Can Wood Found Outside Be Used?

Can wood from outside be used in my aquarium if it is cleaned and soaked?

 

Can wood from outside be used in my aquarium if it is cleaned and soaked?

I would do some research on what kind of wood, but even then sometimes it does not workout...

I read online cotonwood is ok to use in aquariums. My wood was boiled for 1 hour 3 times, and soaked for a month. But the second I added it to the aquarium it caused a PH swing, 2 fish deaths, and huge algae growth. (In a established aquarium, 8 months)

 

Most wood sold at the LFS is rumoured to have been outside at one time. Yes you can use it but avoid resinous (sappy) species. It takes a VERY long time for resinous wood to be truly safe. Seriously like decades if under water.

 

Ok. Would it just be easier to buy a peace from an aquarium store?

 

You can buy it, but some woods are sold for their ability to stain water.
If you collect wood, soft wood is to be avoided,.. No pines, cedars etc, due to the resins. Hard wood is fine, though it may take a few weeks soaking to sink. Roots are really good - often very hard, durable wood. All my decor wood is from forests, or from my yard. Maple, oak... wonderful stuff.

 

Ok. Would it just be easier to buy a peace from an aquarium store?

I would say so... From my experience at least. You know the woods going to work, and usually the wood you buy in a store looks much nicer then the wood you find in the wild.

 

I will see what my local fish store has.

Would should I do to prepare a bit of wood I buy?

 

Would should I do to prepare a bit of wood I buy?

Usually if its a dark wood like malaysian drift wood, you should boil it for 1-2 hours, or let it soak. (to get rid of the tannins, they will make your aquarium a dark color)
If its a lighter wood that step is not nessissary..

But for some woods like spider wood, they will not sink instantly when you buy them, so you should soak em for a month or two, or tie them to other decor in the aquarium (rocks) with some thread or fishing line.

 

Sweet, thanks for your help.

 

If it's dark wood be prepared for weeks of tea colored water, even if you boil it for hours in preparation. The general consensus is that it's not bad for the fish, but some people don't like the color. It may stain light colored porous things in the tank. Eventually the water will clear, though.

 

Ok. Would it just be easier to buy a peace from an aquarium store?

It would certainly be easier because you can wash it off and throw it in the tank. IMO a little more prep work is advisable for wood found in nature.

 

wood found in nature is fine. ive put one in my main tank and its the home of my rainbow shark. just things you need to consider when getting a wood from nature is that first, you need to know what type of wood it is (avoid soft wood it will mess up your tank) second, getting them waterlogged could take weeks or months. third, disenfect them with boiling, baking, pouring hot water over. tannins would be an issue if you don't like tea color in your aquarium but besides all that its fun to seach for driftwood. its like looking for art for your aquarium.

 

So if I were to buy a piece from a shop, how long should I be soaking it for?

 

I actually put a piece of driftwood from a dam near my house in my tank, I scrubbed it like crazy and soaked it for a few hours and added it, I had no issues other than it wanting to float so I added some weight to it for about 2 weeks and now its good to go.

 

There's no way around boiling it. All wood should be boiled to kill pathogens and any other unwanted bacteria. Even store wood can introduce strains of stuff like cyanobacteria which can lay dormant for years.

 

Can wood from outside be used in my aquarium if it is cleaned and soaked?

Have to boil for a long time in a crawfish boiler/Turkey boiler, etc. After that let it sit in a tub or something so it can (not) leech and you can make sure it is ready to go in your aquarium. Make sure you soak it in dechlorinated water, also.