# How to cure manzanita from Blooms & Branches?



## Pattern8 (Dec 9, 2015)

I've ordered from them a few times. They don't treat the wood with anything so to keep it aquarium safe. However if you're goal is to remove as much of the tannins as possible that's a different matter and can be logistically difficult. You could soak it in a clean garbage bin, which does take time. Or you can boil it, which takes a very large pot. I've done this before using tongs to turn it every hour or so as you rarely will have a piece that will wholly submerge. Also, as @Nordic has pointed out, and something I never considered and should have, you might not wish to use an expensive pot when doing this as tannins can stain. I've never had a problem with this but depending on how long you let it sit I can see where this could be one.


----------



## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

If you get the sandblasted manzanita, you just have to let it sink. I usually take a piece of tile or slate or something heavy, glue the end of the branch to it, and submerge it under the substrate. Even if you have the red bark, it will come off slowly and get eaten. What people do a lot of times is take natural rift wood with nasty critters and stuff that in their tank, which transfers bacteria and disease. 

Basically, BnB is super safe wood. Don't worry about it too much.


----------



## Laney Coleman (Jan 13, 2017)

Great! I'm not worried at all about the tannins. I know they can be beneficial to my fish. I just wanted to make sure the wood was safe. 

So if I just give it a good rinse, adhere it to some rock with some aquarium safe adhesive and go ahead and submerge it in my tank once it dries I should be fine? Any tips to make sure the wood is good and dried/dead?


----------



## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

I'm pretty sure they sell it dry. I haven't seen fresh manzanita, but assuming its like other woods you can shave off some of the tips/ newer growth and make sure its not green under the surface. 

Now if there was a way to prevent the inevitable white fuzz that grows on it right after submerging...
Did I read in another thread that this was going in a school tank? You may want to keep soaking until that stuff sloughs off so you don't have to hear everyone ask, "what's that white fuzz?, is that OK?" haha. It's cleaned easily with a toothbrush, but definitely an eye sore in a display tank. May want to check this out.


----------



## H2O Life (Dec 31, 2016)

Here I have soaking in an empty tank. Most are dry and a few still have the red outer coating. The red coating will fuzz up quickly and turn into slime. It comes off easily...I took them out to brush and hose off. The fuzzy mold will return over and over. From another tank, I threw in a flagtail prochilodus, which is virtually a sucker fish. Ottos also do the job but you'll need a school of them. The flagtail & ottos love the moldy slime and saved me a lot of time & effort. The wood took me about 3 weeks to entirely rid of the fuzzy growth.


----------



## Laney Coleman (Jan 13, 2017)

Those are some nice pieces! Will the fuzzy mold eventually stop returning if I'm diligent about removing it? I was thinking of adding a school of ottos anyway...


----------



## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

Laney Coleman said:


> Those are some nice pieces! Will the fuzzy mold eventually stop returning if I'm diligent about removing it? I was thinking of adding a school of ottos anyway...


The mold good away on its own (just give it some time). Don't even need to clean it off


----------



## H2O Life (Dec 31, 2016)

Laney Coleman said:


> Those are some nice pieces! Will the fuzzy mold eventually stop returning if I'm diligent about removing it? I was thinking of adding a school of ottos anyway...


Thank you. They have some cool features I like...their twisty bends, many branches and their unique patterns. The fuzz comes off so easily, no need to be so diligent. An old toothbrush will work great. Yes, the mold will eventually stop.

Bump:


natemcnutty said:


> The mold good away on its own (just give it some time). Don't even need to clean it off


True, the mold will eventually float away in time and be sucked up by the filter.


----------



## Laney Coleman (Jan 13, 2017)

Perhaps my bristlenose pleco will enjoy munching on it then until it goes away on its own. I plan on attaching some moss and java fern to the manzanita. I have some fishing line on hand. Would that work? What is your general preferred method? And any favorite adhesives for attaching the driftwood to stone?


----------



## cininohio (Jan 13, 2016)

Super glue it and put it in. It works great. Use the gel type.


----------



## H2O Life (Dec 31, 2016)

I used what I had on hand...black thread, which will disappear in time. The wrapping wasn't pretty but the new growth covered it up. Sorry for the camera angle.


----------

