# Sealing Driftwood



## praveentnair

Hello everyone,

I need a help in determining a driftwood that I found from the nearby stream is good for my 55g tank. The tank is new one and is in cycling process. I have few zebra danios in it. No plants yet and the water parameter readings are good also. I found this beautiful piece and want to use in the tank. I am not sure from which tree it is. It has the outer skin (bark) at some places and was easily coming off when I tried with a screw driver. This was submerged in the water for some time but not enough to make it completely water logged. The questions that I have are

1) Can I seal this piece with something and use this in the tank? If yes, what can I use? Polyurethane is good? Can I use cement (with cement color added) and soak it for a while before putting in the tank?
2) Is it harmful to apple snails and other invertebrates?
3) I read in another thread that Plecos need the bacteria that forms on the surface of the wood. How about other algea eaters?

Please help.

Thanks


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## Bongox3

I asked a similar question on another thread...re: sealing the wood - collectively I and those who answered worried about the possibility of adding a substance that might bleed toxicity into the tank...

Would boiling the wood for a bit be a possibility? Is it hard wood or soft? Can u post a pic????

Mike


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## praveentnair

Hi Mike, 
here are the photos. First 2 are the wood in different positions. 3rd is a close up of a portion where a stone got inside the wood.

If you need more pics let me know.

Thanks


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## jentralala

There can be some nasties (bacteria, insects, etc) that are in 'wild caught' driftwood, but then again there can be nasties that are in store bought driftwood (because really, they are generally harvested from rivers/streams/lakes).

I think the general consensus is to try and boil it for a few hours if you can fit it in a pot, and then if you're really cautious 'bake' it in the sun for a week or so.

To water log it again you could just chuck it in a bucket for awhile, it's what I do with sticks that I use in my tanks.

I have no idea about what other algae eaters need to munch on driftwood, it may help if you have a particular species you're curious about? 

Good luck!


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## praveentnair

Loaches, Coydoras, sucker cats.. i may go with those once the tank is cycled.


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## Bongox3

That is a neat piece of wood...looks like the root system of some small tree...I think it would be best to boil it...with my larger wood that wouldn't fit in a pot, I just would place in a sink or tub with a stopper and keep dumping boiling water from large pots heated on the stove....over and over and over again...once i even did this and placed the targeted wood in the oven (was combatting a bad algea bloom)...- of course be very carful with that!!! But it perminately got rid of what had attached to my wood...... Its sometimes also helpful to attached a base to branches and roots - that sits beneath the substrate, can help with stability ...nice find!!!!


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## praveentnair

This is what I am planning to do
1. cut off a branch. The bark in this area is too difficult to peel off. Also because of this branch, a portion of the main trunk is not fitting in the biggest pot I have.
2. Once it is boiled, I will give a hydrogen Peroxide bath.
3. Sundry and boil it again
4. Finally, will do oven baking under 300F

Every time I boil, I will take a water sample to see teh coloration. I assume that if anything leaches even after the second boil, i will have to throw it away(May be I will use it as a decoration in the living room). I will keep you guys posted.

Thanks
Praveen


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## Bongox3

Not sure u need to cut off the branch...just boil the heck out of it...some tinting is no big deal, and as it was already submerged it should not be that big of an issue.... Especially if it was in running water ( ie a stream) ... rather than stagnant...lol, just be careful with the oven thing or u might find grill marks or worse, ur beautiful wood could become an unsightly match! I think it's going to look great in ur tank.... 

Never heard of doing a hydrogen proxcide bath....so can't comment... Good luck!!!!


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## Bongox3

Hi again...just curious how ur tank with the added wood came out...if u do find time and are willing, please post a picture...


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## jentralala

praveentnair said:


> Loaches, Coydoras, sucker cats.. i may go with those once the tank is cycled.


As far as I am aware, neither loaches nor corydoras actually eat algae. There are many different species of loach and corydora, but none of the species I am familiar with actually eat algae as part of their diet. I don't think any of the commonly available species need driftwood to munch on.

If by sucker cat you mean otocinclus, I don't know if they need driftwood or not. I've never seen it mentioned, though. That species is _very_ sensitive to water parameters and can often starve to death, just as a precaution. They are all wild-caught, and most tanks just don't have enough algae to support them long-term.


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## praveentnair

Hi Mike,
Sure will post/reply to this thread once I am done. And I will post the picture too. I am planning for a trip and thought of doing the wood treatment after the trip. Now, it is just sitting submerged in a bucket. A small piece stand outside the bucket, but I am not worried about that since I keep the wood piece turning every night and this piece will go submerged then. I bought a hard bristle brush from Home Depot and brush-cleaned the wood. I took off the remaining bark as well. While brushing I found some soft spots. That is something that needs attention. i will check again for that spot while boiling. If that is leeching too much, I can cut off that portion easily.
I will keep updated. 

Thanks
Praveen


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## praveentnair

Hi,

thanks for the note. I haven't decided on the bottom dwellers yet. But won't go with "Flying Fox" as I have had bad experiences of losing some. I just started upgrading from 10g to 55g. So still deciding on what to go in the tank. Thanks for pointing out the water parameter constraint on Otos.

Regards
Praveen


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## Bongox3

Hi Praveen....sorry for the late response, my job was beyond nuts today! Ok, can't wait to see it when it happens!!! Above all, enjoy ur trip...keep in touch..... -mike


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## praveentnair

*Help Needed in identifying a plant*

Hello everyone,

I got a plant from a nearby LFS. I am not sure what plant this is. Can someone help me? Picture is attached.



Thanks
Praveen


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## praveentnair

Hi Mike,

Sorry I was away for quite some time. About that driftwood, I didn't use it. I tried boiling it and also tried bathtub treatment. It didn't stop leaching yellow color. Later I found that it is not a good one to use. The wood will become soft later and will spoil the water. So threw it away (sad isn't it?). On early January, I moved to a new apartment. I gave all teh fishes, plants and driftwood to the LFS and got some store credit. I am planning to go for a cichlid aquarium next. It is not up until now. I am keeping my trickle filter and the power filter and adding a Eiheim 2217 and a sponge filter (which is part of my UG jet). I have some questions regarding the filtration which I have posted in the forum. Keep you updated.

Thanks
praveen


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