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Thread: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

  1. #16
    Registered Member pastry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    How did you clean the wood? I usually let any new Driftwood I get soak in our guest bathroom tub after blasting it off 1st in the yard with the garden hose. Then once in the bathtub, I turn the faucet on as hot as it can get. Then I let it sit there for about a week.

    I'm not familiar with that type of wood but just guessing that if someone regularly sells it then usually it's fine. That's said, doesn't mean that possibly some sort of chemicals accidentally came in contact with that piece of wood. That is just extremely fast for anything natural out of a piece of wood to affect fish. Even wood that has sap in it, only slowly leaks out. It would take a while. So either it is a coincidence and something else calls the problem with your fish or the wood they have been contaminated by a chemical is my guess. I know some might say it's probably just a coincidence better happen soon after you put the Driftwood in but my gut tells me it's the Driftwood but it's not something that naturally came out of the Driftwood.

    That REALLY SUCKS and hopefully you can salvage the fish. However, worst case scenario, Christmas is coming up!
    -Elliot

  2. #17
    MVP Oct.2015 discuspaul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    I'm still confused by what 71 tanner has said in various posts - in one he clearly says he has had a nitrate problem for quite some time, and that the nitrate in this tank regularly tests out at between 60 and 80 ppm. But in response to Pat's recent question above, he says his water test for nitrates was zero - this is completely contradictory - do you have 2 sources of water, 71tanner ?

    As for the wood, it occurred to me there could have been the possibility that the particular piece that 71 T bought from that 'pet store' had previously been used in a display cage (say, a tank) for housing another animal, such as a reptile (and therefore exposed to toxic contamination seeping into the wood from urine or feces - whatever- and then, upon sale of that animal, perhaps that particular piece of wood was accidentally placed back into the store's box containing other aquarium driftwood for sale, and that's the piece that 71 T actually bought ? This may seem farfetched, but these kinds of things do happen on occasion.
    This wood was soon taken out of the tank, but the damage had already been done if this was the case.
    Just a thought as to this possibility.
    Last edited by discuspaul; 12-08-2019 at 07:59 PM.

  3. #18
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    The 0 nitrate reading was in regard to the water coming out of my tap, not the tank. FYI, I am a she, not a "he". I am convinced that wood had some kind of contamination. All 5 discus did finally eat tonight. Smaller amount and not as ferociously as usual but I'll take it. Also, this wood came from a well known online aquatic plant store. I have emailed them but have not received any response. Without knowing what was wrong with that wood I guess it's just a water changes waiting game. Very upsetting, I really love these crazy fish!

  4. #19
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    I normally scrub the wood clean then soak to release tannins. This particular wood doesn't float and supposedly releases very little tannins, so I scrubbed it and let it soak for the day thinking it would be good. This is a substantial chunk of wood so who knows what could have gotten into it. Although unfamiliar with alborz wood as well I made the mistake of trusting the seller. Going forward I am done with wood. Horrible lesson learned.

  5. #20
    Registered Member pastry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Tanner, I hate seeing that you had a bad experience with the Driftwood. I always get excited to see other aquariums with Driftwood in them. If you ever change your mind in the future, I swear that I've had much better luck sourcing driftwood from different ponds, lakes, and even the Ocean by me. That way I generally know what the heck it is. But for the time being, even a rock Hardscape looks good too if you still want to go with some sort of Aquascape. Not trying to joke at all but if you go to the Rock route then read up on which rocks to use! I've screwed that one up before as well. I've screwed up with different Driftwood and rock but that's the only way I learn... the hard way! But I've also gotten lucky as heck and it's really cool when different things you grab from nature nearby works out really well.
    -Elliot

  6. #21
    MVP Oct.2015 discuspaul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Quote Originally Posted by 71tanner View Post
    The 0 nitrate reading was in regard to the water coming out of my tap, not the tank. FYI, I am a she, not a "he". I am convinced that wood had some kind of contamination. All 5 discus did finally eat tonight. Smaller amount and not as ferociously as usual but I'll take it. Also, this wood came from a well known online aquatic plant store. I have emailed them but have not received any response. Without knowing what was wrong with that wood I guess it's just a water changes waiting game. Very upsetting, I really love these crazy fish!
    Apologies - now that I know you're female, I'll certainly refer to you that way.

    With wc's continuing to be done with water right out of your tap (wth '0' nitrates), your situation should continue to improve - we all hope that's the way it turns out. Best of luck to you.

  7. #22
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    I'm always weary of adding wood to my tanks. I hope your troubles are behind you.

  8. #23
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    So everyone is looking much better, acting better and ate well tonight. Hopefully everyone has made it through this. As for the vendor that sold me the alborz wood, still haven't gotten any response. That in and of itself is telling to me.

  9. #24
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Quote Originally Posted by 71tanner View Post
    So everyone is looking much better, acting better and ate well tonight. Hopefully everyone has made it through this. As for the vendor that sold me the alborz wood, still haven't gotten any response. That in and of itself is telling to me.
    I've bleached dipped my wood and soaked in clean water for a few days and then let dry out in the sun for a week before I put it in the tank. Glad your discus are doing better.

  10. #25

    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Quote Originally Posted by pastry View Post
    How did you clean the wood? I usually let any new Driftwood I get soak in our guest bathroom tub after blasting it off 1st in the yard with the garden hose. Then once in the bathtub, I turn the faucet on as hot as it can get. Then I let it sit there for about a week.

    I'm not familiar with that type of wood but just guessing that if someone regularly sells it then usually it's fine. That's said, doesn't mean that possibly some sort of chemicals accidentally came in contact with that piece of wood. That is just extremely fast for anything natural out of a piece of wood to affect fish. Even wood that has sap in it, only slowly leaks out. It would take a while. So either it is a coincidence and something else calls the problem with your fish or the wood they have been contaminated by a chemical is my guess. I know some might say it's probably just a coincidence better happen soon after you put the Driftwood in but my gut tells me it's the Driftwood but it's not something that naturally came out of the Driftwood.

    That REALLY SUCKS and hopefully you can salvage the fish. However, worst case scenario, Christmas is coming up!
    Trying to find the humor here Elliot what do the guests do while you're soaking the driftwood

    Jeanne

  11. #26
    Registered Member pastry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Jeanne, they either look at me funny... or just point and laugh
    -Elliot

  12. #27
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Quote Originally Posted by fljones3 View Post
    I might have missed it but if you have Prime to neutralize the nitrate load. I would use 3-4x dose. Might also consider salt at 1 tsp per 10 gal.
    This is a read on Seachem Prime. says it does nothing to neutralize nitrite or nitrate.https://www.reddit.com/r/Aquariums/c...itritenitrate/

  13. #28
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Quote Originally Posted by bluelagoon View Post
    This is a read on Seachem Prime. says it does nothing to neutralize nitrite or nitrate.https://www.reddit.com/r/Aquariums/c...itritenitrate/
    Just buy this you will never buy another water conditioner

    https://www.seachem.com/safe.php

  14. #29
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Quote Originally Posted by planter View Post
    Just buy this you will never buy another water conditioner

    https://www.seachem.com/safe.php
    That will only detoxify nitrite and nitrate for 24- 48 hours; that's how long the bond lasts. The filter will take care of the ammonia and nitrite before the bond is broken. You can detoxify nitrite poisoning much longer with sodium chloride (salt). The nitrate will need manual removal. That's how I'm reading Seachem report. I've never I used neither conditioner. I just use cheap sodium thiosulfate for chlorine. Prime and Safe are the same conditioner. Prime is liquid and Safe is powder.

  15. #30
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sick from driftwood, please help urgent!

    Is that the reason your nitrates are 80.

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