drift wood, is it safe?

[mariah]

I went to the river and picked up a few pieces. There are three that are about 3 feet long that i am going to cut in half. There are a few different woods but i don't know what is safe and what isn't. I need some help. Also is it okay that the bigger dark pieces are crumbling? I found these all on the shore

 

[Mebbid]

You don't want to use anything that's soft or crumbling. Also, press your nail into the wood and if it sinks in then it would be best to avoid that as well.

 

[mariah]

You don't want to use anything that's soft or crumbling. Also, press your nail into the wood and if it sinks in then it would be best to avoid that as well.

.... why?

 

[jwh0818]

.... why?

Why what? For one, some of those pieces look like pine and it doesn't do well in aquariums because it leaches a lot of stuff. 2nd, the crumbling or soft ones will completely fall apart when you put them in and can mold over and cause a huge mess. Boil the soft ones for about an hour and see what happens. Chances are they will call to pieces.

 

[mariah]

You don't want to use anything that's soft or crumbling. Also, press your nail into the wood and if it sinks in then it would be best to avoid that as well.

Some turned to mush when wet... i took them out and there is only like 4 sticks left..

 

[jwh0818]

Have you tried boiling them? They came from a river so they need to be boiled to begin with to clear them of anything that can cause harm to your fish.

 

[mariah]

Have you tried boiling them? They came from a river so they need to be boiled to begin with to clear them of anything that can cause harm to your fish.

Yes they are in a huge pot right now almost at a boil.

 

[jwh0818]

Yes they are in a huge pot right now almost at a boil.

Some of those big ones look like pine though and that's not aquarium safe. Where do you live? You can guess what they are by looking at the trees in that area sometimes.

 

[azmodan]

Here's a helpful article: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/introduction-adding-decor-aquarium/

 

[mariah]

Some of those big ones look like pine though and that's not aquarium safe. Where do you live? You can guess what they are by looking at the trees in that area sometimes.

Yes it isn't pine.... there isn't pine around there. I am in bc. Its not on he list of good things though... :/ where do i buy it!!??

 

[jwh0818]

Yes it isn't pine.... there isn't pine around there. I am in bc. Its not on he list of good things though... :/ where do i buy it!!??

Buy what?

 

[mariah]

Buy what?

Drift wood. There are no petstores that sell it around here. Not even the one half hour away...

 

[jwh0818]

Drift wood. There are no petstores that sell it around here. Not even the one half hour away...

Check out manzanitadriftwood.com he is a very nice guy and even accepts trades. His prices are really cheap and he has amazing pieces

 

[mariah]

Check out manzanitadriftwood.com he is a very nice guy and even accepts trades. His prices are really cheap and he has amazing pieces

Where is he located?

 

[jwh0818]

Where is he located?

I'm not sure but he ships everywhere

 

[mariah]

I'm not sure but he ships everywhere

Even to Canada? He would have to have something i think to get it over the boarder

 

[jwh0818]

Even to Canada? He would have to have something i think to get it over the boarder

You can surely send him an email and find out! I cannot truthfully answer that question.

 

[mariah]

You can surely send him an email and find out! I cannot truthfully answer that question.

Okay will do! ill let you know

 

[mariah]

You can surely send him an email and find out! I cannot truthfully answer that question.

Is that the kind of wood that plecos need?? Also, i wanted like drift wood... like with nice twists and holes and stuff... what's that called?

 

[Mebbid]

Is that the kind of wood that plecos need?? Also, i wanted like drift wood... like with nice twists and holes and stuff... what's that called?

I go out and pick up all my driftwood during the spring thaw. There's tons of pieces in the river to be found. You don't want the soft and crumbling pieces because they will either foul your water or leech nasty stuff in the water. Hard wood is the safe bet.

You can also make really intricate pieces of wood by combining multiple pieces. That's the other method I use for my tanks.