# Wild Driftwood.... Is it really safe?



## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Hey all, So I will be needing a big piece of driftwood, like a big piece. I hear people on the forum talking about just picking them up outside. Is that safe? I always heard that you can not add anything wild to your tank on account of bacteria and disease. I was told that tank bread fish do not have the immune system to deal with these and that foreign bacteria could kill them. I'm assuming that driftwood would carry these. So the talk around town is that a good boil will take care of all that. How true is that? I can see rocks and such because you could boil and scrub them but driftwood? Its kinda hard to scrub that kind od surface. So can someone fill me in.


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## intensejustin (Sep 8, 2010)

Ive picked mine for years... I usually boil them so all the tanin(coloring) goes away and it will kill any bacteria on the wood. Also you want a hard wood thats not already falling apart.

As your boiling it, i usually change the water out a few times until the water comming out of the boiling pot is clear... that means all the coloring in the wood is pretty much gone and wont turn your water brown in your tank.


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## littlefish (Aug 4, 2010)

see here what wood is safe and how to prepare it for your tank 
Manage your freshwater aquarium, tropical fishes and plants: How to prepare driftwood for an aquarium


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Thanks little fish. I read the letter and have a better understanding now. I knew that there were some woods to avoid. Actually have a list of good and bad wood was a big help.


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