Arturosito
Member
Here's the deal: I want to boil wood to prevent it from floating. But then, I want to start my tank with the dry start method. Will it float again when adding water after the dry start?
Agree with @plantnoobdudeHere's the deal: I want to boil wood to prevent it from floating. But then, I want to start my tank with the dry start method. Will it float again when adding water after the dry start?
@castle , yes, if it's already saturated (or close to), I think you might be right.If you soak the wood so that it is sinking/has sunk and the dry start tank is covered with something to prevent moisture escape; then I don’t think the wood will lose enough moisture in a month of being in an almost 100% humidity box.
Should be fine.
Boiling driftwood is an old school practice for getting out as much as tannins as possible. But it also destroys the cells and it makes the wood decay faster. In the end, it's the very same thing as soaking it in cold water but it takes a tad longer, if you are not in a hurry then simply throw the piece in a tub with water, weigh it down and leave it in there for a few weeks or as long as needed. Also, this will flush out plenty of tannins.
Once it is sufficiently waterlogged to stay submerged it will need an extremely long time to dry and float again. And this will definitively not happen during a dry start.
Some more modern studies revealed that Tannins actually are rather beneficial and healthy for water life and you can't have enough of it. One should put it in an aquarium instead of taking it out. So why take it out and meanwhile damage and destroy a piece of wood by boiling it?