Please Help!

[Fadi]

Well i just got about a 20 inch piece of drift wood, and stuck a big brick at the end and nailed them together. After all this the driftwood is still floating, i need help please what should i do?

 

[@ombomb]

How long did you soak it for before adding it to the tank?

Bricks aren't a great idea as they can colour the water, something like slate is a better bet.

 

[Fadi]

actually i think it is slate, i didn't soak it at all . Am i suppose to and for how long?

 

[@ombomb]

until it stops floating

 

[Fadi]

should i put it in hot water and will that speed the process. i got this driftwood at an lfs so nothing should be growing on it really!

 

[@ombomb]

Yeah but you get tanins in the wood which will seep into the water and make it a brown colour.

Best to soak it till you get the majority of the tanins out and the wood becomes so water logged it doesn't float.

 

[SamUK]

yea its floating cos its dry.


you need to give it a chance to suck up the water whilst its soaking before it will sink.

you can use rocks to hold it down then tho an that can help.


its always good to soak it tho as @ombomb says, all the wood contains tannins which turns your water a brownish colour (doesnt actually look that bad and isnt harmful).

but it in a bucket, barrel and change the water every couple fo days untill its clear or your happy its clear enough.


all wood takes a differeent amount of soaking too, i was lucky, i didnt get any tannins from mine but some can get alot.

 

[Teelie]

I have a piece of wood still floating after 3 months, and that's with a piece of slate on it. Fortunately now it just takes one medium sized river rock to keep it down. It just takes tmie.

 

[Fadi]

Thank you for your oppinions. I think im just going to keep the driftwood in the tank, with the slate attchached, and see when it will sink. I'll let you guys know soon.

Here is a pic of the piece of wood, about 24 inches in length.

 

[SamUK]

that doesnt even look like bog wood from the photo.


never seen a grain like that on it. anyway.

 

[Teelie]

I've seen that wood type before. It's not the more commonly seen mopani but virtually any wood can be "driftwood." Some wood types are just better than others at sinking and staying down.

 

[SamUK]

oh rite, thanx for that.


i thought it was only a certain type cos that type absorbed water better than normal.


i stand corrected tho.