Aquarium Safe wood

[Jconner3]

How can you tell what wood you can and cannot use in an aquarium? There's a pile of fire wood in the backyard and I found a few pieces I want to use if I can.

 

[leggey]

I would not use any wood not got from the fish shop

 

[Evansimp]

If I were you, and really wanted to use it, I would boil it for a long while and let it sit out in the sun, and soak it for a few days!

 

[Jconner3]

I would not use any wood not got from the fish shop

Well my lfs doesnt carry any large pieces, so i was hoping that I could use a big piece from outside if i cleaned it properly and what not.

 

[leggey]

Yeah it's just if there is fertiliser in them and stuff but boil and soak can work at ya own risk or maybe get some online

 

[tamtam]

There is an article here on natural decor that you may find helpful

Introduction to Adding Natural Decor to an Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

Do you know what type of wood it is? I'm assuming it's dried already and not still green. If you want to try I would also probably strip all the bark from it. A piece I have had a nook with some bark in it and it was a pain. It kept chipping off in my tank and I eventually pulled it out and stripped it off, it was turning mushy and gross and I had started to worry about how that could effect the water quality.

Do you have any local water sources like a river or lake? This is usually a good place to go and pick up driftwood. I actually have several pieces that are from a local lake here. I boiled it in a pot for a couple hours in conditioned water.

 

[Jconner3]

There is an article here on natural decor that you may find helpful

Introduction to Adding Natural Decor to an Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

Do you know what type of wood it is? I'm assuming it's dried already and not still green. If you want to try I would also probably strip all the bark from it. A piece I have had a nook with some bark in it and it was a pain. It kept chipping off in my tank and I eventually pulled it out and stripped it off, it was turning mushy and gross and I had started to worry about how that could effect the water quality.

Do you have any local water sources like a river or lake? This is usually a good place to go and pick up driftwood. I actually have several pieces that are from a local lake here. I boiled it in a pot for a couple hours in conditioned water.

I'm not sure what type of wood it is and yes it's dry, it's been sitting out back for at least 7 months. There is a river here, buuuut it's really really gross and I'm not exactly sure of things from there are safe for the fish that actually live in there. I've got the pieces sitting in a trash can filled with hot water currently. And thanks for the article!

 

[Maxkolbe]

If it's firewood there's probably a good chance that it's pine. I'm pretty sure you can't use pine in tanks because of the sap but I'm not sure...

 

[tamtam]

I'm not sure what type of wood it is and yes it's dry, it's been sitting out back for at least 7 months. There is a river here, buuuut it's really really gross and I'm not exactly sure of things from there are safe for the fish that actually live in there. I've got the pieces sitting in a trash can filled with hot water currently. And thanks for the article!

no problem. I lucked out that our local city water supply is a really good lake that we frequent regularly and this is where I picked up the driftwood.

 

[Jconner3]

If it's firewood there's probably a good chance that it's pine. I'm pretty sure you can't use pine in tanks because of the sap but I'm not sure...

Hmm that could be a problem, is there any way I could tell if it's pine? I took a botany class my sophomore year in college, but the only thing I remember is that I hate plants :\

 

[tamtam]

If it's firewood there's probably a good chance that it's pine. I'm pretty sure you can't use pine in tanks because of the sap but I'm not sure...

I'd actually think the opposite. Most people opt for hardwoods as firewood because it puts off more heat and lasts longer than soft woods like pine. I don't know many that will actually use soft wood for heating unless it's a last resort because you wood doesn't last as long.

 

[Maxkolbe]

Ok, I just know pine burns easy and hot so we use it in campfires and wood stoves a lot.