# Treating wood for tank use (collected from nature)



## moonlight (Feb 21, 2007)

The subject kind of tells the story, but what do I need to know about adding wood to my tank.
Not just wood from a store, but collecting wood from nature to put in my tank.

What should I look for?
How should I clean it?
What should I be careful of?
What am I not thinking of?

I love the look of wood in a tank but not for store prices, thanks for the help!

Mark


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## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

The store bought stuff is from nature too The main issue with wood is that you can get unwanted hitchhikers. This is especially true when pulling wood out of freshwater lakes and swamps. I power wash it and then soak in 1 part bleach 10 parts water for about an hour. then rinse well and put in tank. A trace amount of bleach residue will not harm your fish in any way, but you could add a bit of dechlorinator to the rinse water if you are concerned.

For wood that is from dry land or salt water you need only wash it with hot water.

Some woods break down in water and will get soft and spongy after a couple of years. If you have this happen, then simply throw it out or power wash again to get down to solid wood.

To sink wood you can drill a small hole in a slate tile and use a stainless steel screw to attach the wood. A regular drill bit will go through slate and stainless steel screws are sold at all major hardware stores.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Congrats on a money saver idea. I collect wood all the time. I look for totally, truly dry wood. Not dry as in rained on but dry so that all the sap and moisture is gone from inside the wood. Brushpiles that have been dozed up years ago, timber left standing in the lake when water is low and things like stumps that people may have had as yard decor, are all good to look over. What you want to avoid is wood that is still green as it will also have lots more tannins in it and they will color your water----forever. Easier to avoid than try to outlast them. Get good solid wood and if your water has good buffering from high KH, most any type will be okay. I use a lot of cedar here, with no problems. Good solid hardwoods (ash,walnut, oak, hickory) will last better but by the time I find them it is often hard to tell what they were. I soak in bleach water at least overnight as some things have hard shells and the chlorine needs time to cut through. A soak followed by a rinse and then total dry is all I do. I screw it to rocks to sink and don't worry about the screws rusting. If it takes time to rust off, I just replace the screw. Doesn't hurt the fish with all the water changing we do. Stainless will last longer but I rarely have stainless on hand! I don't recommend drywall screws as they rust when you look at them!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm getting ready for a local club auction so I am getting a bunch of wood ready. These are the current batch.
Wood and rocks to cut and fit.








More wood, I find a lot of small stumps work well and stand tall without taking a lot of footprint area. 









Wood in to soak for bleaching and to make sure I'm not selling a tannin filled item. 









I sometimes choose badly so that I get tannins and have to throw some wood out but at the price, I don't sweat it. I find it kind of fun to do and this is as close to "art" as I get. Good luck on the wood hunt!


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## moonlight (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks for all the replys guys, great info, can't wait to really start looking around.
I think I already know the answer on this...but if I can scrape bark off, I should not use that peice?
Keep the thoughts coming!

Thanks,
Mark


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

For me, if the bark is still there it is one of two things. One is the wood is down and prone to having rot, bugs and fungus which will often make it too mushy to use. The other is it is still way too green and will have tannins that I avoid. I would look for the really dry that has been weathered for many years. Don't expect good wood to be on the ground as it will have rot and such. It has to be sticking up exposed to rain or water frequently and then drying. The alternating conditions keep lots of bugs and fungus out so that the wood stays solid but the tannins are washed/dried out of the wood. That is where old dozer piles are good as the wood is often up off the ground but exposed to weather. Same situation for standing timber in lakes. Sometimes hard to find the spot but often tons of wood there once found. Take a saw with you when you look! If you have man-made lakes near you, Google maps can help you spot the standing timber in the backs of coves, etc.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Google maps shows wood laying in a cove of Alum Creek State Park that I would look at for good wood---if the map was not years old and the wood gone by now! It may give you ideas of where wood collects and where to look, though. Check the wood on this shot. If you can see it in aerial phots, think how much is there that can't be seen. 
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Columbus, ... 6&t=h&z=19

Hope this gives you some ideas.


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## moonlight (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks, that's close to home as well, thanks google for spying on me  I tried a river close to me, found two good chunks and one that I really wanted to be good, but it is junk. I'll try alum creek later this week, I think that is my best bet for the goods. I am really hoping for a good stump!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm always amazed at what I can see in the photos but then disappointed that the street I want is not shown yet after several years. Updating must be a real pain and kind of spotty. What I find on the local lake here is that there was work done to cut the trees before the lake filled. That left stumps at the bottom and over time and the water level changing frequently, some of these stumps have come up to be washed around as driftwood. When I find them out on the bank, they are often dead for many years and have been in and out of the water many times. Being in the water keeps dry wood insects from doing their thing and then the drying keeps the other from getting a good start. The result is a really beat up gnarly piece that is still hard and also free of tannins. Just the type thing I want but I have to be choosy because there is so much low quality stuff out there also. I may look over thirty pieces and only bring home 4-5. But then when I go for a hike and get a mile from the car 2 is sometimes all I want to carry back with me! Good hunting..

Talk nice to any ranger you may meet. Not sure of the rules in your state parks but I only collect here after talking to folks to get permission.


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