Wood from local stream

[Fish Buddy]

I just picked up 2 short sticks of wood from they spring stream on my property. They are cedar and I was wondering if that particular wood is safe for the aquarium. Right now they are in boiling water to kill the bugs/parisites/whatever.
Any thing else I should do?

 

[WILDER]

Add some salt to the boiling water, kill bugs and helps clean the wood.

 

[Fish Buddy]

What about using vinegar.
And cedar is ok?

 

[WILDER]

Rather go with salt then vinegar, can still smell vinegar when rinsed well, sorry not up on woods so don't no, someone will be along shortly.

 

[bshockstubb]

was it driftwood or a dead rotting wood.......you cant have it rotting in your tank and green wood is a no no

 

[evilbunny]

hijacking sorry

but what's the difference betweem rotting wood and driftwood and also when does green would be come ok ?? when does it die and become dead wood ?

**Sorry about the hijacking ~*!~*! it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask the question

 

[fufanu360]

well cedar is good, but ull have to put 10,000 pounds of weight to hold it down, it is very bouyant

 

[Fish Buddy]

Well, I think it is cedar-not totally sure. Many of the surrounding trees are cedar but... It was already water logged- so no, I don't think it is drift wood.
What is really wrong with decaying wood and how do you know when yout drift wood is decaying?

 

[Opcn]

A rotting log will crumble in your hands, like a sponge, drift wood will float amnd bog wood will sink, Ceder is a bit on the agravational side of woods and will cause problems in some fish but most (99.5%) will be fine.

 

[Fish Buddy]

Well then it is not rotten as it does not crumble in my hands (nor is it spongy)-but I found it at the bottom of the stream.
Once the bark is off a peice of wood and it has been in water for a while, how do you determine what wood it is? Is there a way?

 

[Opcn]

Take it to a forestry biologist or a wood worker perhaps

 

[OohFeeshy]

Whee, I think I'll hijack too. If, say, I found a nice piece of driftwood on the beach, and I had no scaleless fish, how would I go about treating it? I haven't actually got a bit yet, but the beach is only a bus ride away......

 

[Fish Buddy]

You know what I think I'll do- and this might answer your question too Oohfeeshy- is boil the wood for 10 min, then leave it in the water with some vinegar, then rinse.

Does any one know if any wood is toxic to fresh water fish?

 

[steelhealr]

Hmmmm.....I don't think I'd add ANYTHING from outdoors. Forget the possible bacteria or parasites....boiling will NEVER get rid of toxic chemicals that the wood may have absorbed from WHEREVER it came from or was exposed to. Even in small amounts. who knows what might leach out that charcoal may not grab up. SH

 

[sammydee]

Fishbuddy - I'm not exactly a wood expert but I think that it would be a good idea not to use willow. It has aspirin in the bark, which could cause all sorts of problems with your fish.

Dunno about cedar though...