Driftwood !! Very large piece, getting it to sink ?

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Just got a very large piece of driftwood. So I submerged it in a utility tub (barely fit) and placed a couple of heavy rocks on top. Any idea how long it would take for the driftwood to get saturated ?

[Steve]

Depends on the size. I have a piece I bought for my 265g a couple weeks ago that is pretty good size (around 8" girth x 24" by 20" approx) I put it in a 33g tote last Monday and submerged it with a couple clamps holding it underwater. I checked it last night and it is fully self sinking now. So that piece only took a week on mine.

[linuxrulesusa]

Depends on the type of wood too, I'd assume.  I have a friend whose got a piece that still hasn't sunk after a year plus.

[Ogre44]

I soaked a piece for 3 months and still had to screw  some slate to the bottom to hold it down.
It depends on the size of the piece and what kind of wood it is.

I'd soak it for as long as is feasible and then get some slate from your lfs.
You can drill holes in the slate using a masonry bit and use stainless steel screws to hold it together.

[greg y]

Could take a couple weeks or years

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Not sure what type of wood it is, when I get a chance I will take a picture and post it. It was pretty heavy when I got it but as soon as I tried to submerse it, it quickly floated to the top.  I will keep checking.  The utility tub was just installed and is exclusively for the fish tanks. So it will sit there until sinks...

[greg y]

I gave up on mine, been in my tank for 2 months now, remove the rocks and it shoots to the surface.
I bought some slate and stainless hardware but haven't got a mason bit yet

[djlamonica]

My large prices took about 6 months to sink by themselves.

[Steve]

I must of lucked out on mine with 1 week of soaking Not that I'm complaining one bit though lol

[four_by_ken]

I have never had to try. I always sway towards the "Amazon Bog Wood".  It sinks from the start.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Two days and they still pop up in the water,  looks like this could be a long process !

[Ron]

Not all wood is going to sink well. I had some that needed rocks for a long time. 2 years later and it'd stay 98-99% submersed. It didn't really "sink", more like it stayed "submersed" and still needed objects to keep it in place due to the tanks current.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Not all wood is going to sink well. I had some that needed rocks for a long time. 2 years later and it'd stay 98-99% submersed. It didn't really "sink", more like it stayed "submersed" and still needed objects to keep it in place due to the tanks current.

So the best thing to do is attach a large heavy piece of slate to the bottom and be done with it ?  This is a big piece of driftwood, so I'm going to need a heavy piece of slate. 

 

[Ron]

Not all wood is going to sink well. I had some that needed rocks for a long time. 2 years later and it'd stay 98-99% submersed. It didn't really "sink", more like it stayed "submersed" and still needed objects to keep it in place due to the tanks current.

So the best thing to do is attach a large heavy piece of slate to the bottom and be done with it ?  This is a big piece of driftwood, so I'm going to need a heavy piece of slate.

That's what I'd be inclined to do. You could add multiple pieces of slate stacked together at the based to help add weight without adding additional length/width if you only used a single piece. It's probably obvious, but stack the rock on the wood to make sure it'll sink before securing it all together and then you'll only have to do it once.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Not all wood is going to sink well. I had some that needed rocks for a long time. 2 years later and it'd stay 98-99% submersed. It didn't really "sink", more like it stayed "submersed" and still needed objects to keep it in place due to the tanks current.

So the best thing to do is attach a large heavy piece of slate to the bottom and be done with it ?  This is a big piece of driftwood, so I'm going to need a heavy piece of slate.

That's what I'd be inclined to do. You could add multiple pieces of slate stacked together at the based to help add weight without adding additional length/width if you only used a single piece. It's probably obvious, but stack the rock on the wood to make sure it'll sink before securing it all together and then you'll only have to do it once.

Ron - Thanks, this is great advice.  Looks like I now have a project over the Thanksgiving break.  I'll update when I get it in the tank..