Best Driftwood For My Tank?

[FroFro]

What is the best driftwood choice for my tank? None of my fish other than a small pleco can benefit from it, but I read its good for the overall health of the tank. What is the easiest kind of wood to cure/boil/soak of tannins before putting it into the water? I work nearly full time so a wood not too crazy with the stuff would be great

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

I like Malaysian, since it's heavy and sinks fast. It also doesn't leech out as much tannins compared to mopani.
Another type I like to use is Manzanita. Great type of wood for creating scapes.

 

[FroFro]

I like Malaysian, since it's heavy and sinks fast. It also doesn't leech out as much tannins compared to mopani.
Another type I like to use is Manzanita. Great type of wood for creating scapes.

I actually saw some malaysian at my lfs. It was about ten inches long and only about  10 or 11 dollars or so. If you don't mind, what would be the best way to prepare it for my tank? I have a 36 gallon and I'd only want a small piece for the pleco

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

 

I like Malaysian, since it's heavy and sinks fast. It also doesn't leech out as much tannins compared to mopani.
Another type I like to use is Manzanita. Great type of wood for creating scapes.

I actually saw some malaysian at my lfs. It was about ten inches long and only about  10 or 11 dollars or so. If you don't mind, what would be the best way to prepare it for my tank? I have a 36 gallon and I'd only want a small piece for the pleco

 

 
I started by scrubbing the driftwood to free any wood dust and pieces of debris, and then boiled it for 2-3 hours. After it cooled down I submerged it in water treated with Seachem Prime dechorinator/conditioner for a day. Rinsed it the following morning and added it to my tank. Initially it started growing a bit of white film/fungus (which is harmless, incase you notice yours is starting to grow it), but my royal pleco and Amano shrimp cleaned it off.

 

[FroFro]

 

 


I like Malaysian, since it's heavy and sinks fast. It also doesn't leech out as much tannins compared to mopani.
Another type I like to use is Manzanita. Great type of wood for creating scapes.

I actually saw some malaysian at my lfs. It was about ten inches long and only about  10 or 11 dollars or so. If you don't mind, what would be the best way to prepare it for my tank? I have a 36 gallon and I'd only want a small piece for the pleco

 

 
I started by scrubbing the driftwood to free any wood dust and pieces of debris, and then boiled it for 2-3 hours. After it cooled down I submerged it in water treated with Seachem Prime dechorinator/conditioner for a day. Rinsed it the following morning and added it to my tank. Initially it started growing a bit of white film/fungus (which is harmless, incase you notice yours is starting to grow it), but my royal pleco and Amano shrimp cleaned it off.
 


Thanks for the help! I already called my lfs and they are holding the small piece until I get there. I'll brush and boil it and soak it overnight just as you said. Thanks again!

 

[Byron]

I also favour the Malaysian Driftwood as it is usually called.  My tanks are full of this.  I never boil it, just rinse it off under the hot water tap, or sometimes in a bucket as you can swish it around rapidly and dislodge most of the dust and dirt.  I never worry about tannins, because they are not dangerous and I find that unless you have quite large pieces, or a lot of new ones, the tannins are almost unnoticeable.  I personally wouldn't boil this wood because this may quicken the natural decomposition.  It is fairly hard wood, and tends to last a long time as such.
 
Another member mentioned the white fungus...this can be very toxic or not, depending what it is.  There are many species of fungus, and not all are harmless.  I have never seen this with any Malaysian Driftwood, but I did see it on a piece of the lighter wood, a branch which I thought was Manzanita or something, but may have been grapewood, as grapewood is well know for toxins.
 
Byron.

 

[FroFro]

I also favour the Malaysian Driftwood as it is usually called.  My tanks are full of this.  I never boil it, just rinse it off under the hot water tap, or sometimes in a bucket as you can swish it around rapidly and dislodge most of the dust and dirt.  I never worry about tannins, because they are not dangerous and I find that unless you have quite large pieces, or a lot of new ones, the tannins are almost unnoticeable.  I personally wouldn't boil this wood because this may quicken the natural decomposition.  It is fairly hard wood, and tends to last a long time as such.
 
Another member mentioned the white fungus...this can be very toxic or not, depending what it is.  There are many species of fungus, and not all are harmless.  I have never seen this with any Malaysian Driftwood, but I did see it on a piece of the lighter wood, a branch which I thought was Manzanita or something, but may have been grapewood, as grapewood is well know for toxins.
 
Byron.

I actually went to my LFS and they set aside the large piece of malaysian and the smaller one was gone when I got there. All thats left are really big pieces much too large for my aquarium. They did inform me they sell their Mopani driftwood from their current tanks and they are the size I need. Is it safe to buy from their tanks? I'd imagine I'd want to sanitize these pieces just in case there are any harmful bacteria or parasites in them as we ALL know how it takes one sick fish to make a sick tank (or in this case a sick piece of driftwood).

 

[Byron]

I actually went to my LFS and they set aside the large piece of malaysian and the smaller one was gone when I got there. All thats left are really big pieces much too large for my aquarium. They did inform me they sell their Mopani driftwood from their current tanks and they are the size I need. Is it safe to buy from their tanks? I'd imagine I'd want to sanitize these pieces just in case there are any harmful bacteria or parasites in them as we ALL know how it takes one sick fish to make a sick tank (or in this case a sick piece of driftwood).
 

 
True, any chunk of wood coming out of a tank with fish may well carry pathogens, parasites (like ich or velvet), bacterial/fungal fish diseases, etc.  So this wood should certainly be quarantined in a tank without fish for two or more weeks.  I suppose boiling it would be advisable, though I'm not sure I would; in recent years all my wood has been new and dry so I have never really considered this.
 
I have had Mopani wood, long time back now, but I do not personally like Mopani wood; I find the darker Malaysian Driftwood or similar wood like ironwood to be more natural in the aquarium.  It also sinks immediately, being heavier, but of course Mopani in a tank would probably be waterlogged.
 
Sometimes you can break apart the larger chunks of Malaysian Driftwood.  Some people saw them up, which is fine, except you then have a flat sawed edge and this is not natural, but if you can have this part in the substrate, or along the rear wall, where you can't see that it has been cut, it can work.  Some of the Malaysina wood I have bought was cut by the supplier, and I always hold it in different positions to assess whether or not I will be able to adequately hide or cover the cut end.  Usually I can.

 

[BelaSmith]

I'm also looking for driftwood. Any suggestion?

 

[BelaSmith]

I'm also looking for driftwood. Any suggestion?

I've bought Fluval driftwood a few days ago and I was very impressed with it because it looks great, my fish loves it, my java ferns are attaching to it well and it didn't take long to get rid of the tannins. I boiled it for 3 hours then left it in a bucket of water for 24hours. I placed it in at night, changed the water in the morning and placed it into the aquarium that night.