Driftwood Advice

[Hamsnacks]

So I recently started a new tank, it is going to be strictly plant based until I am happy with how it looks lol, then I'll be adding some fish.

I picked up 2 nice pieces of driftwood and currently in the process of water logging them. I let them soak in the tub in really hot water, mostly just to wash them of any debris. Did a few cycles of that.
Currently they are now in the tank, I have 2 filters going and have some weights on them to have them fully submerged. They are definitely leaking tannin. Just wondering if there was anything I can do to help speed the process or its simply just a waiting game at this point. Been soaking for about a week and a half now.

- I heard some people do constant water changes to help or use hot water, does that actually help? Don't want to waste water if I don't have too.
- Once they do water log, is that a permanent state, can I remove them to clean the water and tank or does that kinda reset the process?

Thanks for the help.

I have attached a picture of what they look like before the water was added, the plan is once they are in place, add some plants and hopefully they'll look really good with the pieces.

 

[Demeter32]

Lovely pieces of wood. Once water logged they will stay that way unless you let them completely dry out, which would take a few days at least.

Normally it is recommended to boil driftwood to release much of the tannin, but your pieces look too large for that. I wouldn't worry at all about the tannin, it isn't harmful and many tropical, soft watered fish enjoy it. Active carbon can soak up some of it but you would need to replace the carbon fairly often as it can only absorb so much.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Yeah I heard a lot of guys prefer the look with the tannin, I haven't seen how the tank looks with my aquarium lights on yet so still on decided. And thank you for the info on the water drying.

 

[seangee]

I do take mine out every other water change to vacuum the sand but my pieces are much smaller, and I still have to do a thorough check for fish hiding in them .
Tannin in the water is just a preference. It works well for me because all the fish in my community tank are blackwater fish anyway. My sand is similar coloured to yours and under LED lights I think it all looks a bit too clinical without the tannin.

I hope the comment on "wasting water" was tongue in cheek. Once you have fish you should be changing about 50% of the water every week.

 

[Hamsnacks]

No, by wasting water I meant at this current stage it's just an empty tank with drift wood, asking if water changes sped up the process, but honestly even if it did by 1-10% in my eyes that would still be a waste of water.

And this isn't the place for this debate but there's definitely a lot of wasted water in aquarium care. Just cause you can do a 50 percent or more water change per week doesn't mean you have too if it's not necessary. No point in over using water if you don't have too. Smart water use, not more. As fish enthusiasts we care about the well being of the fish in our tanks and around the world, we also have to care about their habitats and water consumption is crucial.

But thanks for your info on the wood.

 

[NickAu]

And this isn't the place for this debate but there's definitely a lot of wasted water in aquarium care.

Living in Australia I do not waste any water, the used water from my tanks ends up in a big rainwater tank and is used to wash the car or water the garden.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Living in Australia I do not waste any water, the used water from my tanks ends up in a big rainwater tank and is used to wash the car or water the garden.

And that's definitely something I respect and think is very good. But how many owners are simply dumping that water in the sink or tub. Or doing excessive water changes when they are not required. Owing a tank is a lot of work, and definitely the well being of fish is priority but we can all take steps to try to waste less water.

 

[NickAu]

I do 60% on my tanks once a week regardless.

 

[Toney]

Water don't cost much here

 

[Demeter32]

Definitely take a look in the tank with the lights on after letting the wood soak in there for a week or so. I love my crystal clear African cichlid tank (w/o tannin) but I also love my tinted betta sorority with tannin. Honestly though, what with my weekly water changes there isn't much chance for the tannin to build up just from the wood in my tanks.

As for water usage, I see where you are coming from but at the same time I'm unfamiliar with the struggles of others where water is less plentiful than Michigan. I dump the water into my yard or water the plants around the house. If I were to pour it down the drain the septic tank would fill up faster (dad would be upset) and I would have to rinse the tub out all the time (mom would be upset when I forget).

 

[Byron]

No, by wasting water I meant at this current stage it's just an empty tank with drift wood, asking if water changes sped up the process, but honestly even if it did by 1-10% in my eyes that would still be a waste of water.

And this isn't the place for this debate but there's definitely a lot of wasted water in aquarium care. Just cause you can do a 50 percent or more water change per week doesn't mean you have too if it's not necessary. No point in over using water if you don't have too. Smart water use, not more. As fish enthusiasts we care about the well being of the fish in our tanks and around the world, we also have to care about their habitats and water consumption is crucial.

Wood in water will release tannins for a period of time regardless of how many water changes you do, so I would not waste the water for this as it will have no impact. This wood might continue to release tannins for months; eventually it will be doing so but minimally so it will scarcely be noticeable. As tannins are harmless especially to soft water fish I wouldn't worry.

Re thee water changes, if you are going to maintain an aquarium with fish you need to do basic maintenance and that means at least once a week water changes, and sufficient water has to be changed. I change 50-60% of my tanks (I have 8 in my fish room) weekly. Aside from knowing the science behind why this is necessary for the fish, I can see the benefits in the fish. There is no way around this. The volume might be OK at 30% but this depends upon the fish species and numbers, tank size, and live plants.