DIY Driftwood help needed.

Good evening Prof. I have been doing some research and have seen that diy driftwood seems to be a very good option for price and the fact that I can never find what I'm looking for at the petshops. I have seen many articles detailing how to create driftwood cleaning prep etc. The problem is many of the woods used is not available here I live on a farm and have access to many hard wood trees black whattle, karee and oak to name a few and I would just like to know which would be suitable to make driftwood from. Any help will be glady appreciated. If possible could u please send me a pm for the prices of flame, christmas, willow and java moss and how much it would cost more or less to courier it here to pretoria thanks a lot.

 

Snyper,

You can use oak and karee after repeated soaking in water and you must remove the bark completely, it rots very rapidly. I would not recommend black wattle because of the tannic acid content. Be careful with other woods because of toxic substances such as from Tambotie for example.

Send me a personal email address so that I can send you a plant price list or have you sent me this before?

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

are you serious Prof? we can use oak as driftwood? how would one go about the whole process of soaking ( mixture ), length of time, treated oak or normal oak, please clarify for me, thanks...

 

You guys never let up...... one question after the other.

Soak the wood in water until it sinks (could take 6 months!), definitely not treated oak, you must be crazy, remove all bits that go soft with a hard steel brush...... and then use your common sense!

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Hi Prof, one more driftwood question.
Friend of mine were looking for driftwood and ended up putting a piece of rosyntjie bos in his tank because it was the only one that sank right to the bottom.
He put it in with bark witch the plecos ate like crazy.
Anyway the plecos are all big fat and healthy and the rest of the fish in the tank is all alive. Would it be OK to use this then?

 

Yes,

If the Plecos have not died then I am sure it will be OK. I do not know rosyntjiebos and if I do not have the scientific name then I cannot look it up quickly.

However, if you say that the fishes are OK, then I am sure the log will be in order.

Most of the wood is actually in order, but there are a few toxic trees which you have to be careful with in the "Ou Transvaal". Tambotie is the one you really have to careful with as it is toxic.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Thanks Prof. Do not know it either but have heard of it, old volksnaam, I guess.
Will ask my wife to identify it or give me a scientific name when we go and get some.
I do know that if you tried to make a canoe out of it you will not get far

 

Well, I think that you would not get very far with a canoe in the old Transvaal in any case?