How do you guys get your driftwood?

The only aquarium-ish store around where I live is a petco, and I've never seen any driftwood there. I'd love to get some, but I don't know how to. Got any suggestions?

 

I have picked up a piece or two at Petco, but they usually don't have much. Sometimes in the reptile section, too. Can always try online, or take a walk in the neighborhood and see what the trees are dropping.

 

So you can just take some wood from anywhere? I was unaware that you could do that.

 

Kinda, yeah! Might have to scrape bark off first before putting in a tank. And try sticking with hardwiids like maple, oak, elm, stuff like that. And avoid sappy woods like pine and cedar.

 

Oh okay, nice! We have a lot of Oak trees, so I guess I'll be getting some driftwood for my tank

 

It is easier to cut a piece to size if you find it, too, cuz you don't feel like you wasted money on something you can't use!

 

Also, try lakes, if you can walk around them, usually there are dead roots at the bottom of trees, that's where I get them. A site that I would suggest checking out is if you don't have access:

Natural Manzanita

 

Yay!
If it wasn't dark out right now, I'd be going outside to find some nice pieces right now Tomorrow...

 

This might be helpful, it's about how to prep the wood before adding it to your aquarium:

Aquarium Wood - A Complete Guide to Preparing and Installing Driftwood - Fish Care

 

Ah, thanks! Will be very helpful

 

The river that borders our land.

 

Try to find some that's dry enough, and been dead long enough, that the bark has already fallen off.

 

Okay, so no bark? I found some nice pieces, but they still have bark on them. Should I take it off?

 

I was on another forum and read that you should not add driftwood that you find.
Maybe because you can't identify what tree it came from? I'll have to look into processing driftwood and see what it involves.
After winters I have access to a LOT of driftwood.

 

As long as the branches have been dead for a while and the place they come from is free of pollution I don't really think it matters what kind of wood it is.

 

I collected a bunch of small twigs and branches from a black walnut tree thinking I could use them in a blackwater tank. Then I found a source that said specifically not to use wood from walnut trees in aquariums. They also mentioned that apple wood would rot too easily and made a poor choice.
I didn't want to chance it.

 

I have read that too about walnut not being safe, but if it was long dead and especially waterlogged I think it would probably be OK. Funnily enough apple is one of the trees the aquarium shops here recommend as being aquarium safe, they get dead branches from apple plantations, soak them and use them in tanks.