How to Make Bamboo Driftwood for an Aquarium

Bamboo is an attractive and interesting display wood for fresh water aquariums. This plant however requires some preconditioning before you place it in your tank. Bamboo is a terrestrial plant and will slowly rot in your aquarium unless it is treated with a varnish. This is also a buoyant plant that typically will float at the water surface. You will have to wedge it in place or weigh it down on the floor of your aquarium. With a little forethought, you can precondition bamboo so that it is safe to use in a fresh water aquarium.

Things You'll Need

  • Hard-bristled brush
  • Sharp knife
  • 10-gallon plastic bucket
  • Polyurethane varnish
  • Paintbrush
  • Work surface
  • Sheet of plastic
  • Tube of 100 percent non-toxic silicone sealer
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Rinse each piece of bamboo under a running tap. Use a hard-bristle brush to remove any encrusted dirt or detritus on the outside of the bamboo.

    • 2

      Use a sharp knife to slice the bamboo in half, along the length of the stick.

    • 3

      Use the knife to remove the film-like coating which coats the inside of the bamboo. Scrape the inside clean and rinse the piece of bamboo under a running tap, once again.

    • 4

      Repeat the process with each piece of bamboo you choose to use.

    • 5

      Fill a 10-gallon plastic bucket with tap water and place the bamboo in the water. Leave the bamboo to soak for a least a week.

    • 6

      Remove the pieces of bamboo and place them in the Sun to dry.

    • 7

      Wait for the bamboo to dry thoroughly, then place the pieces on a clean piece of plastic sheet, on the work surface. Hold the first piece in a vertical position with one hand and apply a thin layer of clear polyurethane varnish to the entire length of the bamboo. Apply varnish to the inside and exterior of the piece of bamboo.

    • 8

      Do not use a polyurethane varnish that is manufactured for use on the hulls of yachts as this product has ingredients which are toxic to fish and the beneficial bacterial in your filters.

    • 9

      Leave the varnish to dry for at least 24 hours, then squeeze a thin, continuous bead of silicone sealer along the edges of one half of each original piece of bamboo. Place the corresponding piece against the piece containing the silicone. Hold the piece of bamboo together for a few minutes, then lay each piece horizontally on the work surface. Leave the bamboo to dry for 24 hours.

    • 10

      Wedge each piece of bamboo between rocks on the aquarium floor. Group a number of pieces together to give a natural look to the aquarium.