I'm trying to prepare drift wood for my 200l.I've let it soaked in a bucket of water to get rid of old dust and the water in the bucket keeps on turning brown.Is this normal cause I don't want my tank looking all brown and dirty...Or should I prepare it in another way?
Drift wood probs...
- Thread starter virgildonatifan
- Start date
did you buy it or find it?
I have boiled it before, most times i just weigh it down put it in my wc garbage can and fill it up with hot water, then let it sit for a few days. some wood leaches tannins and some do not
I have boiled it before, most times i just weigh it down put it in my wc garbage can and fill it up with hot water, then let it sit for a few days. some wood leaches tannins and some do not
Some times it takes a piece of driftwood a long time to leach all of the tannis out. I would also say the best way to get it out quicker is soak it in hot water or if you can, boil it.
how brown are we talkin?
like just a little off clear or tea.
boil it for a good long while and that will help alot
like just a little off clear or tea.
boil it for a good long while and that will help alot
I picked up some malaysian drifywood at the lfs and I rinsed it, and boiled for 15 minutes and changed the water 3 times, then rinsed again in dechlor'd cold water to cool before adding it to my tank.
It is still leaching some tannins.... not too dramatic though.. it is harmless... and I AM using carbon to suck it out of the water along with my W/C's
It is still leaching some tannins.... not too dramatic though.. it is harmless... and I AM using carbon to suck it out of the water along with my W/C's
virgildonatifan;672655; said:
Most of the driftwood that I have seen at the stores near me never "drifted". Most of what you see on eBay is fake driftwood too. The best looking driftwood actually comes from the roots of trees. The fake driftwood is produced when the tree is cut down and then the root system is dug up. It is first pressure washed to remove the dirt and then wire brushed to remove the bark layer. They don't soak it because that will remove much of the coloring in many woods. Cedars in particular look awsome before they are soaked but quickly leach out their tanins and much of their color. The best thing to do is keep soaking it and changing the water. Real drift wood has months or years to leach it out and by the time you get it, it leaches very little into your tank.
Is boiling it the fastest way or can I speed it up with something else?The colour of the the water is tea brown..
Boiling helps out a lot. But if you're not in a rush...I'd soak it for at least 2 weeks, changing the water everyday with hot water. Even then, I'd still get a slight tint of tannis, besides its harmless to the fishes per se, but it does lower the ph a bit over time. But with the slight tint, after a few w/c and using activated carbon, it pretty much clears up over time...besides it gives the aquarium that amazonian look. 