# Manzanita vs Malaysian driftwood?



## Brich999 (Mar 17, 2013)

Which do you prefer? I'm looking for input on which wood you prefer and why? Both have distinct differences and I've used both.

Manzanita has great colors from light to dark and reds and sometimes burn areas also. I find it doesn't leach as much tannins, but can get a strange film over it when first added. Most places and mollies will make short work of the film and it usually clears after a month. Always sinks right away.

Malaysian driftwood can have great character and look amazing but can be costly for great pieces. Leeches tannins which can help if you like the look or can be a nuisance. I like how easy it is to just attach java fern and anubias just poking it into a hole or under a splinter. I've had trouble getting some pieces to sink.

For a planted tank which is your go to?


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Brich999, what a neat idea for a thread 

I'm a driftwood (and plant) newbie...but I've had two pieces of manzanita and found that they sank better than a chunky piece of old New England driftwood (which is obviously not from Malaysia...) but the correlation is that the New England driftwood was all dried out and originally came from a bog. It did leach a lot of tannins and after two weeks was still floating in the soaking bucket so I didn't use it.

I liked the manzanita for the linear quality (looks kind of like something you'd find in an old Japanese woodblock print...


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## secuono (Nov 19, 2009)

Neither, I use w/e wood is safe from outside. 
Manzanita looks a lot like the stuff I find outside, no point in me spending $ on store wood. 
Malaysian looks more fancy, decayed into a cool shape and all. Technically, you could cut, chisel and sand that from large branches, too. 
...Clearly I'm more of a DIYer than a BUYer. haha

But if I had $$ to just use willy nilly, I'd use both. Don't particularly like either more over the other....Guess that helps you none, though...sorry.


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## DBlauj (Apr 17, 2012)

I don't think mazanita sinks right away. I had to soak mine for a couple of days before it sank. Both are great types of driftwood depending on what you are trying to achieve. Mazanita is great if you are trying to replicate a tree root looking set up. Malaysian has a lot of chracter, easier to attach plants to. I like em both.


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## Brich999 (Mar 17, 2013)

Also think after 5 years manzanita will be quite deteriorated But Malaysian driftwood doesn't ever seem to show wear. A major part of this is plecos seem to eat my manzanita and just the algea on malaysian. I'm planning on building a rimless tank and want lots of fern and anubias attached, but I'm afraid manzanita will be difficult to attach to


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## I3raven (Jan 30, 2013)

I personally do not like Manzanita because it does not have thick, defined branches that show flow. I like Malaysian driftwood, but I have had a piece of driftwood for 3 years and the tannins have persisted and never faded. In my opinion, Hornwood or Redmoor Root wood is the best. They have few branches that lean on one side, showing directional flow which is perfect for nature aquascapes.


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## thinBear (Dec 16, 2011)

I like the character of malaysian dw but when it fully soaked with water, it looks pretty dark... Since my tank is small, it looks like a lump of coal from a distance.

Those malaysian with recognizable character usually need larger tanks; or maybe I didn't look for them hard enough.


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