wood question

[spencer2009]

Hi, I have some oak wood that is quite small and would look good in my tank. I also need the water to be softer so I figured it will help. So I took one of the pieces and peeled all of the bark off and then boiled it in a big pot outside to get rid of any parasites or whatever might be in it. I was wondering if it is safe to put into my tank and also will it help to soften my water?

Thanks,
Spencer

[Copper]

I don't think it will cause a problem, but you may be taking a chance if you don't know where the wood came from, or what it may have absorbed. Best thing would be to put it in a bucket of declorinated water for a few weeks, do regular water changes as you would with your tanks, and test your water regularly for abnormalities. Basically quarantine it as you would a new fish. If anything goes wrong, you want it to happen away from your established tanks.

The organic material should help soften your water, but to what degree I can't say. Measure your hardness in the tanks before adding, as well as your source water, then monitor for a few weeks afterward. If it's not dropping far enough, try adding more organic material like plants, more wood, ect. Just be sure to monitor your ph during this period.

Hope this helps.

[spencer2009]

thanks for the help. I trimmed the wood off of a tree myself and I have never used any chemicals on it so I'm just going to add a little peice to my tank and if everything is alright, i will put the rest in.

[Brain]

Doesn't Oak contribute tannins? Won't it push the Ph down? I'd be more worried about that than any critters that might crawl out of it...

Just my 2 cents.

[N8DOGG]

if it was alive when you cut it off it may also leak sap.

[spencer2009]

I let it sit out for about three weeks to dry, so there isn't and sap left in it. I put some in my tank and I'm gunna see what happens. It's ok if it lowers the ph a little because mine is 7.4 in a community tank and I dont think that the fish will mind 7.0.