Found the perfect piece of driftwood? Here are various methods of prepping that piece of wood before you put it in your tank. Typically, driftwood that is purchased doesn't need any treatment. It is likely germ-free and will sink in a day or two. If not, you can also apply the appropriate treatment to your local fish store or internet purchase. If the water you found it in is not polluted (if it is, leave it there or use at your own risk), how can you make it harmless to the fish in your aquarium? It probably doesn't need anything done to it, unless you live in the tropics. Most cold water organisms don't transfer well to a heated discus tank. And parasites are almost always very species specific (a trout tapeworm would be harmless to a discus). The same holds true for algae spores, cold water algae won't make it in an aquarium. But the reality is that we all feel much better cleaning up the driftwood before it goes in the tank, so here are a few suggestions (a combination of the various choices is also an option).

If you can, boil it. Nothing living can survive boiling water. Boil it for 10 to 15 minutes. It also takes out much of the tannins, so if you don't like the tea-colored water, this is perfect. It will also make the wood sink faster. Every piece that I have found is too big for any pot that I have. where to buy aquarium salt in singaporeThe alternative to boiling is to put the wood in your bathtub (or outside) and pour boiling water on the wood. fish tank in disney restaurantBe sure to get both sides of the wood and focus on any crevices.jabal magnet gunung kelud A less time-consuming method is to spray the driftwood with a bleach solution. fish tanks gumtree qld

A 10% bleach-to-water solution will kill anything on the wood. It is very important to rinse the wood thoroughly after the bleach treatment until it doesn't smell like bleach anymore. I've heard of people using pressure sprayers, like at a car wash. Don't use the soap cycle though. The heat and water force will remove most of the possible problems, and possibly much of the wood if it is too soft (it probably shouldn't be used anyway if it is that soft).fish tank chiller diy A somewhat less reliable method is to just leave the driftwood in the sun for a week or two. fish tank gumtree leedsJust drying it out will kill most of the living organisms. I've heard that professional driftwood suppliers soak the wood in shallow tubs in the sun. This helps the rid the wood of bad stuff as well as speeding up the sinking process.

Stay away from any freshly cut wood, the sap and other unknown substances seep out into the water making a real mess (I know because I tried it once). It is a whitish or clear looking goo, it may not be harmful but who needs it?You get a feel for about how long it will take the wood to sink by holding it, it is based on the density of the wood and the quick sinker just feels much heavier for its size. There are several ways to speed up the process though. As mentioned before, boiling will make it go faster. Soaking in deeper water also helps (such as the bottom of a water barrel). The water pressure speeds up the saturation of the wood. A third possibility, for the truly impatient, is to weigh it down in the aquarium. You can use gravel along the sides, or a temporary rock on top of it. I use driftwood that hangs from crosspieces (can be wood or plastic strips) on the top of the tank. A weight on the crosspiece, such as the light fixture, keeps the driftwood in place. Some people don't like the brown tinged water that you get sometimes from having wood in the aquarium.

Generally it doesn't last more than a month or two without you doing anything special. Water changes or carbon filtering will reduce the coloring of the water. Boiling the wood should speed the removal up. Others soak the wood before using it in the aquarium. I like the brown color though and I think the fish do, too. It sounds like a lot of trouble but if you think back to the most memorable tank you've ever seen, most likely it was designed around a special piece of driftwood. this is an updated version A total tank tear down for cleaning is no longer considered necessary. If set up properly from the beginning your tank can be kept up with minimal effort. The information below can be applied when purchasing used items that you wish to clean before set up or if you have an emergency (flood, bacteria, insect invasion) situation and need to do a tear down to deal with it. You will need to set up a temporary house for your crabs in advance of cleaning your tank to establish proper temperature and humidity.

10 gallon tanks are inexpensive and you can often pick them up for next to nothing at yard sales or even find them sitting on the curb. So long as you don’t have a huge number of hermit crabs you can keep them in a 10 gallon tank for a day or two if you are doing a deep clean of your large tank. If you are able to leave your tank empty to air for 24 hours: Use a mild 1:10 bleach dilution to wash and sterilize the tank. Rinse it very well with water and then rinse again with vinegar to neutralize any traces of bleach. Allow the tank to air out for 24 hours. If you are unable to leave the tank empty, use vinegar only and rinse well. Tanks with hard water stains can be scrubbed with fresh cut lemons and a razor blade scraper can take off heavy residue. Sand can be sterilized by placing it on a baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes on 350F. Allow it to cool completely before returning it to the tank. Forest bedding substrates should be thrown out and replaced.

If you are using a mix of sand and eco earth type bedding it should all be tossed and replaced. Empty shells and other heat resistant items can be boiled. Empty shells should be submerged in a large bowl or bucket of water and left to sit for an hour or so to ensure there are no hermit crabs hiding in them that you may have overlooked. Wood logs, branches and cocohuts can also be baked but be vigilant and don’t leave them unattended. Netting can be soaked in a vinegar and water mix to clean it. You should do this with all newly purchased netting. Allow it to soak over night, then change the water out and soak it again. If the water is clear after a second soak, you should be fine. Otherwise, continue changing the water until it’s clear. Avoid using soap or chemicals on anything that your hermit crabs will come in contact with. If you regularly have water or sand spots on your glass you can buy a mini squeegee to use as needed. Tank should be checked every day for stray bits of food that will mold.