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I got driftwood, and now i got it soaking in water, but i was just wondering how long it would take 4 it 2 waterlog and be able 2 sink???

It just depends, could be a few days, could be never. It varies from one type to the next, so there is really no set time.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Badgers034,

Where did you get the driftwood from?
Was it labeled as aquarium driftwood, or is it intended for terrariums?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

i actually got it from my dad. he said it was fine to use in an aquarium and he got it with the wood he used 4 his old one (my current) but he didnt want that piece in his (too much wood, not enough rocks) so i took it.

Badgers034,

Well, at least some of the wood your father has had been already aquarium tested, if it is the same kind of wood.

Does that mean he has the same type in his tank? How long did that wood take to stay submersed (or is it still not water logged yet)? If your piece is a little bigger (in particular thicker) then it will take a little while longer than your fathers.

Hope this helps a little,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

he always used to drill a piece of slate to the bottom of the wood. because he never liked waiting for it to waterlog. it is about as thick as the handle of a baseball bat, the part with the grip on it.

I depends from the type of wood. If it's Mopani it will get waterlogged faster than normal Bog/Drift wood.


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Boil it!! LOL i found that it's much easier, faster and safer to just boil it for several hours, if it's to large for a big pot, then just flip it over every 15 minutes or so.

yes, it really all depends on the kind of wood. i know for sure boiling it really doesnt work with large pieces. the center piece in my tank below, i boiled for like 3 hours in a large pot, still floated. i was lucky enough to have a spare 29g sitting around and put it in there with rocks holding it down and that took almost 2 months before it sank.

now the other 2 pieces that i have, were cut for a terarium, those only took about 3 weeks, unfortunetly, due to their shape and size, i couldnt boil them at all.

best idea to do i have seen and known to do. either use heavy rock to cover it, or like others said, attach it to a peice of heavy slate. or just float it and let it slowly sink.




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I heard that boiling destoys the wood structure and it will disenegrate faster but I dont have any personal expierence just word of mouth.

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hi,

I wondered does any one know if drift wood lowers the pH of the water?'

I want to put some in my tank, but my pH is all over the show - the water company are adding stuff to it and every couple of months it goes up and down. so I don't want to add anything else to effect the Water chemistry.

thanks
GFG

_______________________________________
Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
Harvey S. Firestone

Hi,
Yes, Driftwood can lower your pH. As the wood ages, it
leaches tanic acid into the water turning it a yellow
to brown color and looking like weak tea. The tannic
acid lowers the pH. How much it lowers the pH depends
upon how fresh the wood is ( the fresher the more of
the tannins it releases), and what the KH of your water
is to start with. The higher the KH of your tank, the
smaller a shift a given amount of tannis will cause.

True driftwood, wood that has actually sat in water
long enough to age and soak up water (become water logged)
will not release as much, if any, tannis. While wood
that is picked up on the Forrest floor will be "fresh" and
need to be soaked for weeks (sometimes) to allow the
tannins to leach out.

Frank


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