hello,i was camping at a glasier lake last weekend and found some driftwood and rocks for my 55gl.does anyone know if they are safe to use? monica

Boil the rocks, after they cool they should be fine. As for the drift wood, that needs to be boiled too, if it is too big to fit in a pan, then search this site for DIY Driftwood. There is a tread about how to treat the wood... Do you know what kind of wood it is?

What i do is boil the rocks then i put them in a bleach and water bath and i let them soak for about 2 hours then a good rinse off the should be good.

bleach ?

my lfs told me i have done it before u dont use all bleach i used 3 cups to 5 gallons of water

I also use bleach... You just have to make sure that you rinse REALLY well and and make sure it doesn't smell like bleach before you put it back in the aquarium!

i wouldnt think that bleach is a good idea.

i would have never guessed you could use bleach

I will honestly have to say that I have used unscented bleach for years for rocks and unfamiliar aquarium decorations, it was recomended to me by an old hobbyist who had been doing this for years. Bleach is nothing more than a concentrate of chlorine, or chloride, which dissapates in time, using a chlorine remover, (one that you normally use with water changes) speeds up the process of the removal of the chlorine, or chlorides, I usually rinse repeatedly after a chlorine soak of several days and then add the chlorine remover. I have never had any problems, not that this is a scientific method, but I have to admit that I have had success this way.

Sam

Thanks guys for your tips alot of people have bashed me for saying that in the past not on here but other pages. I been doing that for years and it seems to work great. thanks again

we have a giant kettle wich is big enuf for any piece of wood i just boil it for like 2 hours. no need for bleach maybe usefull on rocks and pots. but i still aint gonna risk it on wood

I have never used it on wood either, I only use it on decorations and plants... I don't know that using it on something porous would be a good idea!