Aquarium driftwood is the most popular wood decoration for freshwater fish tanks today. You can find it in any aquarium supply site or retail store. It is not very expensive and is ideal for safely decorating you fish tank. This begs the question. Is it t really necessary to buy special wood for your aquarium? Why not just take a look through the yard or woods and pick up some pieces that look great?
Can Wild Wood Harm My Fish?
Yes it can. Wild wood can quickly rot. Driftwood comes from water. It is wood that has washed up on the shore and has started to decompose. As wild wood breaks down, it can quickly throw off the chemical balance of your aquarium. Driftwood has already been broken down much of the way from the water keeping it from releasing these chemicals in your tank. There is a solution however, if you insist on using any old wood for your aquarium. You can seal the wood with aquarium friendly sealer. These can be found at most aquarium retailers or pond supply retailers. The only risk is that you do not fully seal the wood in every crevice. Water will quickly find its way into any part of the wood left unsealed and start to break it down.
What about Aquarium Bogwood?
Bogwood is very similar to driftwood and is aquarium safe. Bogwood gets its name from where it is found, in bogs or wetlands. It goes through the same break down process as driftwood, therefore making it safe. Most aquarium retailers sell bogwood along with driftwood.
I bought aquarium driftwood from a fish supply store. I soaked it first and now after being in my tank for a couple of days, the water is a yellow/ brown cloudy color. How long until this will go away and I have clear water? Is there anything I can do to speed up the clearing of the water process?
Chris,
It really depends. Some woods have more tannins thank others. Driftwood usually doesn’t take more than a couple of weeks at very most. I don’t know of anything to speed it up. I will caution you to make sure you wait until your water is clear. It’s a real pain if you rush it.
thanks for the advice. I actually took the driftwood out of my tank and the water cleared in a couple of days. I’ve been soaking the driftwood in water in the sink and it is still turning color. I don’t think I’ll put the wood back in until it stops turning color. thanks again!
is cypress considered drift wood? it grows in the swamps in florida and is very water resistant..please let meknow
Hi Art,
Yeah it is. The only tip I have for you is to make sure your pieces are aged very well. Otherwise, the sap can cause you problems. Also, you’ll find some prep tips here.
http://www.fishtanktutor.com/keep-your-aquarium-decorations-from-corrupting-your-water
I have a piece of wood that I have soaked in my pond for about three months. My tank is 150 gallons and the piece of wood is quite large. Do you think I can safely put the wood in my cichlid tank?
Joe,
There are a couple of things to watch out for. Even after 3 months there is a slight chance that it still could be leaking tannins. If there is any way to soak it in completely clear water before adding to your tank, you might save yourself some headache. Also, I would only suggest it if it’s hard wood. Many soft wood continue to let debris lose and just make a mess of tank.
Eric,
Thank you very much for the reply. What is a good way to test the density of the wood? It seems pretty solid. Also as for soaking, I wouldn’t know where to put it…IT”S HUGE! Maybe the bathtub would fit it, but then I have other issues such as chemicals.I may just put it in and see how the water looks after a few days. Thanks again for all of your help.
Joe,
Your very welcome. No fancy way to test the density really. Just poke at it or scrape it a little with a screwdriver or something. If you get a lot of stuff falling off, it might give you some trouble. Remember in your tank, nothing will be poking at it, so you won’t want to use a lot of pressure when checking.