Driftwood help?

[FishBoy185]

I have no sort of decorations in my 125 gallon other than sand and now I really like drfit wood since it gives it that natural feel to it. Now how do you soak and boil driftwood? I have no idea. And also most people say they try to get out "tannins" what are those? And one more thing I love the brownish tint the driftwood gives to the tank. If I soak it will it get rid of that brownish color to the water in my tank?

 

[Freakgecko91]

Tannins, or tannic acid, is released by certain types of organic material such as almond leaves, peat, and driftwood (most types, like Malaysian, mopani, etc). Tannic acid stains the water brown and can also lower the pH (generally nothing to greatly though). Boiling helps to remove the tannic acid, so if you like the brown water, then don't boil it. Just wash it off in water to remove dust and debris. Tannic acid is NOT harmful to fish, and many species benefit from it. Environments stained heavily with tannic acid are referred to as "blackwater".

 

[FishBoy185]

Thank you! Now if I don't boil it will it make mY water super brown? because I don't want super brown water I just want like a brown tint to it.

 

[Freakgecko91]

Depends on the driftwood and tanks size really. Do your water changes regularly and it will keep it in check. The tannins don't release instantaneously, they take some time.

 

[abw0004]

The driftwood can leach for years. It has been two months for me and mine is still leaching, but it is gradually less and less. They do look good though and are necessary for plecos. What I did was I boiled it for 30 minutes twice a day for three days, but I always had it in water. It will turn the boiled water a dark brown but don't worry! Once you have it in your tank it probably will discolor but I do a 25-30% water change every week and it maintains clarity in the water. The tannins do no harm to the fish so don't worry. I hope this helps!

 

[Rivercats]

Also bear in mind that different types of wood release different amounts of tannins and some DW doesn't release any. You can try just adding it in and if you find it makes your water too tinted then remove it and boil it. Just don't attach any plants to it until your sure you won't need to boil it.

 

[BBradbury]

Prepping Driftwood

I have no sort of decorations in my 125 gallon other than sand and now I really like drfit wood since it gives it that natural feel to it. Now how do you soak and boil driftwood? I have no idea. And also most people say they try to get out "tannins" what are those? And one more thing I love the brownish tint the driftwood gives to the tank. If I soak it will it get rid of that brownish color to the water in my tank?

Hello Fish...

You don't need to go to a lot of work to prep driftwood before putting it into the tank. You just rinse it well in warm tap water and remove any lose pieces. It's tank ready and just needs to be weighed down with some rocks that can be found in your local rural areas. Just make sure there aren't laws against this type of activity.

The tannic acid that may leach from the wood is temporary and won't harm the tank. If you're a frequent water changer, the amber color will be a thing of the past in a few weeks.

B

 

[Rivercats]

The tannic acid that may leach from the wood is temporary and won't harm the tank. If you're a frequent water changer, the amber color will be a thing of the past in a few weeks.

This isn't always the case as some types of DW never stop leaching tannins. Bog wood is one of the worst IMO. I've had a couple pieces of DW that leached so many years I finally took it out of tank use and put it in the garden.