Bogwood????

[MikaMouse]

Hi please can I get some more advice from you lovely people.
I have a lovely piece of bog wood in my axie tank, but its turning the water brown even though I have a filter. Is this Ok for my axie to live in???
My axie keeps going up to gulp air so I have put an air stone in the water as well as the filter. This seems to have helped. Could this be water quality???
My partner thinks I need more water movement, but I'm worried that anymore will upset my axie

PS thanks to all the advice about the worms and etc....

[Silver]

If you boil it, soak it in very hot water for a few days and change the water it's soaking in every day, it will eventually stop coloring your water.

[MikaMouse]

Do I need to treat the water before I I soak the wood, as I would do if I were putting it in the tank??

Also do I need to worry about my Axie??

[Silver]

Definitely put it in a different container. It needs to soak in really hot water- too hot for your axie.

[Kaysie]

You don't need to dechlorinate the soaking water.

Is it rattlin' bog wood? Hehe

[PAWS]

Hi,

I have about 20 pieces of bogwood in various tanks both for axies and fish (separated of course). I would usually soak my bogwood until all the brown dye comes out, microwave or boil it and then soak again. The dye is essentially tannin, like you get in tea and is useful in bad algae tanks as it actually reduces growth.

The colour is not harmful to any aquatic animal, except in huge doses, but it does look unsightly. Once the water is brown, the only way to clear it is with a good filter and charcoal bags but obviously axis not keen on flowing water.

In your position I would remove, soak in water for a couple of days with regular changes, microwave on 800w for 90 secs (it speeds up dye seepage by destroying the cells, like boiling but more... aggressive!), then soak for another couple of days until the water is clear.

Please however be aware, a lot of wood, certainly in the UK is sold as bogwood but is not, and may require much longer soaking.

I know you may have spent a reasonable amount on bogwood, but if I may suggest an alternative... Large bamboo! It has the benefits of not colouring the water, plants will grow on it, and large pieces axi's can hide in.

Hope some of this might help, am not an expert, just stuff that works for me :-)

ohh and if it was not clear - treat the bogwood separate from your axi tank - especially the microwave bit!

[MikaMouse]

Originally Posted by PAWS

Hi,

I have about 20 pieces of bogwood in various tanks both for axies and fish (separated of course). I would usually soak my bogwood until all the brown dye comes out, microwave or boil it and then soak again. The dye is essentially tannin, like you get in tea and is useful in bad algae tanks as it actually reduces growth.

The colour is not harmful to any aquatic animal, except in huge doses, but it does look unsightly. Once the water is brown, the only way to clear it is with a good filter and charcoal bags but obviously axis not keen on flowing water.

In your position I would remove, soak in water for a couple of days with regular changes, microwave on 800w for 90 secs (it speeds up dye seepage by destroying the cells, like boiling but more... aggressive!), then soak for another couple of days until the water is clear.

Please however be aware, a lot of wood, certainly in the UK is sold as bogwood but is not, and may require much longer soaking.

I know you may have spent a reasonable amount on bogwood, but if I may suggest an alternative... Large bamboo! It has the benefits of not colouring the water, plants will grow on it, and large pieces axi's can hide in.

Hope some of this might help, am not an expert, just stuff that works for me :-)

ohh and if it was not clear - treat the bogwood separate from your axi tank - especially the microwave bit!

Many thanks for the info.

My bogwood was from my local fish shop and had been in their tanks since they got it. It is about 11/2 to 2 foot long so I dont think it will fit in the microwave . Pls have you got any other suggestions on how to treat the wood, as it did cost a bit Also my axie and I do enjoy it in the tank.

Sorry if I sound a little dim, but as soon as I try to concentrate on whats being said on here I get my three children wanting my attention

[PAWS]

No worries - we all learn from exchanging information!

The trouble with bogwood is it refuses to grow in a regular shape! My longest piece is about 18 inches or so which does, fortunately, fit in a bucket. Can you get yours in a container (separate from axi's and fish of course!) that enables you to cover it in water? If so, pour boiling water from a kettle over it until it is submerged and leave 24 hours. Empty, rinse and repeat until the water runs clear - it can take a long time unfortunately.

You say it had already been submerged for some time at the fish shop you purchased it from? If so I would have expected all the colour to have left it by now. Try and submerge in boiling water for one night and if the water is relatively clear you should be fine. The boiling water will kill any nasties that were on it.

There is no need to treat the water, bogwood is essentially neutral, all you need do is leach the dye out of it. I did mention the microwave to speed the process up, but if it does not fit you can pop it in the oven - just be very careful please and make sure it is well soaked to avoid burning!! After the oven treatment you will need to soak it again.

Whatever you do DON'T bleach it! Bleach can absord into the pores of the wood and despite rinsing with dechlorinator stay there, and slowly leach out into your tank.

As i said before, if you put it right in your tank, it may leach out tannins which will lower your pH (but not drastically) and taint the water brown. It won't hurt your axi and it'll go away eventually. quicker if you have carbon filters.

Please do ensure that there are no nasty sharp edges when you put it in the tank. Axi's sometimes go wacko and ping around like things possessed and you want to minimise the risks of injury.

[MikaMouse]

Originally Posted by Kaysie

Is it rattlin' bog wood? Hehe

What is Rattlin bog wood?????

[MikaMouse]

thanks paws
You have given me loads to try thanks.

When I brought the bogwood it was already soaking in a tank and the shop owner said he always put bogwood in his tanks rather than let them dry out.

I do have a carbon filter that I have a spray bar on directed at the glass side of my tank.

If the bogwood is harmless to my axie why does she(??) keep gulping air??? I keep her tank cool between 20-23 in the day and put a fan on to help cool down the tank further to about 18 at night. ( my house gets quite warm). I have put an air stone in as well, because I was worried she is not getting enough air in her water.

I looked up as much as I could before I got my axie, but I'm still finding that there are things that she does that are worrying.

[Kaysie]

The Rattlin' Bog is an old folk song. I was just feeling a little nerdy.

Axolotls regularly gulp air. In addition to their gills, they have rudimentary lungs. Because your tank is on the upper limits of acceptable temperature, it contains less oxygen than it would if it was colder (like 12 or 16). In addition, when they're warmer, their oxygen demands are higher. When oxygen is low in the water and they need a 'breath', the swim up, gulp, sink, and burp.

[PAWS]

Exactly what young wise Owl Kaysie said!

If you can get your tank a bit colder, your Axi will not gulp so much. Higher water temp means a higher metabolism and more oxygen by the Axi and less readily available via gill osmosis.

Please forgive me if I appear condescending (not intended) but the good thing is you are trying to learn and make life better for your axi.

You could try lowering the temperature during the day with a frozen water bottle and see if that helps.

I wish we had songs like "rattling bogwood"! :-) (just looked it up on that u tube thing!)

[MikaMouse]

Many thanks for the help. If it's too hot now I'm very worried about summer as it's going to be even worse

[rasputin]

Hi,

I am in the UK and our tank got quite warm in the summer but not too warm for the axies.

If it does start to get in the mid 20's then you could try this?

Thermo-Electric Axolotl Cooling

I think I will give something similar a go if we get a good summer.

[MikaMouse]

Originally Posted by rasputin

Hi,

I am in the UK and our tank got quite warm in the summer but not too warm for the axies.

If it does start to get in the mid 20's then you could try this?

Thermo-Electric Axolotl Cooling

I think I will give something similar a go if we get a good summer.

I have been looking at the coolers on ebay and was quite shocked So thank you so very much for the link I will ask my in house techy to have a look at your link

[Kaysie]

There isn't anywhere cooler you can put the tank? Near a drafty window?

Originally Posted by PAWS

I wish we had songs like "rattling bogwood"! :-) (just looked it up on that u tube thing!)

The Rattlin' Bog is an old Irish folk song, so it's not too far from you.

[MikaMouse]

No unfortunately not I have already had to change from a 4ft tank to a 3 to be able to put it in a cooler area, than the original area I wanted to put my axie. I think I am going to have to invest in a cooler for a happier axie