How to prepare driftwood before putting it in tank?

[justcallmecute]

Hi, i have this driftwood boiled and soaked in water for a month now but still produces a yellowish color. What the best and fastest way to do it?


Sent via air mail

[BBradbury]

Hello just...

I rinse the piece well with a pressure nozzle attached to the garden hose. I leave it out in the sun for a day or so to kill any bacteria (not likely), then I put the piece into the tank. Local rocks will work well to weigh the piece down. If it leaches tannic acid, I just change out the tank water every few days until the water clears. The amber color doesn't affect anything and will go away in time.

B

[dalto]

Some of the darker wood will leach tannins for a very long time.

As BBradbury says, the tannic acid is not harmful and it will stop eventually. It can slowly lower your pH, which may or may not be an issue.

You can either boil it several more times or just put it in your tank.

[justcallmecute]

Thank you for the advice.


Sent via air mail

[mattcham]

I boiled mine 28 times for 40 minutes per boil before the boiling water stayed clear. Bigger wood = more boiling sessions needed. In my experience a marathon 8 hour boiling session is not as effective as eight 1 hour boiling sessions.