driftwood and cichlids

[petkeeper2]

hello all...........


i got my new 55 gal cichlid tank going . i put in my rocks for caves and plants for cover to, but i also put in a very large piece of driftwood in the tank. i thought i read somewhere that driftwood in a cichlid tank did'nt go together good b/c it did something to the ph or something. is that right... could someone let me know thanx the petkeeper2

 

[nc_nutcase]

The two 'concerns' of driftwood (well, the two I'm aware of) are:

PH - It can (will) slightly raise your PH level. Personally my tap water has a low PH so this is an advantage, not a concern. Naturally the more wood you add, the greater the impact on your PH.

Tannins - Driftwood and other wood products will often release tannins which will 'dye' your water slightly. It is a temporary alteration of water clarity that can last a few weeks to a year, but usually near the middle of these time frames. Tannins have no negative impact on fish nor plants.

Most 'New World Cichlids' or South American Cichlids come from the Amazon river basin and it's contributories. The rainfall in this region and other water level factors are constantly changing. You will often see trees that look like they are standing on their root systems. Cichlids very frequently make these root systems their home. Since it isn't very likely for any of us to recreate an environment in our home that can have trees in this condition... driftwood is an excellent approach to recreate this kind of environment. The three elements I try to supply my fish with to provide cover are caves (clay pots work great), live plants (there is a post in this forum that seems very beneficial to those of us attempting to keep planted tanks) and driftwood (there are also several threads in a couple different forums on this site with a lot of information/opinions).

I've always heard poor reports about using aqua chemicals or liquid additives to balance your water chemistry. I'm beginning to experiment more with using natural substances in my aquarium to adjust water conditions to where I want it (where the fish need it). This includes using substances such as driftwood to raise PH.

Anything in this post is a compilation of random information gained from research and/or experience.

 

[FoundMoney]

I'm not a biologist or organic chemist but I believe driftwood would lower pH, if anything. The tannins are acidic (tannic acid) and pH below 7 means water is acidic, above 7, it is alkaline.

But nutcase is right that South American cichlids would normally find roots, wood, leaves, and all other manner of organic matter in their water. So if it is South American cichlids in your tank then they would appreciate the driftwood. However, African cichlids come from an environment with more alkaline water and driftwood probably wouldn't be as beneficial.

 

[nc_nutcase]

Thank you FoundMoney...

You are right...

Driftwood will lower your PH... Coral raises it...

I'm using coral as a percentage of my substrate to counter the effects of the driftwood and slightly raise the PH above what my tap water offers.


Note to self... don't post after the second beer...

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Note to self... don't post after the second beer...

words to live by.

the biggest concern really is the pH issue. African Lake Cichlids like a higher pH than most fish, which is one reason that driftwood without any offsetting coral or calcerous rocks is not generally recommended. However, many types of marine substrates contain coral and similar alkaline substances, which will raise your pH and combat any effect from the driftwood.

plus sand looks really cool and fish like to dig in it.

 

[petkeeper2]

hi guys
thanx too all of you for your fast responce to my ???. and yes they are african's i have 16 of them in my 55 gal tank. they are all about 1.5 to 2 inches long .when i get all their right names i will post them . i do know that 2 of them are m/f kenyi,and 2 are auratus m/f,3 lemon yellows m/f, f and the rest i don't know yet but will find out soon ok so thanx alot for the help .i will remove the drift wood from the tank as soon as i can so it dosen't hurt the fish ok ..................................thanx again petkeeper2