HummingBird Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 I got some driftwood a couple of days ago and it's currently soaking in a chilly bin in the back yard so it will sink & I can leech the tannin out of it. I haven't dealt with driftwood before so how long will it take for both of these things to happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Depends on the driftwood . Some doesn't leach at all. I have never had a piece of driftwood leach but then, mine are wild caught, not store raised ones :lol: If you boil the wood it will sink faster and if you add a bit of baking soda to the boiling water it will sink even faster - but you must be sure to rinse it very thoroughly afterwards or it will stuff your pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted January 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Thanks Caryl, I'll try the boiling water with baking soda trick. It's leeched quite a bit so far, I changed the water today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 HI Hummingbird, I got a couple of pieces of drift wood from a mate who used them for decoration in his Garden. I ended up giving up on the chilly bin method and went for the 60 litre rubbish bin method :lol: It took about 8 weeks to sink one piece and i put it in a small tank and no Tannins came out. The other bit was still floating when i checked it last week ( 10 weeks!) might be the wrong type of wood tho?? dunno? I wish i had a BIG pot to boil it in I guess I will have to be patient *sigh*.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoninBoxers Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Hi Caryl! Just wondering where you pick up your drift wood? Be nice to just find some that doesnt leak tanin. Know any nice spots to hunt the stuff round Nelson? Cheers, Helene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Have a look under FNZAS Clubs for the thread entitled Marlborough's Great Driftwood Hunt. It gives all the details and pics! The river mouth at Hokitika Beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 I collect driftwood from rivers rather than off beaches so I don't have to worry about salt leaching. I also have a pond out back (with a couple of goldfish and WCMM's to keep the mossies in control) that I chuck the driftwood into as I find it, then when I set a tank up I have a selection of driftwood ready to go. Another trick I have used is to glue a piece of glass to bottom of the driftwood and then put gravel over his to hold the wood down, but this only works with smaller pieces and does come loose after a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critter_guy Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 yea everybodt wants driftwood im looking for a piece bout 5cm-10cm :lol: :lol: im worried about putting it in my tank and it doing some thind to the fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoninBoxers Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 I'm embarrassed to say I had to look on a map to work out exactly where Hokitika is! What a pain, I was in Westport on saturday and never even had a driftwood thought grrrr. The colour & burrs in that wood you got is lovely. Hokitika is a long way from anywhere! Not a fun trip by yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 We can arrange a day trip with you one day if you like Helene. I could come over to Nelson, pick you up, run down to Hokitika and be home in time for tea. Lovely sunny day, roof down on the car, what more could we ask for? 8) I will be bringing a number of different sizes to the BBQ Anthony. I several very small pieces around 5 - 10cm too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critter_guy Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 how are you going to be able to bring all this??? :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoninBoxers Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Hokitika can be a day trip? How many hours from Nelson would it be? What conditions make it so good for driftwood? Are other places on the west coast good too? I love the colour of the wood in the photos. I'm only in the south island for about a week then heading up North... (so don't know that you'd be able to fit a trip in??) I've been schemeing to see if I can make the trip over before going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 I am working this week and away in Wgtn this weekend (BBQing with other people from the fishroom) but after that "I'm free". Name a day. 17th or 18th perhaps? Not too late? I assumed you lived in Nelson. It takes 4 hours (each way) to get from Blenheim to Hokitika and since it takes 1 and a half hours max to get from Blenheim to Nelson I can't see the trip taking too long from Nelson. 3 hours perhaps each way. Conditions down there - floods wash waterlogged native timber out of the bush and it ends up at the river mouth just waiting for us to come along and collect it :-). I would assume it would be the same at the mouth of most West Coast rivers down there but I haven't looked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 FYI was driving along the hutt river last night and there is lots of driftwood there at the moment esp at the bottom end round melling area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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