Driftwood

[Kaleidoscope]

I was wondering if anyone knew how to sterilize large driftwood that you can't just put on the stove and boil. I have some cool pieces but I really want to make sure that they're safe for my fish. Thanks.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Kiddie wading pool, and a mild bleach solution....rinse well before use

 

[Byron]

I would toss the wood and go with something safe, you are simply running a risk. Wood should not be boiled in the first place, because it weakens the fibres and it will rot faster, and that can cause problems with the biological system. And never use any toxic substance like bleach, soap, etc on wood; wood by its nature will absorb liquids, and these can leach out weeks and months later.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) begins to break down immediately after adding to water; I've used it many times, diluted in water, to disinfect found DW...never had any issues

As stated above, rinse well after use, and soak in plain water several times before use in the aquarium

 

[Colin_T]

You can soak it in salt water for a week. That will kill any freshwater organisms on it. Then rinse and soak in fresh water for a week to leech out any salt. You can also leave it out in the sun for a few weeks to dry out. The sunlight will kill anything on the outside and if it dries internally, there won't be anything alive to infect the fish.

 

[Beastije]

Not sure how "infested" your waters are, I just used my storm drain vat, soaked the wood for few weeks, gave it a good clean with hose to get rid of the bit, scrubbed scrubbed scrubbed with a brush, hosed down, showered in my bathtub and put in the fishtank. I have several large pieces that I just found in ponds nearby and brought them home wet and nothing has happened, but I would not want you to risk introducing something to your tank. Boiling wood brings new problems to it, I would not do that at all.

 

[Kaleidoscope]

How about wood from trees? I have a very nice piece that came from a tree taken down in our yard that has just been sitting outside for a good 6 months at least. It's pretty big, so I figure it will need at least a 90 gallon to fit in, but I also want to make sure it's safe. If it's removed from the elements for a good while, will the bad things eventually just die off? Maybe a light spray of a bleach solution and rinsed off?

 

[Guyb93]

Just an idea but surely an aquarium treatment would be the safest option soak the wood in room temperature water but that’s been doses with a parasite treatment , it’s fish safe and kills parasites ? Never tried it but maybe ? Or pure lemon juice surely the acidic ph would kill any nasties

 

[itiwhetu]

I take driftwood from the beach, hose it down and put it in the tank. No problems. Just make sure the wood is hard wood and well-seasoned. Don't be paranoid about all these things that may be on it, remember fish come from the wild and are exposed to all sorts of baddies all the time.

 

[Colin_T]

There's no need to add chemicals to driftwood. If the wood comes from fresh water, then soak it in salt water for a bit. The salt will kill any freshwater organisms.

If the wood comes from salt water, rinse or soak it in fresh water. Saltwater organisms don't survive in freshwater, and vice versa.

Or just leave it out in the sun for a week. Sunlight is great at killing microscopic organisms and things that live in water don't do well when they dry out.

 

[Slaphppy7]

How about wood from trees? I have a very nice piece that came from a tree taken down in our yard that has just been sitting outside for a good 6 months at least. It's pretty big, so I figure it will need at least a 90 gallon to fit in, but I also want to make sure it's safe. If it's removed from the elements for a good while, will the bad things eventually just die off? Maybe a light spray of a bleach solution and rinsed off?

Should be just fine, as a bonus, you know what kind of wood it is, to begin with...