Prepping natural wood for a BP

[benhamtroll]

Hey, all. I'm off to the coast today, and I'm planning on doing some driftwood hunting to try and find a nice piece of wood to put in the tank. Obviously, I'm not going to just toss it in untreated.

How would you recomend I get it clean enough for use? I've heard of baking it, which sounds good, but I imagine I'd also need to wash it first. Should I just rinse it off good, or maybe run it through the dishwasher first? Someone suggested soaking it in bleach water, but that made me a little uncomfortable.

Suggestions?

Chris

[Ginevive]

I usually just soak it in a HOT bathtub of water.. hot as in, hot water only, no cold. Just be careful not to get burned! You could even boil it stovetop if you have a pot big enough.
I just got a ton of driftwood from Lake Erie, and I plan on doing just that! It is pretty "cured" naturally, but I still would want to kill off any nasties that may be living in it.

[jglass38]

Bake it at 250 degrees for an hour or so...

[1stpalindrone]

Im soaking some driftwood and a couple of hides in HOT water right now. I've heard to bake it or soak it or both..

How long should I soak the wood?
How long should I bake it @ 250 if I've already soaked 'em?

Thx for the help