Driftwood
6 posts
-
ian06 - Posts: 37
- Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2016 5:55 pm
Driftwood
Does anyone here collect their own driftwood? I know it can be done but I'm a little nervous about contaminants. How do you clean it? And I suppose I shouldn't collect driftwood from the ocean if the intended use is for a freshwater aquarium?
-
blenny - Posts: 74
- Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 7:08 pm
Re: Driftwood
I *think* you should be okay but yeah, collect from the river etc, not ocean because I don't know how easy it would be to remove the salt from...I guess boiling might do the trick? But I don't remember ever reading anything on this.
As for cleaning, I think I would just scrub and soak. But I have no experience of this so you might want to get someone else's advice first! If it's from a clean water source (e.g. not a dirty river) I wouldn't worry much about contaminants... but I guess there's always the possibility of parasites and pathogens affecting your fish.
As for cleaning, I think I would just scrub and soak. But I have no experience of this so you might want to get someone else's advice first! If it's from a clean water source (e.g. not a dirty river) I wouldn't worry much about contaminants... but I guess there's always the possibility of parasites and pathogens affecting your fish.
-
kate_kuhli - Posts: 268
- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 2:04 am
- Location: Florida
Re: Driftwood
Yes, you'll want to boil it or at least soak it. Not just to remove possible contaminants but also to remove the tannins. They'll turn your aquarium water brown otherwise. Boiling or soaking in hot water is the easiest/fastest way to remove the tannins, although soaking in room temperature water works as well. Just keep changing the water when it turns brownish with tannins and eventually the water won't turn murky anymore.
Soaking also saturates the driftwood and makes it heavy so that it doesn't float when you put it in your aquarium. You might still need to weigh it down during the first few weeks or so though.
Soaking also saturates the driftwood and makes it heavy so that it doesn't float when you put it in your aquarium. You might still need to weigh it down during the first few weeks or so though.
-
ian06 - Posts: 37
- Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2016 5:55 pm
Re: Driftwood
Thanks! :)
What about rocks? Do you clean them the same way?
What about rocks? Do you clean them the same way?