Long Mesquite tree branch curing in tank

[CWO4GUNNER]

I have 10 Mesquite trees on my property and it is one of the fastest growing trees I have ever had when watered every day. Unfortunate they grow mostly out and down instead of up. Anyway Mesquite being a hard wood I decided to use one of the dried out long branches I have had in a pile laying in the sun all summer I was planning to use as winter fire-pit wood.

Everyone knows you have to cure it first by either boiling or soaking for 2 months in a pond. But I have no means to do that with a piece that is 85 inches long so the only thing I can think of is to let it float in the tank and cure there. I suppose Ill have to remove it every week or so to clean off the goo as the fungus loosens the bark and runs its course growing out of the wood. maybe the feeder fish will keep it cleaned off.

As you can see in the photo its floating but once waterlogged I hope to have it suspended off the bottom and just above the rocks on the cut branches like legs. Anyone ever have to do a tank cure due to size? If so how did it go?

 

[J-P]

I had to bake mine in an oven at its lowest setting with the door slightly ajar. Had a drip pan to help cover the elements, but at 85" ... that is a little larger than capacity

Just out of curiosity, why a single piece? why not several smaller sections?

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Well yes your probubly right, if this doesn't work out Ill probubly scrap the long log idea and dig up a small dead Mesquite tree that died this summer and just use the root bulb which always looks cool and small enough to fit in a lobster pot for a boiling cure. I probubly cut off more then I can cure with this piece but Im curious how Mesquite wood will react becasue it has anti bacterial oils in its cells and I never tried to cure one so we will see. If it turns into a stinking slime monster Ill take it out.

 

[maverickbr77]

I've done it a couple of times. It all depends on the wood sometimes they get gooey other times they don't. If i notice they look bad I just pull them out scrub, rinse, and toss them back in the tank.

Edit: never used mesquite

 

[DGC]

i found a great piece of mopani while driving around in the river bed, so i put it in my tank to see how it looked, (very good) then the water started changing colour as the tannins leached so i took it out, borrowed the stock pot from work and boiled the end that fitted in the pot for 3 days solid and its still leaching, so its out side now in a large water bucket still leaching. Its about 4 foot oh and still leaching

 

[J-P]

it all has to with the wood density and diameter. Lighter woods will "cure" quicker as will smaller diameter units.

Tannis is unsightly maybe for some, but it isn't going to kill the fish. Fungus on the other hand is a different story

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Here is where Im hoping Mesquite is different, it has oily based tissue and why it is so drought resistant there is no water to evaporate. When cut while alive it bleeds sap, but it does dry out if stacked in the desert sun for a few months like this piece. I found only a few entries on the internet where people use it in their tanks with not allot of details other then it works becasue its a very hard dense wood. The tap roots on adult tries go down 600 feet in the desert to find wells. So if you see one its a good place to buy land cause there is water underground.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

New processing discovery!

As stated earlier my problem of not being able to process (boil or soak) an 85" long and hence having to do water-log the piece inside the tank itself. Well the entire piece of Mesquite has started growing fuzz as of yesterday but to my surprise my large veteran feeder fish that cycled the tank are consuming all the Fuzz about as fast as its growing. So this might be the answer as the 3 large Goldies are eating the stuff day and night some sections completely cleaned off as they graze from one section to another gorging themselves. They don't even come up to beg for food anymore when I approach the tank. So maybe is an answer to processing large pieces inside the tank. I mean Im sure this is an alternate food source for fish in wild ponds right? I may have to get them some help.

 

[aXio]

Interesting post Gunner. Definitely watching to see how it goes.

 

[GEV83]

Well I got manzanita wood for the most part in my tanks all do well but I got one piece that keeps getting fuz no matter how much I clean it. Well I had put a pleco in that tank to see if he would help clear it up and good lord he ate it all in 1 night. Wouldnt leave the driftwood at all. I would also suspect this would be an alternate food source for fish in the wild.

Curious how it will work though. Wonderin if those acti-bacterial oils will have an undesired affect on the benficial bacteria in the aquarium?