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Thread: How to check if driftwood is safe?

  1. #16
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Bill, if I hadn’t just ordered manzanita wood, I would have jumped on this in a heartbeat! It would be great if you could post a link and I’ll write it down for next year when my wood is waterlogged and rotting. Is it heavy? Would it work in a bb tank?
    Sorry for hijacking your thread aravind90chan
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  2. #17
    Registered Member RickMay1's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Ok.... going out on a "limb" here. Do we have ANY PROOF that any type of driftwood is a problem? Honestly, think about it. Are their streams that don't have fish because a pine tree or cedar fell in it? I have NEVER given it a second thought about what wood I can put in a fish tank until the internet. Are we overthinking this? I know for a fact that I've had Pine, cottonwood, and ash in my tanks and have never had a problem. I live in an area with pretty much zero hardwoods and I use wood I find. Sure softwood will not last as long as hardwoods but is that a problem? Other than softwood taking a ridiculous time to become waterlogged and sink, I've never had a problem with it killing a tank. This very second I have a 40 long with a dozen clown plecos that are doing GREAT and it has about 15lbs of some soft kind wood. No problems at all. Personally, I think that pretty much any "DRIFTWOOD" (IE from a stream that has lost all its bark, rounded corners etc.) is fine.

    Edit: One thing I do is boil it and if it smells like pine or anything questionable I just dont use it. It usually smells like....umm dirt?
    Last edited by RickMay1; 02-18-2019 at 04:40 PM.

  3. #18
    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Ok Patty,

    Here it is.

    https://www.marineandreef.com/AquaTo...p/rat01745.htm

    You’ll love the stuff. It is not heavy, but sinks and is designed to be up against flat surfaces or bottom. I’ve used mine w BB, but have since switched to coarse sand 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep for ease in cleaning w siphon gravel vac tube.

  4. #19
    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    RickMay1,

    I also used the real stuff w my native tanks years ago wo incident. You are prob. right, but I’m a worry wart when it comes to a mere bacterium being introduced into the Discus tank that might cause problems. One has to be careful w introduction of new fish, plants etc for this very reason. I also want the nitrates to be minimal as decaying wood could contribute to levels rising just like any plant matter decomposition and one never really knows where the wood was prior to using. If I can keep foreign exposure limited, I will. Again......I’m prob nuts, but I’ve come to really like the better quality resin pieces and I don’t have to replace them after years of sitting in the tanks. I clean them w my pressure washer and they look like they did the first day. They are colored throughout so even if a tip breaks off, it looks good. None of this painted on ceramic stuff......

  5. #20
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Thanks Bill, it seems a little pricy until you realize you are buying something that is safe & will last for many many years. I just browsed the sight and fell in love with those mangrove pieces! They are cheap when you consider the cost and headaches with wood. My last piece leached a white sap (sugar) that didn’t harm the fish, but white fungus growing out of my wood wasn’t the look I was going for. Ha ha. Took forever to go away too as it was a large piece.
    I’m writing the link down now.
    Your tank is my idea of a perfect planted tank. It compliments your discus without distracting you from them and your discus definitely are the main show. Very nicely done.
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  6. #21
    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Thank you Patty. Balancing the decor/plants is something that took me a while. At first, I started out w way too many plants and came to realize this is what I wanted.
    FYI......
    The place sometimes doesn’t have them in stock, so order well in advance of need. Happy Discus keeping.

  7. #22
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    From what I understand softwoods are evergreen trees, bear cones, have needles, or have scale-like leaves. These include pines, spruces, firs, and cedars. all of these trees have sap/resin that is impossible to boil or soak out. I ruined a pan trying to boil a piece of cedar before i knew better. Never did get all the sap out. several years later it still smells like cedar.
    Hardwoods are trees with flat broad leaves such as Oak, hickory, ash, birch to name a few. Their sap is not aromatic and the wood will dry out.

  8. #23
    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Be advised.....and forgive me, for I’m a retired biology teacher.......

    Some softwoods are also flat-leaved wo being cone bearing w needles such as Boxelder, Willow, Mulberry, and even one variety of Maple, just to name a few. Yes, the pines, firs, spruces, and cedars are considered traditional softwoods.

  9. #24
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Quote Originally Posted by 1claire View Post
    From what I understand softwoods are evergreen trees, bear cones, have needles, or have scale-like leaves. These include pines, spruces, firs, and cedars. all of these trees have sap/resin that is impossible to boil or soak out. I ruined a pan trying to boil a piece of cedar before i knew better. Never did get all the sap out. several years later it still smells like cedar.
    Hardwoods are trees with flat broad leaves such as Oak, hickory, ash, birch to name a few. Their sap is not aromatic and the wood will dry out.
    In soft wood there are terpenes that turpentine is derived from.Make sure it has been cured well.If the wood has been in the ocean and dried on the beaches it should have all then terpenes washed out.I would not put green soft wood in a fish tank without it being cured well.I'm not sure if willow is ok cause of the aspirin like compound.
    Last edited by bluelagoon; 02-20-2019 at 09:43 AM.

  10. #25
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Quote Originally Posted by 14Discus View Post
    First.......that is indeed a nice piece of wood. Hate to be less than enthusiastic, but I simply don’t trust real wood and prefer to buy the polyresin replicas sold out there. To me, there are just too many unknowns using the real stuff. Here is a pic of some I bought and they look very very real, and are 100% safe. Just my weird ways.....sorry.

    Attachment 122668
    Hi bill,

    Do you mind to tell me where did you buy those driftwood. It looks so real.

  11. #26
    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Eugenefish,

    I got mine from Marineandreef.com..........see post 18 above for specific link.

  12. #27
    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Btw......got to thinking.....

    I really love these pieces, but do remove them if you treat your tank w Malchite Green. I took a small piece and soaked it in a cottage cheese container w a drop of MG for two days and it did absorb some of the color. In other words, if you decide to get these resin pieces, beware......they will soak up dyes used for parasite treatment. Incidentally, Paraguard by Seachem does not stain the pieces and it has a trace amount of MG. Paraguard is my go to med for ich etc and it has never stained my fake driftwood pieces. Just thought you would like to know.

    A23B48F4-2539-4866-ABF8-804F01486B4B.jpg

  13. #28
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    Good tip! Thanks
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  14. #29
    Registered Member pastry's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to check if driftwood is safe?

    I've never bought driftwood (okay, once when 10 years old). I've used driftwood from lakes and beaches. ***I've been lucky though***

    I boil and/or bleach the wood. Usually the wood is too big to get all at once. Last time I used a bleach method and kept in filled guest bath for several days (bleach and then no bleach)... then stuck it in tank (got lucky). One piece a few years ago appeared to be leaking Crap you don't want (sap). I took it out but took a month observing before doing so.

    I've even had a LARGE chunk of cedar in tank that wasn't fully "driftwood". Didn't know what it was until cutting it... After using it for approx 2.5 years.

    What did I risk? The obvious... The fish. I always keep tetras with my discus. They are like "canaries"; die first (early warning signal).

    I'm all for your own DW - but remember the risks.
    -Elliot

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