bogwood

gofish · Post by **gofish** » 16 Aug 2006, 22:27

Does anyone know if bogwood and mopanni are the same thing?

RogerMcAllen · Post by **RogerMcAllen** » 16 Aug 2006, 23:45

They are not the same thing. I believe mopani is found in african deserts. It is very hard, and comes in either very light or very dark. I think bogwood is generally something like malaysian wood. Generally a dark brown that is a bit softer. Both tend to sink without needing to waterlog them first.

gofish · Post by **gofish** » 17 Aug 2006, 04:47

So malaysian driftwood is the same as bogwood?
Is there any other type of wood that's good for Albino BN Pleco's?

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 17 Aug 2006, 09:29

Bogwood, technically, is any wood that has been submerged in a "bog" or "swamp" area, and because of the tannins found in this type of environment has not rotted, but become preserved. It is, becuase of the tannin, stained brown, and will release some of the tannin when placed in water, so will colour the water brown.

Driftwood, technically, is wood that has been submerged in a river, lake or sea/ocean. It isn't necessarily bogwood, but if the water in the river where you get your driftwood is very rich in tannin, it would have the same effect of staining and preserving the wood.

Mopani, I beleive, is not bogwood (or driftwood) as such, just a hard, heavy wood that works well as wood for a fishtank.

I prefer to use multiple types of wood. I haven't got any bogwood in my tank, but I have mopani, as well as a red-cherry tree (red leaves, not the berries) and some unknown wood with lots of curves/bends.

Most common woods can be used in tanks, except for cedar and ash that I know of. Maple, beech, oak, cherry, birch, and so on would be fine. Just make sure you clean it thoroughly first.

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Mats

gofish · Post by **gofish** » 17 Aug 2006, 16:07

You keep these type of wood in your pleco tanks? Is it ok for them to eat? I have Albino BN Pleco's that I am trying to spawn with not much luck, so I am trying to get everything perfect.
I see my smaller pleco's are eating the Melaysain driftwood because I find little pieces everywhere when I clean the tank. But with my adults I have the Mopanni wood and I don't get that. So I am wondering if thats affecting them?

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 17 Aug 2006, 16:38

Yes, that's in a tank that has plecos of several types, and has had successfull (although unplanned) bristlenose breeding.

I've also got Mopani wood in my breeding tank, with no other wood there, so that's probably not what's going wrong for your breeding.

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Mats

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 17 Aug 2006, 17:03

Bogwood, technically, is any wood that has been submerged in a "bog" or "swamp" area, and because of the tannins found in this type of environment has not rotted, but become preserved. It is, becuase of the tannin, stained brown, and will release some of the tannin when placed in water, so will colour the water brown.

Driftwood, technically, is wood that has been submerged in a river, lake or sea/ocean. It isn't necessarily bogwood, but if the water in the river where you get your driftwood is very rich in tannin, it would have the same effect of staining and preserving the wood.

Mopani, I beleive, is not bogwood (or driftwood) as such, just a hard, heavy wood that works well as wood for a fishtank.

I think although you are correct Mats, most people (myself included) just refer to any kind of shop bought aquarium wood as generic "bogwood".

"Driftwood" seems to be the equivelent American term for the same thing.

Just thought i'd point that out in case anyone gets confused, but as you say there are many kinds.

I collected loads of mopani wood in Zimbabwe. It's great stuff, as it sinks readily and doesn't stain the water too much. However it's a bit too hard for plecs (panaque etc) to chew on. They rarely touch it in favour of the softer vines I bought from the LFS.

craigfries · Post by **craigfries** » 24 Aug 2006, 18:46

I have had success with bamboo as furnature & food for my pl*cos. When green, it sinks fast and quickly grows slimy like veggies. In time and after much gnawing, it looks more like driftwood. It also makes good caves.