Cleaning Monster Wood for the 240

[STXman]

very nice scrub haha hope that does what it does but if fish start to die out of no where then take it out seriously!

 

[kingyella]

nice!! you should stick a large pump in there to assist with the draining, 6 hours is a long time.

 

[zebvance]

You have 4 months to let that thing soak. I think thats enough time, still I would test the waters before and then after a couple days see if it changes any.

so just ignore the smell and let it soak longer?

Let it soak for a month and then change the water. Your tub might start stinking so look for an alternative. In here we try to soak the wood for a couple of months or longer and then start water changes to check for leaching.

That peice fits your tank perfect man, that is going to look great!

thanks!!

Btw it's gonna leech for a long time, that's a large piece of wood. It's driftwood, aka leechwood

I want crispy clean water when I set up the tank

Just do weekly water changes and you will be ok. Don't get fustrated and waste your money on purigen/carbon either. You can't stop the leeching, can only neutral it with good ole' fashion water changes and time.

How much time are we talking?????......

 

[zebvance]

nice!! you should stick a large pump in there to assist with the draining, 6 hours is a long time.

that would be nice if i had one....For right now a 5 gallon bucket is the "pump", of course along with the slowwwwwww drain in the bottom

 

[gazelle]

thats...different

haha

 

[BigCountry]

How much time are we talking?????......

Could take months, could take years. The tannins (leech) will not hurt the fish though.

In the end though your left with a VERY valuable peice of tank decor. A LFS would sell a peice that large (leech free) for 150-200 dollars easily. Maybe more.

 

[barracuda123]

lmao put it in the jacuzzi

 

[Cookie*]

I get driftwood from local waters too. I always soak out the tannins which sometimes takes up to 8 weeks. After soaking out the tannins and getting the piece to sink- if the piece is possible to boil, I boil it for 15 minutes. If it's larger but small enough to fit into a oven, I bake it for 90 minutes at 250 degrees.

Your piece is larger than most and can't be boiled or baked. I'd just soak it all out in the hot tub with regular water changes for 2 months. I think you will be fine with that. I got my info on sterilizing driftwood from orchid forums and have followed them with success with multiple pieces of wood.

I would love to see that driftwood in that tank with water and fish. It's almost 4 months since the thread started, any updates?

 

[seangtat2kc]

soak in bleach water then do multiple baths of it in prime water. let soak and leach out. dry and you should be good.

 

[zebvance]

the driftwood is in the tank now guys and it should leach at all. I took some branches of this big piece and have had the in my 46 gallon for a couple of weeks and it has not affected the water at all.

Here is the thread with it in the tank.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=345022