dangerous dirftwood?

[Orion]

About a week about I added DIY co2 and my water is at a steady ph of 6.2. I have had a nice piece of driftwood for about a year now, just never got around to puting it in my tank. When I bought it , I had let it soak for about 2 and a half months, but then we moved and I just ended up puting it in with my lizards. I think that it would make a wonderful addition to my planted tank, but Im afraid that it would lower my PH to much.

Like I said it has never been in an actual aquarium with fish in it, i bought it at a LFS. I dont know how it will affect the watter in the tank.

Another thing. I have been reading some of the older posts about drift wood, so to get rid of the darker colored water, add an extra bag of carbon in the filter, and boil the drift wood. Is that correct?

I might end up placing it in my 45 for a while to see how it will affect the water PH wise before actualy placing it into my plant tank.

 

[jakano]

i have had lizards and other reptiles over the years and they can be very messy creatures. the thing i would be most worried about is how much urine and or feacal matter might have soaked into the wood itself that might leach out into the water. i would let it soak for quite a while after boiling it just to makr sure all of this has come out of the wood.

 

[catfishmike]

what size tank?if its small than there is the chance that it may change the ph but i have never had that problem.just boil and everything should be all good.try gluing a flat piece of rock to it if it won't sink.

 

[Orion]

I would like to put it into my 10 gal planted tank. After the initial 24 hours of soaking the water in the bucket I had it in was a nasty color yellow, but it has been soaking in fresh water for almost 5 days now and I just checked it and the water just barely had a yellowish color to it.

I never thought about the lizzard urine and feacal matter being soaked into the wood. I will deffinatly soak the heak out of it before I put it into any tank.

 

[geoffgarcia2]

just thow it in. It doesn't make that big a difference.
I put two monstrous chunks of regular wood from my backyard in my tank (about 1ft x1ft each) and they look great and the fish have loved it for the last 2 years

 

[SoulFish]

i would not advise "just throwing it in" any chemicals or crap thats on them will then get into your tank, i suggest boiling driftwood for 8 hours before putting it int he tank, this should get rid of most the tannins and kill anything on it and help it sink if you take it directly from boiling water to cold water

 

[Orion]

It has been in for almost 4 weeks now and I must say that it is the best addition to an aquarium I have ever added. It has not changed my Ph much at all, and it hasnt leaked out any tannis. THe water is crystal clear and my fish love it.

I have since added a larger piece to one of my 20's and have had the same result. Going to go the LFS tommarow to look for some more.

 

[Orion]

The two pieces of driftwood that are in my tanks have sunk with out any problem what so ever. Corect me if I am wrong, but I think that I read somewhere that mylasian(sp?) driftwood has no problems sinking. This may very well be what I have.

One of the LFS here has some other type of drift wood that is glued or nailed to a piece of slate, It is also a lighter color than the ones that I have, almost a white.

 

[catfishmike]

the wood your talking about that sinks automaticly is called many things depending where you buy it.some names are rootwood,african rootwood, mopani wood,malayaisan drift wood.i have bought that wood on a slate piece once,didn't like it smelt like pine and would never sink.try sandblasted grape vine glued to slate,i hear thats safe to use and it comes in pretty good size pieces

 

[geoffgarcia2]

just throw it in *hahaha*
how many chemicals are on trees?
its not like your gonna throw in the trunk of an apple tree....
chemical shmemical!