New Driftwood Question

[Fish Of Gold 2,297]

I just bought a big chunk of Malaysian Driftwood from the feed store the other day. I got it to put in my 30 gallon for the Pleco. I never had any drift wood in my tank before so do I have to soak it? If I do, how do I go about doing that?

[jmetzger72 6,976]

I just bought a big chunk of Malaysian Driftwood from the feed store the other day. I got it to put in my 30 gallon for the Pleco. I never had any drift wood in my tank before so do I have to soak it? If I do, how do I go about doing that?

Put it in a bucket of water and let it sit for a day. If the water turns brown, change it and let it sit for another day...and so on until the water stays clear.

Edited September 5, 2014 by jmetzger72

[jmetzger72 6,976]

I have rinsed my Mopani wood with very hot water a few times and then put it right into the tank without problem. But, my pH is very stable and I change 70% of my water every 3-4 days. So, there isn't much time for the wood to leach tannins

[number20121 2,663]

If you have a pot large enough, you can actually boil it. This will more or less disinfect the wood, soak it, and remove tannins faster than regular soaking.

Even if you can't fully submerge the piece of wood and a part of it sticks out, simply turn the piece around at some point. Just make sure you don't burn your fingers.

I usually boil my wood for about 90 minutes total, but keep an eye on the water level. You will have to add more water due to evaporation. If a lot of tannins are released and you notice the water turning brown quickly, you might want to dump the water and refill the pot with fresh water.

I simply prefer the boiling method over having a bucket sit around for days

[DawnMichele 6,045]

Nice piece of driftwood!!!!

[ShawneeRiver 2,720]

I boiled mine too, and I had to turn it around in the pot to boil one side at a time. Before I boiled it, I soaked it and put it in my tank, but it continued to turn the water brown. I didn't like it, so I took it out and boiled it. I recommend boiling it first.

[kaylaj2355 464]

Be patient- it'll be worth it! I soaked one piece of driftwood I have for 2 weeks and it was still giving the water a tinge, but I put it in my tank anyway. Now I change out my water once a week (I'd do much less if not for the tannins) and it still looks like iced tea by water change day, 5 months later!

[jmetzger72 6,976]

I feel like the Mopani Wood I get by Zoo Med leaches a lot less than other kinds of driftwood.

[*Amanda* 556]

I soaked my Malaysian driftwood in the sink for probably an hour. Mine was too big to boil. There is a slight tinge to the water right before my weekly water change, but it's not that noticeable.