Manzanita can be prepared for use in your aquarium by pre-soaking for several days to several weeks, depending on the size of the piece. The manzanita can be placed in a large bucket or trash can and weighed down to keep it submerged. The water that you soak it in should be changed every other day, once the water that you soak it in clears up, it is safe for the tank. Pre-soaking will also saturate the wood so that it will sink to the bottom and not need to be weighted down. It can also be boiled in a large pot for 15 min increments, using clean water each time to release excess tannins and kill off any possible parasites. Large pieces can also be placed in the freezer for 72 hrs to kill off any possible parasites, you will still need to soak the pieces to release the tannins. The items that I sell have been completely dried out and sandblasted to minimize tannins and debris, but we still recommend pre-condition.