# Prepping manzanita wood?



## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

How do you prep manzanita wood prior to placing it in your tank? 

For the past three days I've been keeping it in a 5 gallon bucket filled with boiling hot water, which I change out twice a day. I've also used a toothbrush to remove some of the dirt and loose bark.

What else do I need to do? How long should I let it soak?


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

I'd soak it until it could sink, but it seems to me that you got all the bases covered. If you don't want to soak it till it sinks on its own just have some rocks to hold it down in the tank.

Even with the boiling you may get some tannins still in the water, but they won't be harmful to the fish so no need to worry.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions. It already sinks, so I'm good there.


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. It already sinks, so I'm good there.


No problem. So you should be good to go then. IMO. It would be in my tank right now.  roud:


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Main lights went out at 9:00 pm EST and the moonlight are on, so I don't want to disturb the fish.  I guess I'll wait until tomorrow.


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> Main lights went out at 9:00 pm EST and the moonlight are on, so I don't want to disturb the fish.  I guess I'll wait until tomorrow.


Sounds like a plan! Can't hurt to wait!


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## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

For mine I pressure washed it to get the red skin off and after pressure washing I scrubbed it with a brush. You will know pretty quickly what needs to come off and what doesnt. If it still has the red bark do remove it as it will fall off in your water. The rest of the wood is very tough.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Soak till it sinks, boiling helps leach the red color tannins.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Zolek (Jul 25, 2007)

Is 1700 psi enough pressure from a pressure washer to wash bark off manzanita or am I going to need a gas model.


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## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

I pressure washed at 1,000. If you go to high you will blow off the smaller more delicate branches but the pressure washer I used (from work) heats the water to 210 degrees. I wouldnt go higher than what you have though and be careful. If you paid for it dont want to hear you broke the branches off. If I broke a branch (I didn't!) I would just run out into any vacant lot here and find another branch. LOL


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## jflng (Apr 5, 2007)

I think it helps to minimize the tannins by letting it dry out after letting it soak (for a long time). Then resoak until it sinks again. 

The key words here are 'I think.' This is just what I've always done, and never had problems with tannins.


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## Zolek (Jul 25, 2007)

Nate McFin said:


> I pressure washed at 1,000. If you go to high you will blow off the smaller more delicate branches but the pressure washer I used (from work) heats the water to 210 degrees. I wouldnt go higher than what you have though and be careful. If you paid for it dont want to hear you broke the branches off. If I broke a branch (I didn't!) I would just run out into any vacant lot here and find another branch. LOL


Well it was free but I can't really easily find more manzanita this awesome so I want to be careful. 1700 sounds like it'll do it.


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