Your Guide to Aquarium Driftwood - What You Need to Know!

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.พ. 2025

ความคิดเห็น • 97

  • @PrimeTimeAquatics
    @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Here are the video referenced in this video:
    How to Prepare Driftwood for Your Aquarium: th-cam.com/video/DWQEvi1ib2U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lTBtdtTe8ku_slnw
    How to Remove White Growth From Driftwood: th-cam.com/video/5tyBK3WL-bY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JFPaZn8y_zwuGOoV
    How Does Driftwood IMpact pH: th-cam.com/video/-UTE7a85rrU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lW7TESrU8cbNAQZW
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  • @kellielibera1075
    @kellielibera1075 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    perfect timing for this video! It's like you read my mind! Thanks

  • @ragingcalmness7815
    @ragingcalmness7815 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    I personally use grapevine wood regularly since I have access to it, I cut it when it's well fed and hardened at the end of the season before snow starts, then I dry it in my 0% RH home lol. It is true that it has a lot of nutrient release which is rapid, and I still reccomend it to certain people that know what they are doing. I have used it often in free floating algae tanks that have a healthy/established mass of algae in the water, what common folks call "green water". Not all green water is equal, some varieties are way superior in terms of performance for fish tanks. It is very hard to sustain green water unless the water is rich in nutrients and it also keeps water pretty nice, possibly the only thing I have seen able to keep up with bigger bioloads if nuked with light. When I used it, most of its use was when I had an abundance of otocinclus and it saved them for me, they lived full lives and even got reintegrated in other aquariums over time. Don't use the leaves unless you enjoy lots of debris in your aquarium, when they start breaking down, my legion of shrimp will make leaves dissapear within a day, but I don't have many rapid root feeders in my aquariums so I stopped using leaves because most of it ends in excess. Also the wood itself while it has a cool initial appearance it will begin peeling around 6-9 months depending on water parameters and if you have fish that munch on wood. Hope this helps people, but the grapevine wood is not for aquascaping in aquariums like he said in the video, it s more of a food source if properly used.

    • @michaelhall3321
      @michaelhall3321 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

      I bury the grapevine in soil for like a year it gives it a nice aged look.

  • @marinejosh1993
    @marinejosh1993 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    The Bonsai is beautiful and worth the price for a nano for sure

  • @nonabnormal2586
    @nonabnormal2586 8 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Great video, I haven't seen this much wood content in one place.

  • @wesknights957
    @wesknights957 8 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Unbelievable. I've literally added some grapevine today having soaked it for 3 days and the tannins having faded. Everything just went wrong within a few hours. Then your video popped up.
    Thank you for helping me through. Unbelievable timing!!
    I've honestly never known anything to be more problematic in my life, from being unbelievably buoyant, to it clouding the water and stripping it of oxygen within the hour. So thankful I have another couple of tanks as the livestock had to come out. Such a shame as it's a beautiful wood. But it's going straight in the bin! 15:52

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Ya, that stuff is a nightmare. After I put it in I talked to a number of very experienced aquascapers and they all said the same thing - it’s terrible!

  • @GrowMoreVeggies
    @GrowMoreVeggies 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Wohoo longer video ftw! Thank you professor primetime! It's wild, the lessons we learn during the aquarium experience. I had no idea about grapevine and can only imagine the stress from putting that in a new tank at Aquashella no less.

  • @Whips_World
    @Whips_World 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    #600 Baby!!! ❤

  • @growclipbonsaiforseniors1951
    @growclipbonsaiforseniors1951 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Excellent guide to driftwood!!!

  • @pegmountney2708
    @pegmountney2708 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I have a 50 gallon. When I got back into the hobby & set the tank up I fell in love with an enormous & beautiful piece of grapewood. Ultimately, I set my entire tank up around it. I did a 3 month fishless cycle on start up so fortunately didn't suffer any ill effects with fish. It's been a year now & albeit, the wood looks stunning in the tank it is full of BBA & mulm that the shrimp won't even eat & when I scrape it off, I peel quite a bit of the surface away. I'm not sure how it's affecting the fish, they seem happy. If I had it to do over again though, i wouldn't have used it & am still disappointed that the LFS I purchased it from was more than happy to sell it to me for $90 CAD & our other LFS also supported using it in an aquarium.

  • @paulkishazi9064
    @paulkishazi9064 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Great info 👍

  • @marco1973galvez
    @marco1973galvez 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Excelente video! Yo soy un fanatico de la madera natural sumergida en los acuarios y uso los mismos criterios que tu explicas muy bien en este tutorial. Felicitaciones y sigan asi!! Ahhh otra cosa. Gracias a tus publicaciones, me terminé de convencer que los filtos de esponja son la mejor solución para el filtrado de una acuario jejej.
    Un gran abrazo y saludos desde Chile, Sudamérica.

  • @rct6518
    @rct6518 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Mopani is my favorite and it is in most of my tanks. I soak it for about a week in water bucket if I don't want to deal with heavy tannins.

  • @zeuslea1
    @zeuslea1 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Very useful information. Thank you.

  • @Whips_World
    @Whips_World 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I know so many fish keepers who are proud of the fact that they dont pay for hardscape. They sumply go out and find it in nature. I'm with you, though. I just don't think the risk of introducing gawd only kbows what into what is, by comparison, pristine water. Not that my water is pristine. Im on rexord as saying its some of the worst water in the fishfam. Still, at least what IS in my water, I know what it is and how to, mostly, work around it. I dont need to add to my water challenges with the unknown as well.

  • @sewerrat7612
    @sewerrat7612 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Its always intresting how different areas are. Never even heard of Malaysian driftwood. Mopani, spider and cholla are very common in my area.

  • @VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer
    @VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +13

    One of the things I learned recently is to be careful of the source of your driftwood if you source it locally. Our local rivers (Illinois, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers) have fairly high mercury. High enough that you shouldn't eat fish that you catch from there. The wood will absorb the mercury, too. Be careful out there.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

      Great point!

    • @hydrocooledcarrot
      @hydrocooledcarrot 8 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      I live in Australia and when I was a young fella, I didn't know how harmful a high dose of eucalyptus oil is to fish. Of you boil it, bake ot, or leave it in the sun for 6 months, they're safe, but I killed an entire tank before I learned that. 😕

  • @toddbigeasy
    @toddbigeasy 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I was in Houston through the holidays and bought a HUGE piece for my 110 at the most awesome aquarium store I’ve ever seen!

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      That’s so cool!

    • @toddbigeasy
      @toddbigeasy 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @ yea I will look up the store and let you know. I was amazed will go back I’m from Memphis my spouse is in Houston for cancer treatment.

  • @oregonsnob31
    @oregonsnob31 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Heck yeah just in time!

  • @lruddy8820
    @lruddy8820 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    mopani is my favourit wood to keep in my fishroom even if its not in tanks, most pieces will sink right away or very quickly it looks awesome and it has a lot of tannins in there but doesnt release them right away and is more slowly then some other woods i let mopani wood sit in a bucket of water with some snails and duck weed and use that tannin filled water for some of my tanks, small piece sitting in a bucket can give you over a months worth of lower pH black water and my clown plecos love it

  • @soniareynolds4320
    @soniareynolds4320 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I have some bog wood, not sure if it has a different name, but got it from our local aquarium shop

  • @Slider617
    @Slider617 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Hi, Jason! Great information on these types of aquarium wood. Would you happen to have a video on rocks for the aquarium? I've got some rocks from my backyard, some from my local river stream, and I've wondered if my rocks are the reason my water parameters go up and down.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Not yet but it’s coming!

    • @Slider617
      @Slider617 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @PrimeTimeAquatics Great! Looking forward to it.

  • @elvinsworld11
    @elvinsworld11 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Nice

  • @JohnC-r8z
    @JohnC-r8z 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Hi Jason, another great video. You mentioned that some plecos “need” driftwood. I have a male bristle nose pleco in a Mbuna tank. All Texas holey rock and no wood. He has been in there about two years with no issue. Should I put some wood in there, and if so, what kind? I heard that some driftwoods can lower PH, which would not benefit the mbunas. Also, in a recent livestream, you mentioned Fish Planet and TropiQuatics. Are there any other LFSs in the Chicago area you’d recommend? Thoughts on Aquarium Adventure. Thanks.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  7 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Zooxae would be another one! Bristlenose don’t need wood, but it often gets coated with biofilms they like to eat.

  • @hydrocooledcarrot
    @hydrocooledcarrot 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    IME endlers, snails and shrimp all absolutely love eating the white fuzz on drift wood.

  • @stevep6317
    @stevep6317 8 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Spiderwood isn't even wood, technically. It's roots from large azalea plants. That's what makes it look so interesting.

  • @1domcouk
    @1domcouk 5 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Great video. Wood is such a feature of aquariums! I have a question. I've always wanted to keep Checkered barbs, but it says they require a DH of 3 to 12. My water has a DH of 14. Would that be too hard for the Checkered barbs or could they adjust to this parameter. I don't know whether a fish can adjust to this difference? Thank you for any advice you have.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  5 วันที่ผ่านมา

      They would most likely adjust ok. Have fun!

  • @feralon9570
    @feralon9570 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I have several types of wood in my tanks, mopani is my personal favorite. Spider wood melted after about 5 years, so it may need replaced eventually. It became soggy and just kept breaking off after a few years.

  • @corry.bruce.edmonton
    @corry.bruce.edmonton 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I like spider wood, easy to attach ferns, bolbitis without glue or string. Big pieces of cholla I feed java roots through so I don't need thread. Stuffed filter foam in the ends after I found a cory wedge right in the end of the cholla. One of the woods I don't like is one of the darker woods (manzaniti maybe) which leaves dangerous spears for fish to get impaled.
    Would love to continue this with leaves, for medicinal and changes to water chemistry. i use mulberry, oak, jack fruit. not a fan of the heavy tannin producers like Indian almond. Wish some of them were easier to get in Canada, ordering from Sri Lanka for jack fruit now. Still get mulberry in 50 pack. Looking mostly for prepared leaves, not collecting/drying.

  • @aq2490
    @aq2490 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    This video is very helpful to me. I had my eye on a pretty piece of grapevine… you most likely saved my fishes lives! 🙏 thank you! I tried mopani, it’s beautiful but ugh I boiled it 2 hours a day for five days, put it in the tank and my water still looked like coffee. Chucked that thing, I can’t stand it. Next I tried spider wood and I believe that’s going to be my go-to from now on. Might try manzanita or ghost wood someday.

  • @growclipbonsaiforseniors1951
    @growclipbonsaiforseniors1951 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Cholla Wood. Not good for cory or pleco babies. I have had to take it out of the tank for them as I had to do delicate operations of breaking the wood to get their bodies and heads out from being stuck in the wood. For shrimp though, superb. Bad experiences with it for cory and pleco.

  • @jayfuller3709
    @jayfuller3709 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    How about "Weathered Driftwood"? I have seen this on several sites. I am starting over in the hobby. 1st tank is going to be 10G shrimp tank. Need wood!

  • @glentoner3689
    @glentoner3689 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Can grape vine wood be used ?

    • @garysoutar451
      @garysoutar451 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I use pear apple and plum tree wood in my tanks am not sure but I would think grape wood vine maybe would rot away quickly.

  • @garysoutar451
    @garysoutar451 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I use 5 bits of Mopani wood stacked in a pile with Java Fern growing over it and my schools of Redline Rasboras and Becfordi pencil fish tank and they spawn Every single day. Ideal wood.

  • @Macca3395
    @Macca3395 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    How long should you boil the wood for , for it to sink when you put it in the tank?

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      It depends on the type of wood, but if you boil it until most of the tannins are removed it will usually sink by then.

  • @DOSEDKID
    @DOSEDKID 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Definitely would buy drift wood if you dont have access to rivers or something but rocks just go find rocks i will never pay $60 for a rock again 😂 wood tho thatd be worth it depending on the setup imo, some tanks could use some super specific shaped wood vs rocks that all have the general same shape.

  • @matthewzito6130
    @matthewzito6130 5 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I use Mopani wood (with or without Anubius). I tried Cholla wood, but stopped using it after one of my Serpae Tetras got stuck inside a piece. I had to break it apart to get the fish out and the fish ended up dying.

  • @KrazyKZs_Garage
    @KrazyKZs_Garage 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    What are your thoughts on a chlorine bath..?
    I found some thicker, longer pieces in a stream after a hurricane and decided to keep them at 30 inches, I didn’t want to cut them into small pieces, I boiled both ends which was about 10 inches in each side, then I said well “I wanna make sure it’s safe” so I decided to put it in a huge trashcan and gave it a chlorine bath to kill any bacteria or unwanted stuff (this was mainly for the middle that I couldn’t boil ). And while it whitened it, I actually like the look!

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Interesting - probably worth soaking in regular water after that with some dechlorinator?

    • @KrazyKZs_Garage
      @KrazyKZs_Garage 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@PrimeTimeAquatics great minds think alike. After a 24 hour chlorine bath, I drained all the water, then filled it up with fresh and used Seachem prime as my dechlorinating agent. I figured you are aware of “prime”with the name “primetime aquatics”. 🤣🤣 Keep up the great work..

  • @PoorMansThunder
    @PoorMansThunder 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Hello. I've been watching some of your getting started videos, but many of the Amazon links to your recommended products are broken or not available.

  • @MiniatureArtWorkshop
    @MiniatureArtWorkshop 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Driftwood, that's the missing part in my aquarium setup! This video was released just in time.

  • @q.d.mcgraw
    @q.d.mcgraw 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Those Koi Angels at 7:05

  • @JDfan3340too
    @JDfan3340too 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Spiderwood and Mopani wood are in every single tank I have. Love them both. A word of caution I would add about Cholla wood...fish can get stuck in them. I lost a beautiful Betta that way. They go in one of the ends, and can't get out. It was heartbreaking. I wish more people knew that. So I don't really buy it anymore for that reason.

  • @doxiediane6274
    @doxiediane6274 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Is it not a good idea to add driftwood if I have trouble keeping my ph above 6.6-6.8?? I have used all those types but ended up taking them out. I do love the look w rocks and plants and consider adding it back.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      If your KH is low it will have more of an impact on your pH.

  • @michaelmaxwell239
    @michaelmaxwell239 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    What are your thoughts on eucalyptus drift wood? There is a local fish store in my area that sells it.

  • @omaraziz6946
    @omaraziz6946 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Bro, I've always liked your videos but never subscribed. I just subscribed. Keep it up, please.

  • @NjDevil3419
    @NjDevil3419 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    One warning with Cholla wood is. I had a cory catfish get stuck inside of it

  • @Jasper0o0
    @Jasper0o0 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I love driftwood, so I love this topic to death. I’ve been out of the hobby for a very long time, but when I was in it, it was against the norm to put two different types of driftwood in the same tank. Now, I’m not too sure. What do you think?

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      More people are doing it now, but it’s still uncommon.

  • @PondPuppies
    @PondPuppies 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Does freezing driftwood outside kill Columnaris? Too big to boil and the old lady aint too thrilled about baking it. I know low temps kill it off in the water.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Great question - freezing can kill many pathogens that are not spore formers or viruses! Will it kill them all? tought to say for sure. Shold help though.

  • @hydrocooledcarrot
    @hydrocooledcarrot 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Australians are very lucky when it comes to sourcing driftwood. There's nothing better than a eucalyptus root. It needs to be boiled and baked though to get the eucalyptus oil out

  • @davidfink6276
    @davidfink6276 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

  • @growclipbonsaiforseniors1951
    @growclipbonsaiforseniors1951 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I heard that you always have to soak your wood in hot water. Boil the water and then cover the wood with it and let it soak in that water at least 3 hours before putting it into your tank so that all the pathogens are killed off. Is this true??? I always put mine in boiling water. I was just wondering.

    • @DOSEDKID
      @DOSEDKID 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      You definitely can, I personally don't but I also usually just buy my wood so it comes dry and clean it may benefit those who are just finding wood outside and putting it into their tanks.

  • @MWilk098
    @MWilk098 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Now the hard part, where to find a piece of Mopani wood large enough for a 125 gallon.

  • @glentoner3689
    @glentoner3689 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Sorry I asked about grape wood too early : )

  • @StanTheObserver-lo8rx
    @StanTheObserver-lo8rx 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    What's really crazy are the aquarium plant websites that always showed an aquarist with a expensive piece of twisted sanded and sculptural hunk of driftwood, then COVERED it with epiphytic plants!-ha. If you are going to hide it that way then might as well use old 2x4's and save money-lol.

  • @adamnagy4544
    @adamnagy4544 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Don't boil wood, it decay much faster 🙌 soak it maybe in warm water, but you will be just fine without it 😊

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  9 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      I haven't had any issues boiling wood?

    • @adamnagy4544
      @adamnagy4544 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@PrimeTimeAquatics it is not ruin it, for sure... But make it much softer and decay faster. I saw this in a video, and after I take a closer look for real...

    • @marydevoe6077
      @marydevoe6077 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@PrimeTimeAquatics​ I haven't had any trouble after boiling any of my wood either. I boil all types of newly purchased and reused driftwood for at least 10 to 30 minutes mostly to try to kill off anything that might contaminate my tanks. Agree, Malaysian does seem to break down the fastest. Absolutely love your content - thoughtful, realistic, useful and above all, presented without attitude and with an abundance of kindness. Truly appreciated.

  • @KarynJacobson
    @KarynJacobson 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    You must boil your driftwood first before putting in your tank that it will any harmful bacteria.🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I haven’t found it to be necessary, but it sure does help!

  • @Opossumsmilk
    @Opossumsmilk 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Id love for a fish channel to go over sanitizing foraged decor. The wood we buy has to be sanitized . Fear of making fish sick is the reason all this decor is obnoxiously proced.

    • @PrimeTimeAquatics
      @PrimeTimeAquatics  8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Sun drying really helps! That’s what happens with pet store wood.