What To Do With Bogwood / Rocks?

[raptorrex]

Ah, well you can tell them you've received at least one grassroots vote for having it back where it belongs.  I want to know which continent I'm dealing with right when I'm digesting the OP's question, not when I go off to view his/her profile!  Hopefully it would just be a fun little html project for one of them to copy that profile info into some of that vast extra white space in the poster summary box or whatever its called.  I know they're probably too busy right now just trying to stabilize the new version and get the skins back and all, but one of them might find it fun after things settle down.

Sorry, I know this should be down in the board section!

~~waterdrop~~

forum formatting is still "iffy", on most skins. but its improving. but, in my view not enough. i gave up mentioning it, as, too many inexperienced (and some experienced) forum members, think i just don't like change. lol, I'm all for changes. is it so odd i expect them to work properly? I'm just glad I'm not a mod, well here, it cant be easy at the moment.

 

[OldMan47]

It is on the To Do list but is something that has not been dealt with yet. I see improvements almost daily but some things take longer than others to resolve. I'm afraid that is presently at a lower priority than, for instance, restoring the calculator link.

 

[waterdrop]

The calculator has been working pretty well for me. Once when I clicked on it something strange seemed to happen but many other times, including just now, its seemed to work just fine, just like it used to.

By the way, I too see changes almost daily and certainly like a lot of the new things. I think all the admins who've had to work to get this new version functioning with a lot of the old things we like are to be commended for all their work.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Deleted member 55926]

OK guys, well I bought a really great shaped piece of wood yesterday (I think it's Mangrove root). I am currently trying to soak it in the bath because it's too big for a bucket but I'm having a problem... it won't sink.

 

[raptorrex]

OK guys, well I bought a really great shaped piece of wood yesterday (I think it's Mangrove root).  I am currently trying to soak it in the bath because it's too big for a bucket but I'm having a problem... it won't sink.

lol, please tell me you are using tank water. or, at least, water that has been de-chlorinated. but drilling the wood and placing some plant lead in the holes, can help keep it down.

 

[Deleted member 55926]

lol, please tell me you are using tank water. or, at least, water that has been de-chlorinated. but drilling the wood and placing some plant lead in the holes, can help keep it down.

I dechlorinated the water. I don't actually have a tank yet!

I'm not sure a few holes and some plant lead would make this wood sink. It's quite a big piece and really buoyant; I have to push it down to get it to sink. Any ideas? I might have to tie it to big rocks or something

Problems from day one.

 

[raptorrex]

lol, please tell me you are using tank water. or, at least, water that has been de-chlorinated. but drilling the wood and placing some plant lead in the holes, can help keep it down.

I dechlorinated the water.  I don't actually have a tank yet!

I'm not sure a few holes and some plant lead would make this wood sink.  It's quite a big piece and really buoyant; I have to push it down to get it to sink.  Any ideas?  I might have to tie it to big rocks or something  

Problems from day one.

well, personally, i would not use it. in my opinion you need wood far more dense than that you appear to have. but that's just me. as i said in my second post

i have never found a, descent, bit of wood, that floats 

 

[Deleted member 55926]

Yeah I think you're right. It's very light wood, so clearly not very dense. I might have to dry it out and take it back to the shop.

 

[raptorrex]

Yeah I think you're right.  It's very light wood, so clearly not very dense.  I might have to dry it out and take it back to the shop.

maybe best.

but i am no wood expert. all i used was common sense,(lol, or my version of ) and my experience. like so much in this hobby. even with no experience, sitting and thinking about something, sometimes, can pay real dividends.

 

[Deleted member 55926]

Well I just read a dozen or so threads via Google and most people seem to think it will sink eventually if soaked and/or boiled enough. I hope it works because it's a lovely bit of wood and I would like it in my tank.

 

[OldMan47]

I often use wood that will not sink on its own. I especially like the dead apple branches that I have cut from my tree for shape and durability. What I end up doing is drilling a hole through a nice heavy piece of slate and using a stainless steel screw to mount the wood to the slate at an angle that appeals to me. I often will tie some java fern or anubias to the wood with some fishing line and then place the whole thing into my tank. When placed in the tank, I just sift the slate down under the substrate and presto, I have a piece of wood leaning just the way I like it and staying in place.

 

[raptorrex]

Well I just read a dozen or so threads via Google and most people seem to think it will sink eventually if soaked and/or boiled enough.  I hope it works because it's a lovely bit of wood and I would like it in my tank.

lol, be careful though. boiling, eventually, will break down the fibre basis of the wood. in much the same way as it does with cooked veg. so too much, may well be counter productive, in terms of how long and well the wood lasts.


I still maintain that wood sold, specifically, for aquarium use, Mapani/bogwood and the like. should sink, either right away, or shortly after being put in the tank. though, as OldMan47 says. woods from other sources, may well need different treatment.

still let us know how it goes. that, is after all, thats why most of us come here. To learn  

 

[Deleted member 55926]

Well because the piece is quite big and is in my bathtub, I am just boiling the kettle as many times as I have time/patience for (about 4-5) then pouring it over the wood and topping up the bath from the hot tap. I dump something heavy on top to keep it fully submerged. I don't believe the wood will ever sink, so I will try to find a piece of slate heavy enough to keep it down (maybe a piece under each end).

I haven't seen much around about mangrove root wood, as most people seem to use mopani/bogwood. It seems very fibrous - just wondering how this will be treated by certain fish that like to nibble. Anybody used mangrove root before?

 

[wendywc]

The piece of wood I have in my tank was too big to boil too. I just stuck it in that tank and put chunks of slate on it. After a month, it got waterlogged and stays put, but the fish like swimming in and around the slate... so I ended up keeping them too.

 

[Curalingua]

Mig
I see you're from London and sea pets is a UK store. If you still have trouble with that piece of wood go back and look at Jennybugs post in this thread. That link to the marsh root. I got a couple of lovely pieces and they're great, nice shapes and really dark brown too. Although I don't know about ordering on line cause I like to root through (pardon the pun) and find the right shape. They come vacuum packed damp and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. Just rinse and add.

Good luck

Fiona