Natural wood in tank ??

[bman123]

I have a huge set of woods behind my house and I'm interested in going back there to see what I can find. Something to add to his tank maybe he will come out and climb or something.
If and when i find something how should I go about using it? I figure to wash it like twice with super hot water and soap but can I bake it in the oven at a low temp to kill off bugs and stuff?? How should i do this?
Also I'm gonna try to find some cool rocks to use also maybe make him a natural hide or two instead of those rubbermaid containers...

 

[RagginOut]

Make sure it's a reptile safe wood, as in make sure it's not pine. Fairly certain pine is lethal to reptiles. We live pretty much on the beach so I often find large chunks of driftwood. I've got a lot of it in my bearded and leo tanks. I soak it in a bleach solution for a week or so, then let it sun dry for a few more weeks to let the bleach dry out. After that process is done, I throw it in the stove (if it will fit) and bake it at 400* until I'm fine with it. Generally speaking though bleaching and sun drying has always been safe for me, at least in fish tanks.

 

[bman123]

It will be some kind of wood, i don't know what all is back there. I will get some cool rocks if I find any back there. I just figured a cool piece of wood might make him wanna come out of his hide and get some excersice plus it can help him shed.

Also with the rocks what should I use to seal the rocks together? Some kind of caulk or ??? I'm hoping to find something cool but I'll probably get bored back there and leave. It's worth a shot tho i guess.

 

[RagginOut]

I chose not to seal my rocks.. I use river rock in the leo tank and granite in my bearded. Sealing them makes it a bigger pain when needing to take things out for moving or cleaning. If you are careful and creative with it, you can make the pieces you find fit like building blocks and they'll be plenty secure. My bearded tears around like a race track in his 75g tank and nothing ever moves out of place for example.