finding / making drift wood

[Balloon Fish]

hey guys, i've noticed lately that everyone has this nice, long, tall piece of drift wood, well at least most people do, and i wanted one but i don't wanna buy any so i was wondering how you could make one or find one. If you find can you just get any wood you find on the floor? does it have to be in a lake or pond or something? also i know wood floats so how would you make it sink? if i'm going in the wrong direction on the drift wood thing please tell me because i have no clue where people get or make drift wood from.

 

[oscarowner559]

You could hook it onto a piece of slate so it doesnt float...

 

[sandboxes]

Or you could just water log it. It took about a month with a rock on top of it to hold it down until my piece of driftwood was negatively bouyant (sinks).

You can get driftwood in lots of different places. There are a number of good threads on this forum that provide some good tips for types of wood and treatment procedures. Just search "driftwood" and read up!

 

[fishdude07]

be sure to boil the wood and keep it alone in its own bucket or tank of water (with no fish) until it stops lowering the pH. then you can add it to a tank with fish. boiling the wood will help it sink. while you waiting for the wood to stop lowering the pH, you could tie it to a piece of rock or something so it stays underwater, and eventually it should sink by itself.

 

[lordroad]

I boiled my first driftwood for 12 hours one day, then 8 the next... a little overkill but I got all the tannin out and I was sure to have killed all the bacteria and other critters.

Plecos love driftwood. I've heard stories of wholesalers having a whole chunk of driftwood eaten by plecs.

 

[fishdude07]

you boiled the driftwood for 12 hours one day then 8 the next?! i only boiled mine for a few minutes (only one time) and it was fine do plecos actually EAT the driftwood? i thought they just ate the bacteria that grows on the driftwood...am i wrong? my larger pleco LOVES the driftwood in the 55 gallon tank. hes on it all the time eating the bacteria

 

[Kyle]

Where did you hear the the driftwood will lower the pH. I have never heard that before, but them again, maybe I have just never heard that before.

Certain types of pleco do eat driftwood, and for some it is necessary for them to have to eat, in order to survive. Or so I have read.


-Kyle

 

[fishdude07]

i heard driftwood will lower the pH from lotus...and seen it. i had my driftwood underwater in a bucket for a few weeks and tested the water every day. the pH went down about .2 every day, but that varies with different types and sizes of driftwood. eventually the driftwood stopped lowering the pH, and thats when i put it in my 55 gallon tank.

 

[Balloon Fish]

hey guys, thanks for all the replies, i have found that all that was said is right after a little research i might not do the make your own drift wood thing since it takes so long to put into a bucket and let it sink but if i find a good piece of drift wood i might consider it I have a few more questions, on the tannins that the drift wood lets out, is that poisonous to fish? also can i use any type of wood? or does it have to be a special wood? the wood around here is mostly oak trees and cedar but the cedar has lots of sap or some sticky stuff on it so i won't use that so most likely i'll use oak if i can find a nice piece Oh and when i get the wood do i have to scrape the bark off? and how would i get the wood to be as dark as the wood i have now?

 

[fishdude07]

i think no matter what kind of wood you need, even if you buy it from an LFS, you need to boil it and put it by itself until it stops lowering the pH and sinks.

sorry, dunno about the other stuff like the bark and the tannins

 

[Kyle]

The tannins are harmless to the fish. As far as what type of wood to use it has to be a wood that won't easily rot, but I'm not sure what type of wood that would be. You are supposed to scrape off the bark though.

??? What is in the wood that lowers the pH???? Just wondering. It doesn't have anything to do with the tannins does it?

 

[TurbineSurgeon]

As wood decomposes, it releases tannic and humic acids.

 

[Lotus]

There is some general info on driftwood here: http://www.floridadriftwood.com/aquarium_plant_info2.html

Cedar, pine and cypress are not suitable. You need hardwood for driftwood.

IMO it's a lot better to buy a good piece of Malaysian driftwood or African wood. It's just a lot less hassle, and usually looks great.

 

[Balloon Fish]

ya well i would buy them but i don't have money and i want to get one thats about 30 dollars so i was thinking about making one but i don't have a boiling pot that big, and yes i know i can use a trash can and put boiling water in it but i don't wanna melt my trash can, i guess i'll just have to look around and see if i my lfs sells drift wood but they are usually really expensive and costs me 15 dollars for a 3 dollar one on the internet anyways thanks for the replies

 

[Lotus]

Do you have a lake or river near you where you could collect some?

 

[Balloon Fish]

does a pond count?

 

[Phooka]

The mark-up on driftwood is incredible. Especially considering it, you know, literally washes up on the beach...

Clearly, I need to go into the driftwood business.

 

[ashleigh]

ar eyou sure cedar's not okay? I thought that was one of the harder woods?

 

[Aaron]

Cedar is strong building material wise. It is also resistant to water which could mean that it will never sink to the bottom. Cedar also has a natural oil that is harmful to insects and fungus but smells fantastic.

 

[Balloon Fish]

the cedar in my area has all this stuff in it :/ it, well the ones in my aunt's backyard at least, it has lots of sap and all those little bark things that isn't even bark :/ Also it has lots of that pollen stuff. Come to think of it i think your right about the harder wood thing but oak is pretyt hard wood too. i might just get some branches probably after christmas or something or probably for a christmas gift , i bet one of my cousins will get me some drift wood if i ask but they might be mad if they have to pay 30 dollars for a piece of wood lol, anyways thanks for the replies i'll still be looking for a nice piece of wood