I want to know whether these can be used as driftwood.

I live in India and this is a tulsi(holy basil) tree that is commonly found here. These are 2 dead trees that died after 3-4 years staying in my roof. I have seen some youtube videos about how to make driftwood from any wood by using bleach, baking soda, hot water or boiling and keeping it immersed in water for weeks. My question is can this be used in a tank? If yes, then can this be used in a tank without doing those things. I will ofcourse clean it thoroughly. I am pretty sure that if I tie them with heavy rocks and submerge them in water for some days, they will eventually sink. So will using baking soda, bleach or hot water necessary? First I want to know whether is it possible to use them as driftwood.

Also what to do with the circular things attached to the branches. They are seeds or seed coatings possibly. Many branches have those circular small things attached to them. What to do with them? Should I threw them away or should they too can be used in aquarium? I am actually trying to lower ph in the aquarium. So can I keep them as it is attached with the branch? Can I remove some of them and just scatter them in another tank whose ph I also want to lower?

 

I personally would not add those to my aquarium. Not sure if they would stay rigid or get waterlogged and become flimsy or might even rot. If you like this look though, maybe look into purchasing some Manzanita wood if its possible. Manzanita is ready to add to your aquarium and has been proven safe.

 

Technically you can use that, I also have twigs and branches in my tank.
Normally just rinsing it with hot water is enough.

Do you live in the city or the countryside? If (inner) city I would probably not use them.

 

Technically you can use that, I also have twigs and branches in my tank.
Normally just rinsing it with hot water is enough.

Do you live in the city or the countryside? If (inner) city I would probably not use them.

I live in countryside. Can I know why this is relevant and why can't I use them if I have lived in inner city?
These were holy basil plants that was grown in my own roof. Also what do you think I should do with those circular things attached to the branches, possibly seeds or seed coats? Should I remove them and throw them away or can I use them too to lower ph by leaving them as it is and removing some of them and putting them in another tank?

 

I live in countryside. Can I know why this is relevant and why can't I use them if I have lived in inner city?
These were holy basil plants that was grown in my own roof. Also what do you think I should do with those circular things attached to the branches, possibly seeds or seed coats? Should I remove them and throw them away or can I use them too to lower ph by leaving them as it is and removing some of them and putting them in another tank?

Inner city means dust, smog and other stuff on the plant that would be detrimental to a closed system like a fishtank. But as you are in the countryside, go for it.

I just add it, it doesn't help with pH much at first, but it's very appreciated structure for many fish and when it slowly decomposes it will leach a bit of acids and other beneficial substances. You should check if there are seeds in the pods. If so, remove them. If not and they are empty pods, add them too. It will look great when covered in biofilm.

 

I personally would not add those to my aquarium. Not sure if they would stay rigid or get waterlogged and become flimsy or might even rot. If you like this look though, maybe look into purchasing some Manzanita wood if its possible. Manzanita is ready to add to your aquarium and has been proven safe.

I am sure Manzanita wood won't be found here where I live in India. I am sure no LFS here ever heard about them. They can't be found online too. Not many things that Westerners are familiar with can be found in India. Here the driftwood that are sold, the seller never knows the name of them. I think they just prepare them from any tree they can get find and sell them. I like the look of cholla wood too but that's also not found here. Elder cones too. Since I am 100% certain that the driftwood that are sold here aren't even known to the sellers what kind of they are so I thought why not I use any wood that I can find in my roof. I wanted to know whether holy basil tree can be used as driftwood. Yes, I prefer the look of it but I don't want to use them because of their looks. It's not that I have to get that look for my driftwood. I can get any driftwood. Like I said as even the sellers sell driftwood literally made from any wood they can find, so I thought why buy them? Why not make one myself without spending?

But, I agree with you that Manzanita wood gives a similar look, ready to use and are safe. They are great. I too agree that some wood can become filmsy and rot in the tank. That's why I wanted to know whether holy basils are aquarium safe or not. If yes, then what is the process of adding them in the driftwood?

Inner city means dust, smog and other stuff on the plant that would be detrimental to a closed system like a fishtank. But as you are in the countryside, go for it.

I just add it, it doesn't help with pH much at first, but it's very appreciated structure for many fish and when it slowly decomposes it will leach a bit of acids and other beneficial substances. You should check if there are seeds in the pods. If so, remove them. If not and they are empty pods, add them too. It will look great when covered in biofilm.

See, though I live in countryside, this is India and there is fair enough air pollution to where I live. There is not much smog, though not less too but there is too much dust in the atmosphere where I live as the road beside my house is a dirt road. Are you saying that air pollution are there in the dead wood of the plant? Is there any way to make it aquarium safe? Otherwise, I won't use them as there is fair enough smog and lots of dirt where I live. Also, my mistake. I wrote wrong. I don't live in countryside. I live in outskirts of Kolkata, a very polluted metropolitan city. I live just outside the main city. Here it is called as outside of proper Kolkata.


Edit- I forgot to mention I never used any chemical fertilizer in my roof. All fertilisers are either home-made compost or organic fertilizers like coe dung, peat moss.

 

I am sure Manzanita wood won't be found here where I live in India. I am sure no LFS here ever heard about them. They can't be found online too. Not many things that Westerners are familiar with can be found in India. Here the driftwood that are sold, the seller never knows the name of them. I think they just prepare them from any tree they can get find and sell them. I like the look of cholla wood too but that's also not found here. Elder cones too. Since I am 100% certain that the driftwood that are sold here aren't even known to the sellers what kind of they are so I thought why not I use any wood that I can find in my roof. I wanted to know whether holy basil tree can be used as driftwood. Yes, I prefer the look of it but I don't want to use them because of their looks. It's not that I have to get that look for my driftwood. I can get any driftwood. Like I said as even the sellers sell driftwood literally made from any wood they can find, so I thought why buy them? Why not make one myself without spending?
But, I agree with you that Manzanita wood gives a similar look, ready to use and are safe. They are great. I too agree that some wood can become filmsy and rot in the tank. That's why I wanted to know whether holy basils are aquarium safe or not. If yes, then what is the process of adding them in the driftwood?

You also don't get Manzanita in Europe. The stuff is very US-specific. And about rot: Whatever parts of organic material we add to a tank, driftwood, seedpods, leaves, it all will start to rot soon. The trick is to let it rot in a controlled way.

See, though I live in countryside, this is India and there is fair enough air pollution to where I live. There is not much smog, though not less too but there is too much dust in the atmosphere where I live as the road beside my house is a dirt road. Are you saying that air pollution are there in the dead wood of the plant? Is there any way to make it aquarium safe? Otherwise, I won't use them as there is fair enough smog and lots of dirt where I live. Also, my mistake. I wrote wrong. I don't live in countryside. I live in outskirts of Kolkata, a very polluted metropolitan city. I live just outside the main city. Here it is called as outside of proper Kolkata.

Edit- I forgot to mention I never used any chemical fertilizer in my roof. All fertilisers are either home-made compost or organic fertilizers like coe dung, peat moss.

This was very much the reason I asked. So yeah... while on the INSIDE the material may be clean it's very hard to remove residue of fine dust and the like even from glass or concrete. There is a layer of probably dangerous pollutants on the outside and I have no idea how to get that aquarium safe then. What a shame, it would have looked great in the setup you planned.

 

You also don't get Manzanita in Europe. The stuff is very US-specific. And about rot: Whatever parts of organic material we add to a tank, driftwood, seedpods, leaves, it all will start to rot soon. The trick is to let it rot in a controlled way.



This was very much the reason I asked. So yeah... while on the INSIDE the material may be clean it's very hard to remove residue of fine dust and the like even from glass or concrete. There is a layer of probably dangerous pollutants on the outside and I have no idea how to get that aquarium safe then. What a shame, it would have looked great in the setup you planned.

No issue. This plant is very common is India and almost found in most houses here. I will definitely able to find that from my relatives' house. Some of them live in countryside where pollution level in much low. Though I outside city, because of the dirt road next to my house and since it's a fairly active road with lots of vehicles, even lorries passing by the air is pretty much dusty. If I didn't live next to the main road but lived in the inner part of my area, then it would have no issue. I am not worried much about smog. I am worried about tge dust. Though mine is a 2 storey house and the plants were on the roof but I still have doubts that the air dust reaches in my roof as the air is filled with dust here always at the ground level except maybe after midnight when there goes little vehicles on the road.

Bht I can manage them from my relatives' house where pollution level and smog both are much less as they live in countryside and not beside dirt road. My question is whether holy basil can be used as driftwood? Will just putting them in hot water make them safe for aquarium? How long should I keep them submerged in water before putting them in tank?

Lastly, though I know the answer will be no but still want to ask whether boiling them on several occasions will make the wood from my roof safe or not for aquarium? I can use bleach & baking soda too if required.