I was wondering if the 6 X 15 piece of drifwood that IM going to put in my 30 gallon tank will lower my PH a lot or a little????
African Mopani Root
- Thread starter DawnMichele
- Start date
I added 16 inch mopani to a new 55 gallon set up which is empty and even with boiling wood (which did make BIG difference) a month later still leaches brown .It won't hurt your fish .
Keep in mind new wood develops a funky looking white film/slime over it which is harmless and easily rised off or scraped off most wood will do it esp mopani its 100% harmless natural.
I use purigen to help but water still slightly tea color however less and less daily and again like others have stated soaking it but esp boiling it is huge difference .
Our water here in Florida is rock hard and checking the PH it did not lower a thing. If you add a purigen 100 ml bag it will suck up lots of the tannic acids. I don't have stock in seachem lol but it does work.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4190
I imagine any carbon will also work. The leaching is close to nothing now.
Keep in mind new wood develops a funky looking white film/slime over it which is harmless and easily rised off or scraped off most wood will do it esp mopani its 100% harmless natural.
I use purigen to help but water still slightly tea color however less and less daily and again like others have stated soaking it but esp boiling it is huge difference .
Our water here in Florida is rock hard and checking the PH it did not lower a thing. If you add a purigen 100 ml bag it will suck up lots of the tannic acids. I don't have stock in seachem lol but it does work.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4190
I imagine any carbon will also work. The leaching is close to nothing now.
Welcome to MFK! If you're able, boiling the Mopani in saltwater (table salt) for several hours (changing water every hour or so) will suck out a LOT of tannin & eliminate the grey fungus. Once the "boil" water is the color of weak iced tea, I throw the wood in a big cooler (freshwater this time) & let it soak another few days (changing water every day). The salt seems to help pull a lot of the deeper tannin out as it tries to reach equilibrium with the freshwater in the cooler. You'll still get some leaching over the next few weeks with a piece that size, but if you dont boil it I think it will leach for months...
JakeH;4217968; said:
"but if you dont boil it I think it will leach for months."
My planted tank has a piece which I did not bother boiling,etc. Your so right it took 6 months of leaching tea color .
The one I boiled leached way less and now really not noticeable close to over .
The Gourami Piggy has is HUGE!!!!!!!! I have never seen one that big!!!! IM soaking the wood in a container and it hasn't changed color's. Does it take a while to change color's. Thank-you.
