I have this lovely piece of mopani wood, all knotted and twisty, tan striped with near-black. It used to be the geckos' climbing branch, but I hear that it works well in aquariums. It's a super hard, dense wood, so it doesn't need the months of soaking to get it to sink that many woods require.
Let the tannin leaching begin!
The problem with wood in an aquarium is that it leaches tannins, which change the pH and darken the water. This isn't actually a problem if you want a black water tank that looks like a real pond full of leaf litter, and lots of people do this intentionally.
Since our turtle tank is going to be in a very prominent spot and lit from behind, the tannins will just make the water look dirty. And I want the pH to stay as close to our tap water's pH as possible so that I can do large water changes when needed without shocking the inhabitants. So the tannins need to go!
I stuck the wood in my largest stock pot (actually the pressure cooker, with its metal plate to keep the wood from touching the bottom) and started boiling on Tuesday.
How exactly do you get the tannins out?
Some say to boil the wood for a few hours, and it'll be done. Some say to leave it outside in a bucket of water for 1-6 months. Some say it takes a full year or two for it to stop releasing tannins in the tank even after boiling, and you just have to do lots of water changes to keep the water clear. Some say it is impossible to get all the tannins out of mopani wood, and you are doomed.
So it appears that I have my work cut out for me. I really want this specific piece of wood, because it is thick enough to be a good resting spot for a 6-inch turtle. I boiled for about an hour, then put on the lid and let it sit until the water was cool enough that it was safe to move... this took 6 hours.
The photo above is actually from the 2nd boiling, which was left to cool overnight. The water was completely opaque the first time, but this time it just looks like a very strong tea.
By the 4th boiling it looked like regular black tea, and I just started the 5th boil. Here's hoping that there are enough tannins leached out by the weekend, 'cause that turtle is going to need at least something in his tank to add some interest.
And now, I sit back and wait.
I must wait for the tannins to boil out, for the tank accessories to arrive in the mail (the filter comes today!), for the turtle to arrive.
In the meantime, Torin can now easily point out turtles in his animal and first-words books. I am 99% sure that he understands what is happening.
Let the tannin leaching begin!
The problem with wood in an aquarium is that it leaches tannins, which change the pH and darken the water. This isn't actually a problem if you want a black water tank that looks like a real pond full of leaf litter, and lots of people do this intentionally.
Since our turtle tank is going to be in a very prominent spot and lit from behind, the tannins will just make the water look dirty. And I want the pH to stay as close to our tap water's pH as possible so that I can do large water changes when needed without shocking the inhabitants. So the tannins need to go!
I stuck the wood in my largest stock pot (actually the pressure cooker, with its metal plate to keep the wood from touching the bottom) and started boiling on Tuesday.
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| Mmmm, wood soup. |
How exactly do you get the tannins out?
Some say to boil the wood for a few hours, and it'll be done. Some say to leave it outside in a bucket of water for 1-6 months. Some say it takes a full year or two for it to stop releasing tannins in the tank even after boiling, and you just have to do lots of water changes to keep the water clear. Some say it is impossible to get all the tannins out of mopani wood, and you are doomed.
So it appears that I have my work cut out for me. I really want this specific piece of wood, because it is thick enough to be a good resting spot for a 6-inch turtle. I boiled for about an hour, then put on the lid and let it sit until the water was cool enough that it was safe to move... this took 6 hours.
The photo above is actually from the 2nd boiling, which was left to cool overnight. The water was completely opaque the first time, but this time it just looks like a very strong tea.
By the 4th boiling it looked like regular black tea, and I just started the 5th boil. Here's hoping that there are enough tannins leached out by the weekend, 'cause that turtle is going to need at least something in his tank to add some interest.
And now, I sit back and wait.
I must wait for the tannins to boil out, for the tank accessories to arrive in the mail (the filter comes today!), for the turtle to arrive.
In the meantime, Torin can now easily point out turtles in his animal and first-words books. I am 99% sure that he understands what is happening.
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