Petrified Wood???

[shookbrad]

Will petrified wood raise PH?

 

[guineawhop]

probably would lower the ph because petrified wood is not actually wood, it is sediment that filled in the space where a piece of wood decayed. the sediment is most likely stuff like sand or silt. it's different but is always a grainy sediment. i would not use it.

 

[joec21]

Don't put wood in a sw tank.

 

[kpatrick]

wood in a saltwater tank doesnt look good at all. I would go a different route but then again everyone likes different things so do what you like the best. :joy:

 

[shookbrad]

Well I am trying to determin what caused my PH to spike. It spiked to about 8.8. I used some Muratic Acid(drops) to lower the PH back to an accepatable level. I can only think that it could be either the petrified wood or the lava rock I am using in the sump.

 

[nomad]

First, scrub the petrified wood really hard to make sure that there are no loose pieces.
Second, seal it in a bucket for a week soaking it in SW that you have made up for you tank (change water). Then test all the water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alk, Ca, & any other test you have), look carefully at the petrified wood for ANY changes in appearance, rub it all over very hard with a white cloth looking for any color leaching, and look at the bottom of the bucket to see if there is anything there.
If there is any change in the water that can't be accounted for by condensation on the bucket lid DON'T USE THE PETRIFIED WOOD.
If the appearance of the petrified wood has changed in any way DON'T USE THE PETRIFIED WOOD.
If the white cloth becomes discolored even the slightest little bit DON'T USE THE PETRIFIED WOOD.
If there is 'stuff' in the bottom of the bucket DON'T USE THE PETRIFIED WOOD.
I have used petrified wood in tanks with Lake Malawi and Lake Tankanyikan cichlids which had their appropriate salts and a ph 8.0-8.2.

Let me add this, I don't think that petrified wood will give you very much bang for your buck in a SW tank: it is very heavy, it isn't porous (forget bacterial growth to any meaningful degree), and LR is much more interesting, entertaining and surprising.

 

[ophiura]

Why use petrified wood in a saltwater tank? :notsure:
Anyway, did you double check your test kit by taking a water sample to the LFS? Did you recently add any buffer to the tank? What is your alkalinity and calcium reading?

 

[bang guy]

Get the Lava rock and especially the petrified wood out of your system. They are not compatible with a saltwater aquarium.