Nutritious Woods

[CatLover]

Are the same nutriants found in both drift and bog wood?
In other words, could fish who eat wood do fine with both?

 

[CFC]

Im not 100% but i believe that driftwood is unsuitable for wood eating species such as Panaques as the lignum which they need from the wood has already degraded. Bogwood has been preserved by the acidic water it was soaked in and so still has much of its lignum present.

 

[CatLover]

Ah, ok. Thank you!

 

[Red]

Can you tell me some more about lignum, please? I was aware that people use wood in their tanks and I wondered if fish actually ATE it (or somethign good that the wood contained). I have a piece of bargain mobwani wood here which I haven't got round to boiling yet - would this be good for my beloved clown loaches? (Could this be the missing ingredient to start them clicking???)

 

[The-Wolf]

My understanding of lignum is this....
lignum is the actual name for the stiff part of a plant that gives it a woody substance, I.E. trees and shrubs have lignum, grass does not.

Mopany wood is is often sandblasted, so it may not have as much but will have some in it.

 

[Narayan]

Red, stop agonising about it!
Boil it (alot) and put it in

 

[CFC]

Mopani as said is usually sand blasted to remove its bark and surface layer of dark wood and so is next to useless as food for wood eating species, it is also one of the hardest known woods and is very difficult for the fish to rasp off sufficient quantities. In a tank it is only for decoration.

Clown loaches do not eat wood.

Fish that need wood in their diet are Panaque species (royal plecs) Baryancisterus species (golden nugget plecs) plus many other L# species

 

[Red]

Alright already!

I just wondered coz i read a post that said "put some wood in and your loaches will send you flowers and chocolates!"

I just want my fishes to be HAPPY!

 

[CFC]

If you want your clown loaches to click just add more of them and give them less hiding places. They make the audible clicking sound when they are arguing with one and other.