# Curing driftwood



## Cognition (Oct 14, 2009)

I managed to score a cool piece of driftwood from comberland falls, so im almost certain its hardwood. Is there any other way to cure the driftwood, other than boiling it, because i dont have a pot big enough to boil it... I wanted to add it to my mbuna tank, because i figured my aceis would enjoy it, especially if i let it grow up som algea first.


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

Assuming that the piece can fit into the bathtub, boil some water with some non-iodised salt in the biggest pot you can handle carrying safely to the bathtub. When the water is boiled, pour it slowly over the driftwood. Repeat that two or three times (depending on the size of the dritwood) and then do one more pot without the salt. Be sure to turn the driftwood over carefully in between pours so that you can get the water all over the piece (using gloves would be wise as the piece will be hot). Let the wood cool down (can be rinsed off with cool water after about 15-20 minutes) before placing it in the tank.

Remeber, do this carefully and safely. Plus if it applies, let an adult do it for you - being scalded by boiling water is not enjoyable. If you don't put safety first and get burnt it's your own fault.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Boiling driftwood kills fungus, etc and leaches tannins faster... it does not "cure" the wood...

Soaking in salt water is what "cures" the wood... Although soaking in hot or even boiling salt water may cure the wood faster...

I've found locally collected wood is far less likely to have fungus and breaks down much less when soaked thoroughly in salt water. I have boiled wood and still had it grow fungus...

I suggest making a very salty bath and soaking it as long as you can. I've done this with a power head and an aquarium heater in the bottom of a very clean Rubbermaid garbage can.


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## Cognition (Oct 14, 2009)

i like the idea of the rubbermaid container, however i dont have an extra powerhead... would air help? and another question, there is a man across town with driftwood in his tank, he said he soaked his in a weak clorox solution for about a week and then slime coated the heck out of it... ever heard of this?


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

The purpose of the powerhead is to create water movement... a bubble wand/airstone will create some water movement... not as much as a powerhead but better than nothing...

Soaking in a bleach solution can help for somethings, such as killing any fungus that may be in it. Afterwards you can rinse well and rinse with a dechlorinator mixture...

Bleach and chlorine are the same chemical compound... so a dechlorinator will remove bleach residue... My guess is this is what he meant when he said "slime coat"...

The downside to bleach is it could bleach (whiten) the wood... then naturally you have the risk of not rinsing well enough...

Also using bleach would still not "cure" the wood, it just kills anything that is living on the wood. When I say "cure" the wood I mean doing something to prevent the wood from rotting or softening...


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## Cognition (Oct 14, 2009)

Thank you for clearing this out, i thank i got a handle.


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## Intyme (May 27, 2009)

well I just found some hard wood in the woods here today and I wire brushed it to get rid of any dead or rotting wood. now I am soaking in some salts. How long should I let them soak in salt? I was planning 2 days then 100% wc. repeat.......should I pour boiling water over them in the tub and soak them b4 I soak in salt?


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