Mopani stew

[mellawson]

I picked up a chunk of mopani drift wood today and I have been boiling it for close to 2 hrs. I'll boil it until the water turns dark brown then dump it out and start again. Seriously will the water ever clear up or should I just put it in the tank and run some carbon in my filters for a while?

 

[taylorodw]

It's up to you. It will eventually stop. Tannins are harmless although they do lower pH which may harm your fish. The tannins will not swing the pH fast enough to harm your fish.

I always let the tannins go in my tank. I had brown water for over a month, and that was with manzanita driftwood that has less tannic acid.

 

[Etunes]

Ya, it will leach it out eventually. It kinda depends on how big the peice is. But it will eventually go.

 

[HeathB]

I've just been soaking mine in a bucket of hot water in the tub the last few weeks. I think its mostly done, but I'm waiting on my order of fissidens before I put it in.

 

[HUKIT]

I have a very large piece that has been boiled for hours and has been in the tank for over a year that still leaches. I run Purigen in the canister to clear the water.

 

[WhiteDevil]

we bought a chunk about two weeks ago, soaked in in the bathtub for about 12 hours, and then put it in the tank. try your bathtub, it will leach out faster due to more water area rather then a small pot of boiling water. My piece is 25" long by 10" wide by 10" deep, weighs about 30 pounds or so.

This was my first piece in the tub soak and it was WAY like days faster then the bucket or stock pot method. I dont mind tannins, they not only lower and maintain Ph they also provide the fish with a safe environment, baddies cant like in that water for some reason.

 

[mellawson]

Cool its not a huge piece but what the heck...to the tub then...

 

[WhiteDevil]

hot hot water and let it sit for an hour, drain and do again I filled and drained mine 3 times due to a leaky tub plug down in the piping, but the water wont be brown itll be a light tea colored in the tub.

 

[mellawson]

Gottcha thanks!

 

[mommytron]

I don't have a tub. I've been soaking our piece in a 5 gal bucket for a week now, changing the water out at least twice a day (sometimes like 5 or 6 times). The water is still pretty brown but much lighter than at first. I think I'm going to try boiling it today. I have a feeling it won't take care of all the tannins but I will probably just put it in anyway. I like the fact it lowers ph because we have harder water. Not to hijack, but to take the brown out of the water, what kind of filter do I use? I have a Whisper 30 right now that takes the bio-bags, is there something i could add to it to clear up the water?

 

[logansmomma1228]

I think if you put carbon in the filter it will help. Not sure though so maybe someone else can hop in on that one. I tried boiling my little piece of driftwood for a while, but I have real ghetto pans and none big enough to really do anything. I am going to cycle the tank it is going in anyways so I figured I will just put it in while it cycles and it should be fine.

 

[DragonFish71]

Carbon will help clear that water, so will filter floss. Just don't go get that "clear water" crap. It's not needed.

Mopani is a heavy tannin wood. It will take a long time before all the tannins leach out. I have about 8 pieces in various tanks ranging from 3 - 1 years old and still got a bit of brown in the older ones.

 

[WhiteDevil]

Mine are done leaching, they only leach for a few weeks if not soaked properly before hand.

Never buy a water clearing chemical.

I got one on wednesday brand new never used super dry piece of mopani, I put it right in the tank and it still hasnt leached anything really, maybe a slight smidge but nothing that has stained the water.

The root I have is in the 210 was soaked in the tub for maybe 12-18 hours it was done leaching and hasnt leached anything in the tank.


Carbon and floss will clear the water.

 

[cabezon]

the yellow water just reminds me its time to do a PWC