Boiling driftwood... PH is rising in "broth"?!?

[sudz]

So I'm boiling some wood for my rebuild project tank, and I'm on my third batch of fresh boiling water. I decided from r giggles to take some "wood broth" and test PH. I assumed it would be quite acidic as it's full of tannins.

Wrong. It was at 8.6! My tap is 7.8.

How can this be? I used my digital PH meter on room temperature "broth".

 

[TMaier]

TDS goes up as water evaporates out of the pot?

 

[sudz]

TDS goes up as water evaporates out of the pot?

TDS effects PH?

 

[coralbandit]

Did you keep your broth?
I would test it 24 hours after to see if it adjusted/outgassed.
Boiling water has low o2 and that may effect pH ,but again not the direction you went ?
Interesting.

 

[sudz]

I didn't. My wife probably wouldn't appreciate petstore wood broth soup for dinner

Its currently soaking in a cooler (at room temperature) so if I notice a lot of tannins I'll re-test that. (actually, I'll retest anyway and compare it to stale tap water to see.

Edit: I found out "Java wood" is just a brand. This is almost certainly wood from an old coffee tree. Trying to find more details.

 

[coralbandit]

I have my 180g loaded with coffee wood!
I actually like it a lot.
I can only find it at a pet store that is big on birds.
This is the brand I have
Java Wood

 

[sudz]

Awesome. How did you prep it? it turned the "broth" an attractive amber color, but the "farm" smell it gives off is a bit worrying. Did you also get a milky growth for the first week or two?

 

[coralbandit]

I di not even soak it!
My first piece I added to a 40b with my EBR breeder and they started to breed right away!
That was 'soft ' water no growth.
Then I moved it and bought about 2-3 more big pieces and put them right in my 180g.
That is average tap but still nothing much happened
I have super reds plecos that live in the snarled mess I tried to make.
This is first piece after I moved it to 180

Very black looking.
Here is when I added the new!

It still sits just like that.
The piece that looks black actually has real cool striping that my wife and hope shows in the newer pieces.The new ones are 4-5 months old now.

 

[sudz]

Oooh Pretty. I'm excited.

Build log here:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...oss-planted-high-tech-discus-tank-354259.html

I think my question has been answered here.

 

[BBradbury]

sud...

Boiling the driftwood does a couple of things: It softens the wood fibers, so the piece doesn't stay together nearly as long as simply rinsing it in warm tap water. Another thing boiling does is release all kinds of chemicals, gases and traces of different kinds of metals. Plus, anything else the tree absorbed from the ground and water while it was alive. This is likely why you can see pH changes and very likely some other unusual chemical test results.

It's infinitely better to just rinse the piece and use some large rocks to weigh it down in the tank. This way, the chemicals and whatever else that's in the piece is released for a long period and is removed through the weekly water change.

 

[sudz]

A Response!!!

I received an e-mail back from the suppliers of Java wood in the USA:
Neat!

--------------------

Hello Alex, Java wood is indeed safe for your fish. It comes from retired Indonesian Coffee trees that no longer produce. The wood is cut, thrown in ponds with carp that clean and strip the wood. It is then baked in a kiln, which sterilizes and hardens the wood. One thing to take in to account is the wood, like most woods has tannins in it. That means if will soften your water, can lower PH and and turn water yellow. I always soak it in a tub to leach the tannic acid out. Change the water a couple of time until it stays clear. After that you can enjoy it in your aquarium.

Brent,
A&E Cage

 

[coralbandit]

That is real cool they got back to you !
I appreciate what they have to say as I never checked or asked! After my EBR spawned I just accepted it was safe.
BB makes sense on boiling having softening and much stronger leaching effects,
I appreciate that info also.

 

[sudz]

That is real cool they got back to you !
I appreciate what they have to say as I never checked or asked! After my EBR spawned I just accepted it was safe.
BB makes sense on boiling having softening and much stronger leaching effects,
I appreciate that info also.

Took ph test with my digital meter. My rested tap water is 7.8 the soak tank is 7.4 after 20 hours.

 

[coralbandit]

^^That's a nice piece^^

 

[sudz]

^^That's a nice piece^^

https://youtu.be/hfjCM0FqUIs

 

[sudz]

Kind of worried. The wood is still soaking and made the water milky.
After water change

 

[coralbandit]

Just came back with what I think is my biggest piece of this Java wood yet !
Going to give it quick rinse in tub and then hope it fits into the tank with out having to pull the whole canopy....












Hoping it will just settle to the bottom of the opposite end of all the other pieces, but you never how stuff really sits or fits..?

 

[sudz]

Sooo 24 hours after putting in my java wood... All my prized fish are dead. My adult angelfish, and two adult Siamese algae eaters.

I boiled the wood for hours. I soaked it for weeks, changing the water regularly. I let it completely dry out. I mounted it to slate and put it in my tank. Come home from work today to a massacre.

Be weary.

 

[coralbandit]

I wonder if boiling it did something to accelerate 'stuff' coming out sort of like Bradburry said ?
If your tank parameters are all good I would run carbon possibly...If your water is good then IMO it is something that was on/in the wood possibly.Carbon would/should fix that.
I have added mine after a quick[10 second] rinse in the tub..It barely fits in 2 foot wide tank so no other prep...
I never soaked any of the other pieces I used in the fall either.
Sorry about your fish man.

 

[jo060]

Years ago I used to go to the beach through the mangroves and snag some big pieces of driftwood. All I would do is rinse the wood off, fill the bathtub with water and let the pieces soak overnight. Empty the tub, fill the tub back up with water and add approx. 1 cup of bleach. Empty and rinse wood.
I'd then place the wood in the dishwasher sans detergent. Set it outside to dry, then introduce it into the tank...Never had an issue. May be worth a shot for you.