African Moponi Driftwood
15 posts • Page 1 of 2
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jdak702 - Posts: 382
- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:26 am
Sounds good but i would wait or look for more advice as i have never done it. Just what i have learned from others.
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tekneb - Posts: 211
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am
You have to let driftwood soak for a period of time (days not weeks) so that it will sink when you put it in your tank. How long that takes depends on the type of wood. Unfortunately I have zero experience with Mopani so i can't give you an exact time frame. Boiling it or letting it soak for weeks will both do the same thing, remove the tannins in the wood. These tannins are not dangerous to fish, but they make your water turn a weird/ugly yellowish brown color. Boiling it will also kill anything that might be living/growing in the wood. Hope this helped.
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stingraysrule - Posts: 271
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:37 pm
The wood will be fine. You do not have to let it soak until it sinks. Just sink it into the tank and put a rock on top of it till it stays down which could take a while.
I would also boil it to remove some of the tannis. Depending on how big the piece is, would depend on what color your water will be. It will probably will look like a very weak tea color.
If you use a very big piece than I would check my PH as the tannis will lower it a bit.
I find it hard to believe that you picked out such a big piece that your PH drops significantly, but if it does, you can use some crushed coral in your filter to bring the PH back up. Don't worry tho, cause unless the piece is as big as the tank, you will be aok.
The wood will grow some fuzz on it, which I bet the fish will love to eat.... Mollys love it anyway, this is normal, and will go away after a couple of weeks. This fuzz will not hurt your fish or your water! So, don't panic.
Take a pic of your tank with the wood. I would LOVE to see it.
I just rescaped my 80G sting ray tank. I put one big piece of driftwood in there, and the water looks like TEA. LOL.
Email me if you need help.
Kathleen
I would also boil it to remove some of the tannis. Depending on how big the piece is, would depend on what color your water will be. It will probably will look like a very weak tea color.
If you use a very big piece than I would check my PH as the tannis will lower it a bit.
I find it hard to believe that you picked out such a big piece that your PH drops significantly, but if it does, you can use some crushed coral in your filter to bring the PH back up. Don't worry tho, cause unless the piece is as big as the tank, you will be aok.
The wood will grow some fuzz on it, which I bet the fish will love to eat.... Mollys love it anyway, this is normal, and will go away after a couple of weeks. This fuzz will not hurt your fish or your water! So, don't panic.
Take a pic of your tank with the wood. I would LOVE to see it.
I just rescaped my 80G sting ray tank. I put one big piece of driftwood in there, and the water looks like TEA. LOL.
Email me if you need help.
Kathleen
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LUVMUFF9326 - Posts: 119
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:00 am
im nit sure what kinda driftwood i bought but after soaking it 4 2 weeks n putting it in my tank ,after 4 months of weekly water changes (bout) 33%, i finally took it out cuz after 3 days my tank would still turn tea color, n it was only two pieces bout 10 #s each , looked good in tank but not worth it. so now i have $70 worth of driftwood sitting by my house plants
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stingraysrule - Posts: 271
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:37 pm
There is nothing wrong with a little tea colored water. It is a natural look.
Do you think the bottom of a pond is crystal clear with a bunch of plants swaying around?
Not so much.
Blackwater tanks always have tea colored water. Thats where those neons you have floating around in your tanks come from. I am sure they would enjoy being back in their hometown enviroment, even tho your PH is too high for them. ;)
Do you think the bottom of a pond is crystal clear with a bunch of plants swaying around?
Not so much.
Blackwater tanks always have tea colored water. Thats where those neons you have floating around in your tanks come from. I am sure they would enjoy being back in their hometown enviroment, even tho your PH is too high for them. ;)
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Metropolis75 - Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:57 am
I soaked, boiled, soaked, boiled, soaked, boiled, and soaked my piece of mopani for 4 days. It still leaked tannins. BUT, after I put purigen in my filter, it cleared up the water within a coupe of days and it has been crystal ever since. It's expensive, but it is reusable.
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Alasse - Posts: 993
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
- Location: QLD Australia
Some wood will leech tannins for months, depends on wood type and size.
Goldfish survive well in a range of PH, 6-8. Mine live in a fairly high PH and appear quite happy
Goldfish survive well in a range of PH, 6-8. Mine live in a fairly high PH and appear quite happy
