Driftwood Question

[dy84]

Hi

i just bought a driftwood, i was told to boil it for 15 minutes do u think i have to???
I heard u can leave it in a bucket of water. How long and how should i do it?

thanks

 

[Alex1110]

If you can fit it in a pot to boil it then do it. I filled my bath with hot water and left it in there. I tried to keep the water hot for a about a day, but when i put the wood in my tank water still went brown. I reckoned it helped a lot though, judging from how brown the bath water got! Not only is it to reduce the tannins that come from the wood, it makes sure it doesnt float!

 

[dy84]

ok
so i will just have to leave it in hot water for about a day?

 

[Squid]

I had a big lump that took 3-4 weeks to get the tanins down to a reasonable level.. I had a 45 litre bucket that i filled up with hot water each day..

The tanins don't do much harm, if any, its just the colour of the water people don't like.

Squid

 

[Alex1110]

Yeh. But like Squid suggested, it depends on the size of the wood. I had 2 long skinny bits, and i probs could have done with doing it for longer. Just do it until the colour of the water ends up meeting your standards.

 

[STRiDER]

From what i've researched I'd say at least two weeks in water. Also change the water frequently. (daily or every two days).

Someone told me to throw it in a swimming pool, but I'm not too sure about that

 

[Breeze7050]

boiling the driftwood also helps to kill any ickies or bacteria that could be on it! So it is recommended. Not sure how big your piece is, but if possible do it! Also, it takes quite a while to get it to sink. Mine has been in my tank for 2 1/2 weeks - after being boiled and stuck in hot water in my sink for 3 days and it STILL doesn't sink. I just have it weighted down with 2 big rocks.

 

[Underwurlde]

I wouldn't chuck it in a swimming pool as it would soak up all the chlorinated water and then leech it back out when in your tank and kill all your filter bacteria - NOT a good thing!

I had a lump of Mopani - boilded it for 15 mins & then soaked it in a bucket of treated water (completely immersed) for 1 week. That seemed to do the trick - no tannin discolouration & the wood sank (initially it floated).

Andy

 

[kev350d]

Ive just removed 2 large bits of mopanni as it became covered in a spiky white fungus "that stunk like crap", the wood was soaked 1st in boiled water from the kettle, them left for 2 weeks in a heavy saline solution then soaked again for another week in conditioned fresh water .

My largest bit is from the same supplier and ive had no problems with it at all as for the tannin i dont mind it as it gives the water a natural cast (when it does start to get bad (if) i'll add carbon to the external filter for a few days.

If anyone has any advice as to how to stop this stinking fungus from occuring im all ears.