Preparing Driftwood For Aquarium Use?

Hello, all. I found some old, weathered (but not rotten) maple roots and wanted to use them in my aquarium. Will these release any harmful chemicals into the aquarium? How can I make sure they don't rot? Is there any way to preserve them that doesn't involve coating them with a resin?

Thank you so much!

 

I'm not an expert on trees but I would make sure they don’t have sap. I don’t remember the user’s name but they were going to do the same thing and they water logged the wood then baked in, while still wet and sap ended up coming out of it. Usually wood from trees that have any sap isn’t recommended for aquarium use.

 

These roots are dead and dried out. I broke one of them in half and it was completely dry. I have heard of boiling aquarium driftwood- will this work to make it tank-safe so it doesn't rot?

 

These roots are dead and dried out. I broke one of them in half and it was completely dry. I have heard of boiling aquarium driftwood- will this work to make it tank-safe so it doesn't rot?

Actually boiling will cause it to rot faster, from what i’ve read, it breaks down the fibers when you boil it.

I would just water log it for a few days or weeks. to get it to release anything it might have and kill of any pest that might have hitchhiked.

 

Okay, thank you!

 

So the wood is in a bucket of clean water, water-logging, and I found a bunch of dried roots. They would look great in my aquarium, I'll just have to see how it goes.