Stuff On Driftwood

[Haveagojoe]

I'm just in the process of setting up a new tank and I've put some driftwood in which I bought from my local MA, its been presoaked but ive soaked for a week as well but I've had to take it out 3 times and scrub it because it seems to grow this stuff on it!



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Do you think this is harmful?, it rubs off really easy but keeps coming back, I don't want to put anything in the tank until I've sorted this out so any help please.

 

[garyspence84]

Have you tryed boiling it in water rather than just letting it steap?

 

[Haveagojoe]

Ill give that a go ta m8

 

[garyspence84]

Boiling it for even 10 mins SHOULD kill off anything that might be living on it, and if that doesnt work then you'v got some sort of extra terestrail life form to deal with

 

[Mowbz]

DONT BOIL THE WOOD. In fact, dont boil anything thats going in your tank.

Boiling wood makes it break down faster and will just rot. Plec will love it as its easier to suck on, but other than that, uits just going to fill your tank and filter with crud. Pouring boiling water over it will work fine. Give it a scrub, pour again, and your done.

Boiling rocks (i know you;ve not mentioned this, but just incase...) is not so much detrimental but dangerous. The water can heat up pockets of air in the stones, and they explode. Stone shards in ya eye? Nah...

The stuff you are seeing is still unidentified i think, no-one has come up with a definate answer to what it is yet, but its common in new set up, and seems to accur right before a nitrite spike. Its like a cloudy jelly, and normally starts on the heater suckers, and spreads else where. If its not gone before you stock, fish will normally eat it.

Hope this helps...

 

[raptorrex]

DONT BOIL THE WOOD. In fact, dont boil anything thats going in your tank.

Boiling wood makes it break down faster and will just rot. Plec will love it as its easier to suck on, but other than that, uits just going to fill your tank and filter with crud. Pouring boiling water over it will work fine. Give it a scrub, pour again, and your done.

Boiling rocks (i know you;ve not mentioned this, but just incase...) is not so much detrimental but dangerous. The water can heat up pockets of air in the stones, and they explode. Stone shards in ya eye? Nah...

The stuff you are seeing is still unidentified i think, no-one has come up with a definate answer to what it is yet, but its common in new set up, and seems to accur right before a nitrite spike. Its like a cloudy jelly, and normally starts on the heater suckers, and spreads else where. If its not gone before you stock, fish will normally eat it.

Hope this helps...

well said that man.

 

[garyspence84]

Not to start an arguement or anything, thats honestly NOT my intention, but i'v boiled a few things that have ended up in all my tanks. Not wood tho, fair enough, its never come to that. But rock and slate that i'v taken from a beach or river have all been boiled for 5/10 mins and all survived the cut. Maybe dicing with death a bit right enough haha

 

[raptorrex]

Not to start an arguement or anything, thats honestly NOT my intention, but i'v boiled a few things that have ended up in all my tanks. Not wood tho, fair enough, its never come to that. But rock and slate that i'v taken from a beach or river have all been boiled for 5/10 mins and all survived the cut. Maybe dicing with death a bit right enough haha

boiling Rocks is playing with fire. and your house insurance wont cover you. its incredibly dangerous. and, to be honest, probably, stupid. as anyone who has seen rock, explode, will confirm.
plus there is no point. how will boiling a rock, as opposed to washing with boiling water , be any better? lol.

lol, dicing with death. is ok, but not to be recommended to others.
however the reason for not boiling wood, is well covered (and correctly) by Mowbz.

 

[Mowbz]

Not to start an arguement or anything, thats honestly NOT my intention, but i'v boiled a few things that have ended up in all my tanks. Not wood tho, fair enough, its never come to that. But rock and slate that i'v taken from a beach or river have all been boiled for 5/10 mins and all survived the cut. Maybe dicing with death a bit right enough haha

Just daft, IMO. Unless you actually have a death wish, i wouldnt bother doing it again. Slate is an incredibly dense rock formation (althought brittle), so its unlikely there would ever be an air pocket in it, but other "rocks" will.

I've had other "types" shrapnel in me, and its no fun when doctors tell you "its ok, we can "dig" it out", i can promise you.

 

[Tizer]

lol @ boiling rocks, how dense.

That fungus type stuff is very common in new tanks, it will disappear everntually but i would probably give it a good scrub under the hot tap, or pour hot water from the kettle over it. Certainly dont boil, especailly if you dont want tannins in the water.

 

[Mowbz]

 

[Haveagojoe]

The boiling water from the kettle seems to have done the trick, thank you.

 

[Mowbz]

No worres at all!

It might come back, it normally does in a new tank, but it seems to decrease in its growth rate each time you do it. Eventually by the time you get fish in, they'll eat it all anyway.