Who Gives A Fish Forums

I just added some new driftwood to my tank and it's got this weird stuff on it - what's the deal with that?

Driftwood slime or driftwood "snot" - that's what you're likely dealing with. It's normal, don't worry. Just remove the driftwood from your tank and give it a good scrub. Repeat the process until you see an improvement.

You can also just leave it be and it'll clear up on its own eventually - it's harmless, and some fish might even snack on it.

I'd recommend taking it outside and giving it a good hose down, then put it back in the tank. You don't want to risk any potential toxins from the slime getting into your tank water, so it's better to clean it off outside.

I recall the old days when we'd have to soak our bogwood in a bucket for a couple of weeks before it was safe for the aquarium. You rarely found pre-prepared wood in shops back then, and when you did, it came with a hefty price tag. Nowadays, it seems every shop has an assortment of wood for sale, but I often wonder what kind of prep work went into making it tank-ready. Even if a shop assures me it's good to go, I still can't help but soak it in a bucket - I guess old habits really do die hard.

Thanks for the advice, I'll take it out and give it a good scrub, better safe than sorry.