What kind of wood?

[RogueDiscus]

I've been buying pieces of (I think) grape root from the local fish shop, usually around 1 ft long, and not cheap. I'd like to get something bigger for my 75 gal. After reading several posts, I'm getting the idea that many other hardwoods might work too. Please give me your opinion about good types of wood to use, especially if they can be found "naturally." Your thoughts on preparing it would be great too. Thanks.

Steve

[Stag]

I think the main types people use in discus tanks are Mopani, Malaysian and Manzanita. They heavier woods that tend to leach less tannins. I know some people use random driftwood they find places like the beach or along the river but these woods should be boiled or baked to sterilized. Then to sink them (if they can be) force submerse them and/or mount them to a piece of slate.

Best of luck. This stuff is not cheap but we do have a local sponsor, Manzman.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?209-Manzman-(Rafael-Mendoza)-Beaumont-California

[MPETERS]

Hi,

I just brought some Manzanita from Manzman, it hasn't arrived yet but if it is as nice as the pictures on his web it will be great.

Mike

[jlcoop277]

Crape myrtle works for me. I just let it soak for a few weeks in a big trash can.
Gotta be dried out first though.

[Wahter]

Manzanita works fine - you will need to soak it for a couple of weeks to get it waterlogged and initially, it will release some tannins (as most wood will). It's very branchy compared with the bulkier shapes of the Wellaby and Mopani wood (those work well too, but in general are thicker).


Walter

[lipadj46]

I like the gnarled manzanita that tom barr sells, manzaman's stuff is nice too but tom's stuff is pretty unique

[Barry.M]

Hi guys, I live in South Africa and have loads of Mopani wood laying around the bush here. I usualy take a short drive out of the city, to the farm areas and ask the farmers if I can collect a few pieces of Mopani root from their land. I also like using different kinds of wood and have done so, quite successfully over the years. Basically any fruit tree wood can be used: Apple, Pear, Guava (extremely hard wood), granadilla vine, Grape vine etc. I’ve even used a dead rose bush... Just turned it upside down, cut the trunk and trimmed the roots.
Try to avoid any aromatic wood, like pine or blue gum. Pine has a turpentine smell and blue gum has a minty smell, both contain "turpanols" - not a good idea in our tanks...These trees produce these compounds so that nothing grows within the "Drip line" of their canopy - now imagine releasing these compounds of the limited space of our Aquariums.

Regarding Grape vine, there are two types of grape wood. One type is a solid light colour, fairly soft and light, therefore it rots quickly. Then there is the other type that is two-toned, knobby, hard and very dense, which makes it fairly resistant to rotting.

Preparing Driftwood.

These are the steps I take with any new wood!

Things You’ll Need:

Scrub Brush
Non Iodized Salt
Baking Soda (optional)
Non-metallic tub or large bucket
Water

Step 1: Scrub down the entire piece of driftwood using a stiff scrubbing brush. Avoid the use of soaps or chemicals and use water only. Rinse the driftwood thoroughly.

Step 2:

Scrub the driftwood one more time using non iodized salt. Rinse thoroughly.

Step 3: Soak the entire piece of driftwood in a large non-metallic tub or bucket filled with water. Leave the piece of driftwood submerged in the water for a minimum of one to two weeks. This process will allow for total saturation of the driftwood. If desired, you may add a one pound box of baking soda to the water. The baking soda will help to neutralize acid and help sterilize the driftwood.

Step 4:

Allow excess tannins to be removed from the driftwood by leaving it to soak in the tub of water. These tannins will leach out of the driftwood. Tannins left in the wood may cause discolouration in aquarium water and can slightly lower the pH of that water.

Step 5:

Check on the soaking driftwood regularly. If the water becomes dark or discoloured because of the release of tannins, empty and replace it with fresh water. Rinse the driftwood before placing it into the clean water.

Step 6: Continue to change the dark or discoloured water until it does not change colour for several days in a row. When this happens, the wood has been cured.

Step 7: Place the cured driftwood into your aquarium in the desired position.

Tips & Warnings

Driftwood can also be boiled. The boiling process will allow for the tannins to leach out much more quickly. Boiling the driftwood will also sterilize it as well as kill any algae or fungal spores. The curing process through boiling requires only one to two hours of boiling time.

Here's a few photo's of the "tree" I built for my Discus tank:

70251702567025770258

The "tree" is actually a dead fruit tree (don't know what fruit though,) dried, stripped of all bark,scrubbed extremely well. turned upside-down and mounted onto a piece of Mopani root as the base! Then soaked in a spare tank for about two months!
I did add a few more "branches" onto it by drilling and epoxying them into the root stock.

[Stag]

Very nice, Thanks for the write up.

[bermyguy]

Thanks, loving the tank.

[strawberryblonde]

I've used cherry wood, crabapple wood and my latest, Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany. The first two grow in my backyard and the third I can gather from forest and/or BLM land in my area. The curlleaf is by far the best of the bunch. It's so dense that it doesn't float!

I found that it actually does float if it's thoroughly dry, but sinks within a couple of days. Boy that stuff sucks up the water. It looks pretty much like manzanita branches and stumps.