Jpappy's planted 20 gallon long "build" thread

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myswtsins

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Jun 15, 2008
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Run it through the dishwasher a couple times if it is too big to boil. I have used the dishwasher before and it did a good job of soaking it and a great job of disinfecting it, it had white fungus looking stuff growing on it in the tank before the dishwasher. Or the rocks will work eventually. I never liked using slate, it seems too restrictive and drilling those deep holes has to make it degrade faster IMO.
 

jpappy789

Plants need meat too
Feb 18, 2007
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Interesting, never thought of doing the dishwasher before. Just a normal wash setting (without the soap, of course)?

I really don't want to do slate either since I also find it restrictive and I do not want to deal with any drilling. Funny enough, it was the one piece at the LFS without slate (part of the reason I picked it out) and the person at the register suggested that I may need to anchor it because it might float...
 
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myswtsins

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Yup, regular cycle no soap. Run it a couple times if you feel it needs it. And if it doesn't water log it completely it will shorten the time you'll need to have the rocks on it at the very least and cut down on the yucky "what's growing on my wood" period. (How many people are going to take THAT out of context!?)

Passing the work off on the customer and deceiving them by putting non-slated pieces out with the slated pieces making you think they don't need it. Well, we'll show them!
 

gmh

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Feb 5, 2007
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Those huge pieces of wood can be really buoyant but the sticking up part actually helps wiegh it down a bit.
 

jpappy789

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Feb 18, 2007
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So, tried the dishwasher...regular wash twice, soak/wash twice...still floats :wall:

Decided to just anchor it down with a rock on top since I have plants supposed to come tomorrow and I want to be able to 'scape around it. We'll see if it eventually sinks on it's own or if I need to attach something.
 

myswtsins

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It looks like a dense piece of wood so it might need some time anchored but it shouldn't take that long now.
 

rufioman

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I have a piece that's roughly 2' long and 1.5' high that after more than a year in my aquarium and several boils WILL NOT SINK!

GRRRRRRRR!!!! I feel your pain.
 
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