Driftwood Decor

[Zanygrin]

I just got a chunk of wood (see attached). I have a small tank (29 gallon Biocube which is about 20 inches long & 20 inches wide)I am setting up with some caves made of clay/terracotta pots (hoping to grow plants or moss to create a more natural look when the time is right). I would like to attach one of the small pots to the upper rear portion of that wood in an attempt to maximize the limited available space. The wood is still in the bag from the shop and has not been cleansed or water logged since I am still unsure how to proceed. I am a little confused since the shop keeper distinctly told me not to boil it. Said it would rid the wood of beneficial "stuff" as he called it. He he suggested to instead soak it in a bucket out in sun (with fresh tap water everyday) until the color leaching is acceptable then a final rinse and soak for one more day. Then I read one should boil wood before setting it up in a tank. So I guess this is a two-fold request. Any pointers or suggestions will be appreciated. You think once I have my plan set up I should photo document my process of setting up the tank?

 

[fluttermoth]

Hi there

First of all; yes, of course you should photo document the process; it'll be very interesting to see how it develops!

Your LFS man is quite right, you do not need to boil bogwood before adding it to your tank; in fact it's better not to, as boiling 'cooks' the wood and makes it more likely to rot or produce large amounts of tannins (that's the stuff that leaches out of the wood and turns your watet 'tea' coloured); it's perfectly natural, and most fish; especially things like neon tetras prefer tannin stained water.

If you really don't like the look of the tannins in your water, you can just add some caqrbon or charcoal to your filter, and that will remove the colouration.

There are a few ways of attaching the pot; you can glue it with aquarium safe silicone or a two part epoxy putty, like Milliput, or you can use superglue (yes, honestly you can; I use it for gluing plants to rocks and bogwood).

 

[This Old Spouse]

Sorry to crash this topic, but can you use superglue on the wet surfaces??

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes; as long as it's not dripping, wet or damp makes no difference.

All I will say, is be careful with it, as it does show up white underwater.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Yes; as long as it's not dripping, wet or damp makes no difference.

All I will say, is be careful with it, as it does show up white underwater.

Thank you! That was a big help