dr.piko Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hey guys, I wanna add some drift wood to my aquarium but I have problem. I don't know how to fix it at the bottom. I have tried silicon but it doesn't work. I have noticed at pet stores they fix the drift wood to a red colored stone with screw and cover it with silicon . Does any body know from where I can get these safe stones? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 If you soak/boil the driftwood, it should sink after time. I've also heard of people drilling under and filling with lead sinkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davesays Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 That stone is most likely slate, most LFS should carry them. Alternatively, others have used tiles with some success. +1 on Soothing's comment Personally, what worked for me was patience. Depending on the size of the driftwood, I would find a container large enough to completely submerge it with the help of something heavy enough to weight it down. Eventually, the driftwood will be come waterlogged and naturally sink. Soaking will also help leach out tannins before you place it in your display tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OblongShrimp Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I will add that not all wood will eventually sink but most the stuff commonly used in aquariums sinks after a week or so. You can also weigh it down with a rock for a week or two until it does sink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thanks guys , I will try that soaking method and come back in 2 weeks and tell u what happened Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axelrod12 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Agreed with the soaking. Do you know what kind of wood it is? Also if you cant find slate at your LFS you could try a stoneyard. There's one near me that lets me dig through the piles out back for pieces I like. Then they just weigh them and charge me. Also, depending on the shape of the wood a cleverly placed stone on a branch can make the screw unnecessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpinista Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I have used small slate tiles from Home Depot. I had to buy a special drill bit to do the hole but have been very happy with the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 I got some slate from aquatic criter . It was perfect. But the big piece keep floating and one of the pieces become black. I don't wanna add it to the aquarium. I think I will soak them for another 2 weeks. Any ideas , how to be sure it is safe to add them to the aquarium? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquasapien69 Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 If you can fit them into a pot you have, boil them. It will not only kill most nasties making it aquarium safe. Also, it will drive the air out of the interstitial spaces. Let it cool in the water and the portions that were air filled should become filled with water = wood now sinks. Just boil it until you don't see many bubbles coming out of the piece of wood. Give it a shot. Personally, I am one of those guys that drilled out a portion of one of my pieces of wood and filled it with molten lead => melted lead sinkers and dripped it into the hole I carved out on the bottom of it. Two options for ya. Pika 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 I will try to find a big pot enough . Thanks for the advice and I will let you know what happened thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OblongShrimp Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 If you can't find something big enough to put boiling water in you can just use room temp water it just takes longer. It won't kill things off that are on the wood but anything boiling will kill shouldn't really hurt your tank anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art by Stef* Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 I had big pieces before that wouldn't fit in a pot. Put them in a plastic tote, filled with boiling water, and put a big rock on it. The whole thing was in my bathtub. Every day I would drain and add hot water from the tap. Took a week and a half. Damn wood was cleaner than I. I'm thinking hot water speeds it up, because driftwood from the same source was put in an outside kiddy pool, weighed down, and after a month it was still a-floating. -Stef* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 "I'm thinking hot water speeds it up" Makes sense. The molecules move faster in hot water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Thanks guys I keep add hot water every day but it still floating, I bought these slates and fixed to them. Now they don't float any more.i will post pic when I add them to the aquarium Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inverted Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 I have always bought heavy pieces and strictly Malaysian Driftwood . Never had any that did not sink most of them right away . Even Bamboo sinks in less than a week and its filled with pore spaces . I always avoided Boiling as I thought it took a lot of the tannins out of the wood . Also would you get the issue with organisms with the Malaysian ? Seems like in processing and sitting then shipping it should kill everything . Oh and did anyone else notice the Shrimp especially baby shrimp that congregate on and under it ? Seems like everything even plecos like that Malaysian stuff better . I must say though some other types are awesome to look at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Finally it worked, thanks guys Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art by Stef* Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 THAT...is quite awesome to behold I can see why you wanted to sink and use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Yeees it is so pretty and it's color is so natural and has a lot of spaces to put moss Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Are you creating an underwater tree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.piko Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Sorta I like how it looks, I wish the moss grow and wave with the water current Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poormanisme Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 For large pieces of wood I fill up my large cooler with hot water, throw the wood in and shut it. It stays hot in there, the tannins leak out, and usually the wood sinks pretty quickly. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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