Soooo... I'm thinking of buying some driftwood for one of my tank. The questions I have are because I have NO experience with driftwood.
- Are there different types of driftwood and if there are, which one is better?
- Do I have to let it soak before putting it in the tank and if so how long?
- Is there anything else I should know about driftwood? Pros and cons?
I believe Malaysian driftwood is the best. I have Mopani in my tank and have never had issues with it, but people say it can cause problems. I boiled my driftwood first to leech out all the tannins and kill off anything that might have been on it. I then let it soak in regular water for over 24 hours before putting it into my tank. One of the cons of driftwood is that it can develop a white-ish scummy fuzz. This is apparently normal, and is just kind of a pain. It's harmless, I just remove it with a toothbrush. Perhaps snails or something would eat it. I'm going to pick a snail sometime soon and see if it'll help. Otherwise, I love driftwood, especially with plants tied to it. Really adds a natural look to the tank. (:
There are three types of driftwood I have seen in the market: Malasyian, Mopani, and grapewood. I would stay away from grapewood at all costs as I have heard horror stories about the fuzz that can grow on it. Malaysian is the best. It's dark and add a nice tan to your aquarium, but this will lower pH and hardness (a bit). This is generally not a problem and will usually only happen in softer water. Malaysian wood is so dense you don't have to soak it before you introduce it to the aquarium although a good scrub with a clean toothbrush isn't a bad idea. I only use Mopani when there is nothing else I can find.
My favorite thing to do with driftwood is attach anubias or java fern as these two plants love to be rooted to driftwood. It gives the tank a really natural feel.
You shouldn't have to worry about it ripping your little guy's fins as wood softens in water.
Right now I have driftwood in 2 of my 4 tanks (not all of them betta). I love the look it gives. The right piece can make an impressive centerpiece.
If I get Malaysian driftwood, do I still need to boil it before putting it in the tank? And by boiling, do you mean actually putting it in a pot of boiling water (like on the stove????)
I bought a nice size driftwood at Petsmart for 7 bucks. This stuff leeches tannin crazy. It's in a bucket and I empty the water out every 3 days and the water is brown. Gonna keep doing this til the water is clear
Ok thanks everyone. Very helpful! Just have one last question. If I want to use live plants, how do I attach it to the wood so it roots to it?
I just tied the anubias to the wood until it rooted. This took around a month for it to be really secure in there. I do the same thing with java fern. Tie it down with fishing line.
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Just have one last question. If I want to use live plants, how do I attach it to the wood so it roots to it?
