[mr2]

Thinking about using some wood from outside in the woods, stuff that has been on the ground for some time, all dried & a bit weathered. Would it be safe just to add to my tank or would I need to do something special to it before I just toss it in the tank? Any help would be appreciated. Lesley

My tank
30g Planted
Community tank

You will want to use hardwood species, no pine at all. make sure they are not rotted. get the bark and twigs off. I like to use a pressure washer on them to get all the bits of bark off. if it fits in a pot, boil it for an hour or so. If not you can use the dishwasher on sanitize setting, or the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours (be careful!) or both. then submerge it in a bucket or barrel outside, changing the water every day for a few days. dont do it in the bathtub, it will stain which I found out the hard way. A few days of soaking will get most of the tannins out so you dont stain the water yellow. It still will probably float, wood needs to soak for a long time to sink naturally. The easiest way to sink it is to go to Home Depot, get stainless steel screws about 2.5", a masonry drill bit, and a box of slate tiles. Drill holes in the slate, and drive screws from beneath into the base of the driftwood to create a base for your driftwood.