Is varnished wood ok?

[Venom]

Hey there, just a quick question. I have this piece of cork log in my Nhandu tank, and she is just LOVING it--she has this enormous haplopelma-like burrow underneath it that she is constantly expanding. My only problem is, the wood is molding. I can't stop it molding, due to the moisture of her environment. I was wondering, if I temporarily remove and varnish/ seal the wood--with something like a polyurethane sealer, will the finished wood be harmful the to the tarantula? I would let it dry, of course, so there would be no fumes or fluid, but would the dried varnish be all right? What do you all think? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Moltar]

I'd take the wood out, scrub it with a brush (i use a vegetable cleaning brush) then boil it for a while. Dry it in the oven for an hour or two then for good measure, throw it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Let it cool then put it back in the tank and back off the humidity a bit. I've had decent success with mold control by sterilizing the bejeezus outta everything that goes in there.

... of course the mold's probably in the soil too so that could negate everything i just said. My Nhandu chromatus lives under a piece of grapewood and has similarly borrowed all over the place. I don't keep it that moist in there, just mist one side of the tank 2x weekly. She seems happy.

 

[Sharpy808]

I agree with etown, sanitize the heck out it. Cork itself is a "non-rotting" wood and therefore the mold or fungus was airborn or already on the surface prior to placing in the tank (most likely anyways).

Now onto the varnish and polyurethane. Niether are rated as food safe products and even after a long drying time I believe there will be a chance of chemicals leaching into your damp substrate over time. This is in now ways a "deffinite" but I really wouldnt risk it myself.

I have gotten some mold on pieces of cork b4, mostly the green looking stuff, and re-santizing generally helps. As mentioned scrubbing b4 the sanitizing also is a good idea.

GL

 

[Venom]

Thanks guys! I will try the re-sanitizing thing. I was a bit surprised at cork molding, but it did come from a pre-owned tank, and I hadn't thought to clean it before using it. :wall: