I was going to buy some driftwood for my tank, but my friend said sometimes it won't sink or takes forever to do so. He also said that it can mess up your tanks ph. I'm not really concerned about it not sinking as I can always wieght it down with slate or something, but will it mess with the tanks ph?
driftwood
- Thread starter alkataz
- Start date
it could, it never has to me and if it does it will lower it, and not alot, maybe at most 1/5 ph no more
I have not noticed much of a change in ph with my driftwood, though tannins released in theory could make a minor impact.
irishspy
There is a stargate in my aquarium.
The tannins from the the wood will soften your water and lower the Ph a little bit over time, but not much. You will wind up with tea-stained water: some people like the coloring, some don't. I recommend soaking the wood in hot water several times to leach out as much as possible. Don't worry, the tannins won't hurt your fish.
Thanks for the warning! I would hate to have funny colored water! :eek3: I will boil the pieces a couple of times before adding them.
If your water does end up becoming stained, don't worry- you can clear it up by putting some activated charcoal in your filter for a few days. Repeat as necessary.