Fluval Mopani Driftwood, Aquarium Decoration, Small, 11817A1

After a little online research, I decided to buy mopane driftwood for my Fluval 2.6 gallon Spec III aquarium. I have extremely hard water,so I was not adverse to adding an element to my tank that could potentially lower the pH, in addition to the potential aesthetics of the piece. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.I knew that my purchase would probably not look anything like the pictured piece, but I am not dissatisfied - indeed, I am very happy with the look of the driftwood I received. It is a hardwood and doesn't float, so you won't need to anchor it at all. The mopane wood is two-toned, with a very light tone and a black tone. It looks unusual and beautiful.If you plan to purchase mopane driftwood, you will have to do a bit of prep work if you don't wish to turn your aquarium water into a tea color, as the mopane wood will leach into your water. This is what I did to prevent my aquarium water from looking, quite literally, like tea. First, I soaked my wood for a few hours in tap water, using my 5 quart Corningware Dutch oven. I emptied the dark brown water and replaced it with fresh tap water, and then I commenced to boiling the driftwood. After heating the water to boiling, I turned off the burner and let the wood soak for 3 hours in my Dutch oven, with the lid on. After soaking for 3 hours, I emptied the dark brown water, filled the Dutch oven with fresh tap water, and heated the water to boiling again. Once the water was boiling, I again turned off the heat and let the mopane wood soak for 3 hours before dumping that water and repeating the same steps again. I did this repeatedly for the next 48 hours, until the wood was only lightly staining the water brown.Because I was using my Corningware Dutch oven with the lid on, it retained most of the heat during each 3 hour soak without requiring me to leave the burner on. This was important to me because the hot water enabled the wood to leach more quickly, and I didn't want to soften or otherwise damage the wood by leaving it over a constant flame. Also, if I was sleeping and didn't wake up for a water change, I didn't have to worry about boiling the pot empty and starting a fire. As it was, the 3 hour soaks were perfect - the water was still so hot that I couldn't touch the wood or water even after 3 hours.After constant soaking in hot water for two days, my driftwood was now a uniform dark hue. I worried I had ruined it. I left it to soak in tap water at room temperature while I sat up my aquarium. To my relief, once it was out of the hot water for a while, it returned to its natural hues.My aquarium has been up and running for a few weeks now. It has live plants, and last week I finally added the fish. I believe the mopane wood has helped to lower the pH, but even if it hasn't, it looks great in my tank. My water is clear, but when I perform my weekly water change, I can see a light brown tint to the discarded water. This is acceptable to me, because my water stays clean and clear, despite the tint.I highly recommend this driftwood and I would buy it again. However, if you aren't willing to put in a lot of prep time soaking the wood, be aware that it will turn your aquarium water the color of tea.

I wanted to get some real driftwood to try and bump my PH down a little and to add some natural wood to the tank.Based on other reviews some things are certain. The first is you won't know what you have until it comes. If you have a small tank this is a problem. Slightly larger tanks can make something fit better. I got a small piece and it is fairly large.People have also complained about the coloring of water. I boiled mine for two hours and the water was almost black. I then left it in cold water doing an occasional change for almost 2 weeks. The water in the bucket definitely turned dark and so will the water in the tank for quite awhile. I have a small bag of carbon in the filter and the tank water is not stained in the least. There is an argument that I am removing the tannins and this the PH hopes but the PH is testing slightly lower than my other tank which is all I wanted. This alone will not drop it to the low numbers some fish need. It just brings it a little closer to the 7 range.I expect to have the "fuzz" growing at anytime but I am not concerned because this is normal. I did not see that in the bucket.For the opportunity to add at least one piece of natural driftwood to the tank this isn't a bad way to go. It comes from a reliable company and is very pretty to look at. I am glad it is in my tank and adds something natural that the fish should enjoy.

I love this driftwood. I got it yesterday, put it in the tank. It sunk immediately and didn't stain my water. I didn't have any prep beforehand like with other driftwood. The two-toned coloring is very appealing to the eye. The small piece is great for a 10 gallon tank and would be a focal piece for a smaller tank. I will be buying larger pieces for my 55 gallon. The price is great and this is truly a trouble free piece of driftwood.EDIT: One year later.... I have a fuzz growing on the wood that everyone says is normal and will go away in a week or two except it hasn't gone away in a whole year! Its still a great piece of wood but I suggest boiling yours before adding it to your tank.

Better than what I expected. Very similar to photo and it was large. Put in my tank after 3-4 hours of boiling (it was too big for my pot so I boiled 2 hrs per side), then I let it cool down for maybe an hour and put into my aquarium. I am impatient and don’t want to wait to soak. Surprisingly, tarter I put it into the tank, I see no tanin at all. Water is still crystal clear and it certainly brought tremendous value to my tank. Because of this, I ordered another one and it’s at my front door now. Can’t wait to unpack.Update: second one is no as good as first. Photos show first and second order.