Bogwood Or Driftwood

[Jamie24]

Ok guys which is better if any ???

I presume they would both look natural and provided hiding spaces/cover for certain fish but what are the pro's and con's ?? I've heard one has to be boiled or something and can turn you water yellow/brown, also would all plecs (wood eaters) eat both types of this wood ??

 

[fluttermoth]

It's not a good idea to boil any kind of wood as you'll cook it and cause it to rot and fall apart. All types of wood can release tannins that turn the water a tea colour; this is not harmful to fish in any way (some fish, like neons actually prefer the water like that).

If you want to remove the tannins, you can soak the wood in hot water, changing it every day until the tannins are gone, or you can add some carbon to your filter.

Most driftwood is too hard for the wood eating plecs, you'll need bogwood for them

 

[fishyfeet]

what exactly is bog wood, ive see morpani wood, and i picked up some in seapets today, not sure what is was tough, very dry and thin, with cracked bark and only about a couple cemtimetes thick, di

 

[Jamie24]

what exactly is bog wood, ive see morpani wood, and i picked up some in seapets today, not sure what is was tough, very dry and thin, with cracked bark and only about a couple cemtimetes thick, di

Bog wood or marta wood I thought was from trees that have been buried in peat bogs hence the name, you can get it from pine, oak and yew trees and is kind of like the first stage of wood before it matures that's the reason for it lasting years without decaying.

So how long will this wood leach for or need soaking for or will me filter wool eventually clear the water anyway ?? also and it may sound like a silly question but if it's part of the pleco diet will the wood eventually be eaten and need replacing.

Morpani wood is timber taken from the morpane tree in South Africa that is different to bog wood.

 

[fluttermoth]

How long wood leaches tannins for depends on the wood; here's no real way of telling. Filter wool won't clear tannins as they're dissolved in the water; it's not like 'bits', you need carbon to do that, if you don't like the look of it.

The wood would eventually get eaten away if you have wood eating plecs, but it would take a long time (depending on the size of the wood and the plecs, of course!).