Totally Driftwood Aquascape

[Exiled]

To say I love driftwood is an understatement. Driftwood is mysterious, alive, and just beautiful. I would like to include lots of driftwood in my new 55g tank and need to know what cichlids like this type of habitat.
Thanks!

 

[wuvmybetta]

I love driftwood too, I know there are tons of sa/ca's that prefer driftwood in their water, I'm sure someone will come along and give you a long list

FYI, I found some beautiful awesome pieces of driftwood on eBay,you may want to have a looksy

 

[De Plano]

Looks like I answered in the wrong forum. If you answer my questions from African Cichlid forum over here.... oh nevermind. I live next to the beach so I have no idea if your talking about buying it or what. If it is coated it wouldn't really matter what you put in with it. (African lake cichlids like rocks though, they would probably adapt, but may as well go with something that enjoys wood)

Either way

Gunther Cichlid
Jewel Cichlid
Kenyan Mouth Breeder
Nudipeds Cichlid
A number of dwarf cichlids (enough I am not going to bother typing them)

Also discus can deal with a bit of wood in the tank.

I imagine you would need to keep up on the water changes other wise it could become too much of a tea in the tank.

Go to your library and get a copy of "The Complete Aquarium" by Peter Scott it talks about theme tanks and what fish would be good for each one. It is older, so it might actually be easier to find at a library then a book store, plus it's free! (unless you didn't return that book like you were supposed to )

Good luck, let me know if you have any more questions.
De Plano

 

[De Plano]

I also read a guideline that is driftwood for brackish tanks, hardwoods for freshwater, and no wood for marine.
(I put driftwood into my tank but I soaked it for a week or more in my pond out front. No problems, but I did not leave it in there for aesthetic reasons and just not much space in a dinky tank.)

 

[Exiled]

Thanks Deplano,

The driftwood I plan to use has been cleaned and treated and market specifically for use in aquariums, so hopefully I won't end up with wood-soup. I am going to get some giant buckets at Home Depot to soak them. Is soaking them in Tap water ok? or should I use something else like distilled? Unfortuantly, all the ponds around here are frozen, I don't think I'll be able to use pond water. Maybe I can melt some snow falling in great abundance (much to my chagrin ) Maybe I can put it to good use.
It would also be nice for me to find rocks in "the wild" rather than buy them. Do you know how to test them for their chemical compounds?
Thanks for the book suggestion. I'm dying to leave the house to go to the bookstore/library but still waiting on the tank and stand delivery.
-- I definatly want to do Cichlids.... I've always wanted to but never had the space for a larger tank. I can't believe how much I'v learned about them in the last 24 hours! They are facinating! I find it unfortunate that the requirements of South American versus African Cichlids are so opposite. ( also it means I have a lot more to learn ) Guess I'll have to get a second tank somewhere down the line!
--If I go with SA Cichlids, I will most likely be fighting with the pH a bit. The water is here is very hard and alky. I'm not yet experienced with how much driftwood effects pH, but I guess I'll find out while the tank cycles.
--If I go with African Cichlids, won't adding crushed coral and calciferous rocks to the substrate counteract the acidity/low GH caused by the wood? Also, my tap water is naturally hard and alkaline. I will be letting the tank stabalize for weeks prior to adding any critters, so I'll see what sort of water I end up with once the wood, and rocks and live plants stabalize in the tank.
PS. Am I correct in my understanding that driftwood causes a low GH as well as low pH?