Recent trip down to the river

[Mebbid]

I love living down the road from a river. The water level rises way up every spring and deposits TONS of driftwood all over the shore. So I decided to take a walk and see what I could find and this is what I came back with.

It looks like it's time for me to do some aqua scaping

 

[thomasina]

What kind of wood is it? You should boil it to get any bugs or parasites out. Also be aware that the wood may have pesticides and pollution on it. Boiling it takes some of it out, and makes it sinkable, IMO I wouldn't use it.

 

[Mebbid]

What kind of wood is it? You should boil it to get any bugs or parasites out. Also be aware that the wood may have pesticides and pollution on it. Boiling it takes some of it out, and makes it sinkable, IMO I wouldn't use it.

The same thing could be said of any piece of drift wood for the aquarium. They will get thoroughly cooked, scrubbed, and soaked for at least a few weeks before I do anything with them. They are all a different types of hard woods that were all rot free.

 

[thomasina]

The same thing could be said of any piece of drift wood for the aquarium. They will get thoroughly cooked, scrubbed, and soaked for at least a few weeks before I do anything with them. They are all a different types of hard woods that were all rot free.

My apologies I was trying to help.

 

[Fresh2o]

My apologies I was trying to help.

If you meant 'What kind of wood' as in if it was a hard wood or soft wood, then it would (no pun) matter. I believe soft woods eventually fall apart and rot.

 

[Mebbid]

My apologies I was trying to help.

No by all means help. That is exactly the reason I love this forum. I would much rather have well meaning advice given rather than a person staying silent.

I do however believe that people caring so much about maintaining a healthy environment for their fish leads them to be alarmists of sorts. Trust me, if there are any indications that this wood will be harmful to my fish then it will be going straight back to the river where I found it.

 

[Oohitsae]

nice wood!!! i really love that v-shaped piece at the top right. How big are those pieces?

 

[Mebbid]

nice wood!!! i really love that v-shaped piece at the top right. How big are those pieces?

They range in size from about 5 inches to 4 feet or so. I picked most of them because of some interesting shapes they had but most need to be cut down a bit

 

[jessicafish]

those are some nice pieces!!! during spring break I went to a lake and collected some driftwood and boiled them for 3-4 hours each and then soaked them for a week now they have been in my tanks for about 2-3 months... I still haven't had any problems with them except in the beginning I couldn't get a piece to sink so I just aquarium siliconed it to a slate and it's been fine ever since...

 

[Mebbid]

those are some nice pieces!!! during spring break I went to a lake and collected some driftwood and boiled them for 3-4 hours each and then soaked them for a week now they have been in my tanks for about 2-3 months... I still haven't had any problems with them except in the beginning I couldn't get a piece to sink so I just aquarium siliconed it to a slate and it's been fine ever since...

Ooo do you have any pics?

 

[jessicafish]

Ooo do you have any pics?

in the albums labeled Mason and Mardi on my profile there are pictures of the driftwood in the tanks!!!

 

[Mebbid]

in the albums labeled Mason and Mardi on my profile there are pictures of the driftwood in the tanks!!!

Wow, nice finds on the driftwood. Also, those are some exceptionally nice looking bettas

 

[bobc4d]

This goes back to a post I made on Aquarium Advice, how do you know by looking that it is hardwood and/or safe for aquariums. I can't tell oak from cedar from pine so saying "just look at it" does no good. lol

 

[Mebbid]

This goes back to a post I made on Aquarium Advice, how do you know by looking that it is hardwood and/or safe for aquariums. I can't tell oak from cedar from pine so saying "just look at it" does no good. lol

The density is a big indicator of to what kind of wood it is. If it's lighter weight and softer to the touch then its a good idea to pass on it.