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Considering driftwood

I have a tank with haps and peacocks and a lfs near me has a gorgeous 8 inch royal pleco I would like to add to my tank. My question is- do royal plecos need driftwood in order to thrive? Coincedentally I also found a cl post with lots of awesome driftwood at a very good price. I have heard the wood will soften the water and drop the ph. How accurate is this and is there a way to counteract this effect? The poster told me that it is lake or river driftwood that has been sanitized pressure washed and sand blasted, that it is 100% safe for aquariums. Is that the correct process to prepare driftwood?
- should I get the pleco and forget the wood
- get the wood and pleco
-get neither because the wood will destroy my tank


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I have wood in my peacock tank. It's no big deal in terms of affecting the pH. Whether or not that particular pleco needs it, I don't know.
 

Forester

Members
Malaysian driftwood lowers ph but im not sure about other driftwood.

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Andrewtfw

Global Moderators
I recently attended a GWAPA meeting where Shane (Planet Catfish) spoke about royals needing wood. He said that some believe they store it in their gut and use it to mash food. Some believe that they consume it. Others believe that since it has little to no nutritional value, royals are actually after the micro-organisms on and within the wood and that the wood is consumed in the process. As he pointed out, regardless of why they ingest the wood, it is clear that they require it.
FYI- royals grow huge (slowly) and produce a major amount of waste.
 
Good info, yes they get large very slowly but I am seeing about 15 inches in captivity. I guess my major concern now is the water conditions I know they like a ph around 7.5 mine is a bit higher but assume acceptable but they also like soft water which mine is not. I have kept commons, bristle nose and some others in hard water would royals be as hardy? I usually use stone in my tank but I assume my africans would tolerate a stone and wood structure I just don't want to change my whole tank around only to find the royal is not happy due to the tank mates and water conditions. He will be the largest (and dirtiest) in the tank but I had one for almost 7 years and he was so cool. Wish I never got rid of him.

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spazmattik

Members
I actually got rid of my royal because we was shredding up all driftwood I tried.. mopani, malaysian, and manzinita... you could see marks on the wood where he was rhasping so hard. believe it or not, there was to many particles floating in the tank that my water looked dirty despite 1+ water changes a week... got rid of him, cleaned out my filter and did a couple water changes and i havent had a problem since and still have 2 plecos (gold nugget and bristlenose)
 
I actually got rid of my royal because we was shredding up all driftwood I tried.. mopani, malaysian, and manzinita... you could see marks on the wood where he was rhasping so hard. believe it or not, there was to many particles floating in the tank that my water looked dirty despite 1+ water changes a week... got rid of him, cleaned out my filter and did a couple water changes and i havent had a problem since and still have 2 plecos (gold nugget and bristlenose)

Ouch, don't like the sound of that. Don't mind the destruction of the wood but the resulting mess I could live without. Was he in with africans?

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spazmattik

Members
that was just my experience. he was in with sa/ca americans actually. for a while I thought they were actually the ones making the mess. Not sure if others have experienced this or not.. Maybe I just had one with a chainsaw mouth lol
 
I have read similar accounts on several different sites. Some owners experience it then others nebet notice it at all.

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MarkK

CCA Members
Sera catfish nips have willow and alder wood in them and there is also the new Repashy Morning Wood [sic] variety.

I have no idea if feeding these could serve for the pleco in which you are interested.
 
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