Aquarium driftwoods

Driftwood are added to an aquarium as a decoration. Driftwoods are advised to be added to tanks with algae-eating catfish like plecostomus and otocinclus because they require wood for roughage. However, there is a problem with adding newly purchased driftwood to a tank, it will leach or release lignins and, to a lesser degree, tannins which are chemicals found in wood. Lignins and tannins lower the pH level of the water, and it will also make the water brown and murky and foamy. Even with a good filtering system, the wood will continue to foul the tank for months as it continually leaches lignins and tannins. To prevent this, all new driftwood needs to be treated by any of the following method. By soaking driftwood:This is the simplest, but longest method is to submerge the driftwood in a bucket of tap water. Change the water a few times a week. When you discover that the water you are changing is clear, the driftwood is ready. This may take many weeks or even months. By boiling driftwood:A faster way to leach lignins and tannins from these driftwoods is to boil the wood. If the driftwood is too large for any of your pots, you can pour boiling water (or just hot water from the tap) into the bucket or even trash can holding the wood (as long as you do not melt the container). The hotter water will leach the lignins and tannins from the driftwood very quickly. After the driftwood boils for 10 to 20 minutes, let it cool. Change the water and repeat the process. Then, after the second cooling, place the driftwood in a bucket as described above and continue until the water is clear when you change it. With a small piece of driftwood, the boiling may be enough. With larger driftwood pieces, it may take a few weeks of water changes to get clear water. By adding salt:Aquarium salt can be added to the water during boiling or sitting in the bucket. The exact amount in not important but it should be about the concentration found in a salt water tank. In the boiling situation, it increases the boiling temperature, thus leaching even more lignins and tannins from the driftwood. Also, both the salt and boiling water kill any bacteria and live creatures in the driftwood (a must if you treat virgin driftwood). The salt seems to help leach the lignins and tannins faster too. Be sure to soak the driftwood in a bucket of water without salt for a week or so to leach all of the salt back out of the driftwood (unless you already have a high salt concentration in the tank anyway).