# thoughts on using locally collected driftwood?



## inspiritid (Nov 10, 2010)

I've read many times to *never* use locally collected driftwood, but really... why not...? I've collected some cool looking stuff from a stream/drainage ditch nearby. I've read it might have pollutants in it, or fertilizers from farms. But fish live in these ditches here in the summer time, so how bad can it be...?

Also, I've heard of bleaching and boiling wood to clean it. The bleaching part makes me really nervous. And I'm not sure this wood is sound enough to stand up to boiling. 

Any thoughts / experience you'd care to share.......? 
(And thanks in advance! )


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

I use a 5% bleach solution or really 10ml per gallon then i boil them or use my bathtub with scalding hot water 3x a day to soak it and open it up, then I string em up outside and let them sun bake then use em.

I use mopani for the most part but I am lucky enough to live in heavy hardwood prone areas and can get nearly all the wood I need on my property.

Read this article its very helpful
Driftwood Dos and Don'ts by Tom Haupenthal


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## inspiritid (Nov 10, 2010)

Interesting article, thanks!! (Odd that he made no mention of pollutants...) I will definitely be skipping the bleach now! I'm sure what I've got is soft wood.  But they're so weathered and old there's no way they have sap in them. I understand that they'll decay faster, but I'm not sure I care about that, as they're for a swamp tank that will also have leaf litter on the bottom. If they break down too much I can just remove them. However, now I'm wondering if they'll even sink (I don't really want to bother with them if they don't). Thanks again for the link!


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## JDfishguy388 (Nov 26, 2010)

I thought about using wood from my local creeks earlier in oct. I collected the wood and started to heat it in my bath tub letting it soak and such. But what I found is even 3 different kinds of wood (the texture and look all different types of trees) it just got soft and began to rot. If you want to take the time to soak it for a couple months and then still run the chance of have pollution's on it go ahead but you can find nice wood online for cheap and it not run having pollution's as bad or decaying. 

Just my 2cents


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## inspiritid (Nov 10, 2010)

I think I'll toss mine in a bucket and ignore it for a while and see if it ever sinks and if it turns soft. Then I'll decide from there if I want to even bother boiling it and taking the risk of using it. 

Thanks for the advice, guys.


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## inspiritid (Nov 10, 2010)

Btw... this stuff floats like styrofoam! ;D :/ I think if I wedged it underwater it would take a year to sink, and by then it would be rotted mess, so I just threw it out.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

In general hard wood is much easier to work with but soft wood can work, itwill usually sink after it has been boiled for an hr or so.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Some wood will never sink so people anchor it to slate.Really any driftwood you buy is locally collected from somewhere.I use local wood and rocks.I just clean them well with a toothbrush to remove loose dirt then pour boiling water over them with bleach mixed in,and then toss them in the yard for a week.All wood begins rotting in water,but hard wood takes longer.I have a piece of soft wood in my tank,its been in there for three years.I just pull it out every now and again and take the toothbrush to it to remove the softest parts.Never hurt anyone yet and its lived with wild bettas,known to be sensitive to water quality.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Yes, I have a piece of DW thats over 30 years old, been in tanks since before i was born(fathers old decor) and it still will not sink.

I usually anchor mine to rainbow rock or petrified wood as slate gives you less to work with when you plant especially if you plant around the bases of the wood.

I use both hard and soft woods, soft woods take alot longer to sink If they ever do sink, this is where rocks come in handy.

Pollutants are pretty much based on where you collect at, I collect in two places that have never had any fertilizers or chemicals used around them since the dawn of time. It usually takes me an hour of walking thru the brush to get the wood I want to use/sell. I only get a few months out of the year to prepare woods for aquarium use so all winter long I am out collecting(good way to find antlers too as they make tremendous decor as well as give the fish some much needed minerals in the water, helps breeders too) for spring and summer preparing. 

Just be observant of where you collect and always contact the land owner prior to trespassing as in some states it can get you dead.


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## Zook (Oct 3, 2010)

I've used Alder roots which works well because it basically grows in water.
And I have some really nice Tamarac root bases,these have been floating around 
in tamarac lake for years,I put them directly in the tank,no problems in over a year.


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## inspiritid (Nov 10, 2010)

Thanks for your input, guys.


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