is it ok to add redwood to my freshwater aquarium to lower pH?
Kaniv I have a pH of 8.4 and want to keep fish around a pH of 6.8 to 7.is the redwood safe and will it bring it down?The tank only has live plants and two pieces of storebought driftwood and purchased pea gravel
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2 Responses
Monster Fish Kee
29 Mar 2010
eyesinthedrk
29 Mar 2010
i know (because of my trip to mariposa redwood grove) that red wood trees lay where they fall for hundreds of year due to a chemical in the sap the resists bug and fungal infestation, another reason that is is so sought after for building products, this chemical my be toxic to your fish
To be safe I wouldn’t. It would be different if it was a piece of wood that has had the opportunity to weather and "drift" for several years, the pitch from the wood will be much more insignificant by that time.
The best woods for the tank would be, Mopani wood, Bogwood, and Driftwood. I believe that the thing in wood that lowers the pH is the tannic acids being leached out, this will also color your water though, turning it tea colored.
Wood that is not leaching these tannins may not work as well to lower the pH. You would get the same effect though by using peat, you could get a fine meshed media bag and put peat in it, then put it in your filter, this will help to soften the water and lower the pH.
I have also heard of people with planted tanks adding some oak leafs to the tank. Not only will you get excellent pH lowering qualities, some fish go crazy in the leaves. Some Apistogrammas and Betta species respond very positively with the addition of leaf litter. The fish love the littered bottom and it also creates a very natural look.
MFK