# How to make a HUGE piece of drift wood from the beach terrarium safe



## reptiles12 (Jul 18, 2012)

Hey guys, I was just wondering if there is anyway to make a giant piece of drift wood I found at the beach terrarium safe. It is way to big to fit in any size pot or anything Its probably about 30x30 inches. I want to make sure there's no disease or mite or bugs that will harm my darts or the other reptiles I own. Any idea is helpful!


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

Find a giant autoclave. That's really the only way to be 100% sure. 

I would just scrub it very well with bleach water, then rinse it well and let it dry out for a long time indoors. That's about the safest your going to get it.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

Boondoggle said:


> Find a giant autoclave. That's really the only way to be 100% sure.
> 
> I would just scrub it very well with bleach water, then rinse it well and let it dry out for a long time indoors. That's about the safest your going to get it.


Bleach and wood is no bueno. The bleach can get stuck in the wood.


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## naadbrahma (Sep 14, 2012)

Know anybody with a swimming pool? I bet if you left it in the pool for a week that would do the trick. Otherwise I bet freezing it in a walk-in freezer might do it too. I'm assuming it's from a freshwater area? I ended up getting a big tote for my pieces and soaked them in diluted bleach which if you let the wood dry will evaporate in the process.


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## reptiles12 (Jul 18, 2012)

An wouldi take it from the beach to bleach? The beach water is in the wood so eh would I bleach it out and put bleach in the wood? If I was to bury it In the snow all winter would it make it safe?


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## stephen-mcginn (Sep 26, 2010)

i hears you could freeze it but there is bacteria that can survive through the winter. if it doesnt fit in a oven and you dont want to bleach it then idk....the oven trick is soak in bleach then 230 or 350 for 45-2hrs...i pull it out once in awhile to get it soaked again so it doesnt catch on fire...and do that til it can almost leave burn marks in your hands.

bleach is fine just let soak for a few minutes then soak in water and then soak again in a new bucket of water then let it sit til it is completely dry...ive done that for a few years with no problems....bleach may get absorbed through the wood but if you soak it a few times in water then your ok


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## stephen-mcginn (Sep 26, 2010)

naadbrahma said:


> Know anybody with a swimming pool? I bet if you left it in the pool for a week that would do the trick. Otherwise I bet freezing it in a walk-in freezer might do it too. I'm assuming it's from a freshwater area? I ended up getting a big tote for my pieces and soaked them in diluted bleach which if you let the wood dry will evaporate in the process.


dont dilute it so much that it doesnt work...use a 50/50 ratio


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## Shinosuke (Aug 10, 2011)

What boondoggle said, you need an autoclave for the best results. I'm not an expert, but here's what I've read the experts say:

Bleach stays in the wood and leaks slowly over an extended time, and that's not good for frog&friends.

Wood is not a good conductor (ever seen wires made of wood?) so sticking it in the oven or boiling it won't head the insides of the wood enough to clean it. I read a story somewhere in which a person stuck a piece of wood in the oven for a few hours then, after taking it out, found a bunch of ants still living burrowed deep inside it. If the heat isn't enough to kill ants you can guarantee it's not enough to kill bacteria!

If you don't have access to an autoclave and you want to risk it your best bet is a thorough scrub with mild soap, hot water, and a stiff-bristled brush.


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

If i am not mistaken, i would never use wood from the beach. The salt water is a no no in dart frog tanks. Youll never get all the salt out of a well weathered beach driftwood.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Biological agents aside (which could be resolved through autoclave sterilization), aren't chemical agents also a potential hazard? You don't know where that piece of wood has been and what chemicals it's absorbed. While bacteria/viruses/Bd can be killed with an autoclave, the potential chemicals that have been absorbed into the wood cannot be easily extracted.


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## reptiles12 (Jul 18, 2012)

I've never heard of an autoclave, where can I get one?


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

an autoclave is a machine that sterilizes items by exposing them to highly pressurized steam. They are _basically_ large pressure cookers.

I would not recommend getting one, as they are generally pretty expensive (the larger one is, the more expensive it is). Here is a google search for autoclaves:
https://www.google.com/search?q=aut...7b2ceffbb4b2b8&bpcl=38093640&biw=1920&bih=930


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## reptiles12 (Jul 18, 2012)

Wow that is expensive, I think im gunna bleach and leave it in the snow. I found it up away from the beach not in the water to let you guys know.


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