Don't Let Driftwood Destroy Your Fish Tank: How to Properly Clean Driftwood for an Aquarium

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3 жыл бұрын

Hello Fellow Fish Keepers!
In this video we talk about the best ways to prepare and clean driftwood for your aquarium.
If you want more information on what driftwood will do to your water parameters check out this video: • Does Driftwood Lower A...
If you want to know what to do about brown water caused by driftwood check out this video: • What to Do When Your A...
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Пікірлер: 557

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

If you want more information on what driftwood will do to your water parameters check out this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y7uEeJqSnZvWook.html If you want to know what to do about brown water caused by driftwood check out this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ecxjpaZ8p8fdnWg.html Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics For more cool behind the scenes stuff consider becoming a member! kzfaq.info/love/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTAjoin If you want to see all the cool stuff Joanna does with other types of scapes check out her channel! kzfaq.info/love/PEZk1MpOTGiBVh6BtWjlRg

@Whiteknight0721 Жыл бұрын

Hi Jason , I have several piece that wer sitting in a old garage that were in a my old tank previously I’ve soak them for a few days empty water every other day wire-brushed them now in the hydrogen pexiode mix 30 gallon tote ) should I be ok with this ? Assuming your method was new driftwood

@cyngo1080 11 ай бұрын

Igot driftwood from seashore is it ok...

@renato2354 3 жыл бұрын

Wife: Hey, why is my favorite pot brown? Me: Oh, um... I made chocolate pudding

@DarrylMcCullough 4 ай бұрын

😂😂😂

@downstairsaquarium6670 3 жыл бұрын

about to add driftwood to my tank for the first time! this video could not have come at a better time!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Good luck!

@kalieka 2 жыл бұрын

How did it go? "-)

@Mouse-dd7dn 2 жыл бұрын

How is it looking

@edkruzel 3 жыл бұрын

For those in the NE, anywhere you find coal or slate where white birch grows, you'll find toppled trees with the root systems nearly petrified. Used as driftwood, is beautiful and sinks.

@aquaticaesthetics5117 3 жыл бұрын

You do not have to boil imported woods such as Mopani, Malayasian, Spiderwood, Tigerwood, etc. Imported wood is required to be kilned and totally dried before shipping to the US. Boiling however will help remove the tanins and help the wood sink.

@jennaweber1638 3 жыл бұрын

So you can put Mopani directly into your tank after buying it?

@danikaflute 3 жыл бұрын

@@jennaweber1638 I mean yes but you’ll have a lottt of tanin

@879-07hjkmkl 3 жыл бұрын

@@jennaweber1638 tannin can be a good thing if thats the water color you want, it isnt pollution and it makes a nice brown river color, goes good with large cichlids in planted tanks.

@coletteerescon4508 2 жыл бұрын

Any wood can be a good idea to be cleaned/boiled whether you know where it's been or not, to avoid it getting fungus etc.

@othelopescasio3603 2 жыл бұрын

My wood didnt sink after 1hr of boiling

@asier2001 3 жыл бұрын

I love tanins' efect in water, it gives to the acuarium a natural view

@kasperkjrsgaard1447 3 жыл бұрын

Me too. And besides, after a couple of years in the aquarium a lot of the tanin has disappeared.

@joen714 3 жыл бұрын

Same here plus the tannins can be very beneficial

@saltycat662 2 жыл бұрын

Me too. Makes the fish look like they're in a natural environment.

@akira3871 3 жыл бұрын

If your wood is turning your water brown you can always throw some activated carbon in your filter. It'll remove the tanins in a few hours.

@dotslashsatan 2 жыл бұрын

How do you get active carbon? Is it expensive / easy to make?

@ushakirantonjam2827 2 жыл бұрын

@@dotslashsatan btw don't make activated carbon urself pls buy it

@hexagod1313 Жыл бұрын

@@dotslashsatan It's about $10 and you can buy it from a fish/pet store or from the internet

@SassyHippo 3 жыл бұрын

This video was perfectly timed! Thank you so much. I’ve had problems with wood before but I want to try again with quality pieces.

@jessicashou768 3 жыл бұрын

I love that you put captions in the video that tell us what we're seeing in the videos! A lot of times I wonder what kind of fish is in the video or tank size and I never get an answer. This is a much easier way to know!

@seanangowski7202 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video thank you for the tips very helpful finally a legit video with good information

@lilianubia3648 3 жыл бұрын

This video appeared right when I needed it, I just bought some driftwood and was about to prepare it for the aquarium, thanks!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Good to hear!

@KarAashika 3 жыл бұрын

Finally! Someone who actually tells what to do

@marypaigeflynn4512 3 жыл бұрын

Hello Jason, great topic!! I remember when I first started setting up these aquariums that was one of the things that I searched for were videos like this! This is great and is going to help so many people including myself! Thanks for sharing. I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙏🌿🐟🌿💚

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

You have a great advantage being surrounding by it. Haha

@pipex4257 3 жыл бұрын

Very informational video! thanks

@JunFeril 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. Very informative as always

@amymandeville8342 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video! My sons gave me some beautiful driftwood pieces for Christmas and now I know how to prep them properly.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

Have fun!

@amymandeville8342 2 жыл бұрын

@@PrimeTimeAquatics thanks, will do!

@jawjagrrl 2 жыл бұрын

So glad I found this. I've got really BIG pieces for a pair of 75s and I like the peroxide idea way better than other methods I had seen used like salt. Being freshwater only here, I wouldn't have a good way to be sure I has soaked all the salt back out.

@kirstenpatel 2 жыл бұрын

The salt shouldn't be an issue if its proper aquarium salt, or iodine free salt like sea salt. I add aquarium salt to my fresh water tank to help with electrolytes and to buffer the PH.

@davidrix804 3 жыл бұрын

Thats was a fantastic video very informative thank you.

@raven69600 Жыл бұрын

I’m glad I found this channel! I’ve been trying to detoxify two huge pieces of decorative driftwood I used in my iguana enclosure. I thought scrubbing it would be enough since it had been sitting in the sun for a year. Big mistake! I nearly killed all my fish! The ammonia and other water parameters went off the charts. Since then I have been soaking the wood in my 150 gallon out back, I’ve done this for the past month while changing the water every week and testing the parameters. I’ve noticed everything but the ammonia levels have returned to normal, the ammonia is slowly getting lower but it’s getting expensive dumping 100 gallons of water every week!

@rustyshackleford6819 7 ай бұрын

I've always been told that once a tank or decoration has been used in a reptile enclosure it can never be used for fish again because of something toxic in their feces.

@michelletoni3067 Жыл бұрын

Great video, I bet your a great College teacher, You explain things so well.

@PrimeTimeAquatics Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@gabriellaolguin4614 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for this video! It was very helpful. Setting up a new tank for my betta with driftwood🐠❤

@babyfishbreeder 3 жыл бұрын

I soak my large pieces of driftwood in old bathtubs. When we got our house renovated, I asked my parents to let me keep the replaced bathtubs for pet purposes.

@lacrosseguy108 2 жыл бұрын

i have a piece of mopani woodin a tank with a nerite snail. when it started to grow the white foggy algae all over it, my nerite made it look like a brand new piece lol. nerites are pretty awesome for cleaning from what ive seen so far. highly reccomend them!

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea 2 жыл бұрын

Just what I needed to know after buying a sweet-looking piece of spiderwood. Thank you! Was so excited to put it in my tank but I have it in the peroxide-water soak instead and it's floating around in the tote. I was able to boil the tannins out of some of it but all the crazy squiggly things wouldn't fit in the pot :)

@awesomeTai 5 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for posting!!! I got my kids (me) a fish tank for Christmas and I’m setting up my first community/aquascaped tank. Would love a natural looking tank but the cost for attractive wood pieces at my LFS are..quite a bit lol so I’m trying to set this up the most cost effective way. Super informative video!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 5 ай бұрын

Have fun!

@patjesscole2709 3 жыл бұрын

Very informative as always 👍👍 thanks for inspiring me to get driftwood 😄

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@FrederickDunn 3 жыл бұрын

All outstanding advice, thank you so much! I have access to lots of beachfront driftwood and was wondering how feasible it is to use it for aquaria. You've answered all of my questions here :)

@Kyle_Hubbard 3 жыл бұрын

A, it's Frederick. Love the videos and the really informational bee videos.

@1SillyTilly Жыл бұрын

Holy blueberries! What crossover episode is this with my two favorite podcasters?! Did not expect to see my favorite bee expert over here!

@janicelange8987 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, Love my Tannins, Love my biofilm. Both have great benefits. Love from Wisconsin.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

I like them too. :-)

@redbull8536 3 жыл бұрын

Depending on your stocking, tanins can be very benificial for some fish. But i personally soak it for weeks, smaller peices i will boil

@adamworley196 Жыл бұрын

Big stock pots at flea markets or yard sales. Get one. It's cheap, reusable, and keeps you safe from using 'just a pot' for your aquarium needs. I'm lucky, and my wife told me not to use her 'good' pots before I made what I assume, ASSUME, was a very unsafe decision. 😁👍 Cool vid man! Very informative!

@dennisvanopstal7360 2 жыл бұрын

I have seen a lot of videos of you in the last few weeks. And i agreed with all of it. Learned a few new things along the ride. But this is the first No for me. You dont need to boil wood. In fact, its can even be detrimental for the woodfibers causing it to rot faster. Especially with thinner pieces and softer woods. Presoaking it is enough, and if you are worried about pests, just add vinigar to the water. Or liquid Co2 (glutaraldehyde) This will decontamimate everything. And the wood will definitely last a lifetime. Much cheaper as having the stove on for hours also. As for the tannins before someone asks. Just filter over carbon to remove it.

@aquariumtreasures1054 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, I enjoyed watching. 🐟🌿👍😊

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@davidsamsell2031 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. Thanks, Jason. 📺👍

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks David!

@kaquarium7888 3 жыл бұрын

This video was entirely refreshing Jason! You thoroughly covered the topic in a scientifically correct manner, and I don't typically say that lightly. Thank you for the enjoyable and factually-sound coverage of this topic. I've been using many of these methods over the years, and my only wish is for a much more concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide to be available (having worked with the stuff myself, I know why it isn't, but it sure would be convenient). Since the stuff in the bottles sold OTC is only 3%, I've gotten quite a few strange looks when buying enough to soak some driftwood!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@edjdj2330 Жыл бұрын

How much hydrogen peroxide should I put? What should be the ratio to the water? Thanks!

@jbravo7505 3 жыл бұрын

Great info , I always boil the wood so my PLECOS can easily chew on it , and I have a piece in my soft shell turtle tank and he always bites on it ,, I don’t know why but he does it a few times a day Keep up the good info videos 👍

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Turtles can be so funny sometimes. You have to wonder what they are thinking about!

@comfortwordz2 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for the information

@maxlinesartist 6 ай бұрын

Thanks great tips good upload appreciate it

@asianangie7209 3 жыл бұрын

Great info!

@darrylmoore5847 3 жыл бұрын

Great video as always.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Darryl!

@BecauseYourFish 3 жыл бұрын

Good one! Thanks!

@BenOchart 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jason.

@jessiecooper8532 3 жыл бұрын

2:40 the most important advice in this video 😂

@MridulSinghMusic 3 жыл бұрын

Great topic! I for one like the tannins in the water, so I only waterlog the driftwood.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

I like the tannins as well.

@ljgizzle 3 жыл бұрын

I live by the beach and found some great driftwood and empty shells. They were small, manageable, pieces for my tank, so I boiled them for several hours (with water changes) over a few days (not constantly!). No issues with it after a month or so, my corys love nibbling it and other fish love darting through it! There's no mould, my water is clear with a tannin glaze and it worked a treat!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

You are lucky!

@ljgizzle 3 жыл бұрын

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Lucky because I'm putting the fish at risk or because I can get the pieces for free? Now I'm worried haha

@salvolondon 3 жыл бұрын

Just subscribed , I love aquarium you tube channels . It relaxes me to listen to these videos while I watch my fish in my tanks . Can you make a video on tubifex and if in your experience they are a good fosh food ? I’ve given my first live tubifex to my fish today and by reading some articles I’m getting worried I made a mistake . I bought it from a reputable fish store so I guess it should be disease free

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for being here! I will add it to my list!

@salvolondon 3 жыл бұрын

Prime Time Aquatics gonna buy my fist driftwood ever for my female bettas tank . I wanna watch this video very careful as I wanna be sure I won’t make a mistake to buy it .

@moraisins 2 жыл бұрын

Such a helpful video Jason!! 🙏❤️ Can I ask how you do your peroxide solution for the larger pieces? How many parts peroxide to water for soaking?

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

For the larger pieces I usually just soak them in a tote. You could easily add a bottle in a large tote.

@moraisins 2 жыл бұрын

@@PrimeTimeAquatics oh! Like soak it directly in hyrogen peroxide! Wow, ok thanks. Didnt realize we could use that much!

@richardness3537 2 жыл бұрын

Very helpful intructions. Thankyou. I really would like a reply to a queatiin about the fish shown in this video. Could you tell me what the orange/yellow fish at 3min50sec in this video is as well as the pink/whiteish fish at 4min10sec is. I am looking to set up a 4'x2.5'x2' tank and was taken by these.

@hmprobob 3 жыл бұрын

My local fish store was running low so dude sold me a piece out of one of his tanks 😎 a G

@svtcontour 3 жыл бұрын

I've never once needed to boil driftwood and never any diseases. I also love the tannins. :)

@hoagiewhap1006 3 жыл бұрын

Great info💯😁 everything down to being considerate of the Wife’s pots🤙🏽😂😂

@joshkramer394 2 жыл бұрын

It was great meeting you at Aquashella!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

It was great meeting you!

@carolinegaskin5355 3 жыл бұрын

Hi! Does this method work with saltwater ocean driftwood for freshwater tanks? Also would this work with ocean coral/shells or rocks?

@Darwinstheory8 3 жыл бұрын

Great tip! was thinking of puting some driftwood in my AQUADECOR 3D Background!🗻🗻🗻🗻

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Cool!

@devonbaker8901 Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@tonyfreeman1222 10 ай бұрын

Cuz that was very helpful thank you

@shawnnoh899 2 жыл бұрын

When I have driftwood too large to boil on the stove top, I put it in a tote and boild several large pots of water on the stove, then I pour those into the tote with my wood. I will keep boiling more water and adding it into the tote until it is almost full.. I kno this isn't the same as boiling it for at least 20 mins, but I feel that it is better than just soaking in room temperature or hot tap water. It takes awhile to boil enough water to nearly fill the tote, so by the time this is accomplished, the wood has been soaking long enough, and is usually ready to rinse and add to my tank! Hope this suggestion helps someone who finds themselves with driftwood too large to boil normally!👍

@StaticRay11 3 жыл бұрын

What kind of pleco was that with the long fins, was beautiful.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Those are long fin blue eye albino bristlenose!

@Thiriously 11 ай бұрын

I was getting frustrated with a medium-sized driftwood. I have two, one smaller, sank easily within the first day. The second larger, however, is not. It is going on day three of soaking. I've been using our sink with as hot of water as it can produce. A little sad to hear it can take a week but it's good to be comforted.

@Boss-zo4lw 3 жыл бұрын

Actually most woods have to be kilned before being imported, so most of the problem left is Tannins if any, i drill a piece of slate to mine and submerge the slate. I have done a few bits in the tub though and no real marks were left, none that didnt scrub away :)

@michalsvata 3 жыл бұрын

Thx for lot of info ;)

@Stargazer3131 Жыл бұрын

Just over a week ago I bought a large piece of driftwood for my setup, got it cut into slightly smaller pieces and since then I have been soaking them in a Extra-large tote box from IKEA. Allot of the tannins have been leaching out which is good, I change the water daily(hot) and leave for 24hours. [Because of this video I ordered the Hydrogen Peroxide from Amazon and it came today. I have now dosed my driftwood with the solution and I think I will leave it for 48hours before another water change.] The wood is looking more water logged, the smaller pieces are 90% underwater, so they'll sink soon, and the larger pieces I think will take a bit longer. Just wondering how long do you think I should keep soaking my driftwood?(other than once it sinks/the tannins are mostly gone).

@user-vk1bg1en1q 9 ай бұрын

are there any specific tree out there to make drift wood or can i go out to my creeks and canals and just pick any and throw it in my tank ... and also what's the difference from store drift wood from the one u find in the creeks

@Nanoscape30 2 жыл бұрын

Me and my GF have been collecting cool smaller sticks and small peices of driftwood but like you said, the fish we keep, honestly it's not worth introducing disease... basically I'm thinking if we have designated nets,syphons, buckets and utensils for this natural tank were going to try to use fish that aren't so expensive in rare 🤔 but we wanted to do like a non heated tank so im thinking white clouds or she likes purple, and albino guppy, but still at that I wouldn't even use those fish if the risk is to high, mostly due to cross contamination been there done that with camellanus... which was a nightmare... but now I have everything I need to fix that if it happens again nock on driftwood lol

@PhotokidDeb 2 жыл бұрын

Just over 2 years ago I added a driftwood tree to my 30 gal tank. Mainly had tetras, angel fish, black skirts, mollies. Have really plants and moses balls in the tree. Two weeks ago I inherited (My niece is moving) a 5 inch common pleco, a snake fish (I think, maybe rope? fast little guy. hides all the time) and 2 zebras. Couple of questions; Do driftwoods need to be removed over time? I think some of that tannin coloring is happening again. Could the Pleco eating it cause that, even after years of be submerged? I have syphoned out broken sticks since he has been in there too. Thanks... Just found and LOVE your channel

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

The wood will break down over time. I usually don’t remove it, but will remove the pieces that break off. I don’t think the pleco is causing the issue - at least ours have never caused that to happen.

@Goldengatevideo Жыл бұрын

Im a driftwood newbie so this video has great information! One thing im wondering - can i use drift collected from the shore of my local river using the hydrogen peroxide method? I think the piece id use would be too big to boil.

@PrimeTimeAquatics Жыл бұрын

Use the hydrogen peroxide along with thorough drying! Have fun!

@EpicConspiracy 3 жыл бұрын

From wood I get from store I just rinse it off and put it in the tank. I love the tannins.

@bethanycirota1099 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, Jason! Thank you for all of the helpful content. I just recently added a very large piece of driftwood to my 75 gallon tank and I’m having a lot of trouble with my Corydoras. I wasn’t able to nil the wood, but I didn’t know that I could use hydrogen peroxide, either. Do you think I should remove the wood now and soak it in hydrogen peroxide? I’m actually treating the tank with Maracyn and ParaClense. Would the meds get rid of anything harmful on the wood? Thanks so much in advance. I really appreciate your channel.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Great question - my guess is the meds will do a better job of killing microbes/parasites on the wood than in the fish just because the microbes don't have a body to inside of to escape the medicine.

@bethanycirota1099 3 жыл бұрын

Great! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question!

@davidbryant88 3 жыл бұрын

Go to sam's, amazon or a restaurant supply store. Get a deep metal chafing dish. Works great for boiling driftwood.

@stephanieguyot 3 жыл бұрын

How did you know I needed this info right now?!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

I used the Force! Haha

@makiarn777 3 жыл бұрын

Dang! I did it all wrong! Hope it will be ok! Been in my tank for weeks! But now I know what to do with my other pieces for my 125 gallon!

@CIXD9 3 жыл бұрын

I was just recently having pH issues because of my driftwood, how convenient🙂

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

The other video in the description talks about that in more detail!

@879-07hjkmkl 3 жыл бұрын

If it doesnt leak tannins (and wont float) and is too big to boil, wash it clean and keep it in somewhere dry for days and days. You should be fine, thats what ive done for years and nothing bad has ever happened.

@tahahussain1481 25 күн бұрын

Hi, i got some questions please

@aquariumaddictions7672 3 жыл бұрын

could you do a video about geophagus balzani ? i have heard some myth and facts around them

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

I have it on my list! :-)

@ragingcalmness7815 10 ай бұрын

this was a fun video to watch, assuming that an end-user of the product wouldnt go above and beyond to make their product safe, while on the other extreme also assuming the distributors of products bought in LFS or online are absolute saints and the best at getting the job done. Either ways, any decision always has its consequences 😉 at the end of the day all that matters is that you can cut it even with your conscience and not let guilt sink you along with your driftwood 🤪

@calibuttafly 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, I just purchased a big piece of Grape wood driftwood for my freshwater tank. I have been soaking it for 24 hours now. I poured out the cold water and poured hot water over it again. It's now soaking for another 24 hours. I have a bin that it's in. Can I run boiling hot water over it in the bin and let it soak for 20 mins or so then repeat to speed the process so that I'm not waiting a week to put it in? I'm attaching plants to it as well. The peroxide step...What's the ratio? I'm soaking in a 5 gal bucket. Need to know how many bottles to get. I'm actually out of peroxide lol. Also, it's slimy. Do you now what can cause that? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for an awesome vid!!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

You can use the boiling water method. The slime is normal - just either bacteria or fungus coating the wood when it is new. Since there are no fish too worry about in the bucket you can dump a half bottle in there without having to worry about anything.

@craighalstead680 Жыл бұрын

@Prime Time Aquatics how much of what percentage H2O2 are you using per gallon of water to make your 3-5% solution? I have tried to figure out a way to calculate this but haven't yet to find a definitive answer. If you have an equation to calculate that would be helpful! Thank you in advance! I'm planning to try collecting some wood in the future do you know if there is a few specific species that are safe?

@benitouchiha 2 жыл бұрын

Is galapos driftwood safe? Saw a lot of mixed reviews and ppl used for terrains and aquarium for fish.

@morgantough 4 ай бұрын

thank you so much , for this video . I was gifted a store bought drift wood and I was unsure what to do and scared to put it in my tank.

@PDXTundra 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for mentioning at the end the white film. It drives me nuts. If a pleco or SAE won’t eat it then I guess I’ll have to live with it. It’s been on one piece for a month. My Nerite snail won’t eat it. I notice that it occurs only on barkless driftwood.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

If you want to scrape it off it usually doesn't come back. :-)

@makiarn777 3 жыл бұрын

My Severums ate it off my spider wood!

@jigokutsuushin 3 жыл бұрын

I just removed that stuff on my new-ish driftwood today with an old toothbrush. I've been told shrimps eat it. I still have some of it in the hard-to-reach places and some got caught on other plants. I might get some feeder ghost shrimp to clean it up. I have carnivorous fish in my other tanks, so the shrimp won't go to waste once they've ate up the biofilm.

@jerzybelo9593 3 жыл бұрын

Nice one 😊

@amx1820 3 жыл бұрын

Last week I collect driftwood for my oscar tank and I have no idea what tree it is:)) its still in the process of sun dried & peeling off the bark bits by bits. Thanks for the video, perfect timing

@dennisvanopstal7360 2 жыл бұрын

As long as isnt Pine wood it will be fine.

@emihayashi7725 2 жыл бұрын

@@dennisvanopstal7360 Is pine toxic to fish?

@dennisvanopstal7360 2 жыл бұрын

@@emihayashi7725 not exactly toxic. But it contains loads of resin. This makes the water dirty and it stinks. You can only use it when its really old and 100% dried out. Or mechanicly treated. Just avoid any conifer/pine when you collect yourself.

@emihayashi7725 2 жыл бұрын

@@dennisvanopstal7360 Chilean Mesquite tree, manzanita, Eucalyptus, orange, lemon, tangerine, persimmon, juniper tree, bamboo branches are my backyard choices

@johnwood738 3 жыл бұрын

Hello drift wood I’m John wood. LFS are asking for more of my super reds,said they look better hold up better for the little time they have them on the floor then what they have can get shipped in.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

They can be a huge source of profit for sure!

@bradleybraaf8231 2 жыл бұрын

Can pool acid be used to clean big pieces of driftwood? Also, can I use a dried guava tree stump from the garden as driftwood for my tank?

@martyborst5645 3 жыл бұрын

Greetings Jason and Joanna.(Did I spell your name correctly Joanna?) I have had so many questions around driftwood. I think it might look good in my 150 gallon discus tank. This video was timely. By the way that orange Severum is strikingly beautiful. Sincerely, Marty Borst.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

You spelled it correctly! Haha - Driftwood would look very cool.

@makiarn777 3 жыл бұрын

Yes that Severum is magnificent!

@DeniseSlack 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve got some dried/dead apple wood.it is from a branch that broke 3 winters ago so it never touched the ground, and all bark has fallen off....I cut a few pieces off and I’m currently soaking in water to remove tannins...they are too large (3-4 ft) to boil. What else do I need to do to ensure they are safe?

@catfishcave379 3 жыл бұрын

For soft woods that tend to disintegrate I use a toothbrush. For something like my 30 yr old grape root or Mopani root wood, I use dynamite-er-wire brush to clean it. Everything gets boiled when I acquire it. Don’t clean the white film/fuzz that grows on the wood once it is in the aquarium. Otocinclus and other brown-algae eaters love it! Other plecos usually eat it as well. I would guess shrimp would like it too.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

Great points!

@mrmorales408 3 жыл бұрын

Do you ever sand your wood? I bought mopani cholla and spiderwood and I have a small group of 3/4" pygmy cory fish. Worried about sharp edges 😕

@catfishcave379 3 жыл бұрын

@@mrmorales408 If you see long spear-like points, you can sand them down, otherwise, for normal bumps or rough cholla wood, I just leave it alone. I worry about lava rock in a tank with fast fish who are always moving, but have no worries with small things like shrimp.

@HalfManHalfCichlid 3 жыл бұрын

I collect driftwood around the US and Mexico, a hobby i developed during my desert hikes. I find beautiful pieces of ancient driftwood, extremely dense and heavy. I don't have to worry about pathogens since this wood has been in the desert sun forever. I do have to worry about tannins and wood types that have natural defenses (poisons) to prevent insect attacks which is not uncommon with desert woods. An example is iron wood. I have not been able to buy or find other woods that are as beautiful as sun bleached ancient desert hardwood pieces. Sorry for the long story but I love aquascaping with this wood

@marypaigeflynn4512 3 жыл бұрын

That is cool!!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

That really is cool!

@HalfManHalfCichlid 3 жыл бұрын

@@user-ik5gf5xs1z I have 1400 gallons of aquariums so I use most of it. Now I am using smaller pieces to grow anubias plants on. I have thought about hiring some kids in Mexico to collect for me but have not gone that far yet. My brother collects it too and sells it, he is in Arizona, but only deals with the huge pieces

@lauradahlus 2 жыл бұрын

Hi , Thanks for the video. What if I am using a driftwood from the beach (saltwater) to put in my freshwater tank. I just poured hot water over it three times as it's quite big.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

Hard to say. While many pathogens that inhabit saltwater have a tough time surviving in freshwater, there’s still risk unless the piece had been thoroughly sun dried and then boiled.

@bigbean78 2 жыл бұрын

I used the hot water in a plastic tub method to soak my spider wood and it worked well. I treated the hot water when I changed it and I didn’t think of the chlorine helping the process. Doh!

@cheenu1212 2 жыл бұрын

thanks bro

@kirkscobey3031 3 жыл бұрын

I take a gallon of vinegar and box of baking soda.. coat everything with baking soda and pour on vinegar.. it boils up nicely removing debris aggressively. Then I soak it in water s couple days rinse repeat and done. I let it dry off awhile before adding it to tank

@makiarn777 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you I may try this method

@willgarlick5456 2 жыл бұрын

Any thoughts on using deer antlers as aquarium decor?

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think I have ever seen it done, but my guess is they would break down quickly and possibly cause water quality issues?

@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030 Жыл бұрын

great video

@agbro9329 2 жыл бұрын

I cut down a live guava tree and got some nice pieces. How to process them. Will boiling multiple times work?

@Jbayz 3 жыл бұрын

I have a Celtic cross tat alot like yours.

@Sirtuner 3 жыл бұрын

I have a root structure from a juniper that has been soaking for over a year in my outdoor pond. Would love to boil it but too large. Thoughts on using a strong potassium permanganate soak to steralize it?

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure how or if that would absorb into the wood? I'd go the H2O2 route if it were mine.

@Sirtuner 3 жыл бұрын

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Further research indicated that PP in used much like chlorine in water treatment and to clean up wells. It would absorb into the wood just like the H2O2.

@kirkscobey3031 3 жыл бұрын

Lowes sell flagstones fairly cheap and large! What’s your thoughts on flagstones? Are they safe ? I had something I thought was flagstone but it eventually sloughed off and turned everything to mud.

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

We use flagstone in many of our African Cichlid tanks. It will sometimes increase pH in water that has a low KH and pH, but for us it does not alter water chemistry.

@Agentshadowolf 3 жыл бұрын

I dont have any big pots for the driftwood I ordered so I will just have to soak mine in a container, how much of that peroxide should I use and how long do I need to soak the driftwood with it?

@PrimeTimeAquatics 3 жыл бұрын

You can soak the driftwood in it to allow the tannins to release if you want. H202 breaks down pretty fast into water and oxygen gas. At 10% solution works fine.

@Kaikoura26 2 жыл бұрын

Would you consider sun baking? My current driftwood project has been sitting in the hot sun for about a week now. It's been 95-102 degrees. Thank you!

@PrimeTimeAquatics 2 жыл бұрын

That certainly helps!