Preparing Mopani Driftwood

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Radar

Thought is free.
May 26, 2007
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Has any one had any experience with Mopani driftwood? Any suggestions to give me other than what I have already tried? I bought 2 pretty nice pieces the other day at the lfs and I am trying to get as much of the tannis out as I can but it seems endless. I have about 12 hours of hard boiling into it so far and when it is not boiling it is soaking in water. After I leave it boil for about a hour and change the water it is still a dark coffee color.:help:
 

Rbishop

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Dec 30, 2005
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Depending on the thickness, this could be happening for quite a while. Time and repeated soakings.

Or just use it and do water changes while running carbon.
 

briggadane

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Mar 13, 2008
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I got my first sample a month ago. I spent the first week boiling it and letting it set. I obtained another piece a week after the first. The second piece was a lot lighter and took less time to get to an average color. I did boil it in heavily salted water a time or two. I used regular table salt- since I knew I would be soaking the salk out of it again.

Now, I did get a few smaller pieces recently. This stuff is very dense and has lots of darker red on it. I cant get the tannins out yet. Oye!
 

irishspy

There is a stargate in my aquarium.
It'll take a while, trust me. :lipssealedsmilie:

I boiled and soaked the piece in my 10g several times, and I'm still getting tannins. I agree with what was said above: if you don't like the staining of the water (Tastes differ. Personally, I don't.), do water changes and run carbon or purigen. Eventually the wood will stop leaching.
 

Radar

Thought is free.
May 26, 2007
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I almost wish I would have stuck with Malaysian I never had this type of bleeding off with it. I have never tried putting salt in the water does that help to pull the tannis out ?
 

msjinkzd

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Feb 11, 2007
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i dont know, but I personally love the tannins. I still have lots of tannins in my tanks a year or more after introducing my mopani to the tank. I do not run carbon however.
 

BoredAgain

Cubs in '10
Jan 12, 2008
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I have tons of Mopani in my tank. I threw them in a bucket of hot water (our tap comes out almost boiling) and changed the water every day for a week...then on the last day I baked them at 250 degrees and cooled them off. No leaching noticed in my tank.
 

Radar

Thought is free.
May 26, 2007
326
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Kentucky
I have tons of Mopani in my tank. I threw them in a bucket of hot water (our tap comes out almost boiling) and changed the water every day for a week...then on the last day I baked them at 250 degrees and cooled them off. No leaching noticed in my tank.
How long did you bake them? And do you run carbon in your filters?
 

grannylvsfish

have you been bad this year ??
Dec 6, 2006
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I loved mine, and I only soaked it about 4 days. It did leach tanis, but it does not look bad . I did run carbon last week and it cleared right up. not sure its gone, the carbon will be good another week :lol: but again carbon is cheap.
 

BoredAgain

Cubs in '10
Jan 12, 2008
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How long did you bake them? And do you run carbon in your filters?
Didn't mean to leave that part out. I baked them for 2 hours. I ran carbon for the first week...just because it came with my Rena XP3 and didn't want to waste it. I don't run carbon now.

The baking was really to sterilize, don't think it had any affect on the leaching. You should just keep them in water continually for a week, or more if you want. When the water is a very light tea color, they are ready.
 
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