Drift wood

[T-Rexx]

I'm upgrading my fish tank from a 36 to a 60 gallon. What a better time to change the look of the tank! I went into a fish store today and asked the man who own the store if he had any drift wood. He did, but he told me that for the first YEAR?? the wood will give off some sort of chemical that will turn the water a tea color.. Will it really take THAT long till the color of the water can be clear again? ):

 

[jcolon]

Could be longer to be honest ... but unlikely. Yes DW will release tannins that will give your water a tea-color while also lowering your water's pH. All Perfectly natural and safe for fish ... the pH drop is usually not dramatic.

However a few things you can do to leach out the tannins.

1. Stick the DW in a Dishwasher ... minus soap and dishes naturally .... and run twice on high temp. If your worried about detergent residue, run on empty first, then twice with the DW.
2. Boil the DW for several minutes ... empty, re-boil then rinse. Boiling really helps release tannins. Problem usually is finding a pot large enough.
3. Stick it in a tub, bucket large enough and just leave it for a week or two, every couple of 2-3 days switch out the water.
4. Adding carbon to the filter will help clear up the water.

However please note even with all that ... some DW may leach tannins for months ... even years depending. Honestly ... don't worry about it, PWC's will help clear up the water ... if you really want that piece of DW ... get it. I'm eyeing one at an LFS so I'll probably do the diswasher, then boil ... then into the tank.

 

[T-Rexx]

Oh WOW thanks! & thanks for responding! The man is getting more DW today, so I'll see if I can find a good piece! If I do I will definitely be giving those a try!

 

[BBradbury]

Driftwood

Good morning rees...

The color is just the tannins leached from the wood. Tannins will turn the tank water a tea color, but it won't harm fish or plants and will be gone after a few water changes.

The best driftwood is the stuff you get from the local river beds and lake areas, within the local laws of course.

I've decorated several of my 55 G tanks with local pieces and they're much more natural looking than store bought. The local pieces don't affect the tank water either.

May be a good opportunity to get out for some early morning exercise too.

B

 

[ilostnemo]

i love the teacolor and actually use it in my tank lol