# Why is driftwood so expensive?



## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Why is drift wood so expensive? It seems to me like a dried out piece of wood is only a little more valuable than a green one, so like... 50c. Yet A small piece goes for $20! Whats going on here?


----------



## Indychus (Feb 21, 2013)

Driftwood isnt just dried out, it's created by a cycle of wetting and drying over a long period of time. It's only expensive because people are willing to pay for it- take a trip to the river and you can usually get some for free.


----------



## TwoTacoCombo (Apr 13, 2012)

Somebody has to collect it, sort it, clean it, etc. Stuff like Manzanita can't be found just anywhere either, so that demands a certain premium.


----------



## pmcarbrey (Jan 19, 2013)

Manzanita:

The wood is notoriously hard to cure, mostly due to cracking against the grain, giving it few uses as timber. The slow growth rate and many branchings further decrease the sizes available. Some furniture and art employ whole round branches, which reduces cracking and preserves the deep red color.
The dead wood decays slowly and can last for many years, on and off the plant. Sunlight smooths and bleaches manzanita to light grey or white, rendering it superficially akin to animal bones. Because of this and the stunted growth of many species, manzanita is often collected in its more unusual shapes, giving it the nickname mountain driftwood.
Manzanita wood is also used as perches for parrots and other large pet birds. The branches of the larger species are extremely long-lasting for this purpose.Some aquarium keepers use sandblasted manzanita as driftwood in planted aquaria because of its attractive forked growth and its chemical neutrality.

A lot more effort goes into collecting and treating wood than you would expect.


----------



## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

It seems that you are right. I just assumed it was left outside in the sun for a long period of time. My fireplace wood seems to go from green to dead and dry in about a year, though I wouldn't want to use that in my tank. 

So the price is because the wood that is used is chemically neutral and is, in some cases, sand blasted, before being prepared in a wet/dry process, that is not just leaving it outside?


----------



## pmcarbrey (Jan 19, 2013)

Not to mention being heat treated, likely boiled once or twice and then you also have the fact that only th pieces that look good and are of a good size/shape are sold.


----------



## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

The driftwood is free, you are paying for the time & trouble to find it, haul it home, clean it, and advertise it.

I'm 45 min. North of Chicago, I have 3 nice pieces that were aged in Lake Michigan. You're welcome to fly or drive out here from Boston and I'll sell the each for .50

BTW - Bring a snow shovel, I'll show you were to dig for them.

:hihi:


----------



## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

Haha. Thanks DogFish. That is very generous of you


----------



## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

DrakeScree said:


> Haha. Thanks DogFish. That is very generous of you



I'm _Wicked_ helpful

:icon_mrgr


----------



## Ogiedapogi (Jun 26, 2020)

DrakeScree said:


> Why is drift wood so expensive? It seems to me like a dried out piece of wood is only a little more valuable than a green one, so like... 50c. Yet A small piece goes for $20! Whats going on here?


In my own experience and observations, its is the beauty that created itself into counts. Also the no. of years it takes before drawing out from the soil. Some driftwood projects a dragon-like images or a group of dogs and of birds...I would say...." a collectors item" to have.


----------



## Somefishguy (Jan 8, 2020)

Go for spider wood on eBay.


----------



## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

I've always thought it was pretty cheap in the scope of things. Besides the fact is has to be found, collected, sorted, cleaned, cut, and transported for sale, it's about the longest lasting thing you can buy for your aquarium. I have mopani wood that is 15+ years old and looks like it did when I bought it (more or less). I'm very picky about shapes and so forth but when I find a piece that I'm looking for, I never feel like I overpaid.


----------



## victorusaconte (Jun 20, 2020)

Dude I live in Florida, i made everything for my tank but the gravel, cause nutrient rich substrate is a joke, here in my town everything is sand, sand, and rocks and lakes, so i have some natural snails, wood that im treating, some natural plants and i could've get a lot more stuff but I dont like the idea of taking from the nature.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


----------

