When you design your aquarium, you want to give it that natural look. Not only for yourself, but to make your fish feel like they are back home in their natural state.

Nothing will make your aquarium look more natural and have your fish feel at home than putting driftwood in the tank.

Why Driftwood

Besides making your aquarium look natural and having your fish feel at home, it can also provide hiding places for some of your fish that are introverted. I have three African Featherfin Catfish that fall into this category and they hide in the driftwood I have provided.

Another use for driftwood is to anchor your floating plants.

If you have fish that come from the Amazon River, such as Tetras or Plecos, the tannins released by the driftwood will make the pH of your water more acidic and darken your water like it is in the Amazon River.

Selecting Driftwood

It is tempting to walk down to the beach or river and select the piece you want to go in your fish tank. This is not recommended unless you know how to cure the wood. If the wood is cured it will just disintegrate.

Many good pet stores sell driftwood that has already been cured. In fact, you can even find some selections already with plants attached to them. I have several pieces with Java Moss already rooted to the wood.

Preparing Your Driftwood

If you buy some driftwood already in the aquarium, the tannins should already be removed from the wood. If this is the case, make sure you rinse it off before putting in your aquarium. You do this to prevent mixing the environments of the pet store aquarium with yours.

If you buy it dry, you need to ensure the tannins are removed unless you have fish from the Amazon River. To do this place the wood in a container full of water. Replace the water everyday and when it stops turning the water a tea color and the pH does not become acidic, then it is ready to be put in your tank.

If you want to have plants attached to your driftwood like Water Wisteria or Java Moss, attach the roots to the driftwood with thread or even a rubber band. If you use thread it will dissolve but you will have to remove the rubber band once the roots have attached themselves to the wood.

Conclusion

Driftwood is a good addition to any ones aquarium, it makes it look more natural and your fish will enjoy the wood too. But you may need to prepare it before you put it in your aquarium to remove the tannins. Tannins will make your aquarium water look like weak tea and make the water slightly acidic.