# Sealing Driftwood??



## lbannie (Jul 13, 2015)

I'm building another paludarium. I live by a reservoir with lots of driftwood. For my 10 gallon I used a small piece and Coated it with silicone since I didn't know the origin of the wood. 
Now for this tank(a 40b) the piece will be much larger. 
Is there something I can seal it with?
Polyurethane? I've found marine epoxy but it's very expensive. 
Lacquer?
Is it worth sealing?


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I tried to oil based polyurehane some rocks that sent my GH and KH through the roof.. They were urethane dipped and let dry for over a week.. when I went to rinse them to test in water the urethane was tacky and pealed but did not completely remove easily.. like permanently un-dried paint. I was not comfortable putting it in a tank so I had to ditch the rocks (shame they were very lovely).
I would not trust lacquer in a tank either.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

I think species would be as important as origin when using found driftwood. Those that have done it will correct me if I'm on the wrong track here.

To put it very simply, wood moves and dead wood will simply decay. I don't think there's a finish or coating that will make wood permanently sealed off from it's environment. Putting a sealant over something that will inherently start to decay, may not be the best approach. While some finishes I'm certain can actually become an inert plastic film, it can't permanently and completely seal what's under it, and probably shouldn't.


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

Why introduce something possibly toxic in your aquarium?

Unsealed wood is natural.


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## lbannie (Jul 13, 2015)

I just thought I would be preserving it. The wood I found from my local reservoir is almost white and hard from the sun. I guess that should be ok. Should I still soak it? It is too large for a pot. 


Also how long does the wood last? Years?


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

I sealed a couple of small pieces with 2 part penetrating epoxy I picked up at the local West Marine . Both were just starting to show signs of decay when I picked them out of the woods . Scrubbed them down with water , baked them at 250 or so for a couple of hours to get the moisture out and kill off any mold or critters in the wood, and brushed on a generous coat of the epoxy on all sides . Had to work fast as it's a 2 part mix and sets up in around 10-15 minutes . Both are in tanks maybe a year - 18 months and are still holding up well , no fish or plant deaths that I can attribute to the epoxy .


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## lbannie (Jul 13, 2015)

Awesome! I'll have to check out the boat dealers. Was it very expensive? 
I had an awesome piece of driftwood that was a little soft in spots. I have since ruined it with silicone. But I'm looking for a new piece! 



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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

Was pretty expensive ..... 60 bucks or so for something like 12 or 16 oz. IIRC . I had a rotted sill on my front door I wanted to stabilize and got it for that purpose . Had some left over so used it for the driftwood . Maybe they sell smaller amounts . Whatever you get ,do some research and try to find out if the resin has any type of mold inhibitors in it . Also , the stuff I used really didn't like to be overcoated . I made the mistake of putting a second coat on one piece and it took forever ( months) to cure . Wear disposable gloves ,work outside , and use a cheap brush . You don't want it on your skin . Know also that you really don't want to go overboard with the hardener . Too much hardener will cause the resin mix to heat up tremendously and cure within a few minutes.


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