Boiling Bogwood Help

[Sime]

Hi,
I've recently bought an excellent piece of bogwood - its just the right size and shape for my tank, but too big to fit in a saucepan to boil.

Can i pour boiling water over it on the lawn or something with the same effect or is there something else i can do?

Also if you have any tips on boiling / soaking it i'd appreciate it.

Simon.

 

[pebbles]

Hi simon..Pouring hot water on it won't have the same effect I'm afraid .the tannins in the wood leach out over a period of time , even soaking doesn't remove all . If you don't mind the water seeming slightly tea coloured for a while don't soak it at all ,it won't do your fish any harm .

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Don't pour boiling water over your lawn. You'll have a very bare patch before you know it!
Back to the subject I put my large piece of bogwood in a bucket (reserved for fish use) and poured boiling water over it and then left it to soak for a week. Twice a day I would boil new water and pour it over. This effectively steralized it and also got some of the tannins out. I happen to like the tannin stained look so wasn't too bothered about the remainderof the tannin that leached out. If you don't like it then use carbon to remove it.

WK

 

[Sime]

thatnks - i can do your method waterloo kid, but how long did the tea colour stay in there for after placing it in your tank?

 

[zig]

Hiya Sime

With the various bits of bogwood ive had in my tanks, ive never really had massive amounts of tannins leeching, ive always presoaked them doing water changes every day or so, and scrubbed them beforehand, i would do what Waterloo Kid suggested and do it in a large bucket outside with hot water, and just keep doing it until the water is clear.

There was one piece i had that did leech tannins into my tank but nothing bad, so i removed it and just soaked it again, put it back in, it still leeched a little bit, but after a few water changes it was fine.

But i think the method you are going to use will work just fine.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Even soaking it in cold water will work, but it will just take considerable amounts of time.

I did it with cold water to minimise water loss. And to follow water restrictions....