Do you have to keep driftwood with bristle nosed pleco's

[Russ]

Hi,
I'm thinking of taking out the driftwood from my main tank with brisle nosed pleco's in it, I heard that you have to keep driftwood with pleco's is this true?

[Ardan]

Hi,
I learned that through a website dedicated to catfish and plecos. The driftwood helps their digestive system.
hth
Ardan

[Canuck]

I can't speak to the bristlenose plec, but my sailfin variety loves the driftwood. That is far and away the place I find him the most, chewing on the driftwood. Oh, btw, he is 12" long! Also w/ him are 3 cardinal tetras and 3 hi fin serpas and 2 goldfish which were used to get it all started, that is cycle the tank. At 10 cents each goldfish, I can't complain.

[Moon]

Most Ancistrus need drift wood to gnaw on. I understand the acid in the wood aids their digestion.

[lauris]

i have albino bristlenoses in all my barebottom discus tanks. no problems or unusual fatalities. i have about twenty of them together (growing them out before i pop them in the discus tanks) in a barebottom. they do seem to appreciate something to hide behind or under. not sure about digestion or driftwood, just reporting i have about 40 of them in bare bottom tanks and haven't noticed any problems.

[Willie]

All my tanks (15) have bristle nose plecos. None of them have any driftwood. No problems.

Willie

[Russ]

Hi,
Thanks for responding, I think I will keep some driftwood in the tank to be on the safe side, but I'm going to buy a new piece which is smaller, does anyone know how to disinfect driftwood from a pet shop, the kind with slate on the bottom or is it safe to put into the tank right away?

[Canuck]

You can use a mild bleach solution and wash the heck out of it, boil it for some time, or soak it in the tub w/ the hottest water availiable. I got mine from a local store and plunked it in the tank after about 2-3 hrs of being out of the water. I have not had any problems. This is probably not a good idea to do but all I had in at the time was some goldfish to cycle the tank and the 12" plec. I wasn't too worried about the goldfish. The plec was what I was mostly concerned about and he is doing fine months later!

[dishpanhands]

here is a link to a page from the simplydiscus team all about treating driftwood..
http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/...reatment.shtml