Driftwood / Wood In General... What's Safe? Where Can You Get Some?

Mmathis

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As far as pond decor, I like the look of well-placed driftwood [of course, after my first choice which is always, ROCKS!]. I use a lot of tree parts & bark in the turtle habitat, but not anything appropriate for the pond.

So wondering where one can obtain pieces of "driftwood," or wood that would be appropriate to put in or next to a pond or stream?

Can you use dead branches [the ones that have sitting out so long, they're sun bleached]? Or does it literally have to be something that came out of the water?

What makes natural wood safe, and how do you know if it's OK?
 
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We live a few miles from Lake Michigan so we go in the spring and look for wood that has washed up on shore over the winter months. We've also picked up large pieces of bark and other fallen branches from the woods near our home.

I've read the question on other forums about "safe wood" and read about people bleaching and soaking and sharing formulas and timetables and whatever to make the wood "safe". My question is what would make wood UNSAFE? I could see if it had been sprayed or treated for pests, but other than that what is your concern? Maybe I'm missing something obvious...
 
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For fresh cut, look for hardwoods. May be able to find such after storms or whe folks have their massive trees trimmed. Cypress is another great choice. Take a walk in the deep woods. Go along a river or bayou shoreline. Drive around to see if anyone has cut a tree. That is had I have found the pieces around my pond. If you happen to fine a trunk with it's root section, IMO, you've hit the jackpot! Good luck.
 

HARO

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I have often used long-dead cedar wood taken from our northern lakes (sister had a cottage) in my aquariums. Large pieces were trimmed to final size and left to dry in the sun for a few weeks, then a piece of slate was fastened to the bottom using stainless screws. Never once had a problem with 'hitch-hikers'.
John
 

Mmathis

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But what's better, wood that's been in water, or just any fallen wood? I have access to "just plain old branches" [our local Boy Scout Ranch -- and I have an agreement with the Ranger, LOL]. And yes, after a storm is a great time to find fresh [and old] wood & bark for the turtle habitat. Mostly pine, but some hardwoods.

But am leery about using any of it in the pond water -- will it leech tannins, will it rot, etc.? Does the age of the wood make a difference [green???]?? Does it need to be sterilized?

I'm not interested in using any special processes to change the wood [other than good old sunshine], just want to know what wood I can or shouldn't use. Seems like anything with bark on it would rot -- remove the bark? Roots do seem pretty solid & dense [and are definitely used to being in contact with moisture].
 

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Personally, I wouldn't use wood that hasn't been exposed to water. I think this would leach out any elements that could discolour your water and/or harm the fish. Certain woods (walnut) contain chemicals that inhibit or kill competing growth around the tree, but with several years of water exposure, even this should not be a problem. With green or recently dead wood, I'd be afraid of harm to the fish.
John
 

JBtheExplorer

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I once had a similar question, and looked around the web. I remember reading multiple times that most wood is completely safe, but there are a few types that aren't. I can't remember what they were, so you might want to try a google search. I have a couple different types of wood in my pond but never had any issue with them.
 
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Driftwood isn't really driftwood unless it's been in drifting in the water for a while.
I just search the shorelines and selected the ones i like and stuck them in my pond.
Turtles love basking on driftwood.
full
 

addy1

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I have put wood around my ponds, some in the lotus tank for the frogs/toads to be able to climb out. Mainly just branches that are laying around. I have collected a few dead roots of trees, they make a great look around a pond. I have not been able to find any driftwood near our maryland home, the ocean down here gets some neat driftwood, but too big to haul home.
 
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Turtle Mommy,

True driftwood, according to my own definition, is a naturally fallen tree that has gone through several phases of evolution, or rather, processing to meet my criteria of good quality driftwood. I'll expand on that "criteria" later on.

1] The tree/branch blows down in a wind or ice storm, a beaver cuts it down or a flood washes it out of the river bank.
2] It is carried downstream by the current and smashes into rocks, ice or other obstructions and all the bark is removed.
3] The water soaks the wood and leaches out most of the sap.
4] Minerals from the water begin to migrate into the cellulose structure of the now dead cells.
5] The wood comes to rest out of water on a dry sandbar for a summer period where the sun bakes and dries it.
6] It continues downstream again, going through another year of being smashed and banged and washed and dried.
7] It turns out looking gnarly, smooth textured, lightweight and hard, not water-logged and not soft (spongey) or rotting.

Best places to find excellently conditioned driftwood such as this are either on an ocean beach or in a slow flowing, sand or gravel bottomed river. You will know it is a good piece if it looks huge and should be heavy, but it is amazingly lightweight.

The reason I have this criteria for driftwood is because when I was a teenager, my sister-in-law was into arts and crafts. One of her many projects was to take a piece of driftwood and stain, shellac or paint it and mount miniature figurines of small animals and plants or flowers upon it or drill holes in it and make a candle holder out of it and sell them or give them as gifts. The driftwood had to have a specific shape or design and be "cured" by nature's elements so that it would not be just a rotting piece of timber. Since I was practically living on the river all the time, she asked me to collect such specimens for her artwork. So I developed a keen sense of what specimens were the best.

If you find specimens such as these, they will last a very, very long time out of water (decades). If you put them in your pond water for the turtles to roost upon, they will eventually begin to rot, but should last much longer than just a normal piece of tree limb that has not undergone this processing or evolution. They actually become cross between water resistant cork (lightweight and bouyant) and being petrified or preserved, but not heavy like a stone.

Gordy
 
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Driftwood isn't really driftwood unless it's been in drifting in the water for a while.
I just search the shorelines and selected the ones i like and stuck them in my pond.
Turtles love basking on driftwood.
full

Mucky Waters,

That is an awesome display of driftwood (and pond)! A most natural looking selection and design layout. I love it very much as it does not appear to have been created by man... It looks as though Mother Nature herself laid it down just that way! That is beautiful. You should enter this into the photo of the month thing when the appropriate theme or subject arises. If you haven't done so in the past already.

Gordy
 
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Mmathis

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My thanks to all!

Mucky & Gordy, I think you two just about answered my questions. Not too many opportunities around here to find appropriate wood, but at least I know what to look for!

The "fresh" wood will have to continue to be part of the turtle-habitat decor -- hiding places for them as well as a source of fresh, creepy, crawly food! And as I do now, I can still use nice branches to sort of outline their water features without actually using it in the water -- you can do all kinds of creative, natural looking stuff with wood [like with Mucky's pond!].
 

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In your case, TM, you are dealing with two distinctly different habitats, pond and woodland. Anything IN the pond should, by rights, be well aged in water, whereas fallen branches and pieces of bark are right at home in the woods.
John
 

Mmathis

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In your case, TM, you are dealing with two distinctly different habitats, pond and woodland. Anything IN the pond should, by rights, be well aged in water, whereas fallen branches and pieces of bark are right at home in the woods.
John
You are exactly right! And it's fun working with that! Their new bog will have a stream to feed back to the pond. I'll use some branches along the OUTsides of the stream, but not in the water. Unless I find some REAL driftwood!

Part of the fun of my turtle-scaping [I made that up] is coming up with creative ways to use nature to enhance their home -- not that they care, though. They'd probably be just as happy with cardboard boxes and tin cans as long as they have places to hide and ways to regulate their body temps :) Oh, and a steady food source -- "Mommy!"
 

JBtheExplorer

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I just search the shorelines and selected the ones i like and stuck them in my pond..

I've wondered about the laws on that. I know a good driftwood area but not sure if it would be an issue or not. Around here, I know you have to have a permit to collect wood from state forests, so i'm not exactly sure how it works outside of state forests.
 

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