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"What would they do, FishMan?"

apistos or german rams would appreciate that the water has tannins from the driftwood, this would imitate the blackwater effect which they like.. The wood may be pulling the ph down a bit also... Creating ideal conditions for them to spawn.

The Amazon Nut...

Thanks. I am going to get some of that for sure. Since I put the wood back in my water looks like iced tea! Bummer!

Thanks!
~Lauren

Note that if you buy the purigen in the jar (as shown in link) you will also need to buy The Bag (made by Seachem, and that's how it's called).

You can also buy pre-bagged Purigen, though.

Lol. Thanks Babelfish! And thanks for not commenting on the "steamy house"! Lol.

I found Purigen at Drs Foster & Smith and the shipping was more than the product, so I decided not to buy! Lol. But I am certainly going to call my LFS tomorrow and find some.
Thanks SO much y'all! Since I put that wood back in my tank it has yellowed SO fast that it is shocking!

Thanks again,
Lauren

[link=This is purigen]http://www.bigalsonline.com/search/?type=catalog&method=all&collection=sitebuilder%2Fcatalog3-1&keywords1=Purigen&x=0&y=0" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link].

And no comment on the house being steamy all weekend .

Good luck with it tankgrrrl .

^_^[hr width='40%']"Love's the Funeral Of Hearts, and an ode for cruelty,
When angels cry blood, on flowers of evil in bloom
and a plea for mercy,
where Love is a gun separating me from you" ~[/font]

Okay, y'all. Thanks! I am going to try some of that Purigen. I have boiled all weekend and changed the water in the pot at least 10 times and the water is STILL turning just as dark as the first time! Man, not to mention that my husband is totally miffed that the house was steamy all weekend!]:|Lol. So I just gave up and put it back in the tank this morning. Purigen, huh? I'll have to see where I can get that. My days of boiling wood are through, that's for sure! Lol.
Thanks again,
Lauren

I'm with renoharps on this one. Purigen does a fantastic job to clear water, and it clears them to such an extent that tap water look dirty compared to tank water where Purigen is used. Purigen, unlike activated carbon, can also be recharged. One warning about recharging though, if you use amine based water conditioner do not recharge Purigen as amines + recharging process will make it poisonous.

Tankgrrrl,

I've got one word for you - Purigen. I had the same problem as you when I bought a piece of Malaysian driftwood, although my water didn't get quite as bad as what you decribed. I battled with the yellow color for months with carbon and water changes. I then heard about Purigen and decided to give it try with some skepticism. Wow! Less than 12 hours later, my water was totally clear. I have a planted tank too and I have not had any problems with maintaining the proper nutrient levels as Purigen does not soak them up like carbon does.

Actually !

Boiling the wood for too long can be bad as it can cause the cell walls to break down too much and the wood to degrade too quickly.
Rather than extended boiling (which is only really needed to kill critters you dont want hitchhiking ) use continual water changes with hot water, carbon if you have it.

^_^[hr width='40%']"Has someone taken your faith? It's real, the [link=pain]http://babelfish.qwertydigital.com/" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link] you feel.
The life, the love, You die to heal.
The hope that starts, The broken hearts...
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I’m getting tired of starting again, Somewhere new."

Thanks FishMan,

Okay, I've had some drinks....so bear with me. I have been boiling for 7 hours! Water is still turning orange. I think I will soak it over night and boil some more tomorrow. Man, I definitely have my work cut out for me! It's either this, or I chuck it, so I am giving it my all!
Thanks guys,
Lauren (drunk ... and sweaty from all the boiling water)

No problem Lauren,

Depending on the mass and type of wood, you may really have your work cut out for you.. I'd opt for boiling and changing water a couple times, then submersing in a bucket and shove out of the way somewhere.. Change water a couple times a week. Less work LOL...

A breeder I know uses woods with high amount of tannins in all her breeding tanks.. Now she does not have to play with ph using possibly messy peat, r/o water, or buying blackwater extract.. Quite neat, cheap in the long run, and hassle/chemical free.

It won't hurt your fish, just an 'appearance' issue.

Tetras such as neons and cardinals would really like it too

The Amazon Nut...

Oh, thanks for the explanation, FishMan! Lol.

I am just boiling away here. The water already turned really orange after an hour, so I dumped it and started again with clear water. Hopefully I won't have to do this too many more times!
Thanks,
Lauren (wondering what she got herself into...)

SIX MONTHS ago I bought driftwood from my lfs. They told me it was treated and wouldn't stain the water. Well, it did, of course, and I had pretty much expected that. But it has been 6 months and it is still turning the water brown just as quickly as it did from the beginning. If I don't change the water twice a week it looks like iced tea! I am getting sick of explaining to people who come over that my tank isn't nasty it's just the wood! Lol.
Is this normal for it to do this for this long?

Thanks,
Lauren

Thats OK

You will need to keep adding water- as it will boil away when you do it that long- needless to say- you kinda have to stick around for it.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/site/aquarank.aspx

Thanks, I will do that. When I took it out of the tank the base fell off anyway. I sawed off a large branch and now I can get it 3/4 of the way in the pot. I guess I'll just turn it periodically. Should I change the water as it gets brown, or just keep it boiling in the same water? Sorry for all the questions! Lol.
Thanks,
Lauren

You should boil it for at least 2 hours although some pieces need a lot longer- maybe 6-8.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/site/aquarank.aspx

What would they do, FishMan?

I think if I saw off one of the big branches I can get it in my stock pot, then I can just turn it around when I put it back in so ya can't see the sawed part. The other side is actually more interesting anyway. Well, I am off to get a saw from my neighbor! Do you think I should boil it more than once?

Thanks,
Lauren (woman on a mission)

Here's the solution.

Add a pair of apistos or german blue rams.
Problem solved

The Amazon Nut...

If you can boil it - great it helps me a lot. Your piece sounds way bigger than the ones I have

If you cant get a pot to boil it in- get a large pail and let it sit and soak- of course this will take alot longer unless you change the water frequently.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/site/aquarank.aspx