What kind of wood?

[wolfbane]

Hi all, I got a question for you all. I have 2 beautiful pieces of driftwood, from the Texas Hill Country, found on the banks of the Frio river. One is a piece of Cedar, has some charcoal from a fire, the other is a great piece of Cypress. Can either of them be used in an aquarium? Both pieces are very dry and well sun-cured. Does cedar give off anything nasty in a tank? I figure the cypress, wich grows in the river anyway, may be the better choice, but both pieces are gorgeous.

[dishpanhands]

here is a link about drift wood not sure it will answer you all the way but it may help.
http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/biotopes/natural/driftwood_treatment.shtml

[kjmillerfw]

Boil it...if it seeps, I wouldn't use it.

I got a piece of driftwood from someone on ebay and it turned out to be cedar. When I boiled it, it smelled like pinesol. It's now out in my flowerbed in the back yard.

[gators111]

Cedar has alot of oils in it. Hence, why it is used as an aromatic wood in potpouri, drawer liners, and hamster bedding. And it leaches alot. Cypress on the other hand, holds alot of water and doesn't rot. That is why it's used for cypress mulch and outdoor construction.

I wouldn't take the chance with either, but if you must go with the cypress. But boil it really well beforehand.

[wolfbane]

Well, I think the cedar will go to a flower bed. May take the cypress and treat it. It is the better of the two pieces anyway. I currently am using a branchy piece of unknown species in my 150 discus tank, found on an island in Lake Livingston. I pressure washed it, no soap, the poured boling water all over it. never had a problem from this wood, just the usual first crop of grey fuzz for a week. The discus love it, they go in and out the curves and branches. Had to remove the twiggy stuff, it scratched a couple of fish doing the "discus crazy tank zoom"!!
The cypress is a twisted, curvy, arching piece, 48 inches long.