Just got driftwood today

[Raechal]

Said it would be perfect for use in an aquarium and I put it in a big old tub of water and it floats. Will it sink after it gets water in it or something?

 

[Blue Lobster]

Mine has been in my tank since September 2004 and will still float when I take the rocks off of it. It takes years for driftwood to become soaked enough to sink on it's own.

Best way to keep it down is to get some slate, drill a hole in it with a masonry bit. Screw the slate to the bottom of the driftwood, cover with substrate and weigh it down with rocks.

 

[pendragon]

Depends on the properties of the particular kind of wood. Some wood will float forever, some will sink once it's been submersed for a while. The bottome line is if it doesn't sink after being in the aquarium for a few days you're going to have to either weight it down with something or fasten it to the bottom.

Blue is right about screwing it to a piece of slate, though. That's a very popular way to do it.

pendragon!

 

[Raechal]

*sigh* When the add said "perfect for fish aquarium use" I assumed it would sink.

 

[Raechal]

What about tying large suction cups to the ends and suctioning it down to the glass on the bottom of the tank?

 

[Blue Lobster]

What about tying large suction cups to the ends and suctioning it down to the glass on the bottom of the tank?

Might work. Try it and see.

 

[Matty]

yeah..i have a huge piece that still floats when its not weighed down...the best thing to do now it to get the tannins out and stuff by weighing it down in rubbermaid or pail full of the hottest water you can find. That way, itll soak and leach...

 

[Raechal]

I already soaked it for a few hours and nothing came out of it. The suction cups didn't work either. Where can I get slate at ? Can I drill holes in it to let the water in to sink it down or would that not work either?

 

[pendragon]

Where can I get slate at ?

Most LFS's will have slate for sale for this very application. At least the local ones here do.

Can I drill holes in it to let the water in to sink it down or would that not work either?

Won't work - no. Weigh it down, fasten it down, or get a different piece of wood that will sink. Those are all your options. B)

pendragon!

 

[Raechal]

Where can I get slate at ?

Most LFS's will have slate for sale for this very application. At least the local ones here do.

Can I drill holes in it to let the water in to sink it down or would that not work either?

Won't work - no. Weigh it down, fasten it down, or get a different piece of wood that will sink. Those are all your options. B)

pendragon!

I am kind of pissed because I figured it would sink as it was advertised as "perfect for a fish aquarium!" I don't know whether I should bother buying the slate and weighing it down like that, or just ship it back to him and get my $15.00 back. How much is slate and how do you fasten it on the wood? Just drill a nail into it? But won't the nail not be good in water?

 

[Grey Legion]

you have to make sure to use a aluminium screw or nail and you may need a special masonary bit to drill a hole in slate also pour a few drops of water on the bit while drilling to keep it cool and lubed..

 

[pica_nuttalli]

can you stand the smell of vinegar? how 'bout rubbing alcohol? take a spritz bottle filled with one of the two and spray down your bathtub. rinse and repeat. rinse and repeat. fill the tub with the hottest water you can and let the driftwood soak in it. its just like with the tannin conversation--you want to get water inside the wood. try this for a few days and see if it stops floating so well. store the wood in water between soakings.

also, can you post a picture of it and the basic dimensions? also, can you tell me how much of it sits under the water at a time (in inches)? bouyancy is a function of displaced volume. maybe we can figure out a way to reduce the volume of water it displaces and get it to sink that way.

 

[Raechal]

can you stand the smell of vinegar? how 'bout rubbing alcohol? take a spritz bottle filled with one of the two and spray down your bathtub. rinse and repeat. rinse and repeat. fill the tub with the hottest water you can and let the driftwood soak in it. its just like with the tannin conversation--you want to get water inside the wood. try this for a few days and see if it stops floating so well. store the wood in water between soakings.

also, can you post a picture of it and the basic dimensions? also, can you tell me how much of it sits under the water at a time (in inches)? bouyancy is a function of displaced volume. maybe we can figure out a way to reduce the volume of water it displaces and get it to sink that way.

It is 6 inches wide, 17 inches tall and 25 inches long. I already scrubbed the bathtub out REALLY good with rubbing alcohol and vinegar. Took me a few hours, but it is the cleanest it has ever been.

But it is soaking in there now, not in hot water as there was none at the time I filled it up since I used it all scrubbing the bathtub. It is still in there and still floats. I will drain it and fill it back up with hot water when I get back from walmart.

 

[nc_nutcase]

I bought some that was advertised online as "sinking driftwood" and it floats. I also bought a large piece that came with slate attached (screwed) to the bottom… it STILL floats...

Boiling it can assist the water to penetrate the wood. Still might not solve your issue though...

I was at Home Depot today buying clay pots for the pond and saw 1 inch thick slate in 1 foot x 2 foot rectangles. It was cheaper there than at the rock supply yard which was already about 1/4 the price of the LFSs around here. I asked the worker dude about irregular shaped pieces and he pointed at a small stack of broken pieces and said I could take whatever I wanted.

There were only a couple that I could do anything with (all current tank projects are big) but even a couple free $12 pieces of slate made me smile extra (1$12 would have been the LFS price).

While your at Home Depot look into aluminum screws (screws are much better than nails for several reasons) and a masonry drill bit of the same diameter as the screw(s). You should be able to get the drill bit and a small box of screws for a couple dollars (or equivalent).

Good Luck!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i'm presuming its kinda football shaped?

Almost forgot! What does it weigh (more or less)?