# Driftwood question



## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

Hey all,
My dad recently took a trip to the beach and he picked up some driftwood for me. He dropped off the wood at my house and he had a piece that was covered in barnacles. It has a cool look to it and i want to put it in my tank, can this be done? there is also a long flat piece that is around 3'-3.5' and it has some small black muscles-looking shells at one end of it, again is this ok to put in my tank? and could someone please post the link for preparing driftwood again







? BTW ill be posting updated pics in a while of my p and my tank. 
Thanks!!!

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

here is the link.

http://www.piranha-fury.com/information/de...hp?id=driftwood

ill be getting some driftwood today too...im gonna try that method.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

cool, thanks. Any ideas about the barnacles and small muscle shells? Are they ok to go into my tank after i prepare the driftwood?

Oburi


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## peter101 (Oct 5, 2003)

i woudlnt' think so
they might mess up your paramenters but im not entirly sure
dont put them in until u get a definate answer


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## Howzit (Aug 6, 2003)

definently dont put the muscles and barnicles in there cuz then they will die and everything will stink and your water parameters will be crazy, and because of the salt the ph will go up


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

im pretty sure the barnacles are dead already, if not they will definately be after i use the method above. there are not many small muscles so i could probably pick them off. any expert advice please? what should i do?

Oburi


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

BUMP!










Oburi


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## notoriouslyKEN (Jul 31, 2003)

if all barnacles are dead, and the driftwood has been boiled, I could not foresee a problem with throwing said driftwood in your tank


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

it looks really cool, i hope i am able to put it in there. Any one else got some input?

thanks!

Oburi


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

experts please post some input i would appreciate it very much.









Oburi


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

i would really like to start preping the driftwood but i cant until i have a definate answer, PLEASE HELP!!!!!!! I dont wanna kill me beloved p.

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

well this is what i did...i let it soak in hot water for an hour...added new hot water and added some dechlorinator and salt...soaked it in there for another hour...replaced the water again added more dechlorinator and salt...rinsed it off...tied it to a rock and put it in my tank


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

I am asking if the barnacles on the driftwood will harm my tank parameters or kill my piranha. PLease HELP!

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

cant you scrape them off??


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

no, there is alot of them, but this piece of driftwood looks like it has been weathered for a while and all the barnacles look dead. i can scrape off the small muscles on the other piece. but if its possible id like to leave the barnacles alone it would give a cool look to the tank, its not worth risking my piranha's life though.

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

i would just boil it dude...boiling would get rid of any harmful stuff


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

i think thats why some people bleach it.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

thanks for your help, i just want to be sure i havent really heard of barnacles in a tank before so im not sure. btw is that your philipino gf in your avatar, shes a hottie. So after i boil it down a few times you think ill be ok?

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

im not sure how long you should boil it. but just boil it for a little longer than a couple mins just to be sure. i dont think anything can live through boiling temperature.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

word up









if you can get anyone else to put in their 2cents that would be awsome as well, just as a second opinion.

thanks

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

yea im not 100% sure...just a suggestion...if you still aren't sure what to do just wait for an expert to help you out.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

i believe you. I have been waiting for an expert all day!

Oburi


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## vinnycaz (Jul 22, 2003)

wow, so much stress... well to answer your question, any bacteria or pathogen that can survive boiling, can also be killed by soaking in bleach, or ethyl alcohol. i would jsut boil it though, the bacteria that would be found in a salt water ocean from the driftwood , would not be able to survive in a freshwater environment, they would explode from takin in so much water into their cells. anyway, boil the thing, screw it to a piece of sheet and drop that motherf-cker in the tank.- DONE. oh ya, get me a pic of your setup.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

Alright, will do! I put the drift wood in my bath tub and submersed them in really hot water, to the point it burned my hand when i put it in, for 12 hours. I didnt boil it on the stove and run back and fourth from the stove to the bathtub though. Is this ok? I am planing on soaking it for probably another 24 hours. Any suggestion on a "how-to" with the drilling the sheet rock? BTW did you check out the 2 pics of my piranha in my signature







?? Ill be posting updated pics after i get the wood in the tank.

thanks!

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

your suppose to soak it in for like a week...i only soaked mine in for like 3 hours then i just threw it in my tank


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

in supernates instructions i think it mentions around 36 hours. three sets of 12.jefflo did you anchor your driftwood with anything??

Oburi


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

My adive is that if it is not worth the risk of using that particular peice of wood. Dont put it in! Is it worth losing your P's?


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

yea i tied it to a rock with a shoe lace.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

its not worth losing my p. but it is the second biggest piece i got, and it looks pretty cool. I was hoping to put it in. anyone else against this? please speak up now or forever hold your peace.....:rasp:

Oburi


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

yea throw it in if you want...if you see something wrong with the water or your p's take it out.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

JeFFLo said:


> yea throw it in if you want...if you see something wrong with the water or your p's take it out.


 Take it out a pray they dont die?


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

Well being a bit unsure... I took a piece of sheet rock and smashed almost all of the barnacles off the piece of wood :laugh: ... I will be smashing the rest off later, i soaked it for another 12 hours. so its been soaking for 24 hours total. what u think?

Oburi


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Personally I dont think you can do it to much. The more the better.


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

well there are almost no barnacles left on the wood. the only thing you can see is small white circles from where they used to be. after doing this does it have less of a risk to put in my tank??
Oburi


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

is it ok to leave a little bit of algea that was on one piece of driftwood there when i put it in my tank??

thanks!

Oburi


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## str8up (Sep 20, 2003)

I would do what some others said... HOT HOT WATER with a bit of bleach will kill most anything living when ingested.. (diluted is necessary)
Also.....It then needs to have HOT HOT water run over it and rinsed thouroughly on and off for a few days...(water heaters run out of HOt water)
If you can...let it dry for a couple weeks...or if you know someone who has a "wood dryer" throw it in there for 24 hours.. 
I'd say that would take care of anything alive on the wood and since fungus and algae need moisture to live...even if they can live in hot water.... there won't be any after you dry it.
Let's see some pics of your setup [email protected]@@#!!!








GOod luck!!!!!!
Later Str8


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

thanks, the wood has been soaking in really HOT water for over 36 hours now. I didnt add any bleach as some people said to add and some said it wasnt necessary. I should dry it then? thats gonna be another few days i guess....Any faster way??

Oburi


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## str8up (Sep 20, 2003)

Well OB.... I recomend it... you don't want ugly algae or something growing in your tank....or maybe you do...lol
If your doing this in the tub...and have had it in there for that long...
just put a 1/4 cup of bleach to say half a bathtub full of water...hard to say not seeing it....
(capfull per gallon of water)
Let it soak for a few more hours in that hot water.... with the bleach
then rinse it off in Plain hot water for a few more hours soaking.
Are you gonna be able to dry it?
P.S. some rocks...backed in the oven...bleached and etc...still leach minerals into a tank and can kill your fishies....be careful!!
anyhow....good luck.....Str8
PIC PICS PICS


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## oburi (Jul 11, 2003)

ok. I got some tetra contra chlorine plus, do i have to add to the last soak after adding the bleach? what do you suggest i do with the algea, how to get rid of it?

thanks,

Oburi


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## str8up (Sep 20, 2003)

Yeah....it is a nuetralizer for the bleach....that would be good for the last soaking.
See the instructions for use on that to be sure for how long and how much.
as far as the algae is concerned...the hot water and bleach will get rid of that I'm sure....

Good luck.........Later.......Str8
Pics bud......................Pics


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