Driftwood Question

[aluka]

I brought a medium size piece of driftwood monday. I soaked it in a large bucket of hot water, changing it 2-4 times a day for 3 days. Today I boiled it for 3-4 hours total, two separate times. The water in the last boil was still slightly brown.

But is that enough, or should i soak it for a few more days and reboil it again? Its completely waterlogged and sinks very well.

[MSG]

Post a picture of the driftwood. 3 days won't eliminate the amount of tannins that will seep out of the wood. It can take MONTHS before tannins will stop STAINING your tank water. The longer you boil/simmer, the more you'll remove.

[sarahspins]

Putting Purigen in your filter can take care of what leeches out over time

[OrangeSoda]

Just throw it in your tank and do a water change whenever it bugs you. As MSG said, it can take months.

[aluka]

here's a picture of it

[The Trigger]

Yeah purigen in your filter will clear up any tannins the wood leeches. I have tons of wood in my tank and the purigen keeps the tannins to a minimum

[aluka]

awesome, i totally have some!

[lochaber]

Does the appearance of the water bother you? It's not really harmful, and in a lot of ways considered beneficial for a lot of the fish and plants we keep.

[aluka]

oh no, i actually like the slightly brown, but most ppl tell me to leech it all out =< i assumed it was bad or something, lol

[rileynapalm]

Originally Posted by aluka

oh no, i actually like the slightly brown, but most ppl tell me to leech it all out =< i assumed it was bad or something, lol

not bad at all! if you're doing a south american type set up with tetras, angels, discus, severums, rams, etc... you'll be in great shape. i never try to get my tannins out because it gives a natural look and chemistry to your water. you can actually buy a product called Kent Blackwater Extract that you can add to your tank. it's just a way to keep those tannins in there. in fact, if you're patient, your carbon may pull out any discoloration that you have. it's totally your call, but i wouldn't sweat about it. =]

[FishyFishy89]

I had my DW soaking a whole week(daily water changes) before I felt comfortable putting it in my tank. I never boiled it, just soaked it. And when the water was clear for a whole day, I soaked an extra day to be sure.