I was outside and i found this cool stick i want to put in my fish tank. Is there any thing i have to do with it before i put it in? i've heard i should soak it for a few days. and, if it floats, how can i make it sink?
by "stick" i mean, large branch haha. I have a 55 gallon fish tank and the branch is like, 3 feet long
Sibyl
Favorite Answer
I would boil it first and if possible find out what kind of wood it is and look it up. Not all wood is aquarium safe.
If it's just a stick it probably won't sink after boiling it, so it will have to be weighted down. I used silicone sealant to attach a piece of stubborn driftwood to a pane of glass and then placed it directly on the bottom of the aquarium and covered it up with gravel.
?
Hello!
Yes, sticks and other types of natural wood do look great in any sort of aquarium! I always think that natural objects, like live plants, really do create a brilliant, homely environment for the fish leading to less stress - it's just one of those feelings.
Anyway, back to your question..
If you want to introduce something that has been exposed to the outdoors, then it may (and possibly will be) infected with different kinds of bacteria, insects - and even cat urine!
What you need to do, is to completely boil the stick, whilst also taking off any loose parts of the stick. But be careful, if not done correctly, then you could potentially kill your fish. To make it sink, then place a place a part of it under a rock or between something (like the tanks glass) and the rock.
I would HIGHLY recommend you into visiting your local pet store and buying a natural piece of wood, they sell them in different shapes and sizes - because they are much more safer for your aquarium.
Never rush into anything. One bad move, and bye bye fishies :(
Good luck, and I hope you get the answers you need.
Dan.
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You should perform a 20% water change weekly. Clean the gravel with a gravel siphon weekly to remove fish waste, and dead plant matter. You should test your water using liquid-drop kits. You should never over feed your fish - give food, wait five minutes, remove any uneaten food. Change your filter's media every 2-3months maximum and make sure there is a working air pump.
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Anonymous
Listen to Lisa unless you want to have fishy funerals. Once your tank is cycled then a male betta is a beautiful addition and get him some ornaments and a plant etc. A small tank requires regular water changes to keep the parameters good. We have a 12 gallon tank with filter and heater and perform 15% water changes every week. We use a gravel vac to syphon out all the debris up to 15% and then we dechlorinate the new water and add it to the tank and the correct temperature. Two days after each water change I do a water test to check the PH ammonia and nitrate levels are correct. Never leave uneaten food in your tank as this makes the water deteriorate too fast. We feed and then after 3-5 minutes we scoop out what has not been eaten with a small net. Best of luck.
Anonymous
Yes. Boil it with very little chemicals.
P.S. Dan G.,
you seem very helpful and it is very obvious that you want to be the best answerer in this section. Chill out, and why did you explain how to take care of fish? That was not even his question. Whatever, just try chilling out a bit.
Darius
Boil it to reduce the risk of unwanted chemicals and hold it down with something heavy like a rock or decor. But i would make sure there are no sharp parts on the stick that can injury your fish.