painted driftwood!!!

[haile161]

85413
j just purchased a really nice painted driftwood for my 75g discus tank. i never see anyone use painted driftwood. Is there any problem if i put this toy in my tank? please help!

[Phillydubs]

I have never used or seen this... However I have to imagine that watever paint is used could be harmful or leech something into the tank. No matter what I would put that in an empty tank or bucket and see how it effects the water before it goes anywhere near your fish!

Good luck

[MKD]

I usually boil my driftwood before put in fish tank. Not sure your painted DW is aquarium safe but suggest to test it before put in the tank. Your discus worth more than it.

[MendoMan]

Are you sure that's painted? Looks like Manzanita to me. Manzanita is that color and very hard, a lot of places sell it for aquarium wood.

[ericNH]

It looks like it is coated with something like polyeurothane. Nice arch, but that glossy coating is not to my taste. But i'd be willing to bet that if you soak it for a while in a bucket, maybe a week or so, it would be perfectly safe to add to your tank. Just my guess.

[Second Hand Pat]

Personally I would not use this wood. First off you do not know what that coating is and second how it might react with water over time. It would make a lovely garden piece. :D
Pat

[Northwoods Discus]

I treated some soft cedar stumps with epoxy to prevent water absorption. Did not get any leaching or water quality issues. I had to weight the wood down quite a bit due to the wood not waterlogging and sinking. I took that tank down in a move and the pieces are in great shape. I did put 3 coats of epoxy on them. The epoxy made them glossy but in the water you could not tell. I did it because it was a soft wood I did not want without the coating.

[AngryBird]

Looks like varnish to me. I would not risk adding this driftwood to a discus tank or for that matter any aquarium with fish in it. It is a nice piece of driftwood though.

[cellingson]

If it is the shape you like…consider sanding it and see if the varnish comes off. If it does then pretreat as usual.