The benefits of adding driftwood to your aquarium

Aquariums can be a great source of learning and are a unique way of decorating your home. Bringing in fishes as pets can also improve our lives and bring out the caretaker in us. Fishes are not like regular pets that jump and directly connect to the owner.

They are much different and yet they are able to incite the same feelings of wanting to take care of the beloved animal. People also love keeping fishes in their homes because they can relax the worst of us.

Just watching them flutter their fins and swim in the tank can lift anyone's mood and make them feel less stressed about their daily life.

Aquarium Driftwoods:

 Adding an aquarium to the setting of your home, workplace, restaurant, or any other place will contribute to its ambience and improve its aesthetic value. It also serves as a valuable and practical source of education as one learns about fishes, their habitats, and how nature nurtures its children. Many have also found that observing the fishes in their aquarium improve their concentration and focus.

Driftwood is used widely as a decorative item in aquariums. Fish tank driftwood looks gorgeous and adds to its natural look but at the same time, this is not the only purpose of driftwood. It also serves as a source of food to the fishes living in the tank and encourages the improvement in the water parameters.

There are many advantages of having this wonderful, natural wood to your aquarium. This post is going to discuss the benefits of adding driftwood to your aquarium.

Fish tank driftwood's benefits

• It adds to the look of your aquarium
  • Aquarium owners around the world want their aquariums to look aesthetic and presentable. Addition of driftwood makes the water of your aquarium look a lot more natural. Many believe that driftwood makes the water resemble natural environments such as river banks.
  • Some varieties of aquarium driftwood also add a different hue to the water, making it look different. While some believe it takes away the natural, transparent look of the tank, many love the look as it is very artistic and aesthetic.
• Fish tank driftwood acts as a source of nutrition for the fish
  • Some fish species can eat driftwood as they have a mouth which is capable of scraping off small amounts of the wood.
  • Driftwood bits can provide great nutrition to the fishes that eat them. It is a great source of ignin and cellulose, both of which are excellent for the digestive system. Fishes that feed on driftwood will be able to digest other foods better.
  • There are some species, however, which do not eat driftwood at all. There are also species which, because of the habitat they come from, need it as a staple. Research on the type of fish you have and add driftwood to your aquarium accordingly.
• Fish tank driftwood alters the pH of the water
  • Certain driftwood types can effectively change the pH of the water they are present in. Most of the types of driftwood will lower the pH of water they are put in.
  • If your fish is from an alkaline habitat, they would definitely not prefer having driftwood in their new home. It is better to avoid the wood entirely when keeping fishes which like the opposite pH.
  • At the same time, the lowering of the pH can be very advantageous for certain species of fish which prefer acidic water to the neutral pH.
• It helps make fish feel secure
  • Fishes like to have natural hiding places around them so they can hide whenever there is a lurking danger nearby.
  • They also roam around more freely and feel much more confident when doing so because of the presence of a secure place around them.
  • Adding driftwood to your aquarium will help your fish feel a lot more secure and home because of its natural twisted shape.

How To Add Driftwood To Aquarium or Fish Tank?

Now that it is apparent that the use of driftwood in an aquarium is not just for aesthetic purposes, you might like to invest in it. Driftwood can occupy a large amount of space in your aquarium and you need to plan and design well. Here are some steps which you need to follow to add driftwood to your aquarium the right way.

• Plan it well
  • Driftwood, along with any aesthetic item you add to an aquarium, will occupy a lot of space and therefore, requires you to plan its placement well.
  • Draw out how you are going to add the driftwood so it looks beautiful, does not restrict the movement of fishes, and can also be altered easily whenever you want to.
  • Create your own unique habitat for your beloved pet which looks great and also serves its needs.
• Clean and make sure the driftwood is healthy
  • Once you are sure of how you want to place the wood in your aquarium, you can now get started with the actual process.
  • Clean the driftwood of all its dirt without using any type of soap or chemical cleaner. Use a brush to scrub it. It is important to clean it of all its debris because any remnants can be infectious and harmful for your aquatic pets.
  • Next, you should soak the driftwood in water for a week or two so it saturates completely. This is important because otherwise certain types of driftwood will not remain submerged in the aquarium.
  • Soaking will also let the wood lose its excess tannins (the material which discolours the water when driftwood is submerged). While it is soaking, make sure that you change the water whenever it gets too dark and discoloured.