FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hi all. Not sure if this should be posted under water quality, aquascaping or cichlids, but here goes. I'm upgrading to a 110 gallon tank and planning to switch from a community tank to cichlids. I have a gorgeous, rather large hunk of driftwood that I would just love to see in my new tank (I soaked it all last summer...just in case)Would the fish just plain hate it?. Would it soften my water too much or can I "balance it" with the appropriate rocks. Is it feasable or should I forget it altogether and stick to the typical rock decor?

I wouldn't know any reason why you couldn't use it. I have had large pieces of driftwood in cichlid tanks on many occassions with no problems. Any structure that the fish can use for hiding or territoral boundaries should be fine as long as it is aquarium safe and has been cured/soaked properly.

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

As far as a softening of he water would depend on the hardness of the DW being hard it will break down very slowly.

I certainly would try it, as all fish love structures for that added protection.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

If you're popping this in a tank intended to keep Rift Lake Cichlids, then I suspect any buffering you use to maintain hardness and pH (plus appropriate substrate) will massively overpower any effects the bogwood may have.

Even if you're sticking this in with Central Americans that like fairly hard and alkaline water, again, chances are the methods you use to keep the pH and hardness within limits will have a greater effect than the wood. And if this piece of wood is a really nice, intricate one that will help break up 'lines of sight' between the Cichlds and/or provide cave type shelters for them, then I'd go for it, because it will probably be a wonderful addition to your aquarium, and if you've already prepared it by soaking it for 6 months or more, then I would suggest that anything that was going to leach out of it has well and truly done so by now.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I would try it & the fish would adapt to it aswell. The water parameters will be fine for your Cichlids, as you are adding rocks aswell & this will balance it.


http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Well, thanks everyone. Guess I'm going to give it a try. I suppose I can always remove it if I think its causing a problem. This piece of wood which is amost 30" tall and 30" long sat in my parents garden for years, then in mine for 3-4 years (I've been saving it specifically for if I ever got the appropriate aquarium). I soaked it all last summer in my water garden outside and I think its at the sink point. Now I guess I just need to give it a real good scrub (got a nice coat of green while it soaked!) and maybe a quick bake (too big to boil!) in the oven to kill any fungus/critters that may be lurking???

You said that it had been sitting in your parents and your garden for years. It wasn't subject to being sprayed with insecticides or pesticides was it? If so I'm not sure if you could leach out all of the toxins it may have absorbed and thus be safe for the aquarium. Just a thought you might want to consider.

Jim

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Hhhmmm...hadn't thought of that. I kinda doubt it, though can't be 100% sure. My folks were never big on chemicals and I know that it sat it MY garden for at least 5 years with NO sprays of anykind. Surely even if some chemical had found its way onto it years back, it would have dissipated by now???? I guess my cycle fish will tell the tale?

One thought does occur to me at this point - you say it acquired a nice caoting of green fur while soaking. I don';t know if any garden herbicides would also be lethal to algae, but if that's the case, then chances are you wouldn't have had algal growth on the wood. So, after due treatment, if may be safe. This, however, won't help you if the wood has been exposed to any insecticides, though again, most of those are so toxic even in small quantities that if they were present, I suspect they'd have halted any algal growth.

Your BIG worry here will be if anyone has used Derris Root (rotenone) as a garden insecticide in the vicinity. Derris Root is a natural insecticide, and selected by many gardeners because it's biodegradable and a 'natural' product (it's the metabolic product of a plant). Fortunately, it can be dealt with, but if the wood has had recent exposure to Derris Root, this could cause you problems. Again, from what you've cited above, I'd say you're relatively safe thus far, but it's worth bearing these possibilities in mind just in case, before you lose any valuable fishes to a 'mystery' cause ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks Cal. I sure HOPE that doesn't happen! It is unlikely that my folks used it (aka, 'Roundup', right?) and I know that I haven't...at least nowhere close to that section of the garden...and not for years. But I will keep this info tucked away, in case I DO start having 'mystery' problems!