Could I use cement/concrete to sink driftwood?

[fishdude25]

Hey AA comunity,
I have a very buoyant piece of driftwood that just won't sink. I tried using aquarium silicone to glue it to the bottom of the tank, but the driftwood ripped the sealant off and floated to the top.
Could I drill holes into the driftwood, then fill them with a cement/concrete mix to weigh it down that way? Or would the cement/concrete release chemicals that would harm the future inhabitants?

Thanks for reading,
-Fishdude25

 

[gmanova]

How big a piece is the driftwood? Also, how long did you soak it in water to get it water logged? not sure about the concrete. I soaked mine in water for one month and it worked well!

 

[fishdude25]

It's just small enough to fit in my 10 gallon, length-wise. I didn't try soaking it, what did you soak your wood in? Maybe it just needs to be soaked? If its helps at all, I got it from thedriftwoodstore.com

 

[BHead707]

It's just small enough to fit in my 10 gallon, length-wise. I didn't try soaking it, what did you soak your wood in? Maybe it just needs to be soaked? If its helps at all, I got it from thedriftwoodstore.com

just soak it in water, i like to do it in old tank water from a pwc if you have a bucket to hold it in or something

 

[George9]

It's just small enough to fit in my 10 gallon, length-wise. I didn't try soaking it, what did you soak your wood in? Maybe it just needs to be soaked? If its helps at all, I got it from thedriftwoodstore.com

My piece from the driftwoodstore would not sink either lol. Have you tried slate screwed to the bottom? Other than that, I reccommend soaking.

 

[fishdude25]

I think I will try soaking, should I soak it in my empty 10 gallon or a 5 gallon bucket? What should I use to weigh it down?

 

[BHead707]

you could use the empty 10 gallon, use whatever you can, a flat rock or pretty much anything you can find that wont damage the tank

 

[gmanova]

The wood has Tannis in it and should be removed, besides it may turn your water brown. This is not a necessity and will not harm the fish. I just didn't want the discoloration in my water. So you should soak it in water and keep changing water every day until you see only clear water. I have a rather large piece and mine took one month! I dont think concrete will work! Concrete does not go far. Concrete weighs 144 Lbs per cubic foot of 0.083333 lbs. per cubic inch. So to add just one(1) pound to your wood you would need roughly 12 cubic inches of concrete! That is a large area! Please verify my math........as I did it quickly!

 

[fishdude25]

I decided to use the 5 gallon bucket, I wedged it in there just right so that it wouldn't float. I saw air bubbles coming out of the wood, hopefully it won't take very long to water log.

 

[gmanova]

Yes, you will see air bubbles, the water will fill into those spaces and that is where you will eventually get the weight needed to weigh it down. Hot water in a bucket will help the process go faster. Change the water every day until it is water logged and the brown water dissapates

 

[BrackAttack]

wont concrete make the water hard?