drift wood

[Liam]

All that driftwood will eventually drop your ph. I'm the driftwood king and it took my water down to 6.0

funny that, our driftwood got raised to 8.

 

[basslover34]

it actually has alot more to do with the types of wood, the size of tank, how dry the wood when it was put in the tank, water hardness, amount of wood being put in the tank and so many other issues like the ph of the water source that the wood was found near etc I could go on for hours about all these factors but the bottom line is that you you should always be checking parameters and adjusting accordingly.

When adding fresh found Drift wood it's always a good idea to soak the wood in a tub or tank by itself where the water can be changed often and it doesn't allow any little critters to affect your tank. I personally boil mine but that leads to the wood breaking down faster (thats a chance i'm willing to take as i have a habit of changing decor quit often)

 

[nvrmor2paradise]

I have processed driftwood twice for my tanks. I researched it thoroughly before proceeding. I first cut, chisled, debarked, and wire brushed the wood. It then boiled for an hour or two at a stretch, changed the water and then boiled again. I did this for two days.

It then went into a "soak tank" (20g aquarium) at 90 degrees for three months. I also had a halogen light installed in the hood to give the wood a bleached look. After the three months I put the wood in the aquarium and haven't had any leeching.

The site also said that if boiling wasn't possible, that it should soak for three years first (!)

 

[peanut]

It is the tannins leaching out. It will go away in time. You can boil the pieces and it will help. Or you can soak in hot water.

i agree