Driftwood tannin removal boiling?

[CWO4GUNNER]

Does anyone out there know how many boiling cessions it takes to remove the tannin from a chunk of driftwood. This is my 5th boiling cession and each time the water gets like coffee I dump the boiling water and start over. Is there any end in sight as far as number of times I have to do this before the water stays clear. Am I doing something wrong? Should I just be doing 1 super long boil overnight rather then tannin dumps? I'm trying to finish this before my wife discovers me using her lobster pot to cook wood and because I need to place with my washed dead corals into my new 80 tank as decor.

 

[carolinyens]

Was it in the water initially? If not that could be why its takin so much

 

[7itanium]

depends on the piece of wood...

keep in mind though that tanins are not generally harmful-- its the other stuff on the wood that we boil it to kill

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Not trying to be a wise guy but I assumed that's why the tag said driftwood. But I have no first hand knowledge. I knew I should have settled on that chunk of gray mesquite wood I saw in the desert riverbed last week. This thing probubly came from the amazon rain forest. I sure hope its worth the effort for a stable PH drop.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

depends on the piece of wood...

keep in mind though that tanins are not generally harmful-- its the other stuff on the wood that we boil it to kill

Yeah there was a bunch of white stuff floating and sediment at the bottom that came out of the first boiling. Now its just getting dark after 10 minutes of boiling but still too dark to put up with for months.

 

[irishspy]

The boiling is pulling out the tannins far faster than they'd seep out in your aquarium, so, after so many boilings, you probably won't see much staining. If you don't like the tea-coloring tannins give to water (I don't, either), running carbon in your filter will help removed it. :idea:

 

[ibr3ak]

Is that mopani? We've had 2 large peices of mopani from petco and I've boiled and dumped for a while (as I recall at least 2 days of boiling) and it was still leeching tannins, one peice was sold because I never got to use it the other went into my brother's planted tank and there it leeched for at least over a month.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

The boiling is pulling out the tannins far faster than they'd seep out in your aquarium, so, after so many boilings, you probably won't see much staining. If you don't like the tea-coloring tannins give to water (I don't, either), running carbon in your filter will help removed it. :idea:

At this 7th boiling the water is much more cleaC so I think I'm at an acceptable limit. Can you tell me if the carbon worked to keep that tannin clear for a normal filter period cleaning (30 days)? Or did you have to do special frequent carbon changes?

 

[CONDUCT]

I'm trying to finish this before my wife discovers me using her lobster pot to cook wood and because

I thought I was the only one that did this. I don't dare get caught she would kill me. :swear:

 

[Dexmaster]

I thought I was the only one that did this. I don't dare get caught she would kill me. :swear:

I also do most of my "dirtier" tank work when my other half isnt home she would kill me and put me in my fish tank.