Driftwood and water chemistry

[koh the face stealer]

I know driftwood tannins can soften water and help lower Ph but how drastic and long of a process does it take? I don't want to shock my fish with a Ph drop from tannins or a Ph spike from a water change after the Ph has dropped.

I just bought a big piece of driftwood that I don't have anything to soak in except for a bathtub that we bleach and clean regularly. I don't want to soak it in that because I'd be paranoid of something soaking into it.



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[Drstrangelove]

OSH, Menards, Home Depot, etc sell plastic trash cans (varying sizes) for not that much. Get the correct size, fill with water, test the pH, put in the wood, add an air stone or circulate the water every few hours, wait a few days, re test the pH.

You'll end up with a spare trash can, but if you keep the receipt you might be able to return it.

 

[brich999]

wont harm the fish unless they are in a very high PH now. if u have a tabk of african cichlids being kept at 8.5 i wouldnt add driftwood, most any other case you are fine. i personally live the look of blackwater as the tannins release, and water will stay a bit softer till the wood is gone. very gradual change.

 

[koh the face stealer]

OSH, Menards, Home Depot, etc sell plastic trash cans (varying sizes) for not that much. Get the correct size, fill with water, test the pH, put in the wood, add an air stone or circulate the water every few hours, wait a few days, re test the pH.

You'll end up with a spare trash can, but if you keep the receipt you might be able to return it.

Damn, I'm too impatient for that. Ehk but that's the legit way to do it though.


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[koh the face stealer]

wont harm the fish unless they are in a very high PH now. if u have a tabk of african cichlids being kept at 8.5 i wouldnt add driftwood, most any other case you are fine. i personally live the look of blackwater as the tannins release, and water will stay a bit softer till the wood is gone. very gradual change.

My ph is 8.0 and I have a severum in a 55g. I know that's high for this guy but it's stable and he could use the lowering but I want to keep it stable. I like the look of blackwater too.

The store clerk told me it would be agradual change and to do smaller more frequent water changes than normal ones so I don't shock them.

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