Driftwood for Bristlenose

B

bluegopher

Asst. Jr. Undersec'y of Aquaria
Jul 20, 2004
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RTP, NC
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I will be adding a Bristlenose Pleco to my tank soon, and have read that they should have a driftwood or bogwood to such and hide in and around.

A few Qs:
  • What is a good source of driftwood / bogwood? LFS? Neighborhood lake?

  • What should be done to prepare the wood for the tank? I am afraid of introducing various undesirable elements to the tank, as well as discoloring the water.

  • I have access to an autoclave. Can I autoclave or boil the wood in water before adding to tank to kill the cooties?

  • What type of wood is preferable?

  • Is there anything else that might substitute for wood? Not sure what, but just curious what my options might be.

  • Is driftwood considered 'necessary' for keeping a bristlenose happy & healthy in the long run?

Cheers
 
Either the LFS or the lake would be a good place to get your wood, you need to take the same precations with both. Deffinately boil the wood if you can, or let it soak in hot water. You may have to weight down the wood. Usually from what I have seen LFSs carry Malyasian drift wood, which doesn't need to be weighted down, but does give off a lot of tanins into the water causing a brownish tinge. Soaking this is the only way to help reduce that but your probably not going to get rid of all of its effects. I would either pick the Malyasian driftwood, or if your getting wood from the lake, try to make sure its Oak, it doesn't rot in the water and should have a redish tinge to the wood if you break a peice. Most plecos should have some woody matter for their diet, and from what I have read bristlenoses aren't any different, its beneficial to their health. It also gives them a place to hide and dig out caves.
 
I have a small Bristlenose and two months ago I added a small amount of driftwood. I didn't see the little bugger for the next 6 weeks. He was hiding in there and must have had a good time because he is five times the size he was before.
 
I got some bogwood from the fish store here. It didn't need to be weighted for it to sink, and it didn't leach anything crazy into the water (at least enough to notice visibly). My bristlenose used to chill under it all the time until he discovered the slate cave I built.

As far as sterilization goes, if you have access to an autoclave, I say use it. It's probably not necessary, but it's not going to hurt anything (except what may otherwise get in your aquarium.)

Sam
 
i would get the wood from your lfs as they often have some interesting root pieces with twists and nobbly bits in that make really interesting center pieces in tanks. i did'nt boil or soak my pieces before i put them in as i did'nt know to at the time. and as a consequence the died the water slightly yellow for a month or two after. nothing a water change could'nt handle but if you can avoid that by boiling then all the better.

catfish need bogwood for both hiding places and as a digestive aid as they suck the chemicals from the wood which helps their stomachs. i've read that if you have more than one place for you catfish to hide then it actually comes out to play more as it feels more secure knowing there are a choice of places to bolt to if it feels the need. so a piece or two of nice twisting root would be ideal.
 
I use malaysian driftwood that I bought from a local fish store. Boiled it before and haven't had any problems. Still leeches some tannins but nothing compared to what it would be if I hadn't boiled it.

The bristlenose pleco is always attached to it or near it. It often hides under the wood too.
 
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