So.. I went to the river

Looking for some cool driftwood. I decided to dig up a stick that was about 7 inches out of the sand to see what it was connected to.

And this is what I got


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Obviously this won't fit in a tank but my goodness it's beautiful! So I brought it home. Now working on cleaning it up and preserving it. Love!

Sorry I couldn't find the proper forum to post this in and I just HAD to share. I'm in love with it. It's about 150 lbs. 5 ft wide 2-3 ft tall!

 

Ugh, I wish I had a tank that was big enough to fit that, it's beautiful!

 

Welcome to fishlore The Animal Channel! That driftwood is really cool, but it looks so small in the pic

 

Lol I wish it were smaller! It took almost 3 hrs to dig it up. For a while I thought it was going to wind up being a whole tree and that I was working for nothing.

 

Wow, you were really determined!

 

You can cut it using a saw.

 

The root vs a large formula container vs my Chevy Silverado 1500 with a 4 inch lift.

Better idea of the size.

I don't want to cut it. I'll dry it out, preserve it, and put it in my garden, most likely.

 

Obviously the driftwood and truck are not at the same angle so it makes the root look a little bigger than it is

 

Much better with the comparison!

 

It is massive. I'm trying to find a way to make it weather resistant... Polyurethane?

 

Polyurethane will not hold up well outdoors (actually no finish other than paint will, and even that needs occasional repainting). But if you want to try urethaning it, I would try using a spar urethane such as Minwax Helmsman. It is designed for outdoor use. It has UV protectors plus it never fully cures so it remains soft and resists cracking with expansion and contraction of the wood.

 

Just get a clear exterior stain. Spar urethane requires you to sand the wood for it to bond. An exterior stain has UV protectors. Make sure to put 2 coats on it.

Been painting for 35 years. The stain would be the cheapest and easiest to do. If you can't get an exterior clear stain, go to Sherwin Williams and ask for a clear wood toner. It'll have a little color to it but not much to make a difference b

 

I'm pretty confident that wood does not need to be sanded for urethane to bond.

 

How about some type of boat finish or whatever they use for wood on saltwater boats? Would something like that be more weather resistant? Alison

 

OMG.....it would make the most amazing centerpiece to aquascape around though.....But, I am sure it will make an awesome and eye-catching addition for your garden. Congrats on your wonderful find!

 

Wow! Very nice find, and love the determination. Before I started trying to get into aquascaping, I found an awesome piece while visiting some family here in Tx. Unfortunately for my fishies, my snake got it first. He loves it, so I'm happy to let him keep it. Congrats on the find.