Finally got my wood submerged and put in tank

[Angelfish11788]

it took me 3 day to bog my wood, then 2 more to get most of tannins, i was advised to put in tank and somthing about the carbon would finish the rest, well.. it turned my wonderful water awful murky, i just got home and can barely see the heater light threw the murk.. did a 20% water change since it is still cycling, and nothing, even with 2 filters.. any help or should i let it run its course..

[Lady Hobbs]

Bog wood is wood found sunk in rivers and lakes that has been there for years.
Wet wood is not bogwood.
But, adding wood to the tank should not make the water cloudy. It should make it tea colored. It is white cloudy or tea colored?

[Angelfish11788]

sorry more of tea colored, i got this wood at a localn reptile meet, new and I made sure if was chemical free, i baked it for 25 minutes, then since i am paranoid i boiled a big soup pot of water and did that aswell, not sure of actual name of wood, he said it was mangrove, it looks like mapioli(sp?) but it doesnt sink like it.. but yea murky.tea color, heavy tea colored.

ps. I am ever thankful of your help lady hobbs, back it the days of the 500 and the 125, i had pvc, rocks and drift wood screwed in with slate, only thing the oscars wouldnt destroy, the red bellied and the Aro didnt care what was in the tank :)

[C-Dub]

If its anything like my Mopani wood it will remain Tea colored for weeks, even after lots and lots of W/C's. I want to say it took about 3 weeks for my water to clear up, and that was after boiling each piece twice and soaking in a large garbage can for a week first. Some extra activated carbon can help but typically it just has to run its course.

[Angelfish11788]

so put some activated carbon in my emp 400 baskets.. ?

[Lady Hobbs]

Mangrove wood is not generally used in fish tank and probably why it was sold at a reptile meeting. Some of the wood sold for reptiles is soft wood and will never sink. It can take a long time for tannins to go away and it may never go away in wood that is soft and doesn't belong in fish tanks.

It will probably make you a good amazon tank, tho, but I wouldn't plan on clear water for some time.....if ever. Amazon tanks are always murky but quite cool looking.

You can tie it around a rock with fishing line to anchor it to the bottom of the tank perhaps.

[Angelfish11788]

dang it, i got 2 pieces and one piece is a elbow and it is soo cool, i did just touch and it slimy, dont know if that helps anything?

did a google pic on amazon and definatly does not look like it, i am going to take a pic and post it here

[Angelfish11788]

never mind, gf has got the camera, it looks just like mopani but took 3 days in water to sink

[Lady Hobbs]

I'm no expert of wood but in fish tanks, wood should be hardwoods. I think mangrove is soft wood but not sure. It must be dead wood and not green at all.

I was actually thinking of grabbing some while I was in FL but found out I was unable to take it from the wild so didn't.

Three days isn't long to soak. Some soak there wood for a couple of weeks.

[Angelfish11788]

the wood sunk after 3 days, i am taking it out after I post this, and putting back in its tub, thanks, guess just becasue it sank doesnt mean it is ready