Bark on driftwood

[FrogFrenzy]

Can I use driftwood in my aquarium with bark on it? I heard this can hurt the fish. Is that true, or does it just release tannins?


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[Mebbid]

If there's bark still on the piece of driftwood then that's generally a sign that it's not weathered enough to use in the aquarium. I would soak it in water for at least a couple months before using it.

 

[loachy dance]

I just took out my old scout knife and whittled it off before boiling it, worked fine.

 

[treemanone2003]

My only experience with wood is selling it. If I split it now (oaks, locust, and maples) and the bark is still on it after it sitting all spring/summer/fall, I know the moisture content has not dropped low enough for it to burn well in the fireplace. Also, from what I understand you should only use hardwoods ( deciduous, leaf dropping trees ) in an aquarium. No softwoods ( needle bearing trees ) should be used inside because the sap found in them can be poisonous.


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[loachy dance]

Bark can be dangerous if its from soft wood, but also if has been contaminated. The bark can hold things like car exhaust, pesticides, animal spray, that the wood does not.