Usable Drift wood ?

[Blahblahblah]

I have a piece of driftwood that we picked up off the beach in South Carolina. We've had it for roughly 18 years. I was wondering if I was to boil it would I be able to use it in my freshwater tank? Or will there just be too much salt in it?

Thank you and advance for your help,
Sue

 

[Marble128]

Hi Sue. I am new to freshwater tanks, but everything I have read says not to use any driftwood you find by the ocean. I don't think boiling it would get all the salt crystals out of the cracks. I would recommend finding a local aquarium store near by and purchasing it there. I bought a small piece for my tank (3.5"x2") for about $5.
Good luck!

 

[livefishguy124]

you would need to soak it for a couple months, and you would want to change the water every week, what fish are in the tank?

 

[Fishobsessed7]

I think if you soaked it for a long time and did water changes it should be fine.


Fishobsessed7

Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Fish Which Is Pretty Much The Same Thing

 

[Fresh2o]

I've purchased from a shop just up the coast (OBX) and had mixed results. I've got a few large pieces (2' across, trunk shaped) that have been in my garden for several years. Hacked off a piece, boiled it, mounted it on some slate and it was fine. Did not get soft, few tannins if any. I eventually sold it when I changed my scape.
I also picked up some interesting smaller pieces from the "dollar bin". IMO these pieces would have been better suited for a terrarium or reptile cage. After boiling they still released a lot of tannins. They would not sink so I threw them into a small pond out back. It took 8+ months before they sank. After reboiling to remove the algae and whatnot, they wood was a bit soft. When I dried it, there was a brown powdery residue on the surface (similar to charred wood).



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[Blahblahblah]

I live really close to the Saint Joe River in Indiana. Do you think it would be safe to find one along there? Or would I be better off finding a creek and looking for some? I read and one of the articles on this site that states you should only use certain types of wood. I'm embarrassed to say I can't tell them apart. I also wanted to say thank you all so very much for taking time out of your busy day to read and answer my post!