New Mopani Wood, Water Is Now A Milky Cloudiness

[ech0o]

I have already done plenty of searching and scouring through the web, so do not need any more relayed information, just personal experiences.  Seems everyone is quick to say "oh man its tannins, they are good" without actually reading the issues, I like tannins, this is not the problem I am having.
 
I recently introduced a couple of pieces of mopani wood to my tank, after doing some reading I was to expect a bacterial film to cover the wood, and in turn die off in a week or so.   Everything went as I had read, the wood got the coat (which was presumed to be harmless to fish), and I have been going about my every other day water changes to keep the the tank fairly clean.  I noticed yesterday some cloudiness (NOT TANNINS) to the water, a clearly white cloudiness, much like the color of the white slime on the wood.  Even with water changes now, there is clearly a presence of cloudiness.  
 
My question is, is the cloudiness MORE bacteria blooming, or is this in fact the start of the aforementioned die-off that is clouding water?  Are my fish at risk?

 

[Sophie]

I've never experienced this with any of my mopani..
How bizarre!
Sorry I cannot be of help.

 

[ech0o]

Just in case anyone stumbles into this thread with the same problems, 4 days later my cloudy water has cleared, and the biofilm is beginning to release from the driftwood and the fish are all munching away on it.  Looks like its running its natural coarse!!!

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

You should probably boil off that wood in normal tap first to reduce excess tannins or whatevers causing that white clouds. Then dry it out, soak in water for 24 hours then rinse and use it again. I'd sanitize everything before putting anything first. Hitchhikers you'll never know

 

[ech0o]

I poured boiling water into the container it was in, submersing it, and then it sat in that bucket for another 5 hours.   I really never boil out the tannins from the wood, the tannins provide many natural immunity boosting properties to fish, I dont mind a slight browning to the water.  I have heard of people boiling their wood for 6 hours, and still getting the biofilm on it, it seems to be consistent with the nature of this particular type of wood.   I figure the cloudy haze to be might be my doing, the filter sponges were a bit mucked up and I think water had diverted flow around different parts of them that had not colonized as heavily with bacteria, a rearranging and slight rinsing in tank water, and the flow is much better coming out of the filter, water is nice and clear.   

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

6 hours boiling is too much. 30 minutes is usually enough to sterilize the wood without eliminating all of the tannins out.

 

[ech0o]

I don't disagree, the point being was that even after 6 hours of constant boiling, the wood still films, seems there is no way around it.