# Which Driftwood?



## Michiba54 (Nov 24, 2011)

I like manzanita the best or malaysian... Mopani is ok looking, but it leeches like crazy.


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

I like Manzanita the best as well


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

I ordered some Mopani for my Betta tank ... we will see how that goes.... I would like to mix and match 

I do have a few months to soak it ... Does that change anything? 

I havent seen the manzanita anywhere online and in-store driftwood is far too expensive


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## Michiba54 (Nov 24, 2011)

Pre soaking can help, but most Mopani I have has been leeching for years. After awhile though it slows down enough to where weekly water changes keep the tinting in check.


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

Is there anything I can do to help it? I don't mind some tea color but I don't want my water super dark.


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

I haven't had any significant issues of mopani leeching after first boiling it for a couple hours, or soaking it in a bucket for a couple weeks, both methods with multiple water changes.

I also prefer the more compact hardwoods (mopani, Malaysian, oak, for example) to the branchiness of manzanita.


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

I want some nice shape to the wood but I dont think I need branches with how delicate Betta fins are and ADF's are almost blind so I dont feel safe about that 

Can you mix and match in a tank? 

I was going to get a small piece of Mopani and a larger piece of Malaysian 


Which do you think looks better in an all natural tank setting? ( Heavily planted , Natural color gravel etc)


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## Kinection (Dec 1, 2012)

UDGags said:


> I like Manzanita the best as well


+1 Agreed.


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

Where can I order Manzanita?


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## DBlauj (Apr 17, 2012)

Elliriyanna said:


> Where can I order Manzanita?


Manzanita-driftwood.com 
Manzanita.com

I ordered from Manzanita.com and for the price I was happy with the pieces I got. Good service and they try to cater to your tank size and what you are trying to achieve.


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

Yeah thats all pretty out of my budget lol ... Oh well I still know now for future use


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## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

Mixing wood types can end up looking rather chaotic, although I'll often use a different wood if it's going to be completely obscured by plants around or mounted to it. Most of my anubia and java ferns are mounted on malaysian wood pieces. 

There's a tremendous variation possible within each type of wood that it really comes down to what you find. Even ordering random pieces sight unseen, I've ended up with wildly intricate and interesting malaysian pieces and dead blah mopani--and vice versa! 


www.manzanita-driftwood.com has a good variety of reasonably priced branched manzanita pieces, but be prepared with multiple options when you order--good pieces tend to sell fast. Really appreciate that you get a picture of the exact piece you're ordering and they give measurement for the length, width and depth of the pieces.


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

I could always order one of each and grow Java moss over the one I like less


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## plantedtankfan (Jan 5, 2013)

I like malaysian wood.


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

I get my wood from Plantbrain (Tom Barr) Link


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

I think manzanita has been way over used recently. Still looks good. I prefer horn wood it might be also called redmoore wood. Don't know if its the same thing or branchy Malaysian wood.


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## kochman (Jan 25, 2012)

i have used mopani for years . What everyone is saying is true. I do weekly 50% water changes though so i never see tint. I few tanks at work that i have put it in have gone yellow almost overnight lol


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

I ended up buying the Mopani and after boiling it two hours with only one water change I haven't even noticed any leaching


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## Fish Ed (Oct 25, 2011)

Michiba54 said:


> I like manzanita the best or malaysian... Mopani is ok looking, but it leeches like crazy.


Agreed!roud:
Manzanita and Malaysian driftwood looks wild, crazy and awesome.


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## The Trigger (May 9, 2012)

Manzanita is my favorite. I've used alot of mopani too. Mopani lasts a long time. I still have pieces that I've had in tank for over six years.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I like Malaysian if it's going to be a big focal point of the tank. I like Manzanita if their are a lot of plants because it looks more "subdued".


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Honestly, I think Redmoor Root wood is the best, because it is really branchy and it doesn't require you to get multiple pieces to get the "branchy" look. The only downside is the time to soak the wood, which could take a week or two to sink. But, boiling it could speed the process by a lot


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## Elliriyanna (Jul 20, 2010)

I ended up with a lovely piece of Mopani and I was lucky ... a few hours of boiling as I was good


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## samee (Oct 14, 2011)

Dont buy the rip off prices around ebay and such. I got my manzanity from Blooms and Branches. Cheap and amazing quality. Very branchy. My thread should be on the 2nd page of this board.


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## WheeledGoat (Mar 17, 2013)

what's wrong with boiling a stick from the yard? to me, rule #1 is aesthetics. boiling takes care of the worry of introducing bad things to the tank... what am I missing? why are we paying so much for freaking *wood*?? (not trying to start a flame war or anything, I imagine this topic may have been covered, I honestly just don't get it)


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## sdaugherty (Feb 13, 2013)

A user posted 2 links to some cheap Manzanita wood

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=180058&highlight=Cheap


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

Hornwood has a nice texture. Old Black Wood is very interesting, but can cost a lot, even for a small branch.


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