Driftwood FAQ
- Thread starter depthC
- Start date
There are a lot of variables there Sony. It could lower it noticably or not, really there are too many variables to tell. Trial and error.
If it does lower the pH too much then you could play around with adding crushed coral, etc. until you have what you want, or try another piece of wood, some will lower pH a little more than others. Again, too many variables....Good luck
If it does lower the pH too much then you could play around with adding crushed coral, etc. until you have what you want, or try another piece of wood, some will lower pH a little more than others. Again, too many variables....Good luck
Ok here is one question not asked yet... How long should you boil the driftwood for? I have been told to boil it many times before adding to tank, but it doesnt say how long to boil it? Also... if the driftwood is completely dry what do i do to get it boiling? do i just put in water or do i have to submerge and soak it to get it waterlogged again?
Hi'ya Grump! How you prep depends on what you want in the long run. I've heard from everyone with experience that boiling will cause rot where if you use some other methods that don’t damage the woods composition then it could last for decades (these involve soaking for months or even years with newly cut wood). Also depends on what wood you have. Hard woods have to be boiled longer than soft woods, and fresh cuts need to be boiled for LONG LONG time vs drift wood that has been in the water for unknown period of time already. I did the fresh cut method and found some wonderful maple in a new construction plot. I boiled for a few weeks, as many as three hours a night sometimes. ( I took days off for my own sanity as well). I then soaked them in tubs in between boils. I used scrubbing brushes to remove any soft spots and the bark as well. That was over a year ago and my wood looks just as good and just as strong today. That’s not always the case though.
What I used as a guide was the tannins that were released during the boiling process. They have a sweet stink and turn the water a red-tan color. That should get lighter and smell less as the amount of tannins in the wood are leached out. Hope that helps some~
Good Luck!!
I should add that my piece of wood is two feet long and up to 8 inches tall.
What I used as a guide was the tannins that were released during the boiling process. They have a sweet stink and turn the water a red-tan color. That should get lighter and smell less as the amount of tannins in the wood are leached out. Hope that helps some~
Good Luck!!
I should add that my piece of wood is two feet long and up to 8 inches tall.
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thank you for the reply. I have started the process this morning. I soaked it in hot water over night held down by rock. still floats this morning, but it is wet. I then started boiling for three hours. The water had red tint to it like mentioned. Also what looked to be pretzel salt came out of the wood. The peice i am using was found on beach at ketchkin alaska. I bought on ebay, so it has been in water before but i figured i would boil to be safe. I know it will cause to decompose faster, but i don't have the means to submerse it for months on end in an apartment. So i will boil and see how it goes. I am always changing tank so might change before rotting starts anyways. My chunk is 5 inches lont 3 inches wide 6 inches tall. It has barnacles that were formed on it but are falling off while soaking and such. I will post the end results when done.
This is what I came home to after being gone 17 days.
The water had a 30% change before I left.
The Violet Goby died so I thought it prudent to change the water.
I have one less serpae and the shark and corydoras is no where to be found.
I also seem to have one plecos but not sure as they hide.
Thank you Walmart for selling me brackish fish.
I had to change most of the water to get it back to normal.
It is all ready looking a bit murky though.
Where could their little carcasses be hiding?
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Do a decent size water change, then make more often water changes to reset the water to clear or near clear. Whatever doesnt shock your fish and whatever clarity your comfortable with.
As you can tell your wood hasnt leached all of its tannins just yet. If you dont do a water change for over two weeks you now know what it might look like again.
Not a big deal though it happens. Infact, same thing has happened to me, and i think i do recall a few dead fishies. Im pretty sure it had to do with my wood decaying and therefore high nitrates.
As for your fish, until you get that water clear its hard to say. How long has the tank been setup? You went through a nitrogen cycle correct? If these questions are foreign to you then more then likely your nitrogen (NH3, N02, N03) levels rose to a toxic level for a few of the more sensitive fish.
- depthC
As you can tell your wood hasnt leached all of its tannins just yet. If you dont do a water change for over two weeks you now know what it might look like again.
Not a big deal though it happens. Infact, same thing has happened to me, and i think i do recall a few dead fishies. Im pretty sure it had to do with my wood decaying and therefore high nitrates.
As for your fish, until you get that water clear its hard to say. How long has the tank been setup? You went through a nitrogen cycle correct? If these questions are foreign to you then more then likely your nitrogen (NH3, N02, N03) levels rose to a toxic level for a few of the more sensitive fish.
- depthC
Something I've heard of for boiling/bleaching of wood that doesn't fit in a pot is to stick it in the dishwasher without detergent. You could possibly add lemon juice or vinegar to one cycle, then a chlorination agent the next. I haven't tried it myself, so if the tannins come out and stain your dishwasher you can't blame me. 
Excellent article. I have a log that I cut down a year ago I'll start working on soon. Hopefully it won't kill anything when it's done.
Excellent article. I have a log that I cut down a year ago I'll start working on soon. Hopefully it won't kill anything when it's done.
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