Using Wood,

[ShoC]

is it possible to just use normal wood in a Tank?
As my Mopani wood keeps causing hair algae I wonder could I just add some wood from a tree,
after soaking it etc...
for instance a Apple tree or something, and would my catfish eat it still?

 

[Biulu]

You are able to add wood other than mopani, as long as the wood is dead, and has been dead for a considerable time (one indicator is that the bark has come off completely or for a considerable part). Remove any remaining bark, and boil the wood in water.

I am not an expert on catfish so don't know whether they would eat your wood.

With regard to your algae: this is more a problem of lighting and other water parameters, than of the mopani wood. You might also get hair algae on any other type of wood, provided that the circumstances for the algae are right.

 

[ShoC]

Well I never had the algae in my tank but as soon as I added it the stuff started to grow on it,
I took it out boiled it back in and again on it again,
Another member on this forum had the same experience,

 

[The-Wolf]

click the wood link in my sig

if you wish to cure you mopani of any algae problem and provided it is small enough
you can let it air dry for a few days then microwave it for 30 seconds on full power or
bake for 30mins at gas mark 4 (no idea what that is in electric ovens)

 

[ShoC]

click the wood link in my sig

if you wish to cure you mopani of any algae problem and provided it is small enough
you can let it air dry for a few days then microwave it for 30 seconds on full power or
bake for 30mins at gas mark 4 (no idea what that is in electric ovens)

Wow I never thought about the mic
Fantastic Idea

 

[Watersprite]

click the wood link in my sig

if you wish to cure you mopani of any algae problem and provided it is small enough
you can let it air dry for a few days then microwave it for 30 seconds on full power or
bake for 30mins at gas mark 4 (no idea what that is in electric ovens)

I have also had algae growing on my mopani ever since I put it in the tank about 6 weeks ago, although no problems with it elsewhere in the tank. Thinks perhaps I will try the microwave tip.

 

[The-Wolf]

I suppose it goes without saying, but I will say it anyway.

please be very careful when microwaving non food items.
if you are unsure of the effect the microwave will have on the wood do it in 10 second bursts

 

[ShoC]

one thing, whats the hell is LFS does it stand for Local fish shop???

 

[rsands]

ye LFS stands for local fish store