Driftwood - tap water or conditioned?

[meese-a-mew]

I just got a new piece of wood and was wondering if I should soak it in conditioned water or just tap water.
Thanks

 

[hecurcia]

Boil it for at least one hour and brush any dirt accumulation. Let it dry out and then soak in dechlorinated water.

 

[mrvincent]

Wont change anything is you treat water or not. Personally I don't treat water for soaking objects.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello meese...

Boiling will soften the fibers in the piece and it will come apart much sooner then if you simply fill a 5 gallon bucket with your replacement water and add a tablespoon of standard aquarium salt and soak the piece for a day or two and then rinse it well in some more of your new water.

The chance of bacteria being introduced to your tank is very remote, but they will not be able to survive the salt bath.

B

 

[meese-a-mew]

Ok thanks

 

[Fishfur]

Be prepared for wood to leach some colour into the water. Turns it brown or yellow, and while carbon can remove most of that, fish generally like it. Water changes dilute it, and over time it does get less and less. But it takes quite a long time for some wood to stop leaching completely.

I have soaked some pieces in water with bleach, to lighten the colour a bit and speed up leaching. I then rinse well, and soak for a day or two in well dechlorinated water, just to be careful. I've soaked some pieces for up to six months and still had them turn the bucket water dark, though it takes longer each time I change the water. Bleach also stops the soaking water from getting smelly, if you leave it for a long period of time, but it's not necessary, just a tool I use for some wood pieces. Bleach is a good disinfectant of course, and salt would work as well for that, as was said.