# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Curing Driftwood



## kherman (Apr 7, 2003)

Surprised I couldn't find this topic already.

I have a good amount of driftwood to clean. I found the following procedure:


> quote:
> 
> 1. Scrub driftwood with a stiff brush and rinse thoroughly.
> 
> ...


Does anyone else use a different procedure? If so, what is it?

What's the purpose of the non-iodized salt and baking soda?

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http://www.geocities.com/kfh227- go there and see my future fish section to see what I have planned for my next 100+ gallon tank.
Note: I havn't maintained the site lately.


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## kherman (Apr 7, 2003)

Surprised I couldn't find this topic already.

I have a good amount of driftwood to clean. I found the following procedure:


> quote:
> 
> 1. Scrub driftwood with a stiff brush and rinse thoroughly.
> 
> ...


Does anyone else use a different procedure? If so, what is it?

What's the purpose of the non-iodized salt and baking soda?

------------------------------
http://www.geocities.com/kfh227- go there and see my future fish section to see what I have planned for my next 100+ gallon tank.
Note: I havn't maintained the site lately.


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## kherman (Apr 7, 2003)

I should also add that boiling the driftwood is not possible. One piece is rather large (24+")

------------------------------
http://www.geocities.com/kfh227- go there and see my future fish section to see what I have planned for my next 100+ gallon tank.
Note: I havn't maintained the site lately.


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> 1. Scrub driftwood with a stiff brush and rinse thoroughly.


Makes sense.



> quote:
> 
> 2. Scrub driftwood a second time with non iodized salt.


I guess this is to sterilize the wood. I don't know why the "non iodized" detail. It seems like this step is pointless if the wood started out dry.



> quote:
> 
> 3. Fill a 10 gallon non-metallic container with water and add a 1 lb. box of baking soda. Stir until thoroughly dissolved.


10 gallon? That won't hold much wood. I guess the idea here is to neutralize acidity in the wood. I doubt (thoroughly) that it's an effective ploy.



> quote:
> 
> 4. Add driftwood and tie rocks around to make it sink.


Good idea. It can take a long time to happen.



> quote:
> 
> 5. Let soak for about two weeks, remove and repeat steps 1 and 3.


If it doesn't do anything the first time around then why repeat it?

Scrubbing is good. Sandblasting works too, and I think most commercial wood is sandblasted. All the wood I've used started out dry, so the salt step seems unnecessary. I don't think the baking soda step is going to help with anything. Soaking 'till it sinks is a good thing. That also leaches out some of the color but probably not all of it. You can get a plastic garbage can to soak wood in and set it in the sun for heat. OK, so maybe in Connecticut the sun doesn't help that much







.



> quote:
> 
> Does anyone else use a different procedure? If so, what is it?


Starting with dry wood, clean it and remove loose bits, then tie it to rocks and sink it in a garbage can full of water until it stays down on its own. Some wood is still going to discolor the water after this soaking.

Roger Miller


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## Jack11 (Mar 30, 2004)

kherman,
Where did you get your driftwood?

Roger,
In another topic we discussed mountain cedar, which I believe you correctly described as a conifer(juniperus asheri?). There is currently a project going on through Texas A&M University to attempt to clean up some of this in the area around the Leon River which feeds into our local water supply. Apparently, these shrubs are bad for our water quality. As much as I hate them (allergies) I don't plan on putting any in a planted tank just yet.

Ah Hah! You're supposed to put the plants IN the water...


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## kherman (Apr 7, 2003)

Got my driftwood out of a freshwater lake in the adirondacs. I have no idea how long it was submerged, but the one speciman I got is a good size and INCREDIBLE. The tannings should be out by now. Unforntualy, it's also a very large pice. Definitely need a 55 gallon garbage can to cure it.

I have 3 others, all were found submerged in the lake while swimming.

From observation, some scrbbing (wire brush) is needed to get some junk off of the pieces. All the bark is long gone.

------------------------------
http://www.geocities.com/kfh227- go there and see my future fish section to see what I have planned for my next 100+ gallon tank.
Note: I havn't maintained the site lately.


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## ranchwest (Jul 17, 2005)

If I recall correctly, iodized salt is toxic to fish, thus the suggestion to use non-iodized salt. When I kept African cichlids, the non-iodized salt was used generously.


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## McKee (Feb 7, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Ranch West:
> If I recall correctly, iodized salt is toxic to fish, thus the suggestion to use non-iodized salt. When I kept African cichlids, the non-iodized salt was used generously.


iodized = iodine added. Probably don't want to add iodine to a fish tank.


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

iodized=iodide, which is not toxic. It's the same difference as between chloride (safe) and chlorine (not safe).

I add iodide to my tanks with shrimp because I've heard that they need small amounts of it for proper molting. I've never known it to cause problems with fish. Toxic iodine solutions are something else again.

Roger Miller


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## kherman (Apr 7, 2003)

Just waking up a thread.

The time has come to get to work on the driftwood. i'm using a VERY simple procedure:

1) Scrub the wood with a wire brush
2) Sink it in a 55 gallon garbage can till it sinks on it's own.
3) Scrub again
4) Sink for a couple of hours
5) Put it in the tank

So, how long will it take to sink on it's own? Days or Weeks?

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Karl's Parts And Construction Journal


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## imported_aquaverde (May 5, 2003)

Is this the piece you found submerged? I should think it would be easy to resubmerge. I have a piece I bought online from FL that I had to attach quite a bit of slate to. After 4 months in the aquarium, it is still just heavier than water with the slate attached. I will be surprised if this thing sinks before a year is out. I don't think you'll have that kind of trouble if yours was already sunk just two months ago.

James

armchair aquarist and former algae farmer


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