daveb056

Boil for 20+ minutes. Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water. Soak for no more than 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with dechlorinated water. I have used this method on fallen deadwood, as well as some heavily moss and algae covered wood recovered when the level in my lake fell. All are doing beautifully 2 weeks into my new tank build. The moss is growing nicely, the shrimp and snails are working on the algae. Only problem, or surprise bonus is one snail escaped the boiling and possibly the sterilizing. It is presently residing in a small quarantine tank I set up.

I ordered some assassins for this tank. Have several smaller tanks planned; will def consider nerites, probably go for the horned; they're cool! . Thanx, all.

Perfect, thanx for the info. The mysterys aregreat at keeping the tank clean, but subtle they are not. The tank is mostly built from native materials pulled from my yard and lake, so a lot of moss and algae. The shrimp(orange rilis and 2 bamboo) and snails are working overtime. My biggest problem is I can't get my DBTs, bacopa and grasses to root 'cause the bulldozers keep coming thru. I was worried about assasins going for the mysterys, but I guess they are too big to mess with. I'll also check into the Malaysian trumpets. Thanx again. Hope to post a pic of the tank soon, once I finally clear away all the build debris.

Greetings: looking for recommendations for snails to get. I have a new, planted 6.5 gallon setup for fish , shrimp and snails. The 4 mystery snails I have now (they won't all be staying) are bulldozing the substrate. So I'm looking for smaller snails to keep things clean but in place. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Tanked: thanx for this. I built the hide using silicone, but I'm not happy with it, too much flex. After reading your post, I think I'm gonna redo it with hot glue. Thanx for all the responses; I'll post a pic when it's all done

Perfect! That video was exactly what I needed. I began using the GE Silicone I, believing it was fish safe, then started to doubt that halfway thru my build. So glad to know I don't have to start over, or pay for the aquarium branded products. Thanx!!

Good looking out, TOtrees. I'm actually using the GE Silicone I in the caulk gun you can just see the handle of hanging from the sawhorse. The product in the tube is GE Silicone II: not sure if it's fish/shrimp safe or not.

I hate the way super glue turns white; silicone dries clear. Will mix some with pulverized lava rock to blend in.

Thanx so much, Cory. Pretty much what I was thinking. Hot glue is fast and easy, but silicone I think gives better, longer lasting adhesion. I'm not in a hurry, so silicone it is.

Which would you recommend? Want to build a cave feature out of lava rock.

That sounds like the safe thing to do, I agree. Problem is, the peeling bark and lichen are exactly what give it so much appeal. See photo.

I am in the process of setting up a new 6.5 gal tank for shrimp and chili rasboras. All the water, plants and hardscape from my old tank have been cleaned and are waiting in various containers scattered around my room. I want the new tank to have a natural look, so am looking to use wood found lying around my yard. One really nice piece, a piece of a branch from a cherry (maybe) or oak (probably) tree I picked up in the driveway. The bark is peeling in places, and it's pretty well covered in pale green-grey lichen. Will this be safe to use in my new tank? I think it would look great. All the wood I've collected has been sterilized in a 275 degree oven for an hour and a half or more. Any advice on using naturally, locally (New Jersey Pine Barrens) materials will be greatly appreciated. TIA