# preparing driftwood



## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

Hi... I just bought a piece of driftwood for my tank, but it was meant for reptile tanks. Would it be cured already? If not, how do I cure it? Also, how long do I have to soak the wood before it becomes saturated enough to sink? Is there any way to speed this up (ie boiling?), and will it discolor my water? I'm anxious to display this piece. 

biofish.


----------



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

i've used reptile drift before and kept the slate on it. One of them i removed from the slate a long time ago and after years of being in water it hasnt sank. LoL

I think its okay, i've just scrubbed mine down fairly good before adding it. I've also soaked them in the tub for a day or two. (or bucket if it fits) just to get some of the tannins of any out.

I was thinking of powerwashing but i havent tried this yet. 

Hth some!


----------



## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

I've got quite a bit of time on my hands to soak it... I'm not in a rush. I'm reading up on starting my first planted tank which is what the drift is for, and I'm going to have to wait a couple weeks before I have enough money to invest in some new lighting and the DIY CO2, not to mention the plants and substrate and fertilizers. I've been soaking it for two days now and it still floats.. does this mean it won't ever sink or should I just give it more time? It definitely feels heavier.


----------



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Give it time...  It should slowly become more heavier with water after a month or so. 

If you cant seem to root them well... what i would suggest is plan out your drift layout. After soaking them for a while i would try to silicone them to the tank bottom. You'll wanna make sure you've got it where you want it. ^^

Then you can fill in with substraight. 
If you keep the slate on it make sure its flush to the glass and then add your gravel/flourite.. what have you. 
I added a chunk after i had the gravel in and my plants around the drift dont root so well. 

Hope that helps!


----------



## newt0524 (Jan 23, 2007)

hey

you can mount it to a piece of slate to sink it. 

how long the wood takes to saturate depends on the wood. some will take a few days and some will (literrally) take years. i had a friend who ran the wood in a dishwashser 2-3 times (no soap or anything, just water) to prep it. it sank immediately and the tannins were really reduced. boiling will also speed up the process of saturation.

as far as tannins go, they are not at all harmful. i have wood in one of my 20G and the water has heavy tannins, it is kind of nice really, very natural looking.

newt


----------



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Mhmm i will agree with you there newt 

The dishwasher idea is great! I have a sanitize option on mine... I'll just have to make sure i run it once or twice clean to get the reserve water out... Could have soap still in it.


----------



## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

newt0524 said:


> hey
> 
> you can mount it to a piece of slate to sink it.
> 
> newt


What is the best way to do this? I've been soaking this drift for 6 weeks and although it has definitely gotten heavier and there are still tannins in the water, it's still floating and I'm eager to use the tank I'm soaking it in. I'll try boiling it but at this point, how much of a difference will it really make after six weeks? I change the water every few days and use boiling water when I refill. I'd like to attach it to some slate, but want to know how?


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

If you post a pic of the wood of how you want it too look, I can better direct you in how to weigh the wood down.

Otherwise it's just drilling a 1/8" hole into the wood and 3/16-1/4" into the slate slab. Use stainless steel screws w/deep threads and a wide head and just screw it in.

HTH


----------



## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

thanks wtac... i'll post a pic this weekend. i'm out of town right now. 
i'd probably have to ave either one long slate or two or three smaller pieces, because it's sort of a waved shape log and I want to make some shelter for the fish under the log.


----------



## Coyote24 (Jan 26, 2007)

*slate and gravel*

I have mine screwed to a piece of slate ($5 homedepot piece of tile, if they have borken tiles they just give you a piece, free).
Drilled the slate, screwed in the wood. then I cleaned the area so there was no gravel under the slate and I covered everythign back with gravel, it acts as an anchor.
Regarding cleaning I just left mine in the tub for 24hr. the tanin is good for the water and the fish so it is a bonus.
Eventually the tanin fades off.

Cheers,

a.


----------



## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

So I got back a bit early and took some pics of the unsinkable drift. I think i want it like in pic 1, but let me know what you think. These pics were taken in the 10 gallon it will be in with the plants, half filled and weighed down with a jar of water.


----------



## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

If I remember correctly, one thing that the guy from www.skepticalaquarist.com recommended NOT doing is boiling the wood since it apparently speeds up the rotting process so the wood will only last a few years instead of a few decades.

Harry


----------



## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

Thanks Harry...

Thankfully I ended up not boiling it. I did soak it for about two months, and when I did water changed I put hot water in the tank but not at boiling point. At the end of this time, it still hadn't sunk. Right now the drift is in my ten gallon, which you can see in the planted tank photo section. It's weighed down with some slate and hopefully it will eventually sink. I actually haven't checked recently, but there are no more tannins in the water. That should be a good sign, right? I'll take a look tomorrow.


----------

