Tree root?

[Mcor]

I have a beautifully twisted tree root in my garden that my husband dug up last year. Would there be any way of treating it somehow so I could put it in our tank? If that's just a really dumb idea, don't be afraid to say so, but if there is a way it could be done...

 

[thomasina]

I am not an expert however from reading on here: You need to determine the type of wood it is. A lot of trees are not good for the use in aquariums. After research, you would need to boil it, and let it sit in water until the water is clear. Scrubbing it will be necessary since it was in the ground. I would be rather concerned with the type of wood it is. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Rivercats]

I don't like using anything out of a yard simply because you don't know what type of chemicals it's been exposed to over the years.

 

[Deftpunk79]

You will need to research the type of wood to make sure it won't harm your aquarium even after cured. If the wood is still green (ie. was alive until very recently). You will need to set it in the sun to let it dry out thoroughly. An oven can be used to speed this process. Then you should boil it in water several times to kill anything on it. Then you will need to keep it submerged in water until it is waterlogged. Changing the water regularly. The entire process can take months. After curing some wood can release tannins for months or even years which will discolor your water and may or may not affect tank chemistry.

 

[Mcor]

Thanks all for your advice. It's a buddleia that we dug up last year. I have tried to google it but so far coming up with nothing. From the sounds of it, it'll be far too much work for a single piece of wood (when I already have loads of driftwood in there). Was a long shot, and it is beautiful, but I'll leave it. Don't want to mess everything up for the sake of one tree. Thanks again!