Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Marcus_F on October 09, 2019, 06:31:18 PM
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It’s quite a large piece of corbo root, 35cm x 40cm x 25cm and has been submerged in a dustbin of cold water outside for 10days and I think it’s floating just as well as the day I put it in hahaha
Will it just one day sink or do I need to do anything special?
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The thicker the piece of wood, the longer it takes to sink. Short fat wood of the same weight as a long thin piece takes longer. I once had a chunk of wood take 3 weeks to sink. Give it a bit longer.
Or attach a chunk of rock to it. Some people use a screw to attach it permanently.
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Thanks, my plants are still on order so no rush but was hoping this weekend I could start the process
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Two weeks and still floating. It’s an obscure shape and screwing in slate or a stone probably won’t secure properly.
I have all my plants delivered from Tropica but worried now I can’t plant them until wood sinks.
How long will plants last, do I need to submerge them at all? It’s going to be really difficult to add plants before wood.
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If you can't plant them you still need to keep them in water. Do you have a bucket you can use, and a light of some sort to shine into the bucket for a few hours a day?
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Yeah I can set up a small bucket and light. I’m guessing tap water and any temp is ok for plants?
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Hmmmm what about the sealed Tropica ones? Put them in water too?
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I'm not sure what you mean by sealed plants? I've not bought anything from Tropica so I've no experience with the way they pack them, I'm afraid.
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If they’re tropical plants they won’t stand cold water for too long.
I’ve known wood take months to sink. It not only depends on the thickness, but also the species. The harder the wood, the longer it’ll take for it to become waterlogged.
I don’t worry much about plants. It will start to sink when it’s weight is only a fraction heavier than the water, so it shouldn’t damage much when it does...?
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If you mean the Tropica 1-2-grow in the little tubs, check on the tropica site to see if they give any advice on how long they can stay in the tubs. I've occasionally taken them out of the pots and put them in a different container (sandwhich box, tupperware, etc.) and they've been fine.
I have a large piece of wood in the tiger barb tank that I've had in water for months, and it still doesn't sink. I carried on with the tank anyway, and use strategically placed large stones to weight the wood down. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to remove the stones.
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I might plant it all out tonight then but the wood will float. I’ve tried stones in the water butt and the unusual shape means it tries to rotate and flip the stones off. I guess I’ll leave the moss and just do the soil plants and hopefully wood can slot in the gap when it sinks.
The main body of the wood is only say 15cms x 10cms but total size is 40cm x 40cm as it has all small branches poking out. Will try add a photo
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https://flic.kr/p/2htL3G7 (https://flic.kr/p/2htL3G7)
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Ah, that may take quite a while to sink. Nice piece of wood though, so the wait will be worth it.
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Tropica 1 2 grow and the plants sealed in blister packs will all be fine for a couple of weeks. Don't let them get too hot. If you have any that arnt sealed in containers you should add them to a bucket of water and a bit of light will help though not essential for a few days. They won't be happy like this for long. As you're effectively asking them to go from an emersed growth form to submerged growth form in imperfect conditions. Maybe you could put them in the tank (with heater on, lights on for 6 hours a day) in their pots, they should be fine like that for quite a while.
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Just been to B&Q to buy drill bit, screw and will attempt to attach a large slate stone I have in current tank.
Failing that also got cotton twine to attach to said rock and construct some sort of weight by having stones on both sides and twine looped over the wood. Going to be a fun Sat Night haha :)
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Personally I don’t understand people who need wood to sink. While it’s floating it’s a bonus, imo. Fish that won’t be interested in it when it’s on the bottom are interested while it’s floating. And most pieces look better when they’re not just lying on the bottom. (I tend to use twigs and branches, rather than ‘lumps’).
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My wood is the central piece to the aquarium though and have selected plants to slot in to the gaps and surround it. So ideally need the wood in place to create the design.
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Find a huge pot and boil the wood in water if possible for me that wasn’t possible so I bought a bucket from Halfords for a pound threw my spider wood in there and every 2 hours during the day if I could I bould run the bath get it piping hot drain the old water and fill it up with hot water this will also burn off any unwanted bacteria on the wood but even doing it the way I did it still took my 1week you only want a cheap bucket because you don’t want to cross Contaminate the wood and the wood let’s off a dye colour so you get brownish waster every 2 hours but now I just that same bucket to water change hope this helps
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It’s in and tied down by rocks :)
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https://flic.kr/p/2htVRkR (https://flic.kr/p/2htVRkR)
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Looks great. :cheers:
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Three months in I’m still scared to cut the string for fear the whole lot floats to the top and ruin my hard work.
One month in.......
https://flic.kr/p/2iiSg2U
Three months in......
https://flic.kr/p/2iiUA5L
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Hi @Marcus_F
Sorry, I'm late in on this one. I would have been tempted to drill several narrow, but deep, holes into the underside or hidden parts of the wood. That would have helped water to penetrate more rapidly.
Just my two penn'orth.
JPC
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Great to see the update on your tank & plants. :afro
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Love the pictures of the tank, looks a neat set up. All I want to do is shout cut the string :rotfl:
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Your tank is growing in nicely... I reckon the wood should be well and truly water logged by now.... DO IT!!! ;D
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The wood wobbles a bit if I touch it, like it could still float. If it does float I'd be helpless to stop it hence my worry. I have two stones tied to it, maybe I'll cut the back one first :D
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Looks lovely. If I were you, I'd keep the stones and string tied to it - best to have it kept lovely like that than risk 'upsetting' it. [I bought anubias years ago and it's never stuck properly to the wood or rocks - any time I undo the thread to see if it has finally stuck, it hasn't; there's not much left of it now but I just accept it's never going to stick.]
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Thanks, fairly sure the moss stuff is attached to the wood, there is a lot of it now and there wasn't too much I attached. I do need to cut back the moss, haven't done any real cutting yet.
Hmmm long scissors and a net or scissor it whilst I syphon out the water to try and catch it all.
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Use an elastic band (or something) to attach the end of the syphon to the scissors, so the whole operation can be done with one had. You never know when you might need the other hand to steady something in the tank, move something, etc.
It may take a while to get the syphon to the most useful place in relation to the scissors, but worth a try.
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This is definitely the best approach and what I would also recommend. The problem is that moss does not float unlike plant trimmings and so siphoning is necessary and doing it whilst you cut will prevent loosing bits of moss into the aquarium and it randomly appearing growing throughout the tank which you might not be able to get rid of again if it attaches good and well where it lands.
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First attempt went well, I didn't use a rubber band etc. I used my wife to badly hold the siphon near the cutting area.
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Whatever works for you. :)