Question about Wood for Tank......

[sherrymitchell]

I have a lovely little piece of wood that I found in the woods. I would like to use it in my tank, but have no idea if it's safe or not. It's got moss on it. Any advice on what to do, what not to do with this piece?

[ingg]

Do you know what species of wood?

Softwoods are bad - and some are toxic (like pine).

[SCMurphy]

Toss it in the pond, it will be perfect come spring. Assuming it is not one of the 'bad' woods.

[Cavan]

Can you easily make an indentation in it with your fingernail? If so, that's bad...

I would also just let it soak.

[Conagher]

I have collected a few pieces (some quite large) of wood from the woods near me. I can usually tell the type of tree from the grain (like oak, or maple) but not necessarily the species (like white oak, or silver maple), so I always stick with hard woods. I have a large oak piece, a medium size piece of cherry, and a few smaller pieces of maple and walnut in my tanks so far.

If at all possible (the size of the wood can become an issue here), I try to boil the wood for at least an hour. Before boiling, I take a medium to stiff nylon bristled brush and scrub as much of the loose dirt and soft, dead wood off, always taking care to brush in the direction of the grain. Then start boiling.
The boiling kills off any insects, plant seeds/spores, fungus, and pretty much all sorts of nasties that you don’t want in your tank. The boiling also seems to help remove the tannins that remain in the wood that will discolor your water (walnut has crazy amounts of tannins), and helps get the wood waterlogged quite fast so it sinks nicely. I repeat the brushing a bit after I boil the wood and rinse thoroughly. Most of the time, I personally boil the wood again for good measure and to remove more of the tannins. Rinse in cool water, until the wood is room temp, and feel free to place in tank.

When you get the wood in your tank, I would love to see a photo…