Drift wood preparation.

[Lafeet85]

Hey guys I just got back from my LFS and purchased a piece of African Oupowa driftwood, and the girl told me I had to soak it in a bucket of water for a month before I can put it in the tank. I forgot to ask her the reason for it, so if anyone knows it, please let me know.

 

[Athaocity]

The reason to presoak driftwood before you add it in your main tank is to remove tannins that the dw leeches out. Unless you are planning to do a black water set up.

Activated Carbon also helps rid discoloration from tannins too.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

You can boil it and run it through to dish washer (no soap!) to help remove the tannins. When you boil change the water every time it turns black and repeat until the water stays mostly clear. It will continue to leach tannin in small amounts but it won't harm a thing in your tank. Some fish actually prefer it.