Preparing Wood For My Tank

[fishchick]

so i just got my cholla wood finally, and i want to prepare it for my tank..it's wild untreated wood, i'm looking for the best way to clean it. And after that should I soak it in water? and if so for how long?

sorry double post!!

 

[minnnt]

No idea what Cholla wood is, but with bogwood etc it is advised to soak it for at least 48 hours to remove some of the tannins. It still continues to stain my water after about 10 months.

Good luck with it.

 

[fishchick]

here is a pic of it if that helps.....

 

[minnnt]

Non the wiser but it looks fantastic! I would soak with boiling water for a few hours (change the water every half an hour or so) then just soak it in water for 2-3 days. Keep changing the water as often as you can. This will also help it to sink when you put it in your tank

 

[fishchick]

Great thanks..one more question about wood in general..it seems to be a very hard wood, but just in case how do you tell if it's not going to work long term? I'm just concerned it will begin to break down..

 

[minnnt]

Most wood if kept in water will last a very long time. Especially when totally submerged. If it is a very hard wood then i see no problems at all with it rotting or decaying. You may need to weight it down with something though so either rocks or try tying it to something if needs be.

 

[fishchick]

ya i'm going to drill a hole through a piece of slate and run a screw up through it into the cholla to give it a base that I can bury under the gravel. And use a screw that won't rust too..lol

 

[minnnt]

I would see if it will sink first. Any metal placed in an aquarium can give off all sorts of stuff which would harm your fish. Maybe use aquarium silicone?

 

[fishchick]

ahh never thought of that...good idea..thanks!! (silicone)

 

[minnnt]

I just weighted mine down by placing rocks around it. Eventually it will sink.

 

[fishchick]

awesome thanks for the advice i really appreciate it!!

 

[minnnt]

No problem, happy to help

 

[nurglespuss]

You can always cable tie it to the slate instead.

But yes, perhaps soak it in a container for a day or 2 it should sink.

I've seen that wood used in vivariums but never in aquariums.

Good luck!

 

[Tizer]

boiling the wood would be the last thing you would want to do if you dont want tannins in the water, boiling it will cause it to expand and the fibres will break down. A good scrub under hot water and then left to soak in a bucket in the garden for a few weeks will do the job. in all honesty, i would say that kind of wood wont leak very much at all, i'd just chuck it straight into my tank and see what happens.

 

[minnnt]

Who said anything about boiling?