CHoffman

This is a silly question I know but I'm sure you guys won't mind..lol.....I saw the neatest piece of wood my husband cut up for firewood.....Can you make driftwood?? or is this a no no .

pinkfloydpuffer

This is a good question Cesch and I'm looking forward to hearing the answer as well

Lucy

Driftwood is generaly wood that has been in a body water for enough time that the water softens and 'molds' it.

Depending on the wood, pine is out because of sap and I think I heard cedar isn't good either, but I'm not positive.
You should be able the wood. Of course boils it first and make sure there's no sharp edges.

Shawnie

hard wood is preferred when making your own..and deffinately no cedar or pine ..both seep nasties as lucy said.. LOL ....if you make your own, it needs to soak for a few months...as lucy said it "molds and softens" it for your tank.not to mention, gets the tannis out...or, if you want to use it right away, bake it at 425 for 45 min..then boil it for 30 min...but you need to probably weigh it down with big rocks as it wont stay on its own....ive gotten some from the beach as it seems to have the funky shapes LOL

CHoffman

Awesome, Thanks guys. I'll verify what kind of wood it is and go from there..I'm kinda impatient..so the baking, boiling and weighing it down seems like the best bet for me..I don't mind tannis.

Shawnie

myself, I love the tannis look in my sa cichlid tank...it fits them LOL get a pic of this "piece of wood" please

CHoffman

I will def get a pic. It's the craziest thing, very pretty. My mom was about to stick in it the fireplace and I saved it..

CHoffman

What about Oak or Elm??..Are they ok??

Shawnie

http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/194/ hope that helps and forgot to mention above, when cooking the wood, make sure you watch it!! LOL dont need a bonfire in the stove (it says 200 is high enough heat also)

MissMTS

Very interesting thread you guys I never thought of using regular wood before. It would be interesting to try.

SWilkins

I have often wondered about that myself. Thanks for the great thread and all the great info. Going to look at my firewood right now. Hee hee. Wonder what I will find.

CHoffman

Thanks Shawnie ...That's a great link and great info..I appreciate it.

TedsTank

Driftwood...the wild kind...is wood that has spent years floating around our seas, lakes and rivers. The wave actions, sand and other elements have worn away any softwood on the piece...usually shaping and smoothing it.

The beautiful woods (usually root pieces), with their wonderful shapes that are found way up on the beaches have been sitting years....and many smaller ones wont sink because they have been dried or cooked by the sun. These are the ones we need to soak and boil to saturate them with water.

Only very, very dense wood will just sink. When we boil or soak driftwood we are adding the water back into it to the point that it will mostly sink, at least. I think that if you cook it in the oven for any length of time, you will be drying it (sort of like kiln dried wood)..and it probably wont sink.

If you find drift woods in the water already sunk...its a deal....then boiling will sanitize it for your tank.

The drift wood from Africa that i have seen for sale in shops, is extremely dense wood and very heavey, so it naturally sinks.

Oak woods are some of the best for the US it grows nearly everywhere, and is a hardwood...with the tannins..which is acidic. Tannin is the the natural acid that our forefathers and foremothers used to TAN hides for clothing, hence the word TAN.

aquarist48

Years ago I used cypress stumps I got out of the creek in front of my house. I used silicone to attach it to a piece of slate and it worked and looked beautiful.