# Drift wood



## M1ster Stanl3y (Dec 10, 2010)

So not sure if this should be in DIY section. but ne way. Can you make your own driftwood? Im from North East Pennsylvania and would like to use some of my natural surrondings in my tank. i know SA fish with a nice peice of birch wood, would look off but can u use(if properly prepaired) something other then store bought driftwood/bog wood. Some nice oak, maple, sasafras, birch, anything like that, even pine although i would not go that route. would any of this work or do i hafta go the store bought route?


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

The majority of mine is wood i have found, i just couldnt afford to buy wood for all my tanks.

As long as the wood you get has dried out and is a hardwood, it will be no probs


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

yeah it has to be a hardwood, otherwise it's just going to disintegrate in the tank and make a bad mess

find a nice piece that's dried out but not rotten and soft and soak it in a 5 gallon bucket of treated water for a week or so, changing the water every day. that should get rid of any impurities that may be in it. after that, it's a good idea if you can to try and boil it in water for a little while. that should help open up the wood some more and really soak it down with water so it will sink if it's not already doing so


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## corE3105 (Jan 26, 2011)

will any type of hardwood turn dark brown like the driftwood you buy in the stores? if so, how long would it take, under average fw aquarium conditions, for it to look legit?


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Not sure what you mean by look legit?

All my wood looks exactly the same as bought stuff before and after its in the tank. Mopani wood is 2 toned, that one i dont have any of


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

The best wood to use that that has been exposed to the elements. The best places for this kind of wood is on the shore of a large lake or at the beach. Stay away from fresh wood, too many wird chemicals.


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

I dont get any of mine from waterways, most are contaminated thanx to humans throwing stuff in them. We also get periodic sprays of some waterways to control mosquitos.

I dont collect from beside major roads, nor from anywhere near crop producing paddocks due to contamination.

All of mine come from quiet backroads, or near stock paddocks.


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## M1ster Stanl3y (Dec 10, 2010)

There has always been some really good looking stumps in the woods behind the house. Pitted and worn by the weather. I think a good bake followed by a month our some of soaking would do nice...to bad it's 7 degrees out...this is a storing time project.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Just boil it first.


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## M1ster Stanl3y (Dec 10, 2010)

Ehh don't have a pot that big. The stumps are prov 12-14 inches. Maybe if we get a heat wave, 32° n higher, ill go for a hike a grab a few.


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Not always possible to boil wood. In those cases i put it outside and pour a few pots of boiling water over it, giving it a scrub to make sure it is dirt and bark free, and into the tank it goes.


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