Wood
 

I need some general advice.
I found a nice piece of wood by a river and thought it would look nice in my
aquarium. I took it home and thoroughly cleaned it with a scrub brush. I
then boiled the wood completely, making sure anything alive on it would fry.
I then scrubbed the wood again getting rid of any loose bits off the branch.
I then washed it in hot water.
The wooden branch looks to be dead, i dried it and there are no green bits
on the inside when i used a saw to cut off the end so it would fit where i
want it. I then left it alone for a few months, forgetting about it.
Recently i decided that i would change the water in the aquarium.
Question is, will it be ok to introduce this wood into the aquarium now, or
should i boil it again, or not put it in at all?

B

Ok that's good advice.
Ill do that then, and i will wash it thoroughly again just in case.
Cant wait to stick it in.

thanks

B


I need some general advice.
I found a nice piece of wood by a river and thought it would look
nice in my aquarium. I took it home and thoroughly cleaned it with a
scrub brush. I then boiled the wood completely, making sure anything
alive on it would fry. I then scrubbed the wood again getting rid of
any loose bits off the branch. I then washed it in hot water.
The wooden branch looks to be dead, i dried it and there are no green
bits on the inside when i used a saw to cut off the end so it would
fit where i want it. I then left it alone for a few months,
forgetting about it. Recently i decided that i would change the
water in the aquarium. Question is, will it be ok to introduce this
wood into the aquarium now, or should i boil it again, or not put it
in at all?

B

It sounds ready for the tank, but I'd submerge it in a 5% bleach
solution (kept in the dark) for a couple days and then once it's dry
stick it in.

"Barna" wrote in news:432e86f9$0$22808$afc38c87
@news.optusnet.com.au:

It sounds ready for the tank, but I'd submerge it in a 5% bleach
solution (kept in the dark) for a couple days and then once it's dry
stick it in.

Ok that's good advice.
Cant wait to stick it in.

Keep in mind that anything that isn't aged bogwood has a very high
propensity to rot after a few months, no matter how you treated it. Bleach
won't kill the wood eating microorganisms deep within the wood, only years
of oxygen starvation buried under a bog will do that.

Personally I would never let bleach near my aquarium, but if you go that
route make sure to rince it really really well and let it dry THOUROUGHLY
afterwards. Even a little bleach will be much more toxic to your fish,
plants, and biological filter than anything the wood could have introduced
to your tank otherwise.

For the record, all wood "rots".
If ther wood is dense and old, it will be fine for use.
Any softer rotten parts should be cut and removed, generally anything
that you can pick off with the fingernail is too soft.

I've collected wood for nearly 25 years, never had an issue.
I do not use bleach, there is no need or issues with critters/bacteria
etc.
They leave or die once you submerge the wood for awhile.


Regards,
Tom Barr

I put the wood into the tank today, after soaking it with a bit of bleach,
washing it off after and then leaving to dry for the past few days. It looks
absolutely fantastic along with the rocks i have and the fish love it.
I heard somewhere that algae eaters like wood in the tank, is this true? I
was thinking of getting a few, just to keep the tank nice and clean.

Thanks for all your input

B


For the record, all wood "rots".
If ther wood is dense and old, it will be fine for use.
Any softer rotten parts should be cut and removed, generally anything
that you can pick off with the fingernail is too soft.

I've collected wood for nearly 25 years, never had an issue.
I do not use bleach, there is no need or issues with critters/bacteria
etc.
They leave or die once you submerge the wood for awhile.


Regards,
Tom Barr

Mid posted.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Barna"
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:58 PM
Subject: Wood


I put the wood into the tank today, after soaking it with a bit of bleach,
washing it off after and then leaving to dry for the past few days. It
looks
absolutely fantastic along with the rocks i have and the fish love it.
I heard somewhere that algae eaters like wood in the tank, is this true?

Plecostomus algae eaters love it! They actually eat it (very slowly). Good
luck and later!

I
was thinking of getting a few, just to keep the tank nice and clean.

Thanks for all your input

B


For the record, all wood "rots".
If ther wood is dense and old, it will be fine for use.
Any softer rotten parts should be cut and removed, generally anything
that you can pick off with the fingernail is too soft.

I've collected wood for nearly 25 years, never had an issue.
I do not use bleach, there is no need or issues with critters/bacteria
etc.
They leave or die once you submerge the wood for awhile.


Regards,
Tom Barr






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"Barna" wrote in
u:

the fish love it. I heard somewhere that algae eaters like wood in the
tank, is this true?

Many species of pleco will eat wood, especially those in the commonly
available Panaque and Acanthicus genera.

Yeah, we've a couple of large albino plecos in the pet shop who have
single-handedly (er, single-mouthedly) reduced a 15" piece of
decorative driftwood to a 8" piece. They're definitely getting their
fiber ;)