driftwoods

[hi-revs]

just wondering as to how many people here find and cure their own driftwoods?

im thinking of doing this, but wondering where i can find them? and how i know that this piece of wood is indeed driftwood and not some other wood thatll leech sap into my tank, or decompose?

im guessing i can find them at english bay or ambleside park? but would this be a bad idea since theres a lot of oil and what not in that water?

[Ursus sapien]

If this is for a freshwater tank you shouldn't use wood that's been in the salt chuck. Also, removal of wood etc from waterways is illegal, so be prepared for Constable Bob's attention.

Any wood you collect needs to be cleaned (brush and running water) then baked (wrap in foil), boiled or soaked in something like Potassium permanganate. This will remove the possibility of introducing pathogens into your aquarium.

You can use fresh oak branches, as long as all bark is removed.

[hi-revs]

yes, it will be for a freshwater tank.
couldnt i just boil it in regular hot water, and bake it in the oven? do i really need potassium permanganate or any other solution?

[Ursus sapien]

sorry, I wasn't clear. It's bake, boil or bomb (with chemicals). You only need to one of the three. For big pieces, it's simplest to soak in Potassium permanganate. Smaller bits can be boiled or baked.

But I really do want to stress that using wood that's been in salt water is not a good idea. You'd have to soak it for months (at least) to get the salts out of it.

[jlam86]

i soaked and boiled it many times until i got the water as clear as possible, then I let it sit for a few days and in to the tank it went. Been in the tank for two weeks now and no issues thus far.

[bgates]

how long would you bake it for

[beN]

i grabbed 2 chunks from cultas this past weekend.

they are huge.

im puzzled how I am going to get them tank ready.

[Nanokid]

since im on Vancouver island i use arbutus - looks really, really nice... its a hard wood - so it doesn't rot fast - and you get really "branchy" peices... and they shed branches if they cant support them, so no cutting!

if you ever come over to the island - pick some up!

for curing i put it in the bath tub with hot water (depending on the size)

[Ursus sapien]

if it's wrapped in foil, abut 45 - 60 min, at 350, depending on your oven. Wrapping it keeps the wood moist and steams the interior of the wood.

keep an eye on it. if you smell wood smoke, the oven's too hot;-)

[mikebike]

That is a good idea , steaming in foil.

much easier that the boiling process.

Thanks for the tip
Mike