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	Driftwood Soaking and Putting in Tank
rasboramary Big Fish Posts: 431 Kudos: 192 Votes: 4 Registered: 12-Mar-2004	My new driftwood piece has been soaking for 24 hours. I understand it should soak for at least a week?? With my other tank, I think I did not soak it long enough and it turned the water a brownish yellow and took weeks to clear up. My question is this: the longer the wood soaks, will it become less bouyant? Or will driftwood always float up to the top? It is attached to a base. Is there any easy way to get driftwood into the tank and stay there? How has everyone else dealt with this? This is particularly tough since I have a 60 gallon (tall) hex and it hard to get down into it. The last time I dealt with adding driftwood it was a real bear to get it to stay down.]:\|
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
Cory_Di Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 7953 Kudos: 2917 Votes: 25 Registered: 19-Dec-2002	I suppose this piece of driftwood is too big to put in a pot and on the stove? If not, simmer it like driftwood soup for several hours. It gets the tannins out quickly. I boiled my piece of mopani wood like, 5-6 hours. No more tannins. Another method is to use a very large (new) garbage can and add the hottest water you can and let it sit. Once it cools down, replace the hot water. If you do this every few days, you will get more of the tannins out than if you just leave it in room temp water.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
rasboramary Big Fish Posts: 431 Kudos: 192 Votes: 4 Registered: 12-Mar-2004	Thanks for the response. Yes, it is quite large, so no boiling. But our tap water is darned near boiling so I have been using that and replacing it often. Will the piece get easier to sink into the tank the longer it soaks? Or is driftwood always bouyant? This is going to be a real hassle to get this thing in the tank. Hindsight is 20/20 - I should have waited to fill the tank til after putting the driftwood in.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
jenbabe256 Big Fish Posts: 316 Kudos: 312 Votes: 10 Registered: 21-Jul-2004	the longer you soak it, it should start to stay down. We had a small piece that we boiled for a while and it finally stayed down on its own. I have also heard that if you soak it and set something heavy on top of it so it has to stay down works, but I've never tried this. Good luck...I know it's a pain, but it'll be worth it in the end. Jen
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
keithgh Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 6371 Kudos: 6918 Votes: 1542 Registered: 26-Apr-2003	RasboraMary There are several factors here. The type of driftwod, as different types require longer soaking. I had one piece soaking for over one month and was still turning the water brown. Some will naturaly float no matter what you do. Other will sink and stay down easly If it is a type that continually breaks down (omits tanins) a good filtration system should be able to cope with that. If it is a floater screw it to a slate base. My large piece is held down by a large rock it is the only way to keep it down. Keith Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do. I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT? VOTE NOW VOTE NOW
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
rasboramary Big Fish Posts: 431 Kudos: 192 Votes: 4 Registered: 12-Mar-2004	Still have tannins. Have been soaking since Saturday and it is now Thursday. Should I go ahead and try to put it in the tank (already filled with water, my bad, since this will make it much more difficult) or do I have to soak til water is perfectly clear? My tank has 4 angels and 12 tetras.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
Cory_Di Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 7953 Kudos: 2917 Votes: 25 Registered: 19-Dec-2002	I believe activated carbon will pull out some of that color in your tank from the wood. Watch your pH too. Take it before you add the wood, then check it every few days to see if it is diving. If so, the fish you have probably wouldn't mind it (and might actually like it), provided it happens slowly. Regular water changes will keep it buffered if you have high alkaline tap water. If you find that the pH is lowering over time due to the wood, then make sure you are doing smaller water changes that are more frequent.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
keithgh Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 6371 Kudos: 6918 Votes: 1542 Registered: 26-Apr-2003	RasboraMary As I stated I soaked it for a month and it was still omitting tannins. The answer is totaly up to you, it may slow down in releasing tannin or it may continue. It is not a problem now may be because of my filtration systems Canister & UG filters. I do not use any carbon never have in this tank. Keith Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do. I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT? VOTE NOW VOTE NOW
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
rasboramary Big Fish Posts: 431 Kudos: 192 Votes: 4 Registered: 12-Mar-2004	Still soaking (10 days now) still have tannins. As long as they will not harm my fish, I think I am ready to add the driftwood. I put bayou driftwood in my 72 gallon too soon, I think. No fish deaths, but the water looked atrocious for about a month. It won't hurt the fish, right? My PH for some reason is naturally very very high. 8.5 to 8.6. My fish all do well with that.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26
Babelfish Administrator Small Fry with Ketchup Posts: 6833 Kudos: 8324 Votes: 1570 Registered: 17-Apr-2003	The only issue really is that the ph will drop due to the tannins. Water changes and running carbon should help the ph from dropping too much. Personally I'd keep soaking it for a bit longer, if you have the space and good hot water from the tap (boiling for more than half an hour or so will cause the cells to break down faster which leads to the wood degrading, think of how paper is made )....just change the water every few hours as it darkens. ^_^ [link=H2g2]http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/upgrade.html" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link] 2005 Don't Leave Home Without it[/font]
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:26


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