Adding on some natural structures such as Bonsai Tree Driftwood can be an awesome great head-turner and center of attraction in your little water kingdom. But, why?

Let me share some benefits that you can get when you add a Bonsai Tree Driftwood to your tank. 

Driftwood for Eating

Some plecos or catfish consider driftwood as food. They have a particular mouth design that is capable of scraping some tiny chips out of driftwood. 

Driftwood contains nutrients such as cellulose and lignin that are beneficial for the fish’s digestive system. They typically eat tiny munches that have almost no visible damage to the driftwood. But some fishes love to eat algae instead. 

Driftwood is Good for The Health

Driftwoods are great not only for the fish’s health but also for the condition of your tank water. It maintains and stimulates the ecosystem. Just like the filter and substrate, driftwood promotes good bacterial growth. 

These good bacteria make the fish healthy by breaking down the fish byproducts and converting them into fewer toxic compounds. 

Not only that, driftwood boosts the fish’s immune system. The natural tannins that come out from the submerged driftwood will slowly seep into the tank water. 

The tannins released from the driftwood helps creates a slightly acidic water tank keeping the disease-causing viruses away. It also increases the oxygen in the water column which then stimulates the fish’s immune system. 

Driftwood Brings Out Aquarium Aesthetics

Many aquarium hobbyists love to add Bonsai Driftwood to their tanks because of its unique aesthetic design feature. Driftwood helps the tank to mimic a natural riverbank so its natural tannins that are released can make the water a darker reddish color, which is what we normally see in natural environments. 

Most aquascaping enthusiasts prefer to get this blackwater aesthetic, tea-like colored water that looks surreal. This creates an aquatic ambiance that feels more than the authentic riverbank.  

Bonsai Driftwood Can Be Your Pet’s Favorite Hideout

Driftwoods help promote the natural behavior and characteristics of your aquatic pets. In every body of water like lake, river, and pond, driftwood is found. Naturally, your fish will get attracted to it. And they would love to stay around for hiding and breeding. 

They sense security in the hiding spots like this Bonsai Driftwood. Fish love to stay out in an aquarium with tons of hiding spots. They feel safe and secure and they love to hide in a natural-looking, gnarled and twisted-shaped, Bonsai Driftwood.

How to Put Bonsai Tree Driftwood in the Aquarium

 Bonsai tree driftwood is undeniably great to add to a tank, but you might be wondering how. No matter what you are going to add to your tank, there is one common thing that you ought to do, and that is preparation. 

Bonsai Tree Driftwood is a great tank décor that consumes a large space in your aquarium. And this can create a huge, significant change to your water tank. To avoid stress and rapid water parameters change, do it right the first time with thorough planning. This way, you can achieve a beautiful aquascape with less effort and minimal disturbance. 

Driftwoods are known as buoyant. So, before you use the Bonsai Tree Driftwood, it is highly suggested to let it sit in boiling water for about an hour, and soak it well till it cools down. While it is being soaked, you can temporarily attach a heavy stone to make it sink on its own.

Why Should You Boil Driftwood?

Boiling the driftwood for one to two hours will sterilize the wood. This way, it can kill fungal spores and algae. Imagine it like a teabag steeped in a cup of hot water. The longer you boil the driftwood, the faster the tannins leach out, which means the shorter the time of curing process. 

Once set and cooled down, it is then ready for transfer. The right time to arrange your Bonsai Tree Driftwood is when you conduct your scheduled water change. Simply put the driftwood according to your desired arrangement, then you can proceed to refill your water.

When To Add Bonsai Tree Driftwood to The Aquarium?

The most convenient moment to arrange your aquatic landscape is after you have removed some water during a water change. Place the driftwood into your aquarium and refill it. To add more lushes of greens to your aquarium, you may add easy-growing aquatic plants such as Bucephalandra, Anubias, Java Fern, and Java Moss.

It takes the right planning and right procedure to create a majestic little aquatic kingdom for your fish and shrimp. Adding a beautiful Bonsai Tree Driftwood for the first time can be nerve-racking. 

When you do this with all gently care, with a bit of patience and some planning, you can create a beautiful aquatic landscape for the first time with minimal stress to you and your aquarium inhabitants.