Petrified Wood In An African Tank

[Boids-n-more]

I am not 100% sure if it would be ok to put some petrified wood in my african tank. I got my hands on some free stuff that hasn't been cut or anything so there is no danger of oil contamination from the saw. It came from my father so i know its clean. I am not sure of the characteristics of petrafied wood so i'm not sure if it will hurt my water conditions or hardness. thanks for any info , i hope i can use it safely.

 

[nukeonekitty]

When wood decomposes in water it does indeed make the water more acidic (softer). It does not make a huge difference in my experiences, but I have never had big pieces in the tanks.

 

[Boids-n-more]

Its petrified like a rock, so there wouldn't be any decomposing. I just know some type of rocks are bad for fish and i'm not too sure about petrified wood. I just want to check and make sure before i do a big nono.

 

[Tolak]

I've seen it sold in shops before. Petrified wood is rock, but it's rock that has replaced the wood's cell structure, through a process called petrification, which turns it to a type of quartz. Quarts is generally safe, but I would test it with a little vinegar to make sure. Fizzing indicates calcium, which will raise your pH, something that may or may not be desirable.

 

[Boids-n-more]

thanks Tolak , i will test it before i put it in.