# Zoo Med Mopani Driftwood Problem???



## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Hey everyone! I bought two pieces of mopani driftwood from Petsmart yesterday, and it states it's for terrariums and for aquariums. I've been boiling it for at least three hours and it sat overnight in water and it's still leeching. My main concern is that I just read a post on another forum about a guy that had what he thought was sap leeching from his pieces from Zoomed! Now I'm worried that this stuff is going to do the same. It's leeching like mad, with the water turning a very dark color every time...not exactly the strength of leeching I read about.

Anyone had a similar experience with Zoomed? I'm trying to find my receipt for it, no luck so far. Guess it'll have to go into my hermit crab tank.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Mines great, just toss it in the tank.


I dont soak mine as I prefer stained water (and very beneficial to the fish kinda like super immunity)

Mopani is a hard wood loaded with acids(tannins) it rarely gets wet in nature so It holds onto those acids. 


I buy specifically zoomed when I buy mopani.










thats my mopani on the left, it still leaches after a year.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Oh, well ok! That makes me feel better, because the piece I got is really cool. I bought it to help lower my pH a tad...but didn't realize just how much it would leach! I'm a week into cycling, and my pH is 8.2. I would prefer a range in the 7s, but that's just me being picky *#3

Did you piece get slimey? I read of instances of that happening. Should I do anything to help stop that?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The slimey will go away on its own, or you can scrub it off once in awhile till it does go away.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Ok, thanks for all the help! I really can't wait until everything is established and the fish are all in there  This hobby is teaching me patience!

Will the carbon I have in the filter help with the tannins? I don't mind the staining if it's minor, but don't want brown tank water.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Carbon will help, as with water changes, but you will need to change it often. Also if you can find it purigen by seachem is good at removing tannins.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

All My DW grows the clearish fuzzy crap. my fish take care of that mess for me, especially the snails.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

I'll keep soaking the driftwood a little longer and place it in the tank later this week. It'll be nice once I get plants established in there. My lfs told me to wait at least 4 weeks before adding in plants since there's nothing in the tank for the plants to feed off of since it's still cycling.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Your LFS is wrong.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

If you add a lot of plants right away it will cycle the tank faster.


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## aquaman (Feb 16, 2009)

you will be fine. The hot water will do the trick. Once you add it to the tank it will be fine since the water is much colder. It may grow some fuzzy stuff for a while but after a month or so it will go away.


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Yeah, when they told me I had to wait on the plants I knew it went against what I was reading on the internet. Susankat, I have gravel from my betta tank to help seed my 20 gallon. Hopefully it'll cycle quicker with that. Maybe I'll go back to the fish store after Christmas and buy the plants. I just won't remind them at what stage my tank is in. They've been in business for many, many years and sometimes their info is old school.

They're also the only place in town that has semi-decent plants. My other options are a petco and petsmart...I'm not going there.

Thanks for all the help everyone. You guys save me time and time again


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

BTW, who are some reliable, good priced dealers for aquarium plants online?


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## Sweet Tee (Nov 24, 2009)

Ok well I just ordered 2 anubias nana, 2 java ferns, and 1 bunch of anacharis from liveaquaria.com!!! It'll come in next Wednesday due to the holidays.

Unfortunately they were out of the red cryptocoryne wendtii *td


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