# manzanita wood-help



## Dany (Oct 28, 2006)

I just order some manzanita wood from manzanita.com and I should be receiving it sometime this week. I am unsure if I should just place it in the tank or if I should soak it for a period of time. If I do need to soak it, how do I go about this and for how long.


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## frozenbarb (Feb 8, 2007)

until you dont have tannin in the water or if it goes waterlogged


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

Or if you have fish that like the tannins, you don't need to get rid of them, like a Discus tank, or a south american Cichlid tank, angels, apistos, rams and the like.
If you don't want to soak them first, if you are in a hurry, you could brace them and even silicone them to each other and to the floor and rear wall of the tank, They will eventually get water logged.
Also if you got the sandblasted Manzanita, which I am sure is what Rich gave you, then it really doesn't have that many tannins left to leech. Manzanita naturally is one of the more tannin free wood anyway.

Of course you can soak it if you want and I usually do and am about to with some I have going into a new set up. If you are in a hurry though, you can get away with out soaking.

Even if you soak, you still need to think about bracing, anchoring and securing you wood somehow, you don't want them to be able to fall and ruin your scape, damage you plants and injure your fish.

If you do soak it it can take a few weeks or more for really stingy pieces to get logged, you will want to either set up a submersible pump in the holding tank and keep the water moving about and then change it every couple of days, maybe twice a week, If you don't use the pump, you will want to change at least some of the water daily.
Hope this helps some.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

BTW you made a great choice going with Manzanita.com, you will love your wood.
How much did you get and for what size tank?
If you got a $30 aquarium package, I home you have a 75 gallon or larger, or several tanks to set up.

I got two $70 packs and split them with 3 other guys. we laid it all over the floor, one box at a time, otherwise we needed a larger floor, and took turns picking pieces. I don't know what they have done so far with their wood, but I can tell you I have ALOT!!!

I am setting up a 75 gallon, picked out about 18 pieces, some large and some smaller, some thick stumps and some multi branch twiggy pieces and have a nest going off center in my tank.
I think it looks awsome.
Anyway, I still have enough to do about 2 more 75 gallons, or five 20 longs or 29's, or about four 40 gallon breeders.

I actually plan to start selling them off piece by piece once I am certain I can't use any more.

Good luck, you will be very pleased with your purchase and if you have way too much like I do, you can sell off the pieces and get back what you invested.


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## MiSo (Nov 4, 2005)

you should soak it seperately because the wood will not sink until its water logged.
plus there's going to be lots of tannins.

i soaked mine seperately. i soaked it for a week and some of the pieces still had a tendancy to float.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

Actually, reading the newest issue of Aquarium fish magazine, there was in the letters section a question on this line.
The reccomendation (the question was weather to boil the wood or not) was to not get rid of all the tannins, especially if you are doing a SA or discus set up, it is beneficial to your tank.

The other thing stated was that Manzanita was about the most tannin free of all the aquarium woods.
I know you are not asking about boiling the wood and your major concern might be them floating away, but with manzanita, I don't think you need to worry about the tannins at all.

quote from the article

"Wooden decorations have the ability to release substances as they break down, especially tannins, which can help to soften and acidify the water. Tannins can color the water yellow to brown like tea, This darkened soft, acidic water is often called "blackwater" because deep rivers of this type appear black.
Discus prefer soft, acidic water and are found in blackwater habitats in the wild. Many hobbyists use peat, driftwood or coconut shells to help duplicate this effect. Do not boil your wooden decorations, unless you want to reduce or destroy their ability to leach tannins and color the water. The degree of leaching varies greatly. Malaysian driftwood probably leaches the most tannins, followed by African driftwood (sometimes called "mopani wood"). both of these are self-sinking, too. The American driftwoods that sell attached to a slate base (to help them sink) leach very few tannins. "


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## Dany (Oct 28, 2006)

Thank for your input everyone. It is greatly appreciated. I do have discus in my tank but i also have plenty of other species in the tank as well. I guess i will have to soak the wood until it's water logged.



goalcreas said:


> BTW you made a great choice going with Manzanita.com, you will love your wood.
> How much did you get and for what size tank?


I have a 55g tank and i ordered the $30 package. Rich at Manzanita.com was very helpfull.....


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

You are going to have enough to do a secong 55 gal and a 29 and a 20L and a 10 and a 5 gal and a 2.5 gal and a 1 gal and.............


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## Dany (Oct 28, 2006)

goalcreas said:


> You are going to have enough to do a secong 55 gal and a 29 and a 20L and a 10 and a 5 gal and a 2.5 gal and a 1 gal and.............


I just got the shipment today and you're just about right goalcreas. I realy had a hard time deciding if I should order the $70 package or the $30 package. I am pleased with my decision. The $30 package is more then enough.


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## Felf808 (Mar 21, 2006)

I bought the $70 pack and the box is gigantic (32 1/2"x16"x16"). They did a great job of sorting through the pieces and stuffing every inch of the box and even went out of their way with the shipping by sending it through USPS($65) versus UPS($90). I haven't taken out any of the pieces yet because everything is so tightly fitted and I don't have any room to place the pieces other than in the box...Maybe I should do that this weekend...


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## will5 (Oct 26, 2005)

Dany said:


> I just got the shipment today and you're just about right goalcreas. I realy had a hard time deciding if I should order the $70 package or the $30 package. I am pleased with my decision. The $30 package is more then enough.


Can we see pics of the $30 package?


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