What is driftwood/Sorry to sound silly But?

[Karen A]

Dont get me wrong I know it is wood that goes in the aquarium, however
what type of tree, how old etc. The reason I am curious

My dad has a property that hasnt been worked for over 100 years, and has loads of old wood branches on the ground, that have been there for goodness knows how long,

Sorry for sounding daft.

Thanks again Karen

[Hassles]

G'day Karen

Driftwood is a term we use (quite liberally) to describe any wood we have in our aquariums. Ideally this wood has spent some time in the water and will no longer float. Many many types of timbers / wood may be used in an aquarium and I myself use a great deal of Australian native timber.

IF the piece of wood / timber hasn't been in the water before it will, once introduced to your aquarium, make your water darker as the tannins within the wood leach out. This is desirable for some species of fish, many other species won't care while a small minority won't appreciate it at all.

Aesthetically speaking, many aquarists don't like the tea coloured water. If you have access to some wonderfully shaped pieces of timber I would recommend collecting them. Once taken home these can be placed into an old rubbish bin (or similar) filled with water for six to nine months until the bulk of the tannis have been released. They can then be placed into your aquarium without making your water overly dark. I would suggest attaching some plants such as Java Fern and or Anubias for good effect. A plant or two can make a peice of wood look stunning.

There are some decidely interesting peices of 'driftwood' imported from abroad that can look superb in ones aquarium but these 'can' be expensive. As an avid bushwalker I often stumble upon some irresistible pieces which are then carried home, placed into my 200 litre water drum for soaking (sometimes one end at a time) before use.

Collect your timbers, give them a good soaking and enjoy your fish keeping.

take care

[swampy1972]

Hi Karen,

What Hassles says is spot on. Have a look at this thread. I've saved it as design inspiration for my next large tank setup. The owner sourced his timber from near Bourke in western NSW.. no 'driftwood' out there and it looks spectacular. Can't wait to see pics of what you collect. Cheers.

http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php?t=17676

[Karen A]

Thanks again

what a tank, amazing. makes my very dull in comparison, cant wait to get to the property now lol

[swampy1972]

Happy to help. I rate the design of his tank so highly I've saved the link to it as a favourite. I think his water change setup is awesome, so I'll definately be 'boring' that when I build my next setup.. :wink:

[Kangus]

Hi Karen, what the other have said is correct, and i have found that if the wood is soaked in hot water, it seams to release the tannins quicker, tho this isnt always possible with large pieces. We have a collection of pieces out the back of wood we have collected, worth the effort in my opinion.

PS any old cars left on the property lol?

[AHC]

And perhaps the most important peice of information was left out...

Not all wood should be used. Only use 'hard' wood. Softwood will rot and foul your tank.