Habitat - Indoor :: Real trees

[ivonaa]

Are there some special tipes of trees that can be use in the turtlle tanks? I put a tree (i clean it good first) into my tank but the next morrning the water color was yellow. I took the three out and I cleand the tank, but is there some proces befour i put the three inside so that it won't turn my water yellow again?

[steve]

Do you mean wood from a tree or live plants? There are options for both, but we will need more specific information of what you are looking for.

[ivonaa]

Yeah, I mean woods. I have a floating tree that looks realy nice in the tank, but I told you the problem

[notoch351]

Corkbark works well in water and is Non-toxic and has a nice look.


what were you using before? For what?

[ivonaa]

Corkbark works well in water and is Non-toxic and has a nice look.


what were you using before? For what?

Yeah, thanks, but I will never find anythink like that in the lfm here. And I wanted to use a wood as a decoration, I think it looks verry nice in to the turtle tank,but... I think I will stick to the rocks, it's not that complicated
Thank anyway

[maddpnoi]

Putting wood is perfectly fine. The yellow water is just because of tannin. It's really not harmful to your water, since it's actually a preventative of some bacteria. Though it may lower your pH as well.

Just do frequent water changes and you'll be fine.
Or, if the yellow really bothers you. Boil the wood first. It will clean the wood AND release the tannin.
As for how long you need to boil it. It depends on how much of tannin the wood has (or how much of it you want gone.)

[untsmurf]

Yeah, I've heard that before you put wood in your tank you should leave it in a bucket of water for a few days to a week and that will release most if not all of the tannin.

[ivonaa]

Yeeeeeee, solution! I love you guys! I'm going to cook a wood

[marisa]

Boiling wood really isn't good because it will break down the fibers.

Wood from trees that secret resin (pine and cedar, for example) should not be used in water.

If the wood is one that can safely be kept submerged in water, soaking it in water and periodically changing the water as tannin is released would be the better way to go. The more tannin that's been released, the longer it will take for the water to darken.