# Sticks in the tank



## tylermoney1 (May 4, 2013)

I really like the look of long branches and twigs in a tank. But how do you clean long sticks that don't fit in a stove pot...?


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

I don't boil any of my wood I find, it comes home I dump it in my pond and it stays there til its waterlogged and I need it for a project.

Then I get it out, give it a scrub, hose it off and in the tank it goes


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Actually this is something I have interest in as well. Last time I looked into this any type of hard wood I was told was OK. It still needs a good cleaning and I guess you need to dry it. Heat it in the over on medium heat for a while to get saps and anything not good out. Then it needs to get water logged. Or tied to a rock or something.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I usually pour boiling water over it myself.


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## tylermoney1 (May 4, 2013)

Alasse said:


> I don't boil any of my wood I find, it comes home I dump it in my pond and it stays there til its waterlogged and I need it for a project.
> 
> Then I get it out, give it a scrub, hose it off and in the tank it goes


Do you ever get problems with pests or have fish deaths? Also should the bark be carved off of the branches?


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

tylermoney1 said:


> Do you ever get problems with pests or have fish deaths? Also should the bark be carved off of the branches?


Never had fish deaths from the wood added. I only get my wood from terrestrial areas, never from waterways, so waterborne pest are never going to be an issue.

I do try to remove the bark if I can, though dumping the branches in the pond water tends to make the bark fall away most times anyway, soften or come loose and I just peel.scrape it off before it goes on display

Getting the bark off will bring out the natural wood colours more also


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## henningc (Apr 17, 2013)

I get my wood from grave bars on the local streams. Look for hardwood and root wads look the best. I put mine in a utility sink and wieght it down. I clean it off, sink it, fill the sink with extremely hot water and add 6-8 cups of solor salt. I let that go 24 hours and change the water daily with room temp until it remains clear. After that I change the water when discolored for a week. What ever the heat treatment don't kill the salt will then allowing for the wood to grow biofilm while curing. I have wood in bare bottom tanks, as the snails and shrimp seem to love the stuff. My cichlids use the wood structures to form territory more than they do the flat garden stones. Go figure!


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