Driftwood Prep

[Mr. Green]

Hello All, I purchased a small piece of Driftwood for my 29 gallon tank. What type of prep is needed to get this ready to put into the tank. I am in the process of going for a more natural look. I have not had much luck doing a search on this subject so feel free to link me to any articles/posts.

Thank you,

 

[boadams87]

Boil it good to get the tannins out and probably have to soak it so it'll sink.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

You don't need to do much. Give it a good soak to leach some of the tannin and water log it. You can put it through the dishwasher (no soap!) and/or boil it to speed up the process.

 

[Mr. Green]

Should I soak it in tank water, tap water, or treated tap water? Also, how long, it is not a very big piece!!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Should I soak it in tank water, tap water, or treated tap water? Also, how long, it is not a very big piece!!

Any of those is fine. I just use tap water when I soak. I don't do anything except put it through the dishwasher then weigh down with rocks in the tank. The tannins leach and I remove them with water changes.

 

[MartyMA]

After boiling the driftwood, you might want to put it in your toilet tank (not bowl) to soak even more. If you are anxious to get it in the fish tank itself, be prepared to do frequent WC. It will discolor the water for a while unless you get lucky. It will go away eventually but it takes time. Even after two months, I am still getting a slight tinge in the water. Way better than the orange color I experienced at first.