Help With Driftwood

[XxTbaggerxX]

I recently went to CaveRun Lake,(Ky) and I brought back some driftwood and slate to put in my tank.

Question 1: It might not even be driftwood, the kind that i brought back was white and brown.

Question 2: I put them in the water to boil and so far its been a hour and the driftwood hasnt sunk yet.

Please respond ASAP! Thanks in advance

 

[Seidge]

It takes longer than an hour, i would stand something on it so its whole mass is underneath the water, i would be careful with wood you have collected yourself it may have already absorbed many substances that are not good for your water conditions and may result in death.

The slate is probably a safer bet just as long as you give it a good scrub down.

 

[XxTbaggerxX]

I heard that boiling it with vinagar will kill almost everything that is on the wood, it is true. Also how many hours do u think that itll take for it to boil until it can sink? Cause Ive boiled it for over 3 hrs and its sunken some but not alot.

 

[phlawed]

I heard that boiling it with vinagar will kill almost everything that is on the wood, it is true. Also how many hours do u think that itll take for it to boil until it can sink? Cause Ive boiled it for over 3 hrs and its sunken some but not alot.

well i have a piece going on 2 weeks so go from there you never know it just depends on the wood

 

[onemisterchristian]

Some wood will actually never sink, so it's important to know what you've got. but definetl boil it, and I put a big rock on top of it while it's boiling so it stays submerged.

 

[phlawed]

Some wood will actually never sink, so it's important to know what you've got. but definetl boil it, and I put a big rock on top of it while it's boiling so it stays submerged.

some peices are too big to boil, so i set them in a tub inside the tub in bathroom and just dump boiling water over it and let it set in hot water over night and repeat it daily. Most wood will eventually sink once it is soaken up well. I even got cactus stalk to drop like a rock in water and its as light as balsom wood when dry.

 

[dylema]

You could screw the wood to the slate with stainless steel screws if you can drill the slate. I am sure that would help it sink. I would keep changing the water to help leach out any chemicals etc that are in the wood from where it was found.

 

[phlawed]

You could screw the wood to the slate with stainless steel screws if you can drill the slate. I am sure that would help it sink. I would keep changing the water to help leach out any chemicals etc that are in the wood from where it was found.

hehe this is an option i have thought about as my tank now looks naked without it, but at the same token, i would like to get rid of some of the color changing (tea color) properties of the wood. So for now, i stick with just soaking. I can hold it down as seen in tank photos by using fishing line, but most wood will eventually sink on its own.

 

[XxTbaggerxX]

So itll sink if left to soak in water long enough?

 

[phlawed]

So itll sink if left to soak in water long enough?

yes the lighter the wood the longer it takes. My cactus stalk took about 4-6 weeks

 

[XxTbaggerxX]

Ok thanks for the help.