driftwood

[animalzrok2]

what types of wood are aquarium safe?

 

[bob mccoy]

old wood that u find on a river bank or lake bank that has been soaked in water for a long time

 

[smomus]

Nothing that has sap

 

[TankMan]

Stay away from soft woods.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Most hardwoods like oak,hicory,locust and sycamore are a few native trees that are aquarium safe. Just remember that the longer they were in contact with water and sunlight, the less tannins you have to worry about.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Woods that are safe for an aquarium:

° bogwood
° mopane
° teak
° mangrove roots
° Manzanita
° hickory
° oak
° cypress east

Do not use:

° red cedar
° pine
° fir
° bamboo (this is not a wood, it is a grass and there are reports if fish being poisoned by fresh cut bamboo.
° any woods containing sap

 

[hpiguy]

It's best to make sure all the bark is off dead branches as well. It rots and falls off in the tank otherwise.

 

[animalzrok2]

Thanks for the help everyone! Can I take the driftwood from the pond near me? Would I still need to soak it still?

 

[bigtoad78]

Thanks for the help everyone! Can I take the driftwood from the pond near me? Would I still need to soak it still?

I collected all the wood in my tanks from rivers and ponds. I would highly suggest putting it in a tub or container of some kind and pour enough boiling water over it to cover it... then let it sit for a while, just to make sure there are no nasty parasites or bugs living in it before you stick it in the tank. (helps remove tannins too)
If you want it to sink on its own, you will probably have to do this multiple times.

Happy driftwood hunting!

(I had a friend that put a piece of wood into his aquarium that he didn't boil first, and a whole colony of ants poured out once he sunk it lol)

 

[animalzrok2]

I collected all the wood in my tanks from rivers and ponds. I would highly suggest putting it in a tub or container of some kind and pour enough boiling water over it to cover it... then let it sit for a while, just to make sure there are no nasty parasites or bugs living in it before you stick it in the tank. (helps remove tannins too)
If you want it to sink on its own, you will probably have to do this multiple times.

Happy driftwood hunting!

(I had a friend that put a piece of wood into his aquarium that he didn't boil first, and a whole colony of ants poured out once he sunk it lol)

Lol. Ok so should I do that for like a day? Or how long?

 

[Bettafanatic]

This is a good thread I've been wondering about driftwood for a while now

 

[toke_]

Woods that are safe for an aquarium:

° bogwood
° mopane
° teak
° mangrove roots
° Manzanita
° hickory
° oak
° cypress east

Do not use:

° red cedar
° pine
° fir
° bamboo (this is not a wood, it is a grass and there are reports if fish being poisoned by fresh cut bamboo.
° any woods containing sap

bamboo is bad for tanks? I almost bought a little bamboo plant from petco they have them in some of their tanks with the fish they sell

 

[Freakgecko91]

The "lucky" bamboo is actually a semi aquatic species, where it's roots can be submersed, but it leaves must be wove the water line. There are several hundred species of bamboo, but the most common types seen today in products tend to be a completely terrestrial species.

 

[bigtoad78]

Lol. Ok so should I do that for like a day? Or how long?

I just did mine once, and let it cool down to room temp. I then gave it a wash in the sink and stuck it in the tank. (Added dechlor to the tank first just in case the wood absorbed chlorine from my tap)

I had to secure it to a rock, because it still wanted to float... but I have heard if you repeat this process a few times, it should sink on its own

 

[butterfly_koi]

bamboo is bad for tanks? I almost bought a little bamboo plant from petco they have them in some of their tanks with the fish they sell

Fresh cut bamboo can be harmful, as was stated before the bamboo you get from Petco and such is not fully aquatic. I had one at one time and ended up taking it out and planting it in a glass jar with pebbles and the water is only covering the roots and its over two feet tall now.

 

[Freakgecko91]

Same here I got one from Ikea a few years ago and it's in a rectangular vase with rocks, buried maybe 3-4 inches of the 12 or so inches of stem