When can I put in driftwood???

zombiefish610

So I bought this cool piece of driftwood from the pet store. The guy told me to soak it in water for a couple of days and change the water every day because it turns the water yellow. I've had it soaking in a bucket for a week and a half now, I change the water everyday and it still turns yellow. My question is how long is this going to take and is there a better way to speed up the process? I really want to put it in my tank but I don't want it hurting the fish or turning the water yellow. Please help!!

aspects

its hard to say how long it will take, it really depends on the piece of wood. you can try boiling it. this usually helps speed up the process. also, you can change the water more then one time a day.

aunt kymmie

Yes, boiling will release the tannins alot faster than simply soaking the wood. The tannins from the wood will not harm your fish.

zombiefish610

Thanks alot guys. I'll try boiling it. Do you think putting real wood in the tank is bad or beneficial in any way?

jeaninel

If it will fit in a pot that can go on the stove boil the heck out of it. I would boil for about 20 minutes or until the water was dark, drain the water and refill with fresh water and boil, repeat about 5 times. You'll probably still get some tannins but it will much less than if you didn't take the time to do this.

if it's too large to fit into a pot use a 5 gallon bucket and fill with the hottest water possible and do the same thing. Let it sit til the water is dark, drain then refill, etc.

The tannins won't hurt the fish but the yellow water can be kind of annoying to look at.
(Ninj'd by A.K.!!)

aspects

driftwood provides many things for the tank. first and foremost, its aesthetic. imo it looks better then just about any other decor you can add to a tank.
as far as function, driftwood provides hiding places for fish, (my loaches LOVE driftwood.), it can provide food (plecos mostly), and it can help lower the PH in the tank for fish that like that (again. perfect for loaches)

JohnnyD44

i boiled mine, and did a few water changes and it was ok.

by the way....you're avatar is quite disturbing.....but i like it!! haha

zombiefish610

Sweet! I just got a Weather Loach.

willow

hello and welcome.
nothing to add about the wood,it's all be covered.