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:
Preparing Mopani Driftwood
- Thread starter Radar
- Start date
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.