Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Aquamaid on November 29, 2014, 03:35:13 PM
-
I have purchased a piece of second hand bogwood, told it was from a disease free tank but have to take their word for that, it's a lovely big piece too big to boil though is there anyway to make it safe for tank, i have no fish in as im about to fishless cycle it.
-
hot shower it and scrub it with a scrubbing brush
thats all i do also if its been out of water for a while
normally means the end of any pathogens
-
If there are any fish diseases still on it, they should die off during the cycling process because of all that ammonia you'll be adding, and because without a fish to infect they won't live long anyway.
The other possibility is the more likely contamination. Do you have anything big enough to soak the wood in, a large bowl or some such? Soaking with repeated water changes should get rid of any contamination. Or in the shower as biffster suggests.
You shouldn't actually boil wood as it speeds up the breakdown of fibres. Pouring not quite boiling water over the wood is the better way.
And as the wood has been used before, most of the tannins should already have leached out so you don't need to soak it for that reason.
-
I'd be interested to know if anybody can name "contaminants" which might be on bogwood which has already been in a tank? At least, any which might be present in sufficient quantities to cause harm ...............
-
It depends on what they did with it after they removed it from their tank. If I put mine in the garden to dry out it would probably end up covered in weed killer the way my husband keeps his weeds under control. He does a weekly 'weed walk' and zaps any offending greenery with a spray gun.........
-
But weedkillers available to the public break down after a few hours exposure - no access to the really strong stuff these days :)
-
i think it was pathogens that aquamaid was
more bothered about like little nasty's on it
-
It's been out of tank for a while i think and stood in garden, but believe me that garden ain't seen weed killer any time recently :rotfl:
-
But weedkillers available to the public break down after a few hours exposure - no access to the really strong stuff these days :)
I still wouldn't risk it!
Any wood that had been standing in our garden for any length of time would get a good wash.
-
i agree a good wash and a scrub should suffice
-
Yes a good scrub with boiling water then i think, thanks all