Went driftwood hunting... which pieces do you guys like ?

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candymancan

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I live by a freshwater reservoir like 200 feet from my house and down the little hill there is a U shaped part where all kinds of wood.. old docks and tires and so forth drift into. I just bought a 44G Pentagon tank and I don't like tanks with just plants and no wood or rocks.. I don't have any money to buy anything as I spent $100 on the tank,stand and quad Compact florescent light which was a great deal.. Driftwood big pieces are usually like 50-100$

I went with my 4 year old German shepherd who loves sticks... so he helped me out.. he actually move a big branch outa the way that I walked passed and I found my favorite piece..

Here are the pictures.. They have already been cut by a chain saw too.. I think 1 of them was a tree stump.. not sure what kind of tree though.. Its a really heavy dark piece of wood.. This one im sure will def sink without any help.. The others I think will sink too they have very heavy solid bases.. All of them are aged as well and not rotting. I don't have a pot large enough to boil all the nasties out.. So what do you guys recommend I do for cleaning it ? Im thinking of using a big storage bin and putting like 10-20% bleach with 80-90% water and let them soak for a few hours. Then clean them off and let them soak in clean water with lots of prime..

What do you guys think ? I like the first one the best that the solid heavy tree stump with roots.

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Yea I didn't take a picture of it.. but on the bottom of it well near the base I mean in the middle.. It has a large hole where fish can swim through.. Pretty neat I think... I kinda like the second one too.. The third one is neat as well the other side of it looks better and has lots of loops and holes in it.. I actually think all 3 pieces are stumps with roots.. The third one I wouldn't put in the 44g pentagon.. But it is tall and narrow for my 27g hexagon.


Is the first one a really nice piece you think ? scale of 1-10
 
I think I prefer the second one the most. Out I curiosity aren't you putting discus in this tank (44g) a large piece of driftwood will restrict a lot of space for the discus
 
Man this thing floats... like big time has a a lot of bouancy.. I guess Ill have to get a piece of slate or something and screw it into the wood to sink it. I just finished boiling it for like 2 hours..

It is pretty big.. It isn't tall though its like maybe to the mid level of the tank so the discus will still have the swimming room too.. 2 of the arms are slightly too long though so I have to cut it a little bit tomorrow.

What do you guys recommend to anchor it ? Its got a lot of buoyancy.. Would alluminum screws be safe for the aquarium water.. I don't want to glue it to something heavy because the glue might give and I don't need a hole in my glass from it shooting to the surface
 
Use stainless steel screws.
For slate, try a local nursery. They may have a section where the broken slate pieces put (along with broken flagstone,etc) and sold at a discount.


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Well tiny update.. I actually found out the stones outlining my flower bed are slate.. Anyway I ended up using the first piece.. The second one as I was boiling it started leaking sap out and smelled like pine. So I cant use that piece.

The first one as far big time buoyancy I used 3 pieces of slate to hold it down by sitting them on top of the trunk.. 2 days later I was removing it to drill the slate and screw it into the legs of the driftwood and I noticed it only needed 1 piece to sink instead of 3.. so the wood is getting water logged.. after only 2 days.. So ima just keep the 1 on it and im sure after some more time itll be completetly waterlogged.
 
Well tiny update.. I actually found out the stones outlining my flower bed are slate.. Anyway I ended up using the first piece.. The second one as I was boiling it started leaking sap out and smelled like pine. So I cant use that piece.

The first one as far big time buoyancy I used 3 pieces of slate to hold it down by sitting them on top of the trunk.. 2 days later I was removing it to drill the slate and screw it into the legs of the driftwood and I noticed it only needed 1 piece to sink instead of 3.. so the wood is getting water logged.. after only 2 days.. So ima just keep the 1 on it and im sure after some more time itll be completetly waterlogged.


Sounds good. Keep us updated. Pictures when you're done please!


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Sure here is a few pics.. The plants im not done with I just clipped some from my other tanks to put in here for now. I really like the caves the root system on this stump makes

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I find that when I'm water logging logs that there is always a tiny trail of bubbles coming out. Once the bubbles stop I find it doesn't need any weight
 
Thanks, I love odd shaped tanks vs normal rectangles.. The planting isn't done though I just tossed stuff in there for now.

I agree though this driftwood is very nice, and was right at the water by my house like 200 feet away. I actually have another one like it cept smaller if anyone is interested lol.
 
I like the 2nd pic myself,could picture it covered on flame moss.

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Well tiny update.. I actually found out the stones outlining my flower bed are slate.. Anyway I ended up using the first piece.. The second one as I was boiling it started leaking sap out and smelled like pine. So I cant use that piece.

The first one as far big time buoyancy I used 3 pieces of slate to hold it down by sitting them on top of the trunk.. 2 days later I was removing it to drill the slate and screw it into the legs of the driftwood and I noticed it only needed 1 piece to sink instead of 3.. so the wood is getting water logged.. after only 2 days.. So ima just keep the 1 on it and im sure after some more time itll be completetly waterlogged.


That pine smell is tannins, it's not sap. Even though it will make your water a little tea colored at first it's actually good for your fish. If you keep boiling the wood eventually all the tannins will leech out.


May the force be with you.
 
This is just a thought but couldn't someone buy driftwood meant for reptiles if they can't go DW hunting?

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If it sinks I don't see why not.


May the force be with you.
 
As long as its hardwood of course...thats what I'm having trouble finding out.

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