Would apple tree wood work in a tank?

[kevinmichael77]

Was just wondering if apple tree wood would be suitable for an aquarium? An orchard near me cut down a ton of trees so it got me thinking but I'm no expert on what should or shouldn't go in a tank.

[mistergreen]

There's no harm but the wood will break down over time in the tank. I have some pear wood outside for a few years. I can crush it pretty easily.

You want a really hard wood & dead/aged wood in the tank. You can try to make a dent with your fingernail to test how hard it is.

[LB79]

Apple is reasonably hard. It should be fine if well-cured.

[kevinmichael77]

How do you go about curing it?

[Diana]

Cut if from the tree. Scrub it clean, and it is OK to use some soap or detergent as long as you rinse it well. Allow it to dry. Alternately soak it and dry it. This will break down and remove any toxins (if any) faster than just letting it dry out.

[OverStocked]

I wouldn't use soap. It is super hard to get most out. We're taking porous wood.

Bleach would be fine. It evaporates and leaves behind salt(NaCl).

[kwheeler91]

Apple is a dense wood. I believe I have some in my tank and its worked out well. Worst thing that could happen is keeps fungusing and rotting then you take it back out.

[kevmo911]

Regardless of density, it's not a good idea to transfer anything directly from tree to tank. When people talk about letting firewood cure, it's in time terms of a year or more. Apple is better than pine. And a year is better than a month.

[Diana]

It is the alternating wet and dry that is 'curing' or seasoning wood (firewood or other).
Alternating the wet (thoroughly soak) and dry (all the way deep into the wood) is breaking down some of the chemicals in the wood so it is safe in the aquarium (not all wood has things that might be bad in the tank).
You can make the process go faster by alternately soaking and drying the wood, not just waiting for the sun and rain to do the job.
If the piece is small enough you can boil it then bake it to make it wet and dry faster. Several cycles of that ought to do the job.

[EnigmaticGuppy92]

i use apple tree wood in my aquarium and its fine i peeled the park soaked for a day scrubbed with bleach and rinsed in dechlorinated water very useful stuff

[Aquatic Delight]

does that orchid use pesticides?

[jeremyTR]

I think some are way too paranoid about this wood situation. It's WOOD. Just make sure it's clean and plop it in. If you see it doing anything you'd rather not have it do take it out.

[EnigmaticGuppy92]

Originally Posted by jeremyTR

I think some are way too paranoid about this wood situation. It's WOOD. Just make sure it's clean and plop it in. If you see it doing anything you'd rather not have it do take it out.

+1 to that

[Aquatic Delight]

Originally Posted by jeremyTR

I think some are way too paranoid about this wood situation. It's WOOD. Just make sure it's clean and plop it in. If you see it doing anything you'd rather not have it do take it out.

i yeah i probably am, but i have dumped alot of money into my tank. i would hate to have to it nuke because of something i picked up off the ground.

[EnigmaticGuppy92]

as long as things that are added are thougholy sterilised and cleaned and that they will not effect the hardness or ph they are generally sae for use