The Puffer Forum

i am looking to plant my 30 gal brack tank and want to use driftwood - 1. because it looks awesome and 2. to attach java fern and moss

i have read however that this can soften my water (and mess with my PH - currently at -- i have no coral in there now, just instant ocean buffering the PH

any truth to this? is there anyway to counteract this ?

thanks!

for some reason my number eight turned into a smiley face -- please ignore

Driftwood tends to disintigrate and rot in salted water. I would go with artificial driftwood. There are some that look very real.

bummer -- thanks for the tip

do you think i can still attach plants to fake driftwood ??

Yup, or you could use rocks.

Yeah Java fern and moss will grow over anything, just tie it down with some black thread

great ! --- just ordinary sewing thread or should i use something plastic, like fishing line ?

I use ordinary sewing thread but you can use fishing line. The benefit of the thread is that it disintergrates over time leaving the plant in place, though I'm not too sure how well it would last in brackish water. The plastic line is gonna last longer of course but it will need to be removed at some point and it is easier to spot too. Another method is hair nets but you then have the worry of fish getting stuck in it.

Does Java Moss need any fertilizers in brackish water?

BTW, I had very hard driftwood in brackish and within a couple weeks it was very soft and I had to remove it. I didn't experience any PH drops either.