I need ideas on how to get the cypress stump in my tank to stop making it look like a giant jug of sweet tea. I dont mind the natural blackwater look, but my wife hates it since its in our living room and I dont want have to get rid of the stump.
Ive heard boiling it would remove all the tanins but its too big to boil.
Do you have a second bathroom? Or a bucket/trash-can or something you can fill with water for a few weeks?
Just take the thing out of your tank and soak it. You don't really NEED to boil it, especially since its already healthily (I'm assuming) in your tank. Easiest thing (For me) was to get a bucket that I could sit under the faucet in our second bathroom's tub. This way I could just leave it there, fill it up, wait till it turns brown, empty it, fill it up again.
Let it sit for a few days to a week at a time then change the water. Eventually it'll leech less & less tannin. You can be as patient as you want here. For my 3 pieces of wood I haven't been patient enough to wait for crystal clear water. I just waited until it seemed 'mostly' good and threw it in the tank. After that it didn't color my water much or at all.
Your other option is daily water changes in your tank. It'll still color the water a bit, but it'll be under control. Guess its whichever idea is easier to sell to your wife I had the same problem though...I thought the effect was kind of cool with the new wood, she thought it just looked nasty
actually this helped me a lot. If you have a power washer and you spray the wood that can help a lot. I have cork in my tank and that stuff can leach like crazy but a quick trip to get powerwashed and i don't get anymore leaching.
yea ive had it in the tank for a year now, and do frequent water changes, but its still pumpin out the tanins, ill have to try it in the bath tub i didnt think of that.
My last two pieces of wood (manzanita) came from manzman here. I know he powerwashes his pieces, I soaked em in the tube or 3 or 4 days and didn't notice a lot of leeching so as soon as they started to sink they went in the tank. Haven't had any problems at all.
My other piece (not honestly sure what it is...some sort of root, might be mopani?) I probably soaked for a month or more.
I had the same problem though...I thought the effect was kind of cool with the new wood, she thought it just looked nasty