SpinalFan
Members
Any major concerns with this, aside from boyancy and cleanliness?
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
I've done it. Just make sure that it is fully cured and nothing exotic. I generally boil it and hit it with some sandpaper or a pocket knife to remove the bark.
verbal
CCA Members
You want a hardwood, rather than pine.
Avatar
Plenipotentiary-at-large
Try this at home
Key distinction - conifers have high hydrocarbon content. Also want to stay away from uncommon aromatics like Osage orange, et al., but oak, maple and hickory are all excellent choices that won't disintegrate after a few months of submersion like ash and more enduring than dogwood and redbud. Believe native cherry and prunus species breakdown pretty fast, and walnut may contain some pretty potent compounds. Unsure about elm and chestnut...
Key distinction - conifers have high hydrocarbon content. Also want to stay away from uncommon aromatics like Osage orange, et al., but oak, maple and hickory are all excellent choices that won't disintegrate after a few months of submersion like ash and more enduring than dogwood and redbud. Believe native cherry and prunus species breakdown pretty fast, and walnut may contain some pretty potent compounds. Unsure about elm and chestnut...
SpinalFan
Members
Well I'm not entirely positive what kind of wood it is. At all, for that matter. If it hadn't been in Lake Ontario for so long I'd be able to tell haha. I did shock it with bleach then soaked it in hot water for several hours with water changes. So it should be safe if I just keep an eye on my water's numbers?
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Plenipotentiary-at-large
Probably
If it's already been waterlogged a while that will have reduced its potency irrespective of species. Cut/saw a notch in it and see what it smells like on the inside - if you don't detect any aromatic evergreen-type fragrance (from terpenoids and hence the term turpentine) in the sawdust I'd say you're good to go.
Reviewing online it appears that any wood that has spent extensive time immersed is acceptable including confers that a number of folks have used for years without consequence.
If it's already been waterlogged a while that will have reduced its potency irrespective of species. Cut/saw a notch in it and see what it smells like on the inside - if you don't detect any aromatic evergreen-type fragrance (from terpenoids and hence the term turpentine) in the sawdust I'd say you're good to go.
Reviewing online it appears that any wood that has spent extensive time immersed is acceptable including confers that a number of folks have used for years without consequence.
SpinalFan
Members
Well I thought I had soaked it long enough to kill it's boyancy. Dropped it in the tank and the sucker still floats. Guess I'm stuck using aquarium sealant to glue it to a slab?
EDIT: This is a rather large piece of wood, I might add. 20"x8"x8" with some curve like a boomarang.
EDIT: This is a rather large piece of wood, I might add. 20"x8"x8" with some curve like a boomarang.
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McGrubble
Members
Do you have a rock heavy enough to place against it? After a few months, the would will sink independently...and the rock always adds an extra bit of flavor/hiding space to the tank.
jonclark96
Past CCA President
I've used a piece of slate to weigh down boyant wood before. Get a masonry drill bit and a stainless steel screw, drill a hole through the slate, and screw the wood to the stone.
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Plenipotentiary-at-large
Beware the underwater domino effect
Wire could work as well - just don't do a shoddy job of anchoring it lest it rise up all of a sudden and crack a canopy, light and/or cross-brace.
Must encourage all to leave off with the bleach - basin/tub of hot water, mild soap and possibly a wire brush is plenty. Bleach should be reserved solely for those rare instances where the use of a flamethrower or napalm is inconvenient and/or when one is dealing with a Marburg-level outbreak, which is to say, almost never.
Wire could work as well - just don't do a shoddy job of anchoring it lest it rise up all of a sudden and crack a canopy, light and/or cross-brace.
Must encourage all to leave off with the bleach - basin/tub of hot water, mild soap and possibly a wire brush is plenty. Bleach should be reserved solely for those rare instances where the use of a flamethrower or napalm is inconvenient and/or when one is dealing with a Marburg-level outbreak, which is to say, almost never.
mchambers
Former CCA member
I've used epoxy to good effect.
blkmjk
Members
The screws Jon mentioned work for me all of the time.
Drew
Drew
SpinalFan
Members
Thank you all for the input. Hadn't thought of drilling it to the rock. Makes more sense. If I come across a rock to lean onto it, I will take that approach since I need more anyways. I had to move my pleco into wife's tank as JD wouldn't leave it alone 
LOL @ bleach blurb. Note taken.
LOL @ bleach blurb. Note taken.
