Wood

[nocturnalpulsem]

Is there anything I could do with wood to prevent mold, etc. in a high humidity environment? I have some dried firewood that I was hoping I could use rather than paying an arm, leg and handfull of teeth for cork or store-bought driftwood.

 

[SamuraiSid]

Boil or bake it to kill whatever might be on there now, and then seal it. IMO its when wood comes into contact with moist sub that mold becomes an issue, not humid environment. You could always use clear silicone around the wood below sub level.

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Boil or bake it to kill whatever might be on there now, and then seal it. IMO its when wood comes into contact with moist sub that mold becomes an issue, not humid environment. You could always use clear silicone around the wood below sub level.

Well, I keep the substrate a little moist, so that's why I was asking. Seal it how? What kind of sealant is best?

 

[poisoned]

Bamboo is cheap and molt resistant, it also makes great hides.

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Bamboo is cheap and molt resistant, it also makes great hides.

Yeah but it doesn't have the visual quality I'm looking for.

 

[SamuraiSid]

Krylon makes a non-toxic acrylic sealer in a spray can that will work. Dont know if it will leave a gloss or not.

I plan on trying weldbond glue as a wood sealer. Mix 1 part glue to 10 parts water and brush on. Based on my research it should be fine for a T cage.

 

[billopelma]

I've been using wood-from-outside for years with very few mold or any other problems and have found that the worst thing you can do is sterilize it. I use stuff that's already in an environment similar to what I plan to use it in, with moss, lichens, mushrooms, whatever on it. It's like a little ecosystem and when you sterilize it just throws everything out of balance, kills whatever was keeping things like mold in check. Decent ventilation also can help a lot but isn't always necessary.

Similar situation to when I was into saltwater reef keeping, I loved getting live reef rock and seeing what would grow and emerge from it, if it was dead/sterilized it would grow all kinds of nasty algae and slimy sheets of bacteria.

Bill

 

[Kruggar]

I use Hardwood branches with the bark left on. I wash then bake it and don't have any mold. I think it is wise to keep it away from wet subs though.