Re:

["alex pastor" <alexp@idirect.com>]

Matt writes

>semi of topic here, I'm stting up a new tank shorty, and was considering
>putting some african rootwood/bogwood in, are there any special precautions
>that need to be taken before placing it in the tank? is soaking and boiling
>necessary, as is the case with driftwood? thanks for any advice


If you are refering to 'Mopani' wood, then this is how we have dealt with
it:
put it in a big (huge) bucket and fill with hot water from the tap.
drain and repeat daily if and until the water is dark brown after 24 hours
then repeat less frequently depending on the colour of the water
after about three weeks you will have a situation where the water takes a
few days to turn light brown
at this stage, the wood will be sufficiently water-logged that it will stay
put when you put it in the tank.  however it will still leach tannins.
Tannins are not toxic and some people like the colour their water takes on.
If you don't, or if you want to keep things under control, use carbon in
your filter.
If you do not soak it for a long time, then you may find that the wood will
grow a white fungus layer on it.  This can be vacuumed off but it stinks and
is an aesthetic disaster.  Repeated soakings in hot water seems to prevent
whatever it is that makes the fungus grow.

Mopani wood looks nice once it has stabilized.  But it can take months
before it stops leaching significant amounts of tannins.

At the lfs they told me to soak it for three days.  HUH!!!  What an
experience!  I think they just want to sell as much of the stuff as possible
and if they tell customers the truth about how long it really takes until it
is O.K. to leave in the tank, then nobody would buy it.  :)




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