jcromero024

So I recently acquired some wood that is a slice of tree trunk. Does anyone know if I would be able to put it in my tank or would it be dangerous for my fish.

Chief_waterchanger

What type of tree did it come from? There are certain types that are not fish safe, due to the resins in the wood. Mainly these are cone-bearing trees such as pine, cedar, spruce, and cypress to name the most common ones.

If it is a freshly cut piece it needs to sit in a dry place for about a year, then be boiled for about an hour, replacing the water throughout the boiling process if a lot of tannins leeched out.

Reason for letting it lay for a year:

There are bacterias living on the bark, sugars in the vascular system of the tree, sap, and tannins. Rather than the wood itself becoming a usable piece of aquarium decor, it would do nothing but rot if not given the chance to dry out completely and let all the afore mentioned factors be eliminated by time.

Isabella

If it was not sprayed with any chemicals (i.e. pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals during the tree's growth), then it should be safe. If it wasn't growing in some very polluted area or an area with toxic wastes, then it should be safe. BUT ... you need to boil it very well, soak it well, and rinse it well before putting it in your tank. Besides, what kind of a tree is this? I don't think all kinds of trees are suitable for freshwater tanks. Also, the wood piece must be completely dried before it can be used in a tank (I don't mean dried after boiling or soaking - I mean dried for a long period of time, until it's dead inside out and contains no potentially dangerous micro-organisms).

MagpieTear

Add Sumac and American Walnut to the list of woods to avoid. Both carry chemical "weapons" the tree uses to defend against other trees that may try to sprout close to them. Walnut is particularly nasty to most vertebrates, it is a known cause of death in horses and cattle

jcromero024

The log doesn't come from anything with resin like pine. The wood is pretty dry.. the bark seems easy to peel off of the trunk. I am presently soaking it now in water like drift wood.. but I didn't boil it. Is it really necessary to boil? The trunk itself is about a foot in diamter and maybe an inch and a half thick. I don't have a big enough pot for that.. (but I guess I might have to buy one). And will it really fall apart easliy?

Should I just not bother to put it in?

Thanks for the replies guys!

Chief_waterchanger

If the wood is put in a tank without being left out to dry for many many months (about a year) AND boiled it will release enormous amounts of tannins and probably saps/sugars into the water, causing pH flucuations beyond what most fish can handle in short periods of time, algae outbreaks, possibly killing the fish due to the sugars that may still be present. As well as staining any substrate, decorations, etc from the tannins, possibly.

If the fish' lives are worth the wait to you I would strongly suggest waiting and boiling, both. If that is not worth it to you, then you can spend quite a bit of money on driftwood that only needs boiled, from the shops.

Jim

I just got a book:
Aquarium Plant Paradise
by Takashi Amano
(a very good book on Japanese garden aquariums)

He recommends using Bog Oak.