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May 15th, 2008
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| A Walk on the Beach...
I went for a walk today at my local ocean beach..
It really was good to get out and hopefully get some exercise. I have been searching for driftwood to add to my tanks and found some kewl pieces.
Now will research on curing them for the FW tank.. since they come from salt water.
Wanted to share some photos of my morning at the beach.. 
last photo is of my treasures I found.. | 
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Wow you got a good load there. I think it's time for us to go for a walk around here. I want some more wood too. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by Allie  Wow you got a good load there. I think it's time for us to go for a walk around here. I want some more wood too. | Hi Allie
You must get some nice pieces up where you are too. I will be more picky in the future.. but some of those pieces I got today really have some nice form to them. Not sure what I will do with them all.. but.... maybe someone has a salt water tank that is looking for driftwood. 
Im hoping to boil the ones I want up, clean up real good.. and then hopefully get some java moss soon where I can attach to the driftwood. Id like to change the look of my 55g soon to a more natural looking tank.. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Hey I go an idea. You could send some this way =).
Its very hard to find nice looking driftwood from LFS here. No one has good selections and online is just kinda iffy since you can't see it in person and the little details really matter.
Nice looking bunch of wood you got though! | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Hi Kate!
You got some really nice pieces of driftwood. I never thought of collecting it on the beach before. Good idea! The ocean by you is gorgeous. Reading your post made me think about how I haven't been to the beach in about 2.5 years (even though I live on the coast). I am always to busy to go. Looking at the pics made me want to leave work right now and go to the beach which is only 2 miles away  I'll have to make it a point to go Memorial Day Weekend (hoping that the weather is good). | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by Coryd55 Hey I go an idea. You could send some this way =).
Its very hard to find nice looking driftwood from LFS here. No one has good selections and online is just kinda iffy since you can't see it in person and the little details really matter.
Nice looking bunch of wood you got though! | Hi Cory
I would be happy to send you some driftwood. You would have to pick up the shipping cost tho. I know how expensive buying driftwood is online and for that reason, I really cant buy any either. So I thought of using the driftwood from the beach. I have a fresh water tank, and I know that its kinda iffy to use salt water driftwood for a fresh water tank. Im going to take the chance, after doing a lot of soaking in boiling water and then put it in the oven for awhile when I think that most of the salt is out of it.
I dont know if you have a salt water tank or not. And for that reason, I would have to say that I cannot be responsible if the salt water driftwood causes you any problems for you fish.
On that note tho... what I can do, is find some nice pieces again after you let me know what size tank you want to put it in, and all you have to do is pay the shipping. Shouldnt be more than 6.00 to ship? I can take photos for you to check out the driftwood and see if it is what you want.
How does that sound to you?
~kate | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by MissMTS Hi Kate!
You got some really nice pieces of driftwood. I never thought of collecting it on the beach before. Good idea! The ocean by you is gorgeous. Reading your post made me think about how I haven't been to the beach in about 2.5 years (even though I live on the coast). I am always to busy to go. Looking at the pics made me want to leave work right now and go to the beach which is only 2 miles away I'll have to make it a point to go Memorial Day Weekend (hoping that the weather is good). | HI MissMTS
I know what its like not going to the beach when you live so close.. lol.
While its not yet summer here, the beaches are deserted. The perfect time to go for a walk! I hope that you get to go as well... It always amazes me the time away from the beach that when I finally go.. I always wonder why I hadnt been there sooner. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Yea I have a 55G and a two 30G that I would like to put some in. I know its a lot but I will pay whatver shipping and I guess I will just have to clean very very very efficiently to get all the salt out. I have FW tanks. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| I did a bit of looking, and it sounds like soaking/boiling for a very long time is the best way to pull the salt out of the stuff. Soaking it in distilled water will give the salt extra space to leave the wood. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Plus you dont have to get ALLLLLLLL of it out since a little bit of salt never hurt a FW tank unless you have really sensitive fish. But getting as much out as you can is agood idea. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| Also, the wood should be thoroughly scrubbed and soaked in some bleach water (then dechlorinator water) or heated in a 200 degree oven in order to kill any microorganisms growing in the wood. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Man! That would be soo nice to be able to just have a great beach like that so close! I'm not really near anything! | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| I miss the beach, I grew up about an hour or so from the Atlantic, but now I'm landlocked.
Driftwood is so interesting, the way the waters have smoothed and shaped it. Very fascinating. | |
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May 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| great pics kate...it must have been so relaxing and theraputic! To have the best of both worlds here on the east coast...beaches and lakes/mountains...what more could we ask for... thanks for sharing the pics! | |
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May 16th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Kate, my friend, I am green with envy. I sure could have used a walk like that today!!
Great driftwood also. I have collected so much and put it into my flower gardens, I am now going to try to steal a few pieces back for my new 36 g. Hopefully I will find some flat rocks at the cabin -- we are going to open up my Mom's place and the one we look after as well..if the weathr holds.
Great pics,  brought me back to the West Coast for a while!!
We must arrange to chat soon!!  | |
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May 16th, 2008
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| | Master Of Fish Poo!
| That's cool. I never really noticed driftwood on the beaches back home. | |
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May 16th, 2008
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnie great pics kate...it must have been so relaxing and theraputic! To have the best of both worlds here on the east coast...beaches and lakes/mountains...what more could we ask for... thanks for sharing the pics! | Hi Shawnie..
you dont know just how theraputic it was for me. May 15th is my first born sons birthday, its a time of reflection for me as I lost him when he was just four years old. That was a long time ago... He would have been 35 yesterday.
It was a good walk on the beach for me... | |
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May 16th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by voiceless_kat Kate, my friend, I am green with envy. I sure could have used a walk like that today!!
Great driftwood also. I have collected so much and put it into my flower gardens, I am now going to try to steal a few pieces back for my new 36 g. Hopefully I will find some flat rocks at the cabin -- we are going to open up my Mom's place and the one we look after as well..if the weathr holds.
Great pics, brought me back to the West Coast for a while!!
We must arrange to chat soon!! | HI Val...
You know you are welcome here anytime! | |
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May 16th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by sirdarksol Also, the wood should be thoroughly scrubbed and soaked in some bleach water (then dechlorinator water) or heated in a 200 degree oven in order to kill any microorganisms growing in the wood. | Thanks for the tips Sirdarksol...
Im going to make sure I do it right... but in the end, Im thinking that a teeny bit of salt cant really hurt the fish.. and Im sure that it will dissipate over time and water changes. But I do plan on scrubbing... soaking.. boiling and then into the oven for awhile. | |
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May 16th, 2008
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| I agree that the bit of salt leftover after a few good soakings isn't going to hurt. The scrubbing removes detritus that would rot in your tank, which I guess is a huge mistake that a lot of people make. | |
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