Planted FW tanks, substrate, pH and CO2 questions ..

[Delphinus]

Hi Steve, it's actual Mopani ... er, I think. Come to think of it it might have been labelled Malaysian driftwood. I'm not sure if that's the same thing or not. At any rate it's purchased and not collected. Many years ago I did try using pieces of wood I collected out of streams in the mountains but the stuff would get moldy so that experiment didn't last too long.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Hi Steve, it's actual Mopani ... er, I think. Come to think of it it might have been labelled Malaysian driftwood. I'm not sure if that's the same thing or not. At any rate it's purchased and not collected. Many years ago I did try using pieces of wood I collected out of streams in the mountains but the stuff would get moldy so that experiment didn't last too long.

are you running carbon? Mopani should stain the water and drop the PH, your introducing hardness somewhere....


Steve

[Delphinus]

Yeah that is the weirdest thing, the water does not stain with tannins, but there is no carbon. When I presoaked the wood for a couple days it made that standing water super brown, maybe it leeched enough that it doesn't stain anymore, but that just seems odd to me nevertheless.

I have probably about 3 gallons of plastic bioballs in the sump and over top of that is some filter floss. Other than than the Tunze that is really it to this tank. I do use a cable heater in the substrate but I don't imagine that has anything to do with the lack of tannins in the water.