Want to introduce driftwood to my tank

[Aro Keeper]

Hello fellow fish keepers,

Here is the situation, I have a 480 gallon tank currently inhabited by my Blubase Golden X back Arowana (the only occupant). I am seeing a lot of wasted real estate. I want to add a few more fishes that will grow to a size of 6 inches or so. I am looking at a few silver dollars, albino piranhas, macaw chiclids, parrots, splendidas and anything else(not planning on over crowding, maybe a pair of each). My Aro(20 inches) is well fed but still I do not trust him. I feel he might snack on these tank mates. So I want to create some hideouts. I am seriously looking at introducing some drift wood with some good nooks and crannies for these fishes to hide.

As a precaution I am trimming the sharp edges of the driftwood and keeping the height to the bottom quarter of the tank so that the aro doesnt impale himself on any of these edges.

Now here is the question. How does the driftwood affect the water composition? Has anyone had any problems with adding driftwood?

Any suggestions and insights are welcome.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

It's going to have to be a pretty significant sized piece of driftwood to alter your water to any degree.
Typically the tannin in driftwood will stain the water to a weak tea color. Tannic acid will slightly lower the PH, and that aspect will depend on your specific buffering agents present in your tap.
Your fish will likely benifet with the addition of driftwood.

 

[Aro Keeper]

It's going to have to be a pretty significant sized piece of driftwood to alter your water to any degree.
Typically the tannin in driftwood will stain the water to a weak tea color. Tannic acid will slightly lower the PH, and that aspect will depend on your specific buffering agents present in your tap.
Your fish will likely benifet with the addition of driftwood.

It is pretty significant in size. I am attaching a pic with my hand in it so you get the size perspective.

 

[Aro Keeper]

I have 3 pieces of driftwood that I will arrange together.

 

[tlindsey]

As Stephen St.Clair stated it will stain the water tannins. If your water ph is at the 7-8 range won't really alter ph.

 

[Aro Keeper]

Well then I haven’t got anything to worry about right?

 

[tlindsey]

Well then I haven’t got anything to worry about right?

No you shouldn't.

 

[twentyleagues]

I'd just do it the old fashioned way. Ehhm Driftwood meet my Tank, Tank this is Driftwood....


Ok now that I got that out of my system. If you soak the driftwood in a bucket for a couple weeks and change the water in the bucket on a regular basis it will cut down on any tanins being released in your tank. Like others have said it shold not harm your fish and it has been shown to actually be benificial to fish health, unless they are or need to be in a very alkaline high ph. That "small" amount should change a thing though.

 

[Aro Keeper]

I am doing the exact same thing. It is now soaking.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

I'm with "Twentyleagues". I've never soaked any driftwood, other than to just rinse it off prior to putting it in the tank.
No matter how long you soak it, the driftwood is still likely to leach out tannins for years. My Malaysian and Manzanita continue to release tannins in my tanks, and it's been submerged a VERY long time.