How to make driftwood for an aquarium with your own hands?

Snag in the aquarium is considered an important element. Based on its shape, size and characteristics, vegetation, moss and other necessary elements are selected. Also, the presence of snags creates a special environment for fish, close to natural. A wide assortment of driftwood is presented in pet stores, but such a product can be made by yourself. It is enough to choose, prepare and process the wood correctly.

First, you need to figure out what are the functions of driftwood in the aquarium.

• The product creates an aesthetic appearance of the reservoir, gives completeness to the water landscape.
• Such an element of decor serves the fish as a place to relax, play or even spawn.
• Some species of fish (such as catfish) feed on the bark, which is cleaned from a tree. The substances contained in wood prevent diseases of the digestive system and improve the digestion process itself.
• Tannin and tannin components, which also releases wood, disinfect water and destroy harmful microbes. For fish, these components are absolutely safe.
• Natural environment favorably affects the growth and development of fish.

Of course, driftwood in aquariums are the main element in the decoration of the underwater world. They can play a major role in design, located in the foreground or in the central part of the reservoir. May also be less noticeable and placed in the background. At the same time, driftwood will serve as an excellent home for fish. Some species like to hide in the twisting branches of their fry.

In the natural environment, a large number of branches and leaves fall into the reservoirs, which creates the optimal composition of water for the life of the fish. Therefore, in an artificial habitat, the components released by wood when it enters the water saturate the reservoir with all the necessary substances and acids for the normal life of the aquarium inhabitants.

It is worth noting some of the disadvantages of wood snags. Wood stains water. But do not worry, it will not harm the inhabitants of the reservoir. You can boil the branch thoroughly and after several water changes the color will disappear. If the shade remains, you need to get rid of the branch and pick another one.

Another minor issue is white coating. And again, this is not scary.

If catfish are present in the aquarium, they are happy to clean this layer of bark. It is worth worrying if the old driftwood has acquired such a raid. This means that the branch began to rot and it needs to be urgently removed from the aquarium.

If the branch is covered with green bloom, then this means the appearance of algae. The length of daylight affects the development of a favorable environment for their reproduction. Therefore, in order to get rid of them, it is enough to reduce daylight hours.

To make a snag for an aquarium with your own hands, you first need to find it. Do not pick up the first stick you get. The best way - this is wood taken from a forest, park, and a nearby body of water. You need to take a good look at the selected snag. It is worth paying attention to the type of wood.

The best option would be a branch from apple, grapevine, willow, beech, alder, pear and plum. Also oak branches are great for artificial pond.

It is not recommended to use parts of conifers, such as pine and cedar. Also, parts of living trees cannot be used. Snags must be dried. If you liked the option of living wood as a snag, then you should first cut down the part you like and dry it well in a ventilated place or in the sun.

With the independent selection of branches for an artificial reservoir, the following nuances should be taken into account.

• The size of the branch should correspond to the volume of the reservoir. Do not choose too large snags, it should not take up much space. But small branches will be knocked out of the landscape. Against the general background, they look inconspicuous and ridiculous. It is necessary that the snag is in harmony with the underwater design.
• You can use thick driftwood driftwood - wood that has been in water for a long time. The ideal solution would be branches from ponds with running water.
• It is not recommended to use rotten wood. An excellent and safe option are tree branches, on the trunk of which there are grooves from insects.

If you have the money, you can go to the store and purchase the finished product. In pet stores today a large assortment of driftwood from mangroves, mopans and exotic plant species is presented. Products are durable and look original.

Self-made driftwood is the proper preparation and processing of the product. First you need to prepare the branch for the boiling process. To do this, inspect the wood for rot and bark particles. Over time, the bark begins to rot and poison the aquatic environment, which adversely affects the health of the fish and subsequently leads to their death. Therefore, the remnants of bark and rot are removed.

Therefore, the processing of decorative elements from natural materials should be approached with great responsibility.

The method of processing snags is boiling wood. You can’t do without boiling. With this treatment, all bacteria, harmful spores, microbes and insects that inhabit wood are destroyed.

A step-by-step processing instruction is as follows.

• First rinse the branch thoroughly under running water.
• Next, the snag must be correctly soaked. For one hour, the wood is placed in saline. The solution should be strong (up to 400 g of salt should be poured onto 1 liter of water). In the same solution, it is recommended to boil the branch.
• Boil snags should be in a stainless pan or utensils with enamel coating (do not use aluminum utensils). You need to cook the tree for at least 4, and preferably 6-10 hours.

During boiling, make sure that the water does not evaporate. It is also necessary to check the tree for buoyancy. From time to time you should press the snag to the bottom of the pan. If it pops up, continue boiling.

If the branch was previously in a natural reservoir, then it will immediately sink. It is enough to cook such a snag for 6 hours.

Store decor elements also need processing. The duration of the boiling process depends on the shape and thickness of the branches. Large driftwood cook longer. All its parts may not completely fit in the dishes. Therefore, the snag is sometimes turned over and boiled each part separately for several hours.

It is worth paying special attention to the cooking of the vine. Uprooted thin branches of grapes are boiled for about 5 hours. After boiling, they are soaked for 2-3 days, periodically changing the water. At the same time, the wood is quickly saturated with moisture and immediately sinks.

After cooking, the branch must be left under running water or placed in a basin for about a week. Water should be changed frequently. This procedure will save the tree from the salt that it absorbed during boiling. In addition, a long stay of the branch in the water saturates it with additional liquid, and it begins to sink.

Some types of wood, when placed in a pond, still float. In this case, the product is attached to the bottom using additional devices.

After moving the branches into the aquarium, you should pay attention to the color of the water. At first, the water will be painted in a light brown shade. As a rule, after several shifts of water, the shade disappears. If the snag too stains water, it must be soaked again until it has lost its coloring pigment.

It is worth noting that even after thorough boiling in the branch, the presence of rot residues is possible, which begin to rot in the water at an even greater speed. There are several ways to prevent rot.

• The wood is lightly burned with a blowtorch. You can burn both the entire surface and individual suspicious areas. After firing, a branch should be soaked for a couple of days, periodically wiping it and removing a layer of soot.
• Some aquarists recommend melting the entire branch with paraffin. This is the safest and most effective way. After this treatment, the release of harmful substances into the reservoir is maximally prevented.

Making driftwood for an aquarium with your own hands is not an easy option. However, if there is a desire and a large degree of responsibility, it will not be difficult to do it independently. It is only necessary to choose and carefully process the branch. Properly processed driftwood is a source of useful components and substances that support the health of underwater inhabitants.

The following video shows how to make driftwood for an aquarium from a dry branch of an apple tree.