FishMagnet

Heres a couple pics of two pieces I found in the creek out back.
The pieces are each about two feet long.
I have no idea what kind of wood it is. Could be just about anything but theres alot of elm and locust and hedge about.

Theres quite a bit of spongy rotted wood but I'm guessing thats about normal. How important is it to remove all the soft wood? Would it simply decay over time in the aquarium and cause a mess?

Anyway, after rinsing it and scrubbing some with a soft brush I'm now soaking it in a plastic barrel with an airstone and heater...figured why not add that? Like curing live rock.
I'll reinspect it after a day or so and see if I can remove some of the softer stuff.

Attached Images

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aquarist48

Hello Fishmagnet...here is a link you may find helpful. Great wood there!
Ken

Driftwood Do's & Don'ts

FishMagnet

Before leaving this thread to fade away...

Thanks Aquarist48.
I had read those articles already, but guess I didn't really ask the question I had meant to. I did allude to it but only barely.
I had wanted to know what was the worst that could happen if proper steps were not taken. What if a person didn't remove all the bad stuff.
What if you don't bake/nuke/rinse/soak/clean/bleach etc? What sort of parasites or other nasties could you be looking at?
I suppose the worst is anything you can imagine so the questions don't need to be answered. I answered them myself. Anything from a tankfull of dirt to some pretty nasty bacterias, to lots of dead fish and wasted time that would have been better spent doing all the things recommended rather than cleaning up a potential disaster.

On a positive note, I would like to recommend powerwashing! It does wonders.

aquarist48

Morning FishMagnet. I have a 6 foot piece of driftwood (not in my tank yet) and I used the pressure washer on it and it did a fantastic job of cleaning it. I recommend it as well for larger pieces that can't be boiled or baked. I don't know that it would help in preventing bad bacteria into the tank or not though. Sometimes we just have to take risks and hope for the best.
Ken