Treating Weathered Oak

[Uriel]

I have access to some large pieces of weathered oak that i wanted to take some choice pieces from and treat for going into my aquarium. Now having read up and a lot of people reccomend boiling and then soaking the wood. But how on earth to people manage to boil these large chunks of wood ? I have access to a farm and tools.

 

[Aqua Tom]

A big pot & a bonfire?

 

[Uriel]

I thought about using 55 gallon oil drum cut in half with a fire under it but where the wood is i can't imagine it has been exposed to any toxins which i might be doing with the oil drum. Apparently you can use a dish washer or oven. Although i fear that might be detrimental to my health.

 

[JoshuaA]

I thought about using 55 gallon oil drum cut in half with a fire under it but where the wood is i can't imagine it has been exposed to any toxins which i might be doing with the oil drum. Apparently you can use a dish washer or oven. Although i fear that might be detrimental to my health.

Dishwasher sounds good but I imagine you might want to put it on a few rinses before actually putting the wood in.

If you would reconsider about oven or dishwasher then you might want to re think whether it has been exposed to toxins. I just put it in cycling fish tank and turned the heat up for about 2 weeks. Worked great at about 30C

 

[Uriel]

when i said i feared it might be detrimental to my health i meant more my mother opening her dishwasher/oven to find a lump of wood in there. It's a tree that fell down 1-2 years ago that was cut up and has been left in a pile in a field since. so not exposed to anything ect lovely welsh weather.

 

[OldMan47]

If you have allowed the wood to dry thoroughly, don't worry too much about boiling it. I use apple wood from my own trees by simply killing a branch by "girdling" it and waiting about a year before removing and using it. Since the apple has been left to air dry for a year, I do not worry about anything being carried into my tanks and the wood looks great, with lots of character, when I place it in the tank.