What should i be doing to cure my driftwood? simply soaking it for a certain period of time or actually adding something to the water??
Curing Driftwood
- Thread starter rugbyflanker
- Start date
It's good to boil the piece of driftwood before tossing it in your tank. Also, when you're before you soak the driftwood, make sure to remove any bark, and to scrub the outside with steel wool or sandpaper. From personal experience I've noticed that this makes the driftwood sink faster, and it keeps your tank water clearer. The best thing, however, is to boil the entire piece for about an hour if you've got a pot that's big enough.
I certainly wouldn't want to do that.
love me my tannins. and more importantly, to me at least, is that my fish do too.
I've never boiled my wood. I leave any bark on it on it as long as it isn't crumbling off. I even leave moss and lichens on it.
snails love moss, bark, and lichens.
as far as mine, I've rinsed it off. and on a few pieces that I had a concern for zebra mussels possibly being on, I let them sit in the sun for a few days wrapped in a sheet of clear plastic.
you can be as extreme or laid back as you want, rugby. all depends how you want it to be. I'd love to have another species of snail make it into my tank on a chunk of wood even though I've got 3 already. watching a dragonfly nymph grow out in my tank would be pretty cool too. the truly important thing to remember is to avoid cleaners and such that could be taken into the wood and released into your water.
you can be as extreme or laid back as you want, rugby. all depends how you want it to be. I'd love to have another species of snail make it into my tank on a chunk of wood even though I've got 3 already. watching a dragonfly nymph grow out in my tank would be pretty cool too. the truly important thing to remember is to avoid cleaners and such that could be taken into the wood and released into your water.[/QUOTE]
Hmm your talking about driftwood from outdoors! im talking about the real driftwood they sell at pet stores and i have africans so i need to make sure that it wouldnt lower the pH too much when i put it in!
Hmm your talking about driftwood from outdoors! im talking about the real driftwood they sell at pet stores and i have africans so i need to make sure that it wouldnt lower the pH too much when i put it in!
Boiling make it sink faster? or scrubbing it? and i want to lessen the decreasing of the pH im not so worried about tannin
Boiling the driftwood makes the water already in the wood expand and it tears new pathways allowing the piece to take on water faster. If you're worried about the wood lowering the ph you can put coral in your tank, or crushed coral in a filter basket, it should neutralize the effects of the wood.
if the piece you have will fit in a large pot,then boiling with release some of the tannins,i agree with using crushed coral in a bag in your filter-if your tank is africans.i would check the PH every few weeks to see that it is holding steady
will simply soaking it work aswell? i know it only lowers the pH for a certain time then it will eventually neutralize?