Habitat - Indoor :: wood in tank

[oostern]

We added a piece of wood to our tank recently.
The root came from a pet store, not that that means much.
I soaked it for about a week until the water was very clear.
After a week in the tank, the tank water remained crystal clear, but I noticed some slimy stuff on the wood. It looked a milky, thick mucous film. I've never seen anything like that in a tank (we also have fish)
I pulled the wood out and scrubbed it clean, and it's back in with the turtle, but I'm expecting the stuff to return.

Does anyone know:
will this slime harm our turtle?
will it eventually go away? (like couldy water early in a tank set-up. Maybe we have to build up enough something-or-other in the filter media for this.....)
is there something I can do to prevent its return?

[SINI5T3R]

Boil the Wood. If your water is turning a "Tea" color that is also from the wood. The "Tea" color is not harmfull but boiling it will make it go away. I myself put wood in my turtle tank and that white foaming looking stuff was on the sides of my tank too but it has since gone after i boiled the wood. I doute it will do anything to ur turtles and fish since I myself have 3 RES and fish in the tank and it did absolutely nothing.

[oostern]

I'd prefer not to boil the wood.

what about alternatives - like baking or freezing?

what is causing the slime?

is my turtle at risk?

[Sir Max]

Well i purchased a piece of wood for my tank aswell and the person at the reptile store said to just put it in hot water or boiling water for a while..and as other people have told me that is the right way to go..why do you not want to boil the wood?

[oostern]

boiling can make the wood break down.

maybe letting it sit in just-boiled water for a time is an option.

how long is "for a while"? 10 minutes?

[SINI5T3R]

Boil it on a slow boil for a good 15-20 min ide say. I boiled mine for about 30 min on medium (numbers 1-9 9 being highest i can go i put it on a 5) and that took care of my problems pretty much. I also noticed a VERY high decrees in the white puss looking stuff aswell. very little at all in my tank since boiled. Also Boiling doesn't do much to the wood. I thought it would crack the wood or something but it does nothing pretty much except get all that bad stuff out.

[Sir Max]

20 mins i boiled mine for

[sull324]

Is your tank completely cycled?,it could just be an bacterial layer.nothing to worry about.

[wezeles]

You can still bake the wood after. I boil it to sterilize and than bake it to dry it back out...

Baking it will sterilize it as well, that's all i do for the lizards but there wood isn't soaked in water either.

But baking it doesn't get all the little particles and residue out like boiling it will so boiling is the best bet for water logged wood...

When you have roots or wood in water it will break down overtime so its always a good idea to take them out once in a while and bake it to dry it back out to help extend the life a little longer.

[oostern]

okay
it sounds like the consensus is for boiling.
Though I'm not sure I have a pot big enuf.
and baking to dry and extend life sounds good.
how often? 2x per year?

Its such a cool piece of wood, I don't want to destroy it.



And to those who asked: yes, the tank is long cycled, and the tannins from the wood are long gone as well - at least visually.

I still want to know what the gunk is.

[SINI5T3R]

yeah thats a beautiful piece of wood. I would not want to destroy it either. I seen a piece of wood like that ouside my house but i was too lazy to get it, I mite go get it later, looks really nice tho.

[wezeles]

It all depends on the wood...lower roots like that are tougher and don't need to be baked as often. the upper roots and logs get soft faster.

I just stick my hand in once a month and squeeze the wood... if its extra soft bake it... it's different for each piece..

The smell of baking wood isn't that great though..lol

[jozzep]

It's just a type of algae....I'm guessing you never pulled out a piece of wood from a river and found it to be all slippery and slimy?
Just take it out and clean it in your tub from time to time till it stops forming.

[oostern]

Just take it out and clean it in your tub from time to time till it stops forming

thats my favorite piece of advice so far.
And if its algae, my guess is that the turtle will come to no harm.

I've got a range of options now to work with.
Thanks all.

[coreyvht]

do you feed your turtles pellets..if you do is probably from the fish oil in it it slimes the whole tank