Driftwood Centerpiece

mtv8dmarine · Jul 22, 2010

After a couple of weeks of having my newly planted tank I've finally found a driftwood centerpiece. I found it because I finally found a LFS other than PetSmart and was I really impressed when I went in and looked around.

I found this new piece for my 55 gal tank. Since my QT tank is empty and clean I put this monstrosity in my 10 gal. It barely fits lol.

So my question to you guys is how long do you let it soak? A week or two as recommended or is it really ok to put into my main tank? I only ask because I'm wondering if my external and power filters will take care of any tannins release or not.

zophie · Jul 22, 2010

mtv8dmarine said:
After a couple of weeks of having my newly planted tank I've finally found a driftwood centerpiece. I found it because I finally found a LFS other than PetSmart and was I really impressed when I went in and looked around.

I found this new piece for my 55 gal tank. Since my QT tank is empty and clean I put this monstrosity in my 10 gal. It barely fits lol.

So my question to you guys is how long do you let it soak? A week or two as recommended or is it really ok to put into my main tank? I only ask because I'm wondering if my external and power filters will take care of any tannins release or not.

I say two weeks to be on the safe side. A week if your feeling rushed. One Q. How much was it? I want to get some DW, and I was just wondering.

mtv8dmarine · Jul 22, 2010

It cost me $35. It has to weigh around 10 - 15 lbs. It quite literally takes up my 10 gal.

My only rush is moving plants around the piece before they really get rooted.

ian · Jul 23, 2010

You can boil it a couple of times and put it in your tank, along with some activated carbon and it'll produce tannins ( which are harmless ), but the carbon will clear the tank in about a week. BTW that'll look good in your planted tank, if planted right.

mtv8dmarine · Jul 23, 2010

ianho said:
You can boil it a couple of times and put it in your tank, along with some activated carbon and it'll produce tannins ( which are harmless ), but the carbon will clear the tank in about a week. BTW that'll look good in your planted tank, if planted right.

Planting it correctly is my biggest question mark with this beast. :lol:

I'd welcome your thoughts. I wanted to boil it but my 12 qt. pot is too small. It really is a beast of a piece of wood.

ian · Jul 23, 2010

if i was you i would have that beast in a corner and i'd be perfect for a triangle scape. Have a look in this http

/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/328059-basics-in-aquascaping/ and see what you think.

mtv8dmarine · Jul 23, 2010

That's what I was thinking too. It was either a triangle or slightly off center but it's too big and bulky for placement in anything but a corner.

ShinLi · Jul 23, 2010

Boiling wood isn't the best way to go. If you boil wood the wood structure gets messed up, so it might go softer more quickly in the tank. And instead of years on end you could use it, you might have to take it out after a year or so. I generally just clean the wood with warm/boiling water and brush them off firmly. It might take longer for the aquarium water to get clear and not yellow'ish. But at least you have a good piece of wood that will last quite a while.

It's a pretty piece of wood though and might be fun to experiment with how to place it in your tank ^^.

mtv8dmarine · Jul 23, 2010

Yeah I was reading about the boiling method a little late last night and there is some long-term structural concern about the wood but never any real good estimate of how it *may* be affected.

Oh it's definately a piece I'm going to have to rip out my existing plants and float them while shifting the beast around until I have it looking decent. There's a whole backside to it that's a not as smooth as the side you see now.

I will just have to remember to dump some of my main tank water so it's not displaced on my floor. :lol:

It will take up almost the whole depth of the tank where ever I put it.

Glub Glub · Jul 23, 2010

Nice Wood! :good:

mtv8dmarine · Jul 23, 2010

Ok so after thinking about what people said that the tannins aren't harmful, just unsightly I went ahead and moved the centerpiece into my main tank after soaking in my QT since yesterday. I really didn't like that my QT was being completely filled with a piece of wood and I was losing it's true purpose should I need it for that.

I also have 2 filters on the main tank which contain activated charcoal and should aid greatly.

Lastly, I didn't want to uproot the plants I've worked so hard to get going and reproducing 2 weeks from now. I'd rather upheave them now before they are even more established.

I chose to keep the smooth side face forward because it has a huge amount of potential for filling in with smaller plants or moss or whatever.

So here's the final placement and now it's just time I'm waiting for before things start taking more shape. The melon swords are still where they were...just now behind the centerpiece and will have to mature before they are tall enough.

The water is murky because of the fert tabs that were disturbed.

Left side...

Right side...