# Driftwood questions :)



## SevenNoOni (Oct 11, 2011)

So..I got some really nice drift wood from lake Erie... I haven't put it into my tank or even cleaned it yet... What I'm curious about is... Lake Erie isn't known for being a clean water source LOL... Hell I'm not sure id swim in it.. my question is.. Can a piece of driftwood from Lake Erie be cleaned enough to go into my tank? I was thinking boiling the crap out of it... i was also told to put it into my dishwasher (No soap) even told to put it into the Back of my toilet in the cistern. 
So just curious what you guys think.. 
(side note... Sorry if this is posted in the wrong area)


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## LaurenK (Mar 18, 2012)

Personally, I would go with boiling it if you can because that would kill anything on the driftwood and clean it. I wouldn't put anything that had sat in the back part of a toilet in my tank. The dishwasher...I just don't know. Hope someone can add some input to the toilet and dishwater option.


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

SevenNoOni said:


> So..I got some really nice drift wood from lake Erie... I haven't put it into my tank or even cleaned it yet... What I'm curious about is... Lake Erie isn't known for being a clean water source LOL... Hell I'm not sure id swim in it.. my question is.. Can a piece of driftwood from Lake Erie be cleaned enough to go into my tank? I was thinking boiling the crap out of it... i was also told to put it into my dishwasher (No soap) even told to put it into the Back of my toilet in the cistern.
> So just curious what you guys think..
> (side note... Sorry if this is posted in the wrong area)


Hello S...

A soak overnight in a bucket of your water change water with a tablespoon of standard aquarium salt added should be enough to kill any fish pathogens that may be living in or on the wood. Then take the piece outside and rinse it well with a pressure nozzle attached to the garden hose and let it dry outside for a day or two.

Pretty simple.

B


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I'd boil it, then soak it in water change water with some aquarium salt and then take it out and hose it off, then let it dry - so essentially, do everything the above posters have said, lol.


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

I would boil it then soak in salt water and rinse well, then run through the dishwasher cycle. LOLOL sorry I had to post.

Actually i use the dishwasher for my plastic plants and rocks with just a splash of bleach, works great, then i run it through a seperate rinse cycle.

The tiolet soaking does not sound like a good idea to me.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

hanky said:


> I would boil it then soak in salt water and rinse well, then run through the dishwasher cycle. LOLOL sorry I had to post.
> 
> Actually i use the dishwasher for my plastic plants and rocks with just a splash of bleach, works great, then i run it through a seperate rinse cycle.
> 
> The tiolet soaking does not sound like a good idea to me.


Okay i would.... lol, I think it's been said. 

I never heard the toilet tank idea before, I actually like the idea. It's not like the water is actually toilet water, the tank just holds clean water so it wouldn't do any harm to the wood, might turn your toilet yellow from the tannins though

I have heard the dishwasher idea before. Even without adding soap the idea of detergent residue left over from past washes would worry me a little.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

You can also soak it in a bleach dilution for a few days, then soak in a double dose of dechlorinated water for another day or so. Or you can take it to the carwash and power wash it with out soap. The toilet idea is interesting....


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Soaking in the cistern actually works great, providing you dont put any chemical things in there.

The wood gets a good supply of fresh clean water over it. The downside is only smaller pieces fit!


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

Only thing about the tiolet idea is what if someone once put some cleaner or deoderizer in there can you be sure its 100% cleaned out? Water in my village is so hard the inside walls are stained rust color, as a handyman/DIY guy I wouldnt be sure of the parts in there either and what kind of chemicals leetch out of them. but just my opinion and we all know what opinions are like.


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## MJAVY7 (Apr 4, 2012)

At my local store they purchase the wood from a local Guy. I was tolt that all the pieces are sandblasted, rinced then dryed.


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

As i said "providing you dont put any chemical things in there."

I dont put anything in my cistern, in the bowl yes. So its safe for me


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

LOL whilst reading this, I soooooooo thought you guys meant putting the wood in the toilet BOWL! XD Hahahahahahahahha.........yeah............the taaaaank part, that makes more sense! *face palm..... *licks window...


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

that would make sitting down either painfull or exciting*r2


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## SevenNoOni (Oct 11, 2011)

wow thanks for all the replies  sorry it took me so long to reply... I haven't placed the wood into my tank yet... however i did soak it for a few days to remove some tannins then i boiled it for 3 Hours And Power washed it afterwords ... its not sitting on my deck in the sun lol... Not for any real reason other then my wife set it there thinking it was trash >.> lol thanks again everyone!!


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## SevenNoOni (Oct 11, 2011)

Side note.. I did not place my drift wood into the back of the toilet... Mainly because there is some sort of holder glued inside of the cistrin im can only imagine its for one of those blue discs that color the water lol..


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

SevenNoOni said:


> Side note.. I did not place my drift wood into the back of the toilet... Mainly because there is some sort of holder glued inside of the cistrin im can only imagine its for one of those blue discs that color the water lol..


thats what I meant the inside of the cistern is not often sealed either so if anyone ever ( even a previous homeowner) put something in there, it will have some residue. but glad you got it figured out, also I wouldnt let it sit out to long and dry or it may not sink for ya rightaway.


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