Dart Den

Hi I have large cedar driftwood roots and branches that are incredibly beautiful. Some are over 350 lbs!!! These pieces are cedar driftwood from a small freshwater stream near my house. Also, these pieces were pulled from the water over 40 years ago and just lay and aged in an open field for the past 40 years.

I was wondering if anyone knows of this is safe. I know cedar mulch is not safe for darts. Since this wood is so old wouldn't it be safe since all the tannin is gone?

Thanks

Hi Jan,
I do not see any reason why the cedar is not usable. I would 10% bleach it for a few days , rinse and dry for awhile , but I use lots of cedar drift. No problems so far. Tannins are good for Dart and the viv in general. I do not know what cedar contribute as far as tannins.


Rich

I should think that old roots in particular, would be perfectly safe and free from any resins, unlike branches might be. I would personally just wash them off with hot water and a scrub brush, and not do the bleach thing, but if you follow Rich's advice with bleaching them, be sure to allow some time for it to dissipate in the open before you introduce it. Or you could safely boil them for about 20 minutes. Using bleach may change the wood color, as well.