Problem with a trunk

[lapatata]

Hi!

I am arranging a DIY aquarium (800l) for discus. The tank is still empty (filled with tap water, actually).

I got a big trunk (the root of a tree, perhaps an alder) from the sea side. The trunk has been for a long time submerged in the sea water.

I cleaned and prepared the trunk as follows:

-I cleaned de trunk with an hard brush to remove the rotten wood and dirt.
-I let the trunk in flowing fresh water for two months, brushing it once a week.
-I boiled the entire trunk in a big metallic keg three times, each time about six hours. I let the trunk a week in fresh water after each boiling.

Now, I have the trunk into the tank filled with tap water. At this moment, there is no filtration or water changing active in the tank.

After three or four days, the trunk gets covered with a very delicate layer of something like mould. This “mould” becomes evident after a week, when I empty the tank and refill it again with new tap water.

This mould is white/grey colour. The thickness of the layer is about 1 cm (aprox. half inch) and the fibres are so thin that they almost can’t be seen.

I don’t know if this mould is really mould or not. I don’t know if it is some substance coming from the wood. I neither know if this could affect the health of the fishes and plants.

The pH of the water seems not to be affected by the mould and it is about 7,5 (to be corrected before putting in the fishes, of course).

Can anyone help me with this problem? Thanks in advance.

Inigo

 

[Christmasfish]

I have a piece of driftwood that has lichens on it. I don't use it yet. It has a white spot that comes up as soon as I finish boiling/salting /medicating. And as it is small it was able to recive a combined total of 24 hours of boiling/soaking. I didn't get all the tannins yet..but I was wanting them! I do know the wood is a type of fir/cedar because it is a burl. I can't get rid of the little rubbery slimy layer either.
I know many boil a few times and stick right in. But I also am cautious over this 'slimy spot".

I can't help, but you can see it is not that uncommon at least.

 

[bungle]

ok, sorry to jump in without any help on your mold question, but i have a quick question about driftwood in general. if a piece of driftwood will eventually end up in a FW tank, does it matter where the driftwood is collected? for instance, will driftwood found on an ocean beach be able to safely be introduced?

 

[Menagerie]

Bungle~
It matters what you do to the driftwood and how you cure it. You also need to be careful--was this wood exposed to harsh chemicals (you may not know the answer, but if you live around a polluted area, don't bring the wood home!)? What will the salts do to the tank?

lapatata~
I have some mold on a piece of driftwood in my tank, but it took a long time to get there. See what happens if you run the fitler. How are you going to cycle the tank? You can run the filter and cycle the tank and at the same time, watch to see what happens to the wood.