Driftwood

[Turtle.Keith]

How do I clean driftwood I find in the ocean?

 

[Ketso]

Personally, I wouldn't use it in a freshwater tank. I can't see it being easy to get out all the salt that has soaked into it. I would be afraid it would cause issues. But maybe someone else has had experience with it.

 

[Turtle.Keith]

Personally, I wouldn't use it in a freshwater tank. I can't see it being easy to get out all the salt that has soaked into it. I would be afraid it would cause issues. But maybe someone else has had experience with it.

Couldn't you possibly just boil it?

 

[Autumnsky]

I would not boil it personally because I am concerned it could have something on it which could be toxic. As in Paly toxin, or some unknown wierd thing.

I would scrub well with a dollarstore brush with tap water, and let bake in the hot sun under a loosely laid black plastic outside. Turning every few days untill it has been baking for a couple weeks, then remove plastic and start soaking in a tote with some rocks on top to submerge. Watch for any iridescent oil slick on water just in case where it could have been floating. For a week.

Scrub it again and throw it back, this time with Prime to detox the water at 7x strength. Soak for a couple weeks. Changing the water and using Prime each time every few days and sooner if the water is darkening. Then I might test it with a fish in an aerated treated bucket of water to see if it lives a few days. Good to go.

 

[Turtle.Keith]

I would not boil it personally because I am concerned it could have something on it which could be toxic. As in Paly toxin, or some unknown wierd thing.

I would scrub well with a dollarstore brush with tap water, and let bake in the hot sun under a loosely laid black plastic outside. Turning every few days untill it has been baking for a couple weeks, then remove plastic and start soaking in a tote with some rocks on top to submerge. Watch for any iridescent oil slick on water just in case where it could have been floating. For a week.

Scrub it again and throw it back, this time with Prime to detox the water at 7x strength. Soak for a couple weeks. Changing the water and using Prime each time every few days and sooner if the water is darkening. Then I might test it with a fish in an aerated treated bucket of water to see if it lives a few days. Good to go.

Well im not doing that, would rocks from the ocean be good though?

 

[Autumnsky]

Yes, but some are better than others. Ones that look like granite would likely be best. As some with a carbonate base material like coral can raise your hardness.

Some people say that if you can add some drops of vinegar to the stone and it fizzles and foams it will likely leach into your system and add hardness. Some people for the fish want that some don't.

 

[Turtle.Keith]

Yes, but some are better than others. Ones that look like granite would likely be best. As some with a carbonate base material like coral can raise your hardness.

Some people say that if you can add some drops of vinegar to the stone and it fizzles and foams it will likely leach into your system and add hardness. Some people for the fish want that some don't.

What are the benefits of hardness? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions

 

[SherLar]

What type of fish do you have in your tank; what size is your tank; what are your normal water parameters?
Some fish, such as African Rift Lake cichlids, mollies, guppies . . . prefer hard, alkaline water. Some types of fish such as Rams, Leaf Fish . . . will not do well or live long in hard or alkaline water. It depends on what type of fish you have - or plan to have - in the tank, and your normal water parameters, whether or not you'll want to add driftwood (can soften water and lower PH) or natural stone (can increase hardness and raise PH), and what types of driftwood or stone you want to consider adding.

 

[SherLar]

I don't think you can ask too many questions in a forum. THat's why they exist: to ask/answer questions, and to share advice and experiences. Ask away.

 

[Autumnsky]

What are the benefits of hardness? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions

Needs of the fish and buffering capabilities. And some fish prefer high KH /GH.

Green Texas Cichlid and African Mbunda like very high KH.

Rift Valley Cichlids, GoldFish and Brackish water fish like high KH GH PH (according to the GH/KH test kit information in the instructions.)

Crystal Red Shrimp, Discus and Cardinal Tetras like a softer water and nearly 0 KH & low GH.

 

[Kaneu]

I feel like driftwood belongs in a tank if you plan to keep soft water fish that like slightly acidic water. Rams, discus and certain tetras are good for this. There is also a good variety of fish that are farily neutral fish that can be in tanks of high or low gh/kH. Just make sure an acclimation process is preformed whenever adding new fish