Burnt Wood?

GeraldTheMouse

GeraldTheMouse

Superstar Fish
#1
Apr 1, 2006
1,508
0
0
29
Homewood, Illinois
gerald-the-mouse3.deviantart.com
#1
I found some wood in a forest area near lake michigan. It was sorta burnt. I took it home and rubbed it with sand paper until I got most of the ash off it. Right now it is sitting in a bucket in my back yard. I will change the water every day until the water is clear, and the wood sinks.

Now here is my question, would the peice of wood harm my tank water in any way?
 

VirgoWolf

VirgoWolf

Superstar Fish
#4
Feb 16, 2006
1,933
4
0
Michigan
#4
I hear ya, I'm trying to find driftwood too and I am about to go creek hopping to try to find some. Not only are the LFSs around here over priced, but their biggest piece is like 12" x 4" ... you know how many of those I would need to decorate a 150 gallon?! LOL

I found a nice one on ebay, but it was over 40 pounds dry and more than a couple miles away, so shipping was OUTRAGEOUS!

I woulden't think it would hurt though, although you will have to wait for someone else to chime in here, don't take my word for it. My thoughs on it are that forest fires happen, I am sure burnt wood ends up in lakes, ponds, rivers, etc... and also, my parents have a little fire pit in their yard and the wind occasionally blows ashes into the little 100gallon pond, the goldies don't seem to be affected by it. If you got all of the ash off, I woulden't think it would be any different than other driftwood.
 

Pure

Pure

Elite Fish
#5
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
0
Jacksonville, FL
#5
If it's not drift wood, over time it will rot. And certain types of wood like pine and cedar can leak harmful toxins and oils into the tank. Not knowing what kind of wood it is would be a pretty bad idea to put in an established tank.
 

F

fishtrap

Large Fish
#7
Mar 19, 2005
429
1
0
#7
However, being from L. Mich, it is more likely a hardwood such as maple, ash, birch, poplar. Totally harmless woods.

If in doubt, take it to a local lumberyard and have them id it.

I think that it would be OK.
 

Last edited:
Pure

Pure

Elite Fish
#8
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
0
Jacksonville, FL
#8
It will still rot over time. But it should last a good wile. The process that drift wood goes through to become driftwood preserves it.

Virgo, I'll dig up some links of some places that sell it for pretty cheap. One of the cheapest is out of Orlando, aquabid can also be a cheap source.
 

Stevie

Stevie

Large Fish
#15
Apr 2, 2005
532
1
0
43
Sunny Ireland.
#15
GeraldTheMouse said:
Sorry if I am rude but,
A. It looks cool.
B. I can't find any wood around here in ponds, rivers, or streams.
C. I am cheap.
D. LFS wood is over priced.
Click to expand...

Nah not rude..........just trying to get on the same page.

I think my fav is door c! lol *thumbsups ;)
 

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