# old Eastern Red Cedar



## mief (Nov 27, 2007)

Only thing I'd worry about is Cedar has a lot of tannic acid in it, which can change the ph of a tank pretty quickly, as I've found out the hard way. It can also tint the water. I'd probably soak it for a while and weigh it down before trying to stick it in a tank. And I'd change the water pretty frequently in whatever you're soaking it in.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

I was hoping that maybe since it had been submerged in a river for who knows how long would have washed out kind of chemicals, tannins or acids that might otherwise be in cedar.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

Don't most conifers contain resins that would not be good for the inhabitants of the tank?


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

yeh cedars included. but if its old enough and been submerged long enough it may be free of those resins and i'm trying to find out if that is the case.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

The wood in my tank is cedar I collected in NC. It's fine.


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## angelsword (May 16, 2009)

I would throw it in and not think twice about it. It looks nice and I hope it sinks for you. Great find!


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## mief (Nov 27, 2007)

Maybe I'm just more hesitant to stick whatever I find outdoors in my tanks than everyone else


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

So I decided to ensure the safety of the tank and the wood. I put a couple coats of drylok color to match as close as possible to the orignal color of the wood. This will keep any bad things locked in the wood and water out which will hopefully mean it will last much longer. If I put ottos in the tank I put pieces of much safer oak drift wood in the tank. Before and after pics are attached.

And yes the drylok and pigment is safe for fish. Many people from the cichlid-forum use drylok and the pigment to seal their DIY in tank backgrounds with no ill effects.


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## neumahrs (Jan 12, 2010)

That wood looks so old and weathered that it probably is already safe.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

yeh I figured it probably was, it was also getting pretty soft on the inside, it had been underwater. I was afraid of it falling apart. so the drylok with prevent that.


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## .Q. (Sep 11, 2010)

Your piece of wood looks nice.

I have some cedar in one of my tanks. It was from the bottom of a man made lake for about 50 years and outside for about 8 more. I had to screw them to a piece of slate to keep 'em down. I have a healthy Farlowella in there that stays stuck to it all day.

Q


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

awesome looking tank!


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Yawn.......again, here we go with folks who no experience at all suggesting this wood is not safe...............










Client's tank

My tank with western cedar this time:










Stop in at Tampa's Public Aquarium, it's almost entirely eastern cedar.
If you are not sure or do not know, just say that. Green new wood is bad no matter what type it might be. Old long dead wood is generally good if it's hard and there is no rot.

Regards, 

Tom Barr


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

haha, thanks Tom. that's the same advice I got from my co-worker and a few others. Unfortunately the wood I had was pretty soft except for the outer shell, why I chose to seal it with the drylok. I think it still looks pretty good, not as good as it would be 100% natural, but get some moss and algae growing on it, be hard to tell the difference.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Don't they use cedar to cook fish? Anyways, cool looking stump either way! Fish will looove swimming through that hole!




Those discus look odd, almost fake lol,but awesome!


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## WeedCali (Jun 21, 2010)

omg Tom that Discus tank is amazing! any more pics/ info on that?


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