Driftwood in Apisto tank - could this be the problem??

[Drakken]

I just read an article that said driftwood can cause water problems. I have a driftwood decoration in my tank that has a few large pieces attached to a slate bottom. This is in the same tank that my 4 Rams died in after doing well for about 2 weeks and my Apisto male died in after doing well for about a month.

Could this be the cause??

 

[tjudy]

:?

How are the pieces attached to the slate bottom? I have seen some attached without stainless screws, and the screws begin to rust. I do not know if that has an effect or not.

All driftwood leaches tannins. Wood is also porous, so there is always a chance that it might have absorbed something over the years that could be leached out later.

Tannins can raise the conductivity of the water. I have recently been playing with that. I have used new driftwood soaked in r/o water with an EC value of 20 microseimans/cm. After three days the tannin release increased the EC to about 80.

Different types of wood will release different amounts, and types, of tannins. I have never lost fish to which I could directly attribute the cause to driftwood... but nothin is impossible. Driftwood is definitely not a sterile substance, nor is it chemically inert.

 

[Drakken]

How are the pieces attached to the slate bottom?

I think the screws are galvanized and not stainless. Either way, that piece is coming out. What pisses me off is the guy at the LFS said "Diftwood won't do anything to the water."

 

[tjudy]

:?

If you are looking for drfitwood that does not stain the water with tannins, you will not find any unless you can get a hold of a piece that has been soaked long enough for it to stop leaching.

Do a search for 'tannins' in this forum. There have a been a few good discussions on the topic. The general consensus is that most fish like them.

 

[vancat]

My 2 cents...
I have had 2 large pieces of driftwood in my tank forever (plecos chew on it) and to my knowledge it has never affected anything. My Apistos are doing great, and all of my fish always have. I had an angel for 8 yrs who died recently. My SAE is about 6 yrs old. All of my rummynoses are 2-3 years old. Hardly anything ever dies.

I don't know if I'd blame the wood....

 

[Drakken]

My 2 cents...
I have had 2 large pieces of driftwood in my tank forever (plecos chew on it) and to my knowledge it has never affected anything. My Apistos are doing great, and all of my fish always have. I had an angel for 8 yrs who died recently. My SAE is about 6 yrs old. All of my rummynoses are 2-3 years old. Hardly anything ever dies.

I don't know if I'd blame the wood....

I guess it's not the driftwood then. :?

 

[aspen]

>>'What pisses me off is the guy at the LFS said "Diftwood won't do anything to the water."'

imo, driftwood will not do anything bad to the water. i've had my water so stained you couldn't see the back of the tank, and the fish were fine. but, that doesn't take into account the substances the wood may have picked up in it's native water (heavy metals etc), or any bacteria it my be holding.

in some parts of the amazon the water is so stained it is almost black, and opaque. this is the exact same thing as the driftwood adds.

i would not have anything metal in contact with the water, that isn't stainless steel. imo, galvanised metal can leech metals into the water. the galvanised coating is not pure zinc anymore i don't think, and i wouldn't want zinc either.

rick