 3 times a day. By the end of the week most of the tannins are gone and it's ready to go.

I'm fairly sure that you could do the same with most woods, but buying it from a store does give a bit of a gaurantee...
 
I have found Malaysian driftwood to be the best because you don't have to worry about it not sinking. What ever wood you get make sure to boil it to get the tannins out and anything else that might be lurking in it.
 
I used driftwood from a river in Idaho. My fiance cured the wood, which looked like back-breaking work. We were using two pieces 3 feet long (one had a bunch of roots), so there was no way to boil them. The wood soaked in the tub with a touch of bleach overnight. The next day, he scrubbed them with a nail brush. The wood was then soaked for days in FW, refilling the tub often. Every other day, he scrubbed down the wood. I forget what I was doing that I could not help :(
I like our driftwood, however, it has been months and it still will not sink. It is weighed down by pieces of basalt. When this wood finally disintegrates, it will be replaced by Malaysian driftwood. Not only will that driftwood sink, it has properties that don't allow it to break down as fast once submerged in water. I hate to think my fiance did all that work and in a few years, we will have to replace the wood.
 
BmxBandGeek said:
couldnt i just do that with a normal peace of driftwood?...FINALLY! someone other then me lives in michigan!..haha

I agree about the driftwood not sinking...

And someone who lives NORTH of you in MI!
 
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