Opinions on Driftwood in the tank...

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Some driftwood questions for you all...

Who is using driftwood in their planted or BARE glass tanks? what kind are you using and where did you get it? Whats your general opinion of it, and do your discus behave differently with it in the tank?

-al

[Wolf_Mek]

I have a piece of driftwood in all my tanks. I have Malaysian from the LFS and locally collected driftwood. No changes in behavior... my discus pretty much ignore it.

Personally, I love driftwood. My other fish (such as kuhli loaches and otos) love it, and I think it benefits the appearance of the tank.

[Howie_W]

I also use Malaysian driftwood, in both planted and bare bottom tanks. I've always bought it locally as it's nice to be able to select a piece that fits in with your aquascaping plans.

I also enjoy the initial tea effect it has on the water, bringing more of a natural tone to your aquarium. A nicely formed piece adds a great deal of beauty to your tank, while providing nice contrast to the plants you keep around it. In particular a multi-toned piece can make great use of the lighting in your tank by bringing attention to a specific area.

Many of the plecostomus species love driftwood, and is an essential part of their daily environment...perfect if you keep ancistrus with Discus.

As for Discus, it helps create a comfortable environment for them, much the same way a planted tank does in general.

One of the great benefits of driftwood is the opportunity for compromise it provides to anyone wanting to keep a planted Discus tank. As an anchor for growing a number of plant types, it's an excellent way to set-up a planted tank, while keeping the bottom bare for easy maintenance.

Howie

[DarkDiscus]

I have used driftwood at various times in various tanks. I have a piece in with my Nicaraguan cichlid (the infamous Bighead) right now and I plan on having some in my new tank - I liked Mopani wood very much, but most of the African driftwood is good. I soak for a while, then go from there.

I like the tint it gives the water and fish always seem to like to hang out around the wood. It seems to make them feel secure.

The only drawback is for bare bottoms they tend to trap waste, so it takes a little longer to clean the tank. But it's no big deal.

John

[korbi_doc]

:bounce2: :bounce2: I couldn't agree more! I have wood in all my tanks 'cept 1 & that's just waiting for me to put in a huge pc that I got from the Wash DC cichlid club mtg. I need a hand to do that, but I love the look of the wood in the tanks, & have real plants on some & plastic plants on others. Biggest problem is to get some of the wood to stay down at first, so I've a supply of heavy slate, drill holes & put in ss screws, works great. Right now in my 125g, the fish are hanging around a large pc of african wood & seem very comfortable with it, may be Mopani, but not sure, thanks for that one go to Joe, I love the look of it, will try for pics later, lol Dottie 8) 8)

[Mattzilla]

i have planted driftwood in my bb tankd and my discus like it. it gives them somewhere to hid and i think it looks good too

[Larry Grenier]

I have pieces in some of my tanks. I like to attach annubias, java fern or javamoss to it so after a while it looks like a rootless moveable tree ;)

One of these days I plan on beach-hopping looking for driftwood. I'll attach pieces of slate to the bottom of the pieces, and go into semi-retirement as an aquarium driftwood supplier ::)

I have woods of various kinds in every single tank with plastic plants in all my bare bottom tanks. Plants are siliconed on a piece of slate or an up side down flower pots to avoid dirt traping. I have plastic bamboo as long as 6 feet covering the whole tank from bottom to the surface. As for driftwood. All driftwood had been seasoned in my Cichlid tanks for months before going to any discus tanks. All driftwoods or wood (2x4) are screwed on a piece of slate with gravel and rocks at the base. All silicon were covered by sand and fine gravels. I have lots of left over non-treated 2x4 pine cut to the height of the tank. They were all slightly burned over a stove to achieve burnmarks and slightly chared. I need them mainly as a practice spawning site for young fish and for plecos. I also have all kind of plecos on each and every single tank to avoid cleaning glasses.HTH
This is the pine 2X4 left over from fish rack.
Jimmy.

This is the base of plastic plants on an up side down pot.

[korbi_doc]

8) 8) 8)

[ValorG]

Hi all,
Some driftwood questions for you all...

Who is using driftwood in their planted or BARE glass tanks? what kind are you using and where did you get it? Whats your general opinion of it, and do your discus behave differently with it in the tank?

-al

i have a piece of driftwood in my tank, the fish go in and out of it because it has a cavity in the middle. people say discus breed better when they lay there eggs on driftwood.

[GulfCoastDiscus]

I have a 120gal show tank with a piece of driftwood that I won in an auction. I attached Java Fern and Anubias on it.

Dan

[korbi_doc]

;D ;D Very pretty!!!!!!!!!

[GulfCoastDiscus]

Well thank you Ma'am. :)

This is what it looks like with the night lite.

Dan

Sweeeet looking tank you got there, Dan. I like that set up the most. Uhm? You have me thinking now that I see your tank. 8)

*Angie*

[Cosmo]

Used to always use driftwood in the tanks, the type bolted to slate with the slate hidden under the gravel. Used to keep them in there until they litterally rotted away :) Fish always seemed to like them as well. Got away from it a few months ago, not sure why, but one thing I never liked was the metal screw holding the wood to the slate. Just bought some African online, pretty piece, but the type that lays flat whereas I'd prefer something more verticle. Guess I gotta find a local dealer.

Jim

[Howie_W]

Hey Dan,

What happened?

I thought that was a retirement tank for the old folks...now it looks like someone else has joined the party! :o

Howie

[GulfCoastDiscus]

I wanted to give the ole pair a little drama. ;D ;D

dan

[April]

i love that piece of driftwood in the pic
dan.
i have mopani wood..its dense and sinks well..almost petrified. i dont however have it in right now. took it out. had it in with my wilds for awhile.

[lesley]

Hi Al,

I have driftwood with plants attached in my bb and planted tanks. I think that the fish like them, and we certainly like the look of them. In the bb tanks I find that the fish all "sleep" around them at night and investigate them during the day. I also use them to create a quiet part of the aquarium.

I have a gum branch and mangrove roots in the planted tank, no plant life on them and the in bb tanks large chunks of wood of unknown origin with anubias.

The fish in the planted tank spawn mainly on the mangrove roots.