skidbro Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Hey DIYers, one of the most beautiful pieces in a natural looking aquarium in my opinion is the driftwood. In the past I've bought all of mine in stores and despite high cost had plenty of problems with releasing tannins into my smaller tanks. I'm ready to experiment using river driftwood along the Bow River in Calgary. I know that conifers such as pine have harsh chemicals like turpentine leach out even with old pieces, so I want to be careful with which ones I pick. I intend to immerse them in boiling water several times before introducing them to the tank. Here is an example of the wood I've seen on the river bed. A couple of question with regards to these, is it legal to remove from the river in the city? Is this kind of wood safe for the aquarium? Thoughts? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JORG Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 legal unless you are in a national park and as long as it is bleached out and old looking it should be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayba Posted September 25, 2012 Report Share Posted September 25, 2012 Boil it and you should be good. That kill critters on it and help with the leaching of tannins a little bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidbro Posted September 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 I went hunting for some good sun bleached pieces in the SE portion of the bow in Calgary, somewhat successful in finding some smaller pieces. The bulkier ones might look nice with java moss growth, however the best pieces where attached to trunks and impossible to remove without a saw. The vast majority of pieces of driftwood in the bow are rounded logs. There was a sign indicating chemical treatment of the area these logs where collected, will this be a problem? Next step is to boil them. Measuring tape is at 2 feet. http://i.imgur.com/5xD2K.jpg Found some interesting wood pieces attached to large piece. http://i.imgur.com/mQAqh.jpg http://i.imgur.com/QU5kC.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JORG Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 I would stay away from any wood collected in an area that has been chemically treated. If you do use it soak it for a few weeks and do regular water changes on it. Along the the shore line by the Glenmore overpass is a good place to collect driftwood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidbro Posted September 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2012 (edited) I'll be soaking them until the end of October change the water weekly, then the boiling will begin! Thanks for the tips guys, I will try the Glenmore overpass next chance I get and post results. Edited September 27, 2012 by skidbro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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