reef safe wood?

[Dingodan]

i am trying to replicate a mangrove lagoon aquascape and i need to come up with a way to make wood sticks reef safe as i have heard even driftwood will lower ph. i do not want to use any of the synthetic wood ornaments i have seen available on the market as they are all in the form of small tree trunks and i need several different large sticks (130 gallon aquarium). i also do not want to grow live mangrove. could i coat driftwood sticks in a dark brown stained epoxy resin. anyone have any ideas?

 

[bshenanagins]

i am trying to replicate a mangrove lagoon aquascape and i need to come up with a way to make wood sticks reef safe as i have heard even driftwood will lower ph. i do not want to use any of the synthetic wood ornaments i have seen available on the market as they are all in the form of small tree trunks and i need several different large sticks (130 gallon aquarium). i also do not want to grow live mangrove. could i coat driftwood sticks in a dark brown stained epoxy resin. anyone have any ideas?

Not all driftwood will lower your PH. Plus if you boil it and remove the tannins it should not be a problem. I wouldn't risk adding any type of paint inside a saltwater tank. You could put a brown base coat on the wood with a non toxic paint then coat it with krylon clear.

 

[Dingodan]

Not all driftwood will lower your PH. Plus if you boil it and remove the tannins it should not be a problem. I wouldn't risk adding any type of paint inside a saltwater tank. You could put a brown base coat on the wood with a non toxic paint then coat it with krylon clear.

what do you mean by not all driftwood? what types are ok?

 

[bshenanagins]

Every piece of driftwood has the potential to affect PH but bogwood is at the the top. Other than bogwood you can't expect much of a PH swing unless driftwood covers the tank from top to bottom. Once you boil it and rid it of all the tannins it's PH reducing ability is severely diminished so I wouldn't worry about this.

 

[Brilliant_Barbs_21]

I definitely wouldn't go through with wood. It can add unnecessary elements to the water like phosphates that will kill some invertebrates and cause major algal blooms. Although if you heavily plant the tank, then maybe it would possibly work. No corals will thrive with the wood, so corals are out of the picture with wood in the tank. Who knows though, you'd never know until you try.

 

[bshenanagins]

I definitely wouldn't go through with wood. It can add unnecessary elements to the water like phosphates that will kill some invertebrates and cause major algal blooms. Although if you heavily plant the tank, then maybe it would possibly work. No corals will thrive with the wood, so corals are out of the picture with wood in the tank. Who knows though, you'd never know until you try.

Would not boiling it a couple times remove any unnecessary mineral contents?

 

[Brilliant_Barbs_21]

Would not boiling it a couple times remove any unnecessary mineral contents?

Temporarily, but the saltwater can really erode the wood to bring it out over time. I think your best bet is to buy something from petco, petsmart, your lfs, etc. Here's an article on the topic: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...sion/68723-can-you-add-driftwood-sw-tank.html

 

[Dingodan]

how about making my own synthetic wood branches? anyone know how?

 

[Dingodan]

whats wrong with coating branches in some kind of epoxy resin or sealer if the same technique is used to make wooden aquariums?

 

[Jmunroe]

whats wrong with coating branches in some kind of epoxy resin or sealer if the same technique is used to make wooden aquariums?

I would think it's no problem. Use several coats or dippings to ensure it is entirely sealed to prevent rot and leaching

 

[Wy Renegade]

how about making my own synthetic wood branches? anyone know how?

whats wrong with coating branches in some kind of epoxy resin or sealer if the same technique is used to make wooden aquariums?

Either of these options will work fine. If you coat real wood, just make sure you get a good even coat, personaly I'd use the epoxy rather than the sealer.

 

[Dingodan]

id asume i need a few coats to make sure it fills all the knots and cracks. ill have to test it out on a piece i dont want the epoxy coating to be too noticable. anyone one know of any good products aquarium safe?

 

[Jmunroe]

Google building plywood tanks and see what epoxy resin they use. I think they use just plain fibreglass resin. Also google building 3d backgrounds. I think they also just use plain Fibreglass resin over the styrofoam.