Making driftwood sink?

[asberry2]

I've had a new piece of driftwood I got soaking for over a week in a seperate container... I was wondering how long it might take to get it to sink or how I could speed up the process?

 

[BHead707]

i could take months, you could tie it to some kind of rock or slate and see it the added weight will help it sink

 

[asberry2]

Okay, I might do that. I don't want to drill the wood down to anything. I just didn't know if there was anything that would make it soak up water and sink faster or something?

 

[BHead707]

if there is i have never heard of it good luck, its a pain to get them to stay down

 

[Wy Renegade]

I usually just set a flat, heavy rock on top of it until is stays down on its own.

 

[jcolon]

I've had a new piece of driftwood I got soaking for over a week in a seperate container... I was wondering how long it might take to get it to sink or how I could speed up the process?

Boiling helps open up the wood fibers and can help it waterlog faster ... however it could take more weeks / months. Some DW practically never sinks.
As mentioned, pin it down with rocks if you don't want to drill it into a piece of slate.

 

[asberry2]

Okay ill definitely try boiling it....and what is the best way to do that...? It isn't huge but its large

 

[asberry2]

And about how long should I boil it? More than once? Will it hurt it in any way?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Boiling it won't hurt it. Get a large pot and put it on the stove. Change the water out when it turns black and start again. What I did to sink mine is boil for 20-30 mins then take it (very carefully!) from the pot and dunk it into cool water for 10-20 mins then boil again and dunk again until it sinks.

 

[stevenhman]

If you can't get it to sink with boiling - you should be able to tie it down to a rock or piece of slate with some fishing line so you wouldn't have to drill it.

 

[asberry2]

I don't really have any slate I'd like to use at all so I guess ill find some if boiling doesn't work today after a few tries.

 

[brunettebaby4571]

I boiled mine for a while and then I stuck it in my tank (It still floated) so what I did was kind of wedged my piece of wood with rocks that were already in my tank and after about two months it is basically staying down on its on now . Oh I tried tying rocks to mine and it just did not work the fishing line would not stay around the rock so I didnt have that option lol hopefully you get it to stay down!

 

[jcolon]

By the the time I go through the hassle of boiling and then wedging or anchoring down outside / backyard / river bank DW, is why I just prefer to just buy Malaysian DW (that sinks instantly) from a trusted LFS that sells hand sized pieces (some are even forearm length)for $3.00.

 

[asberry2]

Well I didn't exactly find the piece in trying to use...but I think its too perfect to not try and make work....it came from the ocean on the outer banks of North Carolina.

 

[cburns70]

Both of these are screwed to slate tiles. You can buy slate tiles for around a dollar apiece. They're easy to drill and break/cut to size.

I did boil mine a couple of time to get the tannin out.

 

[Wy Renegade]

If you do screw it to slate, make sure you are sealing over the top of the screw with something, as even stainless steel screws will rust over time.

 

[Munchie]

I had the same issue, a 3lb piece wanted to float for months!!!! When I re-decorated my tank I needed smaller pieces, so I just broke it up into a few and within about 2 weeks and a cichlid stone on each...the unsinkable, sunk!

 

[Tipton34]

I have my pieces of driftwood tied to a rock in a pond. I left it there all week and I'm going to go retrieve it this weekend. So far it hasn't sank

 

[BillD]

A stainless screw of good quality will not rust, and drftwood is normally attached with a brass or bronze screw. A little bit of rust won't hurt the tank. i know more than a few people who add washers or nails to their substrate for planted tanks. I have done it as well.
Interestingly, some pieces don't want to sink. I have two pieces of mulberry that were sunk for about a year, and when I took them out, allowed them to dry a little, one sunk quickly in the new tank and the second is still floating about 5 months later.