How to prepare driftwood for aquarium

Boiling Driftwood

More importantly, boiling sterilizes the driftwood, killing algal or fungal spores that can take hold once introduced into the aquarium with the driftwood. Boiling the driftwood for 1-2 hours will sterilize the driftwood.

Soaking Driftwood

We recommend you to soak it for one to two weeks. Soaking driftwood is important because doing so removes excess tannins. If the driftwood is not soaked beforehand, these excess tannins can otherwise darken or discolor the water of the aquarium.

Cleaning Driftwood

Use a clean brush to scrub the driftwood thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris. Do not use soap or any chemical cleansers. Any residue will poison your aquarium. The cleaned driftwood will then need to be soaked to saturate and “cure.”

Basically your fish got used to a specific ph and then when you added the driftwood, it drastically changed and shocked some of your fish. They simply died from stress. If you had added the driftwood before you added any fish you would have probably been fine.

If the holes are from a small enough drill bit, they look natural in the finished product. When I “collect” driftwood, I check it for weight. The lighter it is the more likely it will give you a hard time getting it to sink.

Protect the driftwood and its finish with two coats of polyurethane. Apply the polyurethane with a paint brush, using smooth strokes. Allow the first coat to dry for several hours before applying the second.

Seal the porous wood to protect it from absorbing moisture and preserve its appeal. Slicking a coat of lacquer on the wood will give it gloss and possibly darken the wood, making it look artificial. Preserve as much of the natural look as possible by spraying a clear matte lacquer in repeat layers of light mist.

If you’re using your driftwood for an aquarium, you will need to use a natural process to clean driftwood without any chemicals. If your pieces are small enough, you can boil them but you may split and break the wood.

The parts of the driftwood that are compressing the substrate (or under the substrate) will harbor anaerobic bacteria which among other things, process nitrates into nitrogen gas. All of this processing and harboring often results in a sewage smell. It’s normal if you pull it out that it will stink for a while.

Kill off any bugs.

Shaking it off will remove some pests, but to get extra reassurance seal your driftwood in a plastic bag and leave it for a few days. Check back for evidence of deceased bugs. A more aggressive way to kill off insects is to spray an insecticide into the bag before sealing it.

Along riverbanks, at the edges of lakes, creeks, mangroves and along beaches, are all good places to find driftwood. Usage: It is used as decor and to lower Ph level of the water in aquariums.

Look out for gribble worm and other infestations:

Make sure there’s no holes in the driftwood you find. You don’t want to take uninvited critters home with you. Also check for soft rotten spots, when the driftwood dries it will just be crumbly.

Here’s where to look for driftwood in the wild: Ocean beaches with surrounding vegetation, lakes, rivers and creeks are all places where aquarium grade driftwood can be found. You will stand significantly higher chances of finding a piece if you start the lookout immediately after a storm.

You can make your own driftwood from many types of wood sticks that you can find along almost any waterway or even in your backyard. Softer woods like pine and birch that have a lighter color work great for this project. You can find the step by step tutorial for making driftwood in the Book Coastal Crafts.

These large diameter Sequoia sempervirens logs spent enough time exposed to wave action to round their contours before being driven into the mouth of a narrow ravine by storm surf. Sequoia’s high tannin content is resistant to decay, so these logs retain structural strength for decades.

One reason why aquarium driftwood is so expensive is due to the preparation process. Once this is done, the driftwood then needs to be cured, a process of soaking and boiling the wood in order to remove the tannins that can affect aquarium water chemistry, a process that can last weeks, sometimes months.

Odor profile: a dry woody note with salty aromatic nuances.

Many types of wood are unsuitable for aquaria. However, some woods, especially those of fruit-bearing trees like cherry, pear, apple and oak are safe to use, albeit with some conditions…. Any collected wood must be ‘dry’ to be used in the tank. If branches are still bendy they are retaining some toxic sap.

Driftwood can be used to make furniture and lamps – you may DIY such pieces or buy ready ones. Driftwood can become a base for your dining, coffee or console table, it can be used to build a shelving unit, some racks, clothes and jewelry holders and hangers and even benches, sofas and chairs.

Sandalwood is a deep, woody scent and often smells like a mix of floral, rich, balsamic, soft, and sweet accents. Because of its great scent, it is often used a base note in many iconic perfumes and colognes.