Curing Driftwood

[Aquaman]

Sorry about the subject heading - I used it to get attention.  The real topic is "Curing Driftwood" - I don't think that I would have had many views with that as a subject line.

I have been trying to cure 3 pieces of driftwood for the last 6 weeks.  For the first week, I left them in buckets with hot water, with salt added, and changed the water daily.  The next two weeks, I left them in the swimming pool. Then, 2 weeks in the sun.  Now back to the hot water and salt......The wood is still leeching tanin....if I put them in the tank, the water would turn dark brown.  

Any suggestions on how to cure driftwood?

Thanks.

 

[JWright]

Re: Live Sex Show

<edit>Comment removed due to Arcab's edit above</edit>

If you want to get all the tannin out of your wood, you're just going to have to keep soaking it...for a very long time... Some people think the tint is gives the water is aesthetic; many S. American fish are highlighted by tannin tinted water.

HTH,
Josh

 

[colesea]

Yeah, the best thing to do is just keep soaking it and soaking it and soaking it....

That's why I try to get my driftwood from the beach. Most of the driftwood right off the beach has already been pretty bleached bone white and sun baked, and stripped of bark. Then it is really easy to soak in water and cure.

The other thing you can try is to let it sit in a bucket of concentrated bleach, but unfortunately you're going to have a tough time of getting the bleach out of the wood, and it will take soaking in dechlorinated water lots and lots to make sure all the bleach is gone.

Sorry, wish I could be of better help, but curing wood is a long process worth it for the results if you're not keen to tannins.
~~Colesea

 

[dattack]

Is there a stream nearby where you can place it and come back when most of the tannins have leached.  

I used to cure some live rock (from suggestions from a reef forum) in the back area of the toilet where the toilet refills with water.  If you placed it in there, it's like doing a water change every time you do number 1 or 2.

*celebratesmiley*

 

[arcab4]

haha. leave it to dattack to come up with an idea like that.

 

[aznpanther98]

that sounds like a cool idea hehe to bad i got that blue sutff for toilets it's been in there forever!!!!!! lol
i got a question about driftwood
i bought a peice to put in my ten gallon and been soaking it for weeksnow (still trying to make it sink) and well part of the wood seems to be really soft that i can break small pieces off i got it from a petshop and well just wondering is it ok to put it in the tank?

 

[eseow]

I had a problem with leeching driftwood for while until I soaked it in a bucket with hotwater & bleach for a few days, changing the solution every 2 days. I then soaked it in plain hot tap water with aeration to circulate water around it, changing water everyday for about 4 days. Then added heavy declorinator to water, for 2 days, changing water everyday. Hasn't  leeched again ever since. 8)

 

[Aquaman]

Thanks for the advice guys, really appreciated.

Regards.

 

[capncrunch5177]

I found the best way is to boil it. I have a small piece and after boiling it in 20 minutes all the tannins are gone and it hardens & stays sunk in my tank.

Another suggestion I am thinking: For bigger pieces perhaps place it in one of those electric crock pot and slow cook it for a whole day...



Bon Apetite!

 

[eseow]

I think boiling is what everybody has said works best around my area. I just don't have pot that big for boiling WOOD! *crazysmiley*