wild wood

i got some wood from a stream the other day must i boil it or something to get rid of the sap bacteria etc

 

i would i always chuck new stuff in boiling water just in case theres any nasties on it i usually chuck salt in aswell.

 

how much salt and do you have to dry the wood afterawrds to get rid of the salt on the wood???
thanks fo the input much appreciated

 

hi there
if its well soaked you can put it in the tank after just rinsing. I got all my wood from local streams and dams and never had a problem

 

hmmm i dont know lol id just grab a handful and chuck it in. i must admit thouhg im a bit paranoid when it comes to putting stuff into my tank and iv got wood from a LFS, a stone from limpopo province, another from namibia and pebbles from natal that i picked up, i got a bee in my bonnet that i wanted those black pebbles you find on the beach and i collected enough to make a layer 3cm thick in my 16litre tank. at the moment im eyeing some sandstone blocks with red yellow and white stripes that my ma has, problem is they a feature on the 2nd floor and il have to climb the balastrade to get the stones. hmmm worth it? i got visions of a mini stonehenge hehe in one corner

 

Always boil everything or at least soak it in kettle hot water with salt.

 

I personally would find out what type of tree it came from? I wouldn't be so worried about the bacteria, so much as whether the wood itself could harm the fish with toxins from the sap? This doesn't matter in rivers and streams because of water volume, but in a limited sized tank, obviously this becomes a factor! Cheers! Big G!

 

totally agree with Big G, some wood is toxic to fish as well as the SAP that comes out is a problem. too soft wood will decompose rapidly and mess up your tank. Wood not dried/cured properly will also give you a problem. Wood is not a cut and dried story

 

If you have a swimming pool. chuck it in there for a week. It will sink eventually and leach most of the tanin from the wood. Rinse and put in tank. It has worked for many her on the forum. PS see what type of wood, could be helpful. I to have had no problems with water logged wood.

 

Hi Risen
I must say i would never expose my fish to pool chemicals. And if I would soak the wood afterwards for weeks in fresh water which in turn would defy the pool sterilisation. I agree that poisonous wood could be a problem but wood typs most likly found in a stream are Gum, Conifers, or indigenous woods, none of wish is to my limited knowlage poisonous. Also do i only use wood that is properly waterlogged and doesn't float anymore, so the leaching prossess is compleated.
My catfish especially the hypancistrus, ancistrus and sturiosoma LOVE "fresh" collected wood. I make shure though that the wood is collected well above of any human settlement. Just my experience

 

thanks for all the help guys i really apreciate it
it came from a stream by the house so i wont use it
and i think it is from a willow tree
oh and is it better to get roots or logs

 

Hi Nick
I found roots are generally nicer and harder so I prefer roots but have also one nice branch