Wood for tropical tank?

[IndiaHawker]

Hi all, haven't been on here in a while! Hope you're all well. So a couple of years ago now, I bought Red Moor Root Wood for my tank - however now I'm worried it's rotting and seems to be the last cause I can put down to elevated nitrates - the outer layer just disintegrates when I scrape my fingernail down it.

So I'm looking to replace the wood. Curious - is this sort of wood generally known to rot in a short period of time, or did I just get unlucky/do something wrong with it at some point? Looking for recommendations on what type to replace it with please - I have a bristlenose pleco so most important thing is that she'll like and benefit from it!

Also struggling to find places online where I can buy WYSIWYG, as could be tricky to aquascape around it not knowing what the wood will look like. Can't remember if I'm allowed to ask about vendors on here - if I'm not, please just ignore this part of the question - but if possible I'd love to know where I can buy good quality aquarium wood and know what it'll look like before purchasing!

Please and thank you

 

[PheonixKingZ]

@Byron and @Colin_T May be able to help. Good luck!

 

[utahfish]

I bought some wood about 15 years ago, still have it, its gone through multiple tanks and moves i was told when i bought it that it was amazon drift wood, not sure if that was true but thats what im told. Having said that mopani wood is whats most readily available on line or maylasian drift wood and should work.

 

[Essjay]

Can't remember if I'm allowed to ask about vendors on here

You are allowed to ask about vendors, that's not a problem.

 

[Byron]

I do not know the wood mentioned in post #1 (red moor). Wood does break down over time, and some species do this more rapidly than others. Hardwoods are generally slower, which is one reason they are better for aquaria. But if the wood is actually rotting apart, getting very soft, etc, you might want to remove it.

I have been using Malaysian Driftwood for years with generally no issues. I did have a terrible organics issue in one tank which might have been due to one or more chunks of the wood, but other than that, no issues. This wood is heavby so it sinks immediateely, and that too is an indication of hardness. I use dead oak branches collected in my back garden for "branch" effects.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I agree on removing any decaying wood. When you try to remove it later on, it will be totally nasty and make a big mess.

 

[IndiaHawker]

Thanks so much everyone this is extremely helpful! Will look for Malaysian driftwood - and as I'm allowed to ask about vendors (cheers for clarification!), does anyone know a good place I can buy WYSIWYG? Would like a moderately large piece - unfortunately my Fluval Flex cracked a couple of months back (gutted), however luckily thanks to a good friend with a spare tank hanging around, I was able to transfer stock to a Marina 60x30 (base measurements, need to check height) - looking for an attractive piece of wood that'll look good with rock and plants, but can't afford anything too fancy at the minute. Really just need something to ensure a happy bristlenose and try and fix this problem - cheers