# Driftwood



## Hamm35924 (Jun 13, 2005)

does driftwood make water softer?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

It depends on the wood, but generally, yes, but not as much as peat.


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## Hamm35924 (Jun 13, 2005)

whats peat? :?


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

*Re*

It's a soft black or brown substance formed from decaying plants just under the surface of the ground, especially in cool wet areas. It can be burned as a fuel or used to improve garden soil


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

most importantly its acidic.


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## Hamm35924 (Jun 13, 2005)

how do i "prepare" the driftwood, before it goes in my tank? do i need to boil it?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Boiling helps a lot, yes. Wood leaches out the tannic acid that's in it whn submerged, and this can turn your water yellow ( or brown ) and drop the hardness a bit. The pH will drop a lot. Boiling the wood for several hours helps to get rid of the excess tannin, and it also forces out the air, thusly letting the wood sink instead of float for several days.


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## Pareeeee (Jan 22, 2005)

maxpayne_lhp said:


> It's a soft black or brown substance formed from decaying plants just under the surface of the ground, especially in cool wet areas. It can be burned as a fuel or used to improve garden soil


actually, peat is a type of moss


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

where did you get the wood? if from a local water source, go the extra mile and test a sample of that water too.


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## blixem (Jun 13, 2005)

Characin Gal said:


> actually, peat is a type of moss


Actually, sphagnum moss is a type of moss. Peat is partially carbonized plant matter that usually consists of moss from bog swamp areas. The moss is laid down so thick that by the time it starts to decompose more and more is stacked on top so the decomposition is slowed close to a halt.


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