How to Prepare Wood for a Reptile Tank

Piece of driftwood

Prepping wood for your reptile tank is essential to ensure that it will not pose a hazard to your pet. Wood in aquarium tanks helps to mock the natural environment. Wood also helps lower the pH level if your aquarium has water in it.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Piece of wood
• Water
• Small bucket
• Towel
• 3- to 4-inch long thick piece of string
• Rock

Instructions

1. 

   Iguana on wood piece

   Measure your tank from the inside and determine the height and width of piece of wood that you will need to fit your tank.

2. Locate the piece of wood that you wish to put into your tank. You can find this either in nature or at your local pet retail shop.

3. Place enough water in your bucket to completely cover the piece of wood that you have chosen. Tie a rock to it using a 3- to 4-inch thick piece of string to keep it completely submerged. Let the wood soak for several days, weeks or months as needed.

4. 

   Bucket

   Change the water every day or every other day until no color or debris floats to the top of the water.

5. 

   Aquarium

   Once the wood has soaked long enough, remove it from the bucket and lay to dry on a towel outside in the sun or in a warm area of your home. Let it dry completely. This may take up to a week or more. It is now ready to be placed into your reptile tank.

Tips & Warnings

• You need a piece of wood that is both dense and strong. You may also anchor your piece of wood by using gravel or rocks.

• Never use a soft wood as it is susceptible to decay. Also take care and note that wood found in nature may be hazardous even after soaking. Pesticides and poisons can often absorb into the wood. If you choose a piece of wood from nature, look in areas that are secluded from cities or bodies of water that may be contaminated from third-party pollutants.

References

• Aqua Fish: Aquarium Wood
• Squidoo: Using Driftwood in Your Aquarium