Aquascaping

[jon carman]

Any info on aquascaping...

[tmom]

I've gotten some nice pieces of driftwood out of old hickory lake around the dam.

[jon carman]

Make sure you soak it good before putting it in your tank. You might even want to make a 1% bleach solution soak it for a day, then soak it for a week in fresh water. Probably overkill, but you never know. Percy priest is another great place to find it when the water level is low.

[marshall615]

GOOD ADVICE THANKS GUYS

[leslie]

use bleach as a last resort!! if you can get it in a pot boils it for 6 or more hours!
if you cant fit it in a pot use an over bake for 2-12 hours depending one size. also make sure its a hard wood. soft wood will everntulyy rott away! u can always use ur bathtube. fill it full of the hottest water you can get from the faucet!! then drain and so on!! if you use bleach get prime and dump the whole bottle in it to remove the bleach!

[jon carman]

Welcome to the forum leslie

[leslie]

thanks jon

[rogerhopper]

Best to get a tote and soak it for several days. Avoid the bleach. Take it to the car wash and use the rinse cycle or if you have a pressure washer. Wash it throughly. If you leave a drop of bleach. bye bye fish. If you have a way to do it boil it. I buy the big plastic totes at walmart they work great to soak.

[jon carman]

I agree use beach as a last resort- I have mainly used it on seashells- I don't anymore- but I really wouldn't put anything from old hickory lake in my tank without bleaching it. I can't imagine anything with more chemicals in it than that lake. If you soak it till the smells gone it usually is fine- but use at own risk.

[horton44]

If you did use bleach, you would need to soak it, change water, soak it, change water- everyday for at least a week, longer would be better. I would boil it real good and then soak it at the very least.

[jeremyh81]

I haven't been to Old Hickory Lake, but am very interested in collecting driftwood before paying an arm and a leg at the LFS. Is the dam area pretty much open to the public? Do they lower the water level during the cooler months like other dammed lakes?

My parents live about a mile from a boat ramp on Tims Ford, and I'll be down there for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty positive that they lower the water level during fall/winter, so I will definitely be looking around there. Plus it's fun just to take the Jeep out on the damp lake bed.