Substrate change

[JPKeenan]

Lol this thread has touched on a ton of subjects

Finding the wood on the forest floor and turning into DW, please tell! I read briefly about it. But that was in passing and my memory is about as good as one of those...whatcha call it? with holes in it? Strains noodles or sand....

 

[WhiteDevil]

I am OCD about my decor for my tanks, I have elk and two different deer speices antlers that I will add to it once done soaking to get tissue and blood out fully.

DW on the forest floor.
Pick it up, knock it around, make sure its a hard wood, not heavy not light but a decent feeling piece of tree. At home I soak in a 3:1 mixture of bleach and water for 3 days then soak in just dechlorinated water for a week changing the water often with pre-dechlored water. after that, let it sit outside for 2 days, then soak it again for maybe 30-45 minutes, wrap in foil, place in over, turn oven to 175 for atleast 3 hours. Once the wood is cooled and really inspected, toss er in the tank....git-r-dun.

 

[JPKeenan]

I might need to do something similar when I am out at my daughter's next weekend. Will have to tell her to watch the pH though, from what the ex wife says the water out there need to raise the pH not lower it.

 

[WhiteDevil]

She must be on soft well water. I can have my tank filled with DW and the Ph wont drop much, out of my tap is 8.9+ in my tanks its around 8.4

My 15g grow out tank is a neutral 7.0 with neutral regulator, so far it works.

 

[JPKeenan]

I have a sea shell and some crushed coral I will give her as well just to be sure. She'll have Danioes and Plateys in her tank and they can take some wide pH levels (well as long as it isn't an over night swing).

 

[dkpate]

REALLY?? You can use pieces of wood from the woods? Oh man, I think I am going to have to go on an excursion today lol!

 

[WhiteDevil]

Yep, just got to prepare it right. no baddies,period. make sure youd want to live with it too.

I got a small but long curved piece of oak today, I just hope it fits in the tank.

 

[JPKeenan]

I hit the beach today, windy and cold... but got some OK looking rocks.

I am wondering if chunks of bricks are OK or not.

 

[dkpate]

I am boiling rocks right now lol! I want to put them in for the loaches so they have more places to hide. I gotta get out there and find some sticks! Hey, how do I know if they will be okay in the tank? I know the wood we have around here stays in the lake FOREVER and doesn't desintegrate, just gets waterlogged and heavy. That okay? I don't think we have oak or anything like that.

 

[JPKeenan]

hehe, how many people can say there are at home on a weekend boiling rocks... Almost makes me long for my 30's when I would be out living it up on a weekend *lol*

some of these brick pieces that washed up on the beack are all nice and round and would look nice with the sand in the tanks

 

[dkpate]

Well I am only 28 and I am home boiling rocks lol. And going out to find some wood here in a bit.

 

[WhiteDevil]

dont boil rocks, are you nuts?

You might as well boil hand grenades.


Soak them in near boiling water, then rinse them off a few times with boiling water. Dont put em in the oven either, boiling em makes grenades and baking them makes rockets. Any small crack can make them explode.

 

[dkpate]

Too late, I already did it. And they were fine. But I understand what you are saying...The I rinsed them in warm water, then cold water. Then scrubbed them. And yes, I might be a little nuts.

 

[WhiteDevil]

they usually are fine but some people have had rocks launched thru their houses.

 

[dkpate]

I can see why and I never even thought of that lol! I will now though! I didn't get any rocks that had cracks in them cause I was afraid all of my scaleless fish would get cut on them ya know? And the betta would tear his fins. So I guess I got lucky!

 

[JPKeenan]

so *crossing fingers* have never had a problem with them exploding .

 

[WhiteDevil]

me neither, used to boil em up until a few months ago when I heard that this could happen, did some research cases are far and few between but exploding rocks are known killers in the kitchen.

 

[dkpate]

I would imagine so! I have seen rocks blow up and it's like shrapnel! NO THANKS! Good lookin out.

 

[JPKeenan]

can just see a rock exploding and giving me a heart attack!

 

[WhiteDevil]

I think I am gonna try this, I got a turkey fryer and 40# of propane........