Please help preparing decor

[MarkA123]

I bought some mopani wood at my lfs and was wondering How to prepare it and when to put it in. So far I've put it in a bucket of water and the water turned brown so I put new water in the bucket and the waters clear it's been about 1 hour. I can't boil it. I'm not worried about the color my filter had carbon and a little tea water won't hurt I'm worried about my ph I have catfish and they're sensitive to low ph. Also I'm currently cycling my tank wil it affect the cycle?

 

[Crepe]

Although bacteria like neutral-harder conditions more it won't hurt it. Also, unless you have a little water in a tank of wood you won't really see a dangerous change and the change will be so slow it won't matter. And finally, unless you have synos or some other hardwater catfish (which I really doubt) they will enjoy the water tanning. I think you have corydoras right? If so, they are actually from soft water environments I don't know where you got the information that they dislike acidic water.

 

[MarkA123]

They're albino Cory catfish and I also have a female betta. When do I put it in and how do I prepare it and know when it's ready? Also it says unlike driftwood mopani wood will not rot. Does this mean i canckeep it in my tank permanetly?

Although bacteria like neutral-harder conditions more it won't hurt it. Also, unless you have a little water in a tank of wood you won't really see a dangerous change and the change will be so slow it won't matter. And finally, unless you have synos or some other hardwater catfish (which I really doubt) they will enjoy the water tanning. I think you have corydoras right? If so, they are actually from soft water environments I don't know where you got the information that they dislike acidic water.

 

[Crepe]

Anytime you feel like it. Also, you don't ever need to remove the wood from the tank until it's falling apart.

There's not really much preparation to be had for drift wood. Just wash (with water only) and drop. Soaking is just done to leech some tannins and even that doesn't need to be done.

 

[MarkA123]

Thanks I'll put it in now because my aquarium doesn't has anything in it other than sand and 4 large stones. And my cories are trying to hide so I going to put it in. Also what's the difference in mopani wood and driftwood? Does mopani wood really never rot?

Anytime you feel like it. Also, you don't ever need to remove the wood from the tank until it's falling apart.

There's not really much preparation to be had for drift wood. Just wash (with water only) and drop. Soaking is just done to leech some tannins and even that doesn't need to be done.

 

[Crepe]

Mopani is a type of driftwood. Mopani itself is denser so it rots slower, it will indeed rot as any wood will in a wet environment. However, even "regular" driftwood will last for years so its not really a concern.

 

[MarkA123]

Thanks I just put it in and my fish are swimming through it and hiding in it. My water hasn't changed color and it's doing good

Mopani is a type of driftwood. Mopani itself is denser so it rots slower, it will indeed rot as any wood will in a wet environment. However, even "regular" driftwood will last for years so its not really a concern.