Where do you get your driftwood?

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Just wondering about a good website to order large prices of driftwood at a reasonable price. Where do you shop? Thanks

 

[Starka]

I shop at my cabin and while out geocaching. All free except for the gas. Lol
I found this really cool peice that looks like a foot! Drilled a hole and attached an Anubis plant to it.

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Is there any advice you would give to using your own wood? Should it be boiled, cleaned or pre-soaked?

 

[Starka]

Is there any advice you would give to using your own wood? Should it be boiled, cleaned or pre-soaked?

I pick out wood that has been in the creek/water and boil it before putting it in a tank. If not pre-soaked for months it may turn your tank water yellow, its harmless to fish. As has what happened to my 26gal.
It will go away with time, you just want to make sure that you clean it good (w/ water) so you don't introduce it to your tank.
Good luck!

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Awesome, my parents have a creek and a pond on their property. This makes me wonder, could I find nice pieces in the woods then cure them in the pond attached to a rope?

 

[George9]

I'd like to add that thedriftwoodstore.com has some really cool pieces at a good price. But i had a hard time sinking mine

 

[mfdrookie516]

There's a link in my signature to our Vendors page. Check out manzanita driftwoods site. He's got some nice pieces on there.

 

[jetajockey]

I'd check in the creek, that's where I get all my pieces from (or from a guy that collects them from the creek anyway). The nice thing about pieces that are already submerged is that they don't release any tannins.

If you get pieces from out in nature be sure to boil them and soak them really well in a bucket and/or dry them out for several weeks and allow them to sun bake. Either way works.

All of these pieces came out of coldwater creek, a tributary to blackwater river in the florida panhandle

 

[Starka]

Awesome, my parents have a creek and a pond on their property. This makes me wonder, could I find nice pieces in the woods then cure them in the pond attached to a rope?

You can also use fishing line, I use it to attach my plants to my rocks and wood, that way the rope won't rot.

 

[Starka]

I'd check in the creek, that's where I get all my pieces from (or from a guy that collects them from the creek anyway). The nice thing about pieces that are already submerged is that they don't release any tannins.

If you get pieces from out in nature be sure to boil them and soak them really well in a bucket and/or dry them out for several weeks and allow them to sun bake. Either way works.

All of these pieces came out of coldwater creek, a tributary to blackwater river in the florida panhandle

Thank you. I couldn't remember what the wood releases, all I could remember is that it started with "T". Lol
Those are some nice pieces you have.

 

[PC1]

I have a huge selection

 

[camshaftba]

I find all my driftwood at a river by my house, when you get driftwood yourself you always want to boil it (don't use bleach to disinfect). You can soak it in garbage cans so they sink and to help remove tannin, although some people don't mind the tannin because it gives a more natural/authentic look. Watch your water chemistry with driftwood because it tends to soften your water.

 

[bonibelle]

I actually just threw two pieces of fish store wood in my pond, I will fish them back out in a few weeks after they have aged a bit.

 

[PC1]

I agree if you find it near water definetly boil it because being in water you can have critters come along for the ride. I had a friend put a piece in one of his shrimp tanks and a dragon fly nymph or something similar hitched a ride. He noticed it when he found it eating one of his shrimp.

 

[Shay]

Fortunately where I live there's access to lots of freshwater rivers, ponds, creeks, etc... so that's where I gather my driftwood. Once in a while we go to the coast and I'll find a piece I can't live without that I'll pick up. Then for soaking pieces I use our goldy pond its kind of the catch all, its where I also keep extra natural colored gravel for those emergency "I need another tank" situations.

 

[Mr.Pleco]

Yeah def find a stream or river. I found all mine out in the mouth of a river that goes out to the Gulf. It's all really nice. Just soak it good, boil, and scrub. I currently have a piece tied to an anchor that i'm soaking in the river.

My friend and I are thinking about collecting a bunch of nice pieces and selling them.

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Yea, I'm gonna walk my creek soon. But right now its a balmy 20 degrees, so probably wait for it warm up a little first. Creek most likely is froze over anyhow.

 

[Chronos313]

Your lucky your at balmy twenty degrees, I was in no mood to go driftwood hunting in -41 Celsius today. I live right next to a small river so I can collect what I want. Just gotta avoid the geese

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

It's only seven degrees F now.