A Couple Of Random Questions

[Akasha72]

Edit: oh yes, there's your pm telling me you got it. I'm sharp today.

hahahaha I had one of my 'special' days yesterday. I'm not sure what planet my brain was on but it wasn't planet earth lol

oh and yes, it survived! It's currently in a jug of tank water until I sort this lump of wood out!

 

[Flubberlump]

Won't the wood start to rot if you boil it? I thought it was better to soak it for a longer period of time and keep changing the water (treated with tap water treatment) than boil it?

 

[Akasha72]

Won't the wood start to rot if you boil it? I thought it was better to soak it for a longer period of time and keep changing the water (treated with tap water treatment) than boil it?

I have to say I have no idea! I soaked my bogwood lump in boiling water for a few days and all the tannin came out. This piece of wood is just a random piece of wood - it could be anything as the reseviour is surrounded by woods with every breed of tree possible. It's rock hard - I can't cut it anyway so it appears to be some kind of hard wood. I'm going to just soak it in slightly tepid water - much the same temp as the tank would be - and see what happens.

 

[Flubberlump]

I can't say I'm massively experienced in soaking bogwood lol, we don't really have much round here that's any good. I'd just seen other people giving advice not to boil it.

You should be fine, that's what I'd do

 

[ultimatebob]

as far as the wood goes, if it's not to large, you can boil it if you got a big enough pot. this will rid the wood of impurities and soften it, making it easier to waterlog and sink.

and leech tannins for the next 6 months

duh.. thats why you boil it. to get it all out.

 

[fluttermoth]

Wow, where did that come from?!

Tizer is right, boiling wood cooks the fibres and allows it to release more tannins, over a longer period of time.

We all know Tizer can make the ocasional flippant comment, but like many of us, he probably gets fed up having to repeat the same advice over and over again.

He's a very knowledgable and valuable member of this fourm, IMO.

 

[Akasha72]

Bob, I've had my run ins with Tizer in the past - before I got used to his sense of humour. He comes across that way sometimes but it's often a joke that's taken badly.

Whether or not you leave the forum isn't up to me but I just wanted to say that.

 

[Akasha72]

Anyway, back on topic. I've moved 3 baby platies today. They're in with the last remaining male guppy - any dead babies in the morning and he meets his fate via armitages

2 of the babies are definately male, the 3rd I'm not 100% on yet but I've moved it anyway - it can go back if I've sexed it wrong. So far the other 11 look female. Obviously I won't be keeping 11 female platies as then I'd be over stocked and in real trouble with babies galore! They may decide over the next week(s) to be boys - I shall have to wait and see.

The wood is now in my plastic storage box with a bucket full of old gravel sat on top of it to weigh it down. So far lots of bubbles have come out of it, the water has discoloured slightly but no where near the amount the bogwood did. I'll be doing my maintenance on Sunday and I'm hoping it will decide to sink by then. If it's still floating I may have to come up with a plan B

Oh and the java moss soybean sent me is in the storage box too. Will it survive in there or does it need to be in the tank where the water is at a constant temp?

 

[fluttermoth]

The moss should be fine in the atorage box; I've got a cup full of Xmas moss on my bathroom windowsill that's been there a couple of months while I get round to doing something with it, and it's fine.

I've got a new bit of wood that's only just starting to sink and it's been soaking nearly three weeks now

 

[Akasha72]

Thanks fluttermoth - so I may be waiting a while for this wood to sink? Joy

 

[fluttermoth]

I've started soaking mine in hot tap water and it's getting better; had it in the tank for the two weeks before that and it did nothing!

 

[FishFanatic04]

Do you have a rock you could prop against it to hold it? I have a new piece of wood and just laid a rock against the back of it where you can't see it....working great!

 

[Akasha72]

Yes I have a couple of rocks that I can use and I suppose once the java moss gets going it will disguise them too

 

[Akasha72]

Well I've now decorated my lump of wood and took some pictures to share ...


Before decoration

side view

After decoration

I'm thinking about trying to untangle a bit of java fern when I do my clean out at the weekend and attach some of that too ... there's plenty of it. There's also some moss left (there was loads soybean! Thank you, my Dad has even pinched some lol) so I might add some to my bogwood along the top.

What do you think? Does it look okay or do I need to be more creative?


Also, here's an updated pic of the tank. As you can see the amazon swords are growing like mad now and my fish have been pulling up the vallis ... I'll pick it out later

 

[soybean]

Tanks looking really good, nice and natural and colourful

...I predict you getting another bigger one within a year...