curing wood for the tank

[crystalview]

I have seen that Tom goes on wood finding missions, but have not seen what he looks for. Is some of the wood green? Are they roots? (which can look really cool)
How do you cure them? are there specific woods that will sink without much effort?
I have a lot of manzanita which I stare at and am not sure how to process. Is there an article written on this subject?
I have a back hoe friend who say's he will call me when he clears an area of manzanita I thought the root wood would be interesting.
We have a lot of streams in CA but not all wood works for our needs. So what does work?

 

[jeremyh]

I understand that Manzanita can be easily prepared for the aquarium by just sandblasting it thoroughly to remove all bark etc.

After that, you'll need to soak Manzanita branches for probably 4-6 weeks to get them to sink, especially the thicker pieces. Boiling can speed up the process of waterlogging, and also helps to leech the tannins out faster too - but of course you need have a pot big enough to fit the wood into.

I've heard that Manzanita root crowns are usually dense enough to sink without pre-soaking. But I've only ever used branches, so you may want to confirm that with someone else.

 

[crystalview]

jeremyh you are right. I took my branch as big as my thumb and wire brushed it and then It took a week to get it to sink. It also staid reddish in color so far.

 

[jeremyh]

I think the reddish colour of the wood will probably stay around for a good long time. Looks great, doesn't it?

 

[Tom Barr]

Old downed dead wood, no red left, all grey and weathered, denser the better.
No live wood is to be used, ever........

After soaking for a day, brush with wire brush and then soak some more. It'll take a day or less for heavier pieces, maybe a week for lighter stuff.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[crystalview]

Tom this small limb is reddish and has been in a unused snake tank for almost a year. How could it still be alive. It was on the ground for who knows how long. Now it does not look like your pile so should I remove it from the tank? Could that be why the christmas moss died on it?

 

[quatermass]

You looked up bogwood on The Aquarium Wiki Encyclopaedia site?

Bogwood - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki