driftwood! tank update!

denimous

denimous

Large Fish
#1
May 18, 2003
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sunny california
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#1
i bought some driftwood tauted as "perfect for aquariums" and "completely natural". this basically means...unweighted and untreated to me. so i soaked it in a bucket of water with two water changes a day for about a week. i assumed it would sink, the bucket was too narrow for me to test its "sinkability". so, going all backwards, i used cotton thread to tie some java moss unto the driftwood. but NOW i find out that it wont sink. i have it in a bucket right now...

how can i make it sink?

i was thinking of using fishing weights, but i think lead would be toxic in the longterm, so those weights are out. i also do not have any rocks on hand. i am unwilling to glue it to my tank (esp since its cycling right now). what can i do to weight it down?

THANKS

update on my tank status as well...
ive been FLIPPING out, i FINALLY set up my 46 gal TODAY *whoowhoo*. it took me a while to retrofit my hood and figure out how to prime the eheim. MAJOR frustration...its so much more cloudy than i expected...i could hardly see my hands to put in the plants! its clearer now tho.

its got a few plants in it and its cycling with some harlequin rasboras. i have a small crypt, some micro sword, and baby tears to start out...really small.

put up pics as soon as i upload them!
 

denimous

denimous

Large Fish
#6
May 18, 2003
202
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sunny california
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#6
hmm...i wish i could the silicone and rock idea...but i already tied moss on it...if i take the moss off, i dunno what to do with it until the driftwood sinks. but i may just have to do that. you cant glue wet stuff then?...only dry? bc then i have to wait for the wood to dry.

wood can really not get waterlogged for MONTHS?...yipes.

i guess i need to find some good rocks...=b

so there arent any metals or weights that are water safe?...bc ideally i was hoping to find some kind of weight to tie or attach. *esp since if im goin to buy rocks, i shouldve just used those for decoration =b*

is there anything wrong with just letting the wood float in the tank until it sinks naturally?
 

fishysmell

fishysmell

Large Fish
#7
Oct 22, 2002
469
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The magical world of high prices and insane shippi
#7
I've had wood sit for a few months and not get waterlogged but just be patient and let it finally sink. Or you can do what I did since I'm impatient, set rocks on it in the tank until it is completely waterlogged and work those rocks into the aquascaping. It looks fine as long as you place your plants right and use rockery in other parts of the tank.

Buy rocks! LOL! Just go outside, there's plenty of em just layin around! Lol!

As for the weight idea you could always tie the wood to rocks embeded in the substrate with fishing line. Letting it float might be alright but I would worry about it suddenly sinking one day and crushing fish and plants.
 

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