Driftwood Natural Bogwood Tropical Fish Tank Marine Aquarium Aquascape Bog Wood
Bogwood is a heavy natural wood which is perfect for aquascaping and training
plants and moss on. It needs a little prep-work before it can go in the
aquarium as you have to let it soak in water to allow the tannins to leach out.
Tannins are natural compounds found in wood (and lots of other things like
coffee, tea, wine etc) and in bogwood it is what causes the gingery-brown
tinting in the water if you haven't soaked it for long enough.
How long should you pre-soak it?
It varies from piece to piece, but anywhere between a few hours upto a week
depending on the size of the piece. Submerge the driftwood in a bucket of water
just normal tap water is fine) and change the water daily. You'll know it's
safe to add to your aquarium when it's stopped making the water in the bucket
teabag-coloured!
Does it affect the water?
The brown-tint in the bog wood isn't harmful at all, in fact it is similar to
the 'blackwater' conditions some South American fish experience in the wild.
The tint can be removed easily by adding activated carbon to your filter as
this absorbs the tannins. Tannins form from tannic acid, so in time this can
make your aquarium pH acidic - test regularly and add a buffer if you notice a
drop in pH.
Bogwood is a heavy natural wood which is perfect for aquascaping and training
plants and moss on. It needs a little prep-work before it can go in the
aquarium as you have to let it soak in water to allow the tannins to leach out.
Tannins are natural compounds found in wood (and lots of other things like
coffee, tea, wine etc) and in bogwood it is what causes the gingery-brown
tinting in the water if you haven't soaked it for long enough. The brown-tint
in the bog wood isn't harmful at all, in fact it is similar to the 'blackwater'
conditions some South American fish experience in the wild. The tint can be
removed easily by adding activated carbon to your filter as this absorbs the
tannins. Tannins form from tannic acid, so in time this can make your aquarium
pH acidic - test regularly and