Wood for the aquarium

[BamBamSorg]

I did my research about adding wood but I would like some other adivce, preferences etc. I did boil the wood for 20 minutes. This piece of wood came from a tree that has fallen and died maybe a year ago. I peeled off all of the rotten or stuff that is falling off. It is really smooth already and there around no parts in which my fish can get cut.

 

[Bithimala]

What type of wood is it?

 

[BamBamSorg]

Pretty sure its from a oak

 

[Bithimala]

As far as I know, oak should be ok. If anyone knows differently, please feel free to correct me. Basically you want harder wood because stuff like pine is more likely to dissolve in the water.

 

[BamBamSorg]

Ok thanks is it ok to put the wood in my Display tank after boiling and letting it sit for a few days?

 

[BamBamSorg]

Should I boil it again tonight to get the rest of the bacteria etc out then add it?

 

[Bithimala]

I would just to be safe, but yes, it should then be fine to add it.

 

[cichlidman]

IMO just boil it till it sinks . If its still wants to float drill a few holes in a place you won't mind them into the center to let the water get inside it will sink MUCH faster. It will likely get the clear/white slime fungus over the wood . It is harmless and should go away after some time . I have used ceder( soaked for a month) and other soft woods against the webs advice may times. I have yet to have a issue tho it does degrade faster than hardwoods

 

[Stangguy93]

I am in the process of soaking a huge piece of ash in a 55 gallon drum. I'm going to just boil water and keep throwing it over the piece to kill bad bacteria. And pier wash the bark off.

 

[BamBamSorg]

Is it alright if I do put the wood in my aquarium? When I boiled it for the 2nd time little to nothing came out. (No Tea water).

 

[Bithimala]

Is it alright if I do put the wood in my aquarium? When I boiled it for the 2nd time little to nothing came out. (No Tea water).

Yes, you should be fine to put it in the tank

 

[BamBamSorg]

Ok thanks!! How can I waterlog it faster?

 

[joiakimfish]

We'll since this post is is here no sense to make a new one but I have a question ... Is it ok to use any wood ( like from a 2x4 or a plank) I have a lot of wood blocks at my job and I know I can do so much with it but I figured I'd ask my new family first

 

[Coradee]

We'll since this post is is here no sense to make a new one but I have a question ... Is it ok to use any wood ( like from a 2x4 or a plank) I have a lot of wood blocks at my job and I know I can do so much with it but I figured I'd ask my new family first

Unless you're 100% sure the wood hasn't been treated with any preservatives etc then I wouldn't risk it

 

[joiakimfish]

Ahh ok see that's what I didn't know so I'm better off finding one in the woods or something .... Lil hard living in the city but I think I'll manage .... Thanks

 

[Tankmama]

I live in Arizona, and found this wood in a wash. Can I clean it up and use it in my new tank?

Also, can I us the sand from the wash as well?

 

[JJfishes]

I'm from Michigan and don't know if 'Wash' is some kind of Arizona term , But I assume it means it washed up on shore or something similar. The wood looks almost like Cholla wood but not exactly. Natural driftwood is usually safe to use as long as it's prepared properly to kill any bacteria/parasites that could be in it just as you would with Natural driftwood sold in fish stores and the like. As for the sand, I think I'll let someone else chime in regarding that.

 

[DuaneV]

I would. That woods a little old looking so it might fall apart soon. You can boil it in a pot of water for a little bit to make sure its safe, and same with the sand. Dont put too much in at once and BE SURE to keep stirring it. If you won't you risk burning out the pot. A friend of mine tried to boil a bunch of sand once. Started the stove, walked away. The sand held the heat in and burned out the bottom of the pot. He had a HUGE mess on his hands and a ruined stove full of sand and water. lol

PS: Ive NEVER bought substrate or driftwood in 43 years of keeping fish. I use only natural materials I collect.

 

[kansas]

I'm told soft wood like pine is not safe.

 

[Tankmama]

I think it's Ironwood? It's a type of hardwood that grows here.

 

[Tankmama]

I'm from Michigan and don't know if 'Wash' is some kind of Arizona term , But I assume it means it washed up on shore or something similar. The wood looks almost like Cholla wood but not exactly. Natural driftwood is usually safe to use as long as it's prepared properly to kill any bacteria/parasites that could be in it just as you would with Natural driftwood sold in fish stores and the like. As for the sand, I think I'll let someone else chime in regarding that.

Lol a wash is an AZ term. It's like a dry river bed. They run with water during monsoon season.

 

[Tankmama]

I would. That woods a little old looking so it might fall apart soon. You can boil it in a pot of water for a little bit to make sure its safe, and same with the sand. Dont put too much in at once and BE SURE to keep stirring it. If you won't you risk burning out the pot. A friend of mine tried to boil a bunch of sand once. Started the stove, walked away. The sand held the heat in and burned out the bottom of the pot. He had a HUGE mess on his hands and a ruined stove full of sand and water. lol

PS: Ive NEVER bought substrate or driftwood in 43 years of keeping fish. I use only natural materials I collect.

How do you clean the materials you find?

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

You should be fine. I guess that 'wash' isn't used much in other places. haha. I'd just boil the sand and wood and you should be good to go!

 

[DuaneV]

Hot water or boiling water and that's it. Ive NEVER had a problem picking up something from outside EVER. You have to be aware though, some things like pine trees are not safe, but Oak branches & leaves, Beech sticks, leaves & cones are safe. 99.9% of the rocks you find are safe, etc. Any dried out wood like driftwood shouldnt be a problem either. At least Ive never had a problem with any.

Some of my most favorite memories of keeping fish are actually "collecting adventures". My gramp used to go to the lake or stream and collect driftwood, rocks, sand, plants, etc., for his tanks and I used to help him. Now we've been doing this with our son since he was 2ish. Kids love finding sticks and rocks and bringing them back. When my son was 4 he had a 30 long in his bedroom FULL of rocks and sticks he had collected and 50ish Guppies. Now in his room among his 4 tanks is a 40 gallon Convict tank with a 4' tall stump that he found while we were fishing. We go on adventures all the time to collect sand and sticks and driftwood, rocks, plants, etc. Makes the hobby WAY more fun.

 

[TWiG87]

Just something keep in mind.. the sand composition (depending upon what it is) could slightly affect your water parameters. Ph specifically

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

Hot water or boiling water and that's it. Ive NEVER had a problem picking up something from outside EVER. You have to be aware though, some things like pine trees are not safe, but Oak branches & leaves, Beech sticks, leaves & cones are safe. 99.9% of the rocks you find are safe, etc. Any dried out wood like driftwood shouldnt be a problem either. At least Ive never had a problem with any.

Some of my most favorite memories of keeping fish are actually "collecting adventures". My gramp used to go to the lake or stream and collect driftwood, rocks, sand, plants, etc., for his tanks and I used to help him. Now we've been doing this with our son since he was 2ish. Kids love finding sticks and rocks and bringing them back. When my son was 4 he had a 30 long in his bedroom FULL of rocks and sticks he had collected and 50ish Guppies. Now in his room among his 4 tanks is a 40 gallon Convict tank with a 4' tall stump that he found while we were fishing. We go on adventures all the time to collect sand and sticks and driftwood, rocks, plants, etc. Makes the hobby WAY more fun.

cool!

 

[MaximumRide14]

Not sure about the sand, but I always get cholla from outside (and yes, a wash lol) and I let it boil for a couple minutes in an old pot

 

[Lebeeze]

Just curious if its possible to use dead branches and pieces of wood in a wooded park near my house inside my aquarium.

Driftwood can be expensive in stores and wanted to do some rearranging of my aquascapes.

If I can use it, what would I need to do first to make it safe?

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

First make sure this is legal taking wood from a local park in your area. And then determine what type of woods it is. Bark usually has to be removed and also make sure it isn’t treated with any sort pest control sprays or something like that

 

[Dennis57]

It all depends on the type of wood (branch) it is.
Many types of wood are unsuitable for aquariums.
It also helps to boil the wood before you put it in your tank to kill anything that might be in it (fungus or bacteria).
You would also need to either tie it down or soak it for a long time to get the wood to sink in the tank.

 

[IzabelB]

I agree with Denis57, I’ve also heard of people backing their wood in the oven at a high temp. You could look into that.
I‘d identify the type of wood first and figure out if it’s safe, then boil it if you can. Boiling removes tannins and makes it sink as well as disinfect it. But I believe baking is another method to use if you want to be extra cautious.

 

[A201]

Hardwoods only. No evergreens. Harvest only dead branches. Avoid areas where pesticides or herbicides were likely sprayed. Scrape off the bark.
Rinse off the branches. Either soak the branches until they sink, or anchor them down w/ rocks in the aquarium.
Be prepared for dark water.

 

[dmk164]

what trees are good?

 

[ProudPapa]

I've used pecan and bois d'arc in my tanks. I pick up pieces that are so dead and dry that there's no bark remaining to need removing.

I know most people will recommend baking or boiling it, but I've only rinsed them with a hose and put them in the tank. The pecan has sank after a couple weeks, and the bois d'arc after a few days (it's very hard and dense).

 

[Lebeeze]

I've used pecan and bois d'arc in my tanks. I pick up pieces that are so dead and dry that there's no bark remaining to need removing.

I know most people will recommend baking or boiling it, but I've only rinsed them with a hose and put them in the tank. The pecan has sank after a couple weeks, and the bois d'arc after a few days (it's very hard and dense).

So if its really dead there is no risk of parasites or bugs or whatever infesting the wood? I'm more afraid of those than tannins.

 

[StarGirl]

If you are afraid of creepies you can boil it if it's possible.

 

[ProudPapa]

So if its really dead there is no risk of parasites or bugs or whatever infesting the wood? I'm more afraid of those than tannins.

I can't exactly answer that, but I've always wondered what parasites and/or bugs people are worried about when putting wood into tanks, and how they would cause harm. Maybe someone will reply with some information.

I know it's important to be careful about what we put in our tanks, but I often think people are overly cautious, and see dangers where they're unlikely to happen.

 

[Kribensis27]

what trees are good?

I’ve used oak, magnolia, birch, apple, crabapple, and SUUUUPER old cedar. Birch breaks down really fast, so I mostly just had it in there for a pleco snack. Cedar is usually not ok for aquariums as it contains a bunch of toxic sap that’s going to make your aquarium disgusting. It’s usually only ok if it’s been dead for over 10-20 years and isn’t rotten. I found a nice piece that had been there for decades up on a dry cliff ledge, and it’s worked great in my tank! It lasts practically forever. Btw, not really sure about white cedar or western red cedar. I’m talking about eastern red cedar.

 

[Lebeeze]

I can't exactly answer that, but I've always wondered what parasites and/or bugs people are worried about when putting wood into tanks, and how they would cause harm. Maybe someone will reply with some information.

I know it's important to be careful about what we put in our tanks, but I often think people are overly cautious, and see dangers where they're unlikely to happen.

I mean I can't give you an exact name but I'm not biologist so I just assume there has to be something out there that can harm a fish tank. I guess I'm just trying to be better safe than sorry.

If I had the money I would just buy driftwood from Amazon or my lfs but 2020 kinda hurt me for money.

I’ve used oak, magnolia, birch, apple, crabapple, and SUUUUPER old cedar. Birch breaks down really fast, so I mostly just had it in there for a pleco snack. Cedar is usually not ok for aquariums as it contains a bunch of toxic sap that’s going to make your aquarium disgusting. It’s usually only ok if it’s been dead for over 10-20 years and isn’t rotten. I found a nice piece that had been there for decades up on a dry cliff ledge, and it’s worked great in my tank! It lasts practically forever. Btw, not really sure about white cedar or western red cedar. I’m talking about eastern red cedar.

If I gathered some and applied pics would you be able to tell me what kind of wood it is lol. I know nothing about wood .

 

[Lebeeze]

What about plum tree hardwood?? I can buy it pretty cheap 25 pieces for $20.

 

[Dennis57]

In theory it should be okay, but I would definitely take some time to boil the wood thoroughly, to bring out any toxins that maybe inside, then soak it in a bucket of water for a couple weeks.
Check the water parameters in the bucket to see if anything leeches out, if it drastically changes the water chemistry, or if the wood starts to rot.
If everything looks fine after a few weeks, it should be okay to use in the tank.

 

[Lebeeze]

In theory it should be okay, but I would definitely take some time to boil the wood thoroughly, to bring out any toxins that maybe inside, then soak it in a bucket of water for a couple weeks.
Check the water parameters in the bucket to see if anything leeches out, if it drastically changes the water chemistry, or if the wood starts to rot.
If everything looks fine after a few weeks, it should be okay to use in the tank.

Thank you i might try this. I'm going to call my city and see if I'm allowed to take wood out of the parks first .

 

[Lebeeze]

Would birch be good?

 

[Kribensis27]

Would birch be good?

Depends on the species, but it probably wouldn’t harm anything. It breaks down pretty fast though, so it would probably end up as food for some pleco, snails, or shrimp, if you have any. Not great if you want something long lasting.

 

[Lebeeze]

Depends on the species, but it probably wouldn’t harm anything. It breaks down pretty fast though, so it would probably end up as food for some pleco, snails, or shrimp, if you have any. Not great if you want something long lasting.

Thank you for the help. I can get a good amount of birch for pretty cheap so maybe I'll buy a bunch. I only have 2 plecos both in one tank so the other tanks the birch should last longer.