If in doubt ask the shop on their definition of this term. Some will pre-dip the wood in water for at least a few weeks or in rare cases collect true bogwood where peat is being collected before selling it in shops.Īquarium shop 'bogwood' is normally sandblasted Mopani wood and should in fact simply be called driftwood. Normally aquarium companies simply pre-treat dry wood by sand blasting the bark off and that is all. When buying bogwood ask what type of wood it is and decide if you wish to contribute to this problem. The cutting of this African wood is said to be causing dangers to the African environment due to deforestation. It ranges from beige to dark brown while other pieces are streaked with red and purple. Bog oak is usually jet black, but occasionally a very dark brown.

Bog pine is usually a rich red brown colour. True bogwood is hundreds to thousands of years old.

Provides hiding places for your animals, so they feel less stressed, and therefore will be healthier.

Adding bogwood significantly reduces fungus and bacterial disease in your aquatic animals.

Provides essential fibre in their diet for catfish like bristlenose or Otocinclus fish.

Provides essential trace minerals for all life in the tank (including plants).

Provides live food in the form of infusoria for fry, small fish and invertebrates.

Adding activated carbon to your filter will remove tannins, and regular water changes will help keep them to comfortable level.īenefits of Bogwood.

This is a harmless fungus and should disappear.

When adding fresh wood to the tank often a light white coating appears on the wood for a couple of months.

Ensure your tank water has a decent level of KH and this pH effect will be minimal. This can be counter balanced by adding Calcium carbonate like crushed seashells or coral sand. These tannins will alter the pH of the water making it more acidic and will soften the water in a similar way that peat does. This is harmless and indeed often thought of as beneficial to the animals as it is a mild antibacterial, fungicide agent and the wood provides trace minerals and nutrients for all your animals and plants. The wood will leach out tannins which slowly turn the water brown (this reduces with age).

Large pieces with interesting shapes are quite collectible and are often added to aquariums to give them character. The wood becomes waterlogged after many weeks and so will sink in the aquarium. The wood offered are usually pieces of wood that have been dried out in the sun and so may float when first placed in a tank. True bogwood is very rarely offered in aquarium shops as it is very expensive.Driftwood found by the seashore will be saturated with salt and is usually considered unsuitable for freshwater aquarium use unless a lengthy soaking and rinsing process is carried out to remove the salt.Apart from that, it is treated by aquarists as if it is bogwood. It is wood submerged in water for many weeks or years usually in a river, stream or pond. Usually bogwood is stained brown by organic matter ( tannins) present in the bog.ĭriftwood is very similar. Bogwood is wood preserved in a bog due to anaerobic conditions.

Large fresh water drift wood