Driftwood!!

[em_witt]

Got myself a nice piece of driftwood( more of like a branch!!) and I've boiled it for 30 min.
How do I get it ready for my tank??

 

[sayan]

Wel that's great. But sometimes d/w releases tanins for long. Wen I bought my one. I kept soak in a bucket for 2 weeks in tap water and changed the water in every 12th hour. Lastly I boiled and after that I add it in my tank.
U can google about the fact for alternate way but the best way is to hav patience and keep soak it in water for atleast 1 week.

 

[Scouser]

Wel that's great. But sometimes d/w releases tanins for long. Wen I bought my one. I kept soak in a bucket for 2 weeks in tap water and changed the water in every 12th hour. Lastly I boiled and after that I add it in my tank.
U can google about the fact for alternate way but the best way is to hav patience and keep soak it in water for atleast 1 week.

Well boiling the wood causes the tannins to release quicker.

I boiled mopani for bout an hour, changing the water once I couldn't see through it at all and it was fine after that...

 

[em_witt]

How long do I boil a stick that is a foot and a half long and 1/2in in diameter?

 

[BHead707]

you could boil water then pour it over the stick in the bathtub or something.
I just threw mine into the tank and it released a bunch of tannins. its not really going to hurt anything just turn the water colors

but like others have said it could release tannins for months and your particular branch seems like a pain

 

[Hobgob]

If you want, you can just put the wood in. It will only produce tannins which won't harm your tank. It will only give it a yellowish colour.

 

[em_witt]

How do I make it sink??? W/out using any rock or extra to make it sink!!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

How do I make it sink??? W/out using any rock or extra to make it sink!!

Soak it to waterlog it. You will have to weigh it down either in a tub or in the tank. No way around it. Once it's soaked through with water you can remove the weights.

 

[em_witt]

How long will that be?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Depends how dense the wood is. Could take days, could take months.

 

[Richie1RCS]

Got myself a nice piece of driftwood( more of like a branch!!) and I've boiled it for 30 min.
How do I get it ready for my tank??

What kind does it sink rite away?

 

[Richie1RCS]

What kind does it sink rite away?

Yeah just soak it untell it sinks.

 

[em_witt]

Not really sure...
Sorry!!
Maybe mulberry? Maybe something else...

 

[em_witt]

Will birch work?

 

[Chronos313]

I think birch is a softwood. I would recommend harder woods if available.

 

[em_witt]

Could u recommend some native to northern Illinois??

 

[Chronos313]

Illinois grows some of the finest hardwoods in the nation, such as black walnut, red oak, white oak, yellow poplar, ash, hickory, hard maple, and soft maple

I would go for walnut and oak as they would be the densest woods in my experience with woodworking

 

[Chronos313]

The black walnut would be sick I think

 

[Morgie]

If you want to attach your driftwood to the bottom immediately without soaking it you can. Get some fishing line and a suction cup with either a hook or a loop built into it, make sure it doesn't contain any metal. Tie the driftwood with the fishing line to the suction cup, move the substrate over, stick it to the bottom of the glass and recover with substrate. Works like a charm.

 

[em_witt]

Didn't kno that! I'll have to try it!