4 replies to this topic

[Betta132]

I'd like to add a bit more driftwood to my tank, particularly big thick pieces of bark to block lines of sight. We have pecan trees around here, which grow big and drop branches in every major thunderstorm- which is at least once a month, usually. That means the rivers have some nice pieces of wood in them.

I'm fine with accidentally collecting dragonfly larvae and such. I have sunfish, they'll eat everything. Unless something can threaten a 2 1/2" fish, I don't care about it. Leeches are a concern, though, so how can I shuck them off? 

I'd like to get some nice pre-soaked pieces that won't float and have already given up most of their tannins. Is it OK to add halfway-rotting wood to a tank, or would that potentially cause issues? 

I have a nesting male longear who doesn't like his apparently-hitting-puberty tankmates. I think it'll calm him down if I block his line of sight with something like a few pieces of bark, so he'll stop lunging at anything that comes near his nest. Will bark release tannins for years, or does it have a reasonable limit? I don't need crystal-clear water, and I doubt the sunnies would like it, but I get tired of losing all color visibility in a few days. I just got a pretty new warmouth, and I want to be able to see it, but my younger sunnies need more cover from Mr. Cranky Bossfish.

 

Sunnies seem to like hanging out under floating things. I'm looking into gathering a native species of hornwort to provide that, but I'd also like to have a bit of floating wood to provide cover in one open area I have. Is there a way to make wood stay floating instead of sinking? I could wedge it, I suppose, but I'm not sure how well that would work. 

 

Also, there's a big old tree that's been cut down, and it has thick pieces of bark shucking off, easily an inch thick. I think it's an elm or beech tree. It was still alive when it was cut. Is there a way I can make the bark safe to use in my tank? Stick it in the oven to dehydrate? Keep it in a bucket for a few months to get rid of the sap? I'd like to collect some before the tree is hauled/floated away. I'm not sure how they plan to move it, given that it's a four-foot-thick tree in the river, but I doubt they just plan to leave it, unless it's a new game fish hideout or something. 

[predatorkeeper87]

I'd watch using bark as it has a tendency to rot quickly when submerged, which is why driftwood that's been around for a while doesn't have bark lol.   Can you get in your local river or creeks anywhere? You'd be amazed at how much driftwood accumulates just out of sight under water but is easily reachable.  That's your safest bet, as freshly cut wood can leech more tannins than you want to deal with, along with any toxins the tree may have picked up as well.

[gerald]

I soak any found wood (with or without bark) in my rain barrels for a few weeks or months - whatever it takes until they sink and stop releasing oils/ organics that cause surface film.  Sometimes there's dead grubs, pupae etc in the wood that need to rot away.  I had some bark from a Deodar Cedar that lasted many years used as salamander caves in a wet terrarium.  I would soak it a LONG time though, and test it with Daphnia before using in a fish tank.  Bark that is rot-resistant (especially conifers) may have higher amounts of potentially fish-toxic organics. 

[Betta132]

I can probably reach the bottom in several spots. Also, there's a dam that usually has wood snagged on it in various places. Easy way to look for nice pieces without getting soaked.

[strat guy]

I love driftwood. Always let it soak. If its big pieces, I just fill up a home depot bucket and soak half at a time, emptying and refilling the water as I go along. No bark, make sure the wood is clean. If you don't get it off, it'll rot in the aquarium. If you can identify species, stay away from oaks, junipers (deadly), and any softwood species. Oaks release way too many tannins. Junipers and cedars are poisonous. Softwood species carry too much sap. Pretty much anything else is fine.