So I'm torn between leaving the Malaysian driftwood (which she uses to hide 24/7) in her tank, and removing it completely. I've seen virtually every aimara video on YouTube, and it seems that 99% of the tanks they're in are completely bare. As in no substrate, plants, hides, or anything. All of the fish appear to be healthy, and have a good feeding response.
It's driving me up the wall not being able to get my aimara to feed. She just takes the food in her mouth, gives it a few good shakes, and spits it out. It then gets trapped under her driftwood and is a ROYAL pain in the butt to remove. At the very least, removing the driftwood would make my life a whole heck of a lot easier, though I don't want to deprive her of a refuge if it would cause her unnecessary stress. Though at the same time, it seems like that's the way virtually everyone with this species is housing them.
I'll be doing my next water change tomorrow, and would like to have a general consensus of "yay or nay" come drain time.
So what does everyone think? Leave the driftwood in there and just deal with the hassle, or remove it and hope for the best?