# manzanita prep work



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

So my manzanita wood is sposed to be delivered tomorrow. I was really hoping get the tank filled with the dw in it tomorrow. But I get the feeling I'm going to need to let it soak first?
Does this wood sink easily?
Basically what do i need to do to prep it for use??

thanks
-moo


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

You could get lucky, but i would expect to soak it for 2-3 weeks first. I got one of those 30 gallon tupperware tubs and soaked it in there for 3 weeks before i used mine, and i used a lot of it.

Delaware Valley Aquatic Gardeners Association - Planted Aquarium Enthusiasts

Some people say using hot or boiling water helps speed up the process.

Good luck

jB


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## Cassie (May 27, 2006)

I got a small piece that I was sure would not sink for a while, but I boiled it and it sunk right away and has stayed there. excellent piece, I'm really liking it (thanks John N!)!


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## Dewmazz (Sep 6, 2005)

Boiling and soaking seem to make pieces sink fairly easily. I've always been impatient myself, so I tend to try to make the wood sink faster (by tying rocks to it, etc.). Looking back now, it's probably best to let it soak for a while.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Hmmm, I'm trying to get some Manzanita myself...hopefully it sinks quickly.

Much too impatient to wait 3 weeks!


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

hah, wow. awesome.
mabey I'll try boiling it.
I would love to have this tank done for x-mas.


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## krisw (Jan 31, 2005)

Anytime I've used manzanita, the pieces are small enough that they're not incredibly buoyant, even though they do usually float initially. Usually, just by positioning them around rocks, I'm able to temporarily hold them down until they waterlog.


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

well, i got the box today. I ordered the larger package.
While this is a HUGE amount of wood, mom wanted some for her 75 and a friend wants a piece or two.

I boiled water on the stove and then filled the wash basin with the boiling water.
This is about 2/3 of the wood I recieved.
Some of the smaller ones sank, but these aren't looking like they are going to sink soon. But I sure hope they do. I would love to have this done by x-mas.
Thusly why I attempted to "almost boil them"

If you have any suggestions on how I may make them sink faster, I'm all ears.

And since I've never really seen anyone take pics of this process I did.
Enjoy.



p.s. You can bet your pants there will be a journal about this tank when it's setup.


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

wash basin.


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

bah, sorry.


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

wow, so i tried to boil in a cook pot on the stove.
didn't help. of course none of the pieces can be fully submereged...

So I continue to fill the wash basin with hot water.
hope these suckers sink real soon.


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

did you boil and then remove?? or boil and left in boiling water until it cooled?


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

boil, then remove.
should I have left them in?
I really need a way to boil them all at once. 
can't seem to find anything for that though.


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

try boiling it for a while (like 15mins of just boiling).. then let it sit submerged in the water until all is cool to the touch.. then repeat once more.. it should sink or at least partially sink after that... all of mine did.


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

thanks for the tip. I'll have to try that tonight.


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## Troy McClure (Aug 3, 2005)

Yeah, I've found boiling and keeping it in there as the water cool works best. I think the boiling water expands and opens the wood, then when it cools, it traps the water inside.


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

Troy McClure said:


> Yeah, I've found boiling and keeping it in there as the water cool works best. I think the boiling water expands and opens the wood, then when it cools, it traps the water inside.


That makes perfect sense, how do you guys boil larger peices? Does this method prevent the wood from leeching tanins into the water discoloring it?


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

i've found that during boiling tannis come out waaay faster.
The water almost looks like tea. even darker so than the pictures I posted.
But I still can't get this really thick burl to sink.
I've boiled it several times. 3 to be exact. I hope it eventually does sink. I know it's only been 2 two days, but its not looking promising.

mabey tomorrow. Until them I keep them in hot tap water that usually cool to around 75 degrees pretty fast...


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Wow, that's a lot of manzanita, Moo. I'm just trying to get two small pieces now for my 10 gallon. =)


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

If you have a big thick piece.. then i find this the best method.. get a really deep pot.. the deeper the better... if you can get some pot that is like 50cm deep.. use it.. deep is good for big chunks..

Fill it with water.. get a rock or something and tie it to the big chunk of wood.. drop it into pot so that it sits on the bottom..
Then Boil..... boil for 30mins or so for large chunks..
What you want is to force the wood down and keep it down even when its boiling. Air in the wood causes it to float..so you should use that to your advantage when trying to get rid of it... it usually works for me.


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

hmmm, so i need to find a bigger pot.........


haha yeah it is a lot of wood. But mom wanted some, my friend at the fish store wanted so...so it's no biggie.
If could and knew how I'd ship it out to you guys.


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

i'm fine where i am.. we find this stuff in the fields all the time.


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