use of locally collected driftwood

[cootwarm]

I'm preparing to set up a couple Apisto tanks, landscaped (aquascaped?) with rocks and leaf litter (oak). I think driftwood would make an excellent enhancement to this habitat. However, I don't want to go to the LFS and spend money on a simple piece of driftwood.

I live on Lake Champlain and do a lot of kayaking along it's shores and river systems so I see tons of driftwood! I see very interesting pieces of driftwood all the time (mother natures own art). It would be great to take some of the most interesting pieces home to decorate some of my tanks.

What would be the best way to clean and disinfect them? I'm sure a soaking in a strong salt water solution would go along way towards disinfecting, but would it be adequate? Should it be boiled?

How long should they soak? In what kind of solutions?

Would water-logged ones pulled out of the mud be preferable to dry driftwood washed ashore?

Michael

 

[farm41]

You have to boil them to kill the nasties that are probably burrowed into the wood waiting for the right conditions to come out. I collect some driftwood down at the river and along the lake, I take them home and place in the crab cooker, it is a beer keg with the top cut off and some fairly large pieces will fit in there. The best way to go about it is to cook for at least 1/2 hour and then leave the wood in while it cools, take out when cold and it will surely sink.

 

[tjudy]

I use bleach too. Regular bleach without any fragrances will not leave a residue. I soak in a 30 gallon trash barrel for a week or so (changing the water every other day). I add a cup of bleach the last day. Then I will either boil the piece or pour boilg water over it (depending upon size).

 

[Nain]

Driftwood Sources

I have been picking up deadwood in a local hardwood forest and use this in some of my tanks. Apart from pleasing shapes, the key criteria is that the wood must have already shed all of its bark. I soak it for several weeks in a big bucket and change the water frequently. I have had one problem in that this wood seems to be less stable than driftwood. After about two years in the tank I begin to get decomposition and periodically see gas bubbes coming up from the wood. There is a swampy smell associated with this gas (methane ?), but I have had no health issues with fish. The forest deadwood has about a 3 year tank life then it disintegrates. Plecos love it.

 

[Woodsy]

I've used driftwood that I've pulled out of the mud down the river. Give it a scrub with a cloth to get all the scum off. You can also use steel wool to make it nice and smooth (for asthetics), as long as you make sure none is left inbedded in the cracks. Soak it for a week, it should be fine. I've even used eucalyptus in this manner.