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Hardscape 101: Aquascaping Wood

Hardscape 101: Aquascaping Wood

Posted by Emily N. on on 20th Sep 2021



Hardscape is the general term we use for the rocks and wood that fill out aquascapes.

This time we're going over different types of wood!
Malaysian Driftwood

First up we have Malaysian driftwood. Malaysian driftwood is very sturdy and is perfect to wrap moss around and tuck plants into.

This wood is going to release tannins into your water- tannins are what give tea its color, so don't be shocked if your tank turns a little brown or yellow! This can actually be helpful to aquariums as the tannins will help soften the water and lower the pH. Some fish may even feel safer in this 'murky' water.

You can try boiling your Malaysian driftwood ahead of time to reduce this effect!

Cholla wood


Cholla wood is actually the dried up husk of the cholla cactus! This wood is very popular for shrimp to hide in and around.

Cholla wood is naturally buoyant and will eventually sink as it saturates with water.

Spiderwood and Black forest spiderwood


Spiderwoods are the roots of the azalea plant and come in black and a neutral tan color. Each piece is unique in terms of how big and how many offshoots there are!

This wood is great for forest and riverbank scenes as well as DIY bonsai trees

Manzanita wood


Last but not least we have manzanita wood! The twists and turns of manzanita wood creates visual flow, making it very natural looking in aquascapes!

It looks great sticking out of tanks and as decor- we've heard of people using manzanita wood as table centerpieces and we've used it as a light display!
Check out our driftwood!