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also lol how should i get the driftwood ready? i hear if you dont wash it right before hand then it can really dirty up your water! thanks

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

You should soak it prior to putting it in the aquarium. Just take a bucket and fill it with water and put the driftwood in. After a day or so you will notice that the water is yellow. Replace the water with fresh water until you notice the water is pretty clear. This will usually only take about a week.

gah a week.. ahwell patience is a virtue. why does the water turn yellow? something off the driftwood leaking into the water i suppose. also what shouldidoif the DW happens to be awkardly shaped and cant fit right in the bucket? and thanks!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

The driftwood has tannins and acids in it which will discolor you water and lower the ph. If the piece of wood wont fit into a bucket, i guess you could use a plastic tub instead.

any idea howmuch it will lower it by? i have insanely hard water over here

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Hi,
Many of us forget just what driftwood is. It is wood that
has snapped off of a tree fallen into the water and
remained in the water for so long that it became water
logged and drifted around, perhaps up onto a beach.

When we purchase "driftwood" from a LFS, it has been
processed, dried, and packaged for shipment. When we
get that piece, we should remove the plastic covering,
and scrub it with something like a plastic scrubby under
running water. Then we should soak it in a container that
is large enough to completely immerse it. Over time the
water will become tea like (yellow to brown) as the
tannic acids leech out of the wood into the water.
How much of the acid leaches out, and how fast depends
entirely upon the type of wood and how much preparation
was done when it was first collected. How much it affects
your pH depends upon the things above AND the KH of your
water. The lower the KH the larger the effect the acid will
make on your pH. If your KH is 3 or above, it would take
an awfully lot of tannic acid to make a dent in your pH as
the KH will buffer the acid, essentially neutralizing it
as it is produced.

With a chunk of wood that you collect, you need to
remove any bark, and scrub the heck out of it. You also
need to boil it, or bake it in an oven, to remove
any burrowing critters that might be calling
the wood "home." Lastly you need to soak it so that it will
again, sink to the bottom of the tank and stay in one place.
Many will shorten the soaking time by attaching it to a
piece of slate. The slate acts as a weight and because
slate is generally in the form of a flat rock, you put the
slate directly on the glass bottom of the tank and then add
the gravel over the slate. That way the weight of the slate
and the gravel help hold the wood in one place.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Drift Wood and tannins some have lots of tannins and never stops coming out from the wood and others no tannins at all.

I recently bought several lots some imported and some local. The imported was clean but the local was filthy.

I hosed it all then tossed it into a large plastic bin and looked at about one week later tossed all that water on the garden then repeated the process for two more weeks after that the water was perfectly clear which meant no tannins. I brushed and hosed it to remove any loose muck that come off the DW. Re-soaked it again and used it. Bits and pieces still came off but no tannins.

I know there are many short cuts but most of these break the structure/cells of the DW down.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

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Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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try boiling it sections at a time, this makes sure the DW is clean and toxic free... i would say an hour each section boiling about 3 or four times... the water will become murky and brown...

then put it in the tank it might still leech some tannins, but if oyu have hard water you should be ok... (your tank water might turn slightly brown but many peoplle enjoy this as it makes it look "more natural".)

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Dang clown really got my hopes up. i cant seem to find peat for sale to put in the filter. cant really afford Ph down for the long term. i was hopeing the DW might help abit lol. ahwell. ill figure it out. thanks for the tips guys youve been a big help! what would i ever do with out you thankfully i dont have to find out thanks again!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Depending on your current ph you may still be able to.

Many of us really don't like ph altering chemicals to begin with. It's better to use driftwood or peat to lower, or specific rocks and coral to raise.


^_^

thanks babel youve given me hope! yeah im pretty adverse to chemicals as well. well anyways itll be at least till christmas before i can set things up so we'll find out then i guess. hopefully i can take it down a knotch.

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

another thing to take into consideration would be florist grade peat, not as potent, but still has many of the positive effects. it might turn your water a tea like color though... much like the tannins will. but with plenty of carbon that could and can be fixed.

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"