Why driftwood in aquarium

Depending on what species of fish you have in the tank, this can be a good thing or a bad thing. Some fish, like those from the Amazon river, are used to soft water with a low pH. For them, Malaysian driftwood and African mopani wood are good decorations, since these woods contain chemicals that lower the pH and make it more like their home waters. However, some fish, like Rift Valley cichlids, prefer hard, alkaline water. For these fish, avoid driftwoods that lower pH, or avoid driftwood all together.

Many fish need hiding places in their aquarium to feel secure. Paradoxically, many fish will stay out in the open more in an aquarium with lots of hiding places. Such tanks make fish feel safe and less likely to hide in the recesses of an aquarium. Driftwood, with gnarled, twisted shapes can provide lots of natural-looking hiding places for fish. Driftwood has several aesthetic benefits. How quickly it breaks down will depend on a number of factors, but on average, most driftwood will begin to show signs of deterioration as early as 2 years after being submerged and may need replacing after roughly 5 years.

As the wood begins to deteriorate, the outside of the wood will start to feel soft and fall away in the form of fluffy, muddy debris. This debris can build up on the substrate of the aquarium and resemble piles of fish waste. It will often be sucked up by the filter and can clog mechanical media with a dark brown mud. If the rate of deterioration is making aquarium and filter maintenance difficult, it is likely time to replace the driftwood in the tank.

This might seem unfortunate, but it gives you the opportunity to re-scape your aquarium and try something new, be it another driftwood showpiece, or something more permanent like dragon stone!

Share Tweet Pin it Fancy. Driftwood is used widely as a decorative item in aquariums. Fish tank driftwood looks gorgeous and adds to its natural look but at the same time, this is not the only purpose of driftwood. It also serves as a source of food to the fishes living in the tank and encourages the improvement in the water parameters. There are many advantages of having this wonderful, natural wood to your aquarium. This post is going to discuss the benefits of adding driftwood to your aquarium.

Now that it is apparent that the use of driftwood in an aquarium is not just for aesthetic purposes, you might like to invest in it.

Driftwood can occupy a large amount of space in your aquarium and you need to plan and design well. Here are some steps which you need to follow to add driftwood to your aquarium the right way. Recent Articles. Trees for your fishy friends!