Driftwood....do's and don'ts?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

happygirl65

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
1,358
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
Hello all,

A quick search on the internet and I can find loads of "driftwood" for sale. Most look just like the limbs/stumps that I can find at the local river/lakes.

Almost all of what you find on ebay or craigslist says it's ok for use in a fish tank.

So what's the deal? Can I just go down to the river/lake to score a lovely peice of driftwood?:confused:

The LFS all seem to think you need specific kinds, hardwoods only etc.

So what is the consensus? And what about wood that has been dead a long time but not "drifting" in a lake or river?

I would love some practical experience and a less costly solution here but dont want to experiment with my fish ;)

LFS wants $8 per pound of that african stuff, it looks awesome but OUCH that stuff is heavy. I put a ten dollar peice in my tank and you can barely see it!:-?
 
Well Hardwoods are the best for aquariums as they dont leech out toxins. Softwoods(pine is one of them) cannot be used. Bush sticks must be researched thorughly before placing into your tank. Manzanita, malaysian, african root, bog are some that are commonly sold(and manzanita can be found as well) for they're safer to use. If you use a wood you find in the woods or a stream then soak it and just make sure its hardwood.
One last thing about softwoods and why they are bad for aquariums. They tend to break down a lot quicker and is the cause for the toxin leeching out into the water. IMO, go outside and find a few sticks or a thick branch and bam instant driftwood. Just let it sink in a seperate containe and keep it clean! All woods should be dead because they are less likely to leech toxins into the water. All trees have some toxins but most, when dead, lose it. I use twigs, branches, and I will be using a tree stump(very branchy) for driftwood very soon.
 
James hit it on the head. As long as they are aged hardwoods. They can be used in a tank. Soaking and Boiling any wild found wood is a good idea. Also, remove any bark. You may find that root wood is a good choice.

Fresh, dark wood will tend to leach tannins and color the water for a long time. If the wood still floats after soaking, then it can be weighed down until it becomes water logged.
 
Thanks! I think that improves my choices a lot...I live in the forest but mostly soft woods...there are a few hardwoods though so I think I can find some.

Thanks a bunch!
 
Search your local river/stream beds for aged looking chunks of wood. Also check ebay - I got 3 pieces from someone in W. Va. for pretty cheap (2 of which are in my 46).
 
FYI, Pine is an especially bad one. Your really not even supposed to cook over pine because it is so poisonous.
 
Oh maaaaan!

Why is it I always tend to find out the most crucial info 5 mins too late!? But when I look for it beforehand, I draw a blank :)

I just bought two small peices of driftwood for my new tank (less than 1 week into cycle). In every LFS shop I've been to in my city it all looks/feels the same. It's lways stored the same too. It's jsut in an open box. you just choose the peices you want.

How does one know it is safe to use? What's this soaking thing you gyus are talking about?
 
Well, you can soak it in a bucket to get it water logged so it will sink. It will also help you leach some of the initial tannins in case you don't want the driftwood coloring your water the color of weak iced tea :)

Another thing you can do is boil small pieces (or pour boiling water over a larger piece in a large tub) to help speed up the removal of the tannins and any bacteria that remained.

It is always a good idea to wash the driftwood in hot water and soak it if it is still floating after you get it. You could also just weigh it down in the tank with a large heavy rock and then move the rock once it is water logged.

I am still on a quest for the perfect driftwood.....but I just got a 90 gallon tank...so now I need MORE.....BIGGER.....AHHHHH!
 
I think my husband suspects I have finally lost my marbles

He just came into the kitchen to see me tending to my driftwood boiling in a pot on the stove. He looked at me, looked at the pot, and just turned around and walked away.

:ROFLMAO:
 
:ROFLMAO:
That reminds me of my husband.....he knows better than to even ask anymore....I get the "one raised eyebrow" and he says "the things you do for your fish"

I say....I can explain it but you really wouldn't be interested anyway....and then we both laugh because I am right...lol
 
I think my husband suspects I have finally lost my marbles

He just came into the kitchen to see me tending to my driftwood boiling in a pot on the stove. He looked at me, looked at the pot, and just turned around and walked away.

:ROFLMAO:

I can understand what your hubby was thinking..."gee, wonder what's for dinner, something smells really good...urk..."
 
Well, you can soak it in a bucket to get it water logged so it will sink. It will also help you leach some of the initial tannins in case you don't want the driftwood coloring your water the color of weak iced tea :)


Well, I think it worked. I soaked the driftwood for 24 hours in a cold water bucket. Then I boiled it on the stove for around 10 mins.

Both lots of water looked liked iced tea, so I reckon I got out a fair few tannins. It looks quite pretty in my tank now. They fit together to form a spire-type tower-loooking thing. And for some reason, the tank looks bigger with them in it.

Once I get some nice low-light plants in there (I'm not ready for CO2 injection yet) I think it should look awesome.
 
Anybody know if fruitwood would be bad? I have a few apple trees and a pear tree that have a lot of dead wood, from old vines that were removed, that i pruned off.
 
I don't know about fruit wood. :( Sorry. I mostly see people using cypress, and malaysian and african driftwood.

I just bought a peice on ebay that was washed up on the beach in Oregon, has been in the ocean so now I will have to figure out how to prepare it. I want to make sure to get all the salt leached out of it....I guess I will put it in a bucket/tub and keep pouring boiling water over it. :) It's a cool piece. I hope it will be ok.

I might have to test it in a tank without fish for a while and see what it does just to be on the safe side.

Perhaps you could do that with your fruitwood. Maybe while you are soaking it to get it water logged, you can use a clear tub or something so you can watch it, and test the water parameters and see what it does. Just a thought. :)
 
Maybe it will make the water smell like apples instead of fish? lol

I just bought a piece on ebay that was washed up on the beach in Oregon, has been in the ocean so now I will have to figure out how to prepare it. I want to make sure to get all the salt leached out of it....I guess I will put it in a bucket/tub and keep pouring boiling water over it.
icon_smile.gif
It's a cool piece. I hope it will be ok.

soak it in a bucket and keep changing the water until it doesn't taste salty anymore. lol
i'll have to do the same. test it in an empty tank and test the water parameters.
 
Well I am soaking it in a 10 gal tank right now...some of the smaller pieces have sunk already. The large one is still up there though. I might weigh it down with a rock to speed the process.
I am wondering though, since it was in the ocean, if it might have picked up some other type of toxins that I didn't originally think about.

What are the chances? Should I put a volunteer in with the driftwood after a few days and a water change? To see if it has something undesirable?
 
Back
Top Bottom