Elm wood?

[crabbymomofthree]

Hi,

My neighbor looks to have an Elm tree, thats he is cutting down, and he has perfect sized little logs sitting for people to take, and for use...i think of my crabs all the time, So I grabbed a load!

Is Elm wood a safe wood for tanks? I know that Elm tree leaves are...

And if yes, then how to pretreat bake, and or wash prior to adding to my crabs tanks

TIA

[wodesorel]

Yes, it is! I've used branches for years now.

They may mold as soon as they hit the humidity of the tank. I have always just used them straight from the yard due to the size.

[AL247]

Are there any known types of tree that don’t mold? I was interested I’d doing this too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wodesorel]

Are there any known types of tree that don’t mold? I was interested I’d doing this too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not that I've found. Boiling in heavily salted water (plain kosher salt is safe and cheap) can really help to stave off mold growth. I do this with cork rounds and small driftwood that are used for the crabs because they fit in my stock pot, and never have a problem with mold. Everything else just gets elevated off the substrate and kept as dry as possible.

[crabbymomofthree]

Yes, it is! I've used branches for years now.

They may mold as soon as they hit the humidity of the tank. I have always just used them straight from the yard due to the size.

Thanks so much! I will use it then and WILL snag more esp when they cut the Maple tree up too...lol!

Couple of more questions pretty please:

1. How long should I boil each end, there kinda big...in salt water? its fresh and looks to have some green algae or mold in some of the branches.
2. How much salt do you add in your pot of water, as you said you use Kosher salt in your stock pot?

Yes, IO is kinda pricey and Kosher salt way way cheaper.