Driftwood "smoke" caught on camera!
- Thread starter hovmoller
- Start date
in all seriousness, it looks like nothing more than very fine oxygen bubbles.
thats why it only happens on refill on a water change.
you introduce tiny air bubbles upon a water change along with actual dissolved oxgygen. we all do this each time we water change. this can get lodged in the tiny pores of the wood and then be released later.
I have seen similar effects with porous lava rock after water changes on african cichlid tanks, although the bubbles were larger.
as far as the clumping goes, its probably because there may be proteins in the wood (sap??) that are released when the bubbles come out.
the bubbles will stick to this but since its probably sticky and heavy, it may sink.
I am going to watch the video again..
thats why it only happens on refill on a water change.
you introduce tiny air bubbles upon a water change along with actual dissolved oxgygen. we all do this each time we water change. this can get lodged in the tiny pores of the wood and then be released later.
I have seen similar effects with porous lava rock after water changes on african cichlid tanks, although the bubbles were larger.
as far as the clumping goes, its probably because there may be proteins in the wood (sap??) that are released when the bubbles come out.
the bubbles will stick to this but since its probably sticky and heavy, it may sink.
I am going to watch the video again..
Wow, very cool looking. All through the video I was waiting for it to go up in flames haha.
Got no idea what it could be especially since it turns all stringy.
I'd advise to do as the others have said and boil and soak it for a while before placing back into the tank, just to be on the safe side.
Got no idea what it could be especially since it turns all stringy.
I'd advise to do as the others have said and boil and soak it for a while before placing back into the tank, just to be on the safe side.
No! Don't ruin it! Give it a special tank and charge admission to the neighborhood suckers to see the amazing "Living Smokewood" or some better name...
Clay;4482411; said:
Haha thanks for your comments all..
First of all the noise at 2.30 is my wife feeding the dog (rattling the bag) and also the breadmaker is doing its thing!
Some answers:
Found driftwood on beach near rivermouth.
Soaked driftwood for A LONG TIME, then scrubbed, boiled and put in tank.
Driftwood has been in there for over a year and has only recently started doing it.
Seems very harmless, the fish sometimes even eat some of the stringy stuff and they are still around.
The stringy cobweb stuff dissolves after around 3 hours and all is perfectly clear again (also reason I havent felt the need to take it out yet).
Would like not to take it out because it is mounted on a ceramic tile UNDER the clay plant substrate layer I have for plants (imagine the mess that would make!) and also the piece of wood looks awesome! and since this "phenomenon" seems quite rare I sort of want to keep it this way as long as it is harmless.
I'm just so darn curious to what is actually happening??
I am also leaning towards some sort of fungal spore release triggered by water change like some marine organisms do but really I don't have a clue.
Awesome. That may be the first video I've seen here
taken with a camera on a tripod
Truly, truly beautiful
oh and that stringy stuff is gross.
taken with a camera on a tripod
Truly, truly beautiful
oh and that stringy stuff is gross.
That does not look like tannins that look like that. Never seen this before. Does it actually raise the water temp? By that i mean is the chemical reaction producing heat?
Come on, admit it. You're standing behind the tank trying to blow smoke rings between the background and glass. 
This should go in the cloudy water excuses thread too. 
Why is it cloudy? Oh, the Driftwood likes to light up after every water change. It always asks if it was it good for me too.
Really, that is pretty cool though. I'm with you, I wouldn't take it out unless my water parameters started going out of whack or my fish looked to be suffering. I like ScatMan's idea of getting a sample of it under a microscope or taking it to a biology professor.
This should go in the cloudy water excuses thread too. Why is it cloudy? Oh, the Driftwood likes to light up after every water change. It always asks if it was it good for me too.
Really, that is pretty cool though. I'm with you, I wouldn't take it out unless my water parameters started going out of whack or my fish looked to be suffering. I like ScatMan's idea of getting a sample of it under a microscope or taking it to a biology professor.
