"Mopani wood"

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
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"Mopani wood"

Post by catfishchaos »

The pet store I work at sells Fluval Mopani wood from south Africa. I am getting a trio of L306 (because i cant find any L397s :(() and i know there are big on wood so just wanted to know if I should have more variety of wood (type of wood not shapes and sizes)? I will be giving them zucchini and sweet potatoes as well.

Thanks in advance!
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Re: "Mopani wood"

Post by nvcichlids »

I don't think they can eat Mopani wood. I believe it is too hard of a wood? I keep Malaysian driftwood, oak and willow in my tanks. The Malaysian driftwood is for the looks of the tank and hiding spots, the oak is what their caves are made of, an willow seems to be what they destroy for eating. I also feed zucchini, sweet potato, broccoli, and their favorite, repashy morning wood. I have a now breeding group of .
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Re: "Mopani wood"

Post by catfishchaos »

Thanks very much! I had another question actually, as a freediver I spend lots of time at the bottom of my lake and see lots of drift wood at the bottom that has clearly been there for many years. just wondering if I cooked this first would it be ok for plecos? mostly maple and birch I believe.
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Re: "Mopani wood"

Post by nvcichlids »

Some will say yes, others no. I collect a lot of my wood. I will cut roots out of dead trees that have been in the rivers for years. If you high pressure wash it, bake/cook it, it should be fine. If you own a "kiddie"plastic pool, you can let it sun bake in there (no water) then add water with rocks on it to re-submerge it.
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Re: "Mopani wood"

Post by apistomaster »

nvcichlids wrote:Some will say yes, others no. I collect a lot of my wood. I will cut roots out of dead trees that have been in the rivers for years. If you high pressure wash it, bake/cook it, it should be fine. If you own a "kiddie"plastic pool, you can let it sun bake in there (no water) then add water with rocks on it to re-submerge it.
I usually use Malaysian bogwood and collected driftwood treated as nvcichlids described above as good sources of pleco munching wood. Wood munching plecos I've kept, which are only and , eagerly accepted Malaysian and collected driftwood. Common also ate collected treated wood and Malaysian bogwood.
Even among the primarily carnivorous Hypancistrus and Peckoltia species I've kept and bred the wood seems to get smaller and smaller over time.
Mopani is awfully hard. Perhaps too hard for all but the larger Panaque species?
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Re: "Mopani wood"

Post by FerocactusLatispinus »

A little after I had bought an Ancistrus cirrhosus cf. cirrhosus, I tried to find out what wood is best for plecos, and I've read that Mopani is extremely hard, and will cause dental plate problems for plecos. I have bought a piece of Malaysian driftwood, and for the past year, it's been a favorite of my pleco's. I've found cypress to be far too light to try and soak within a reasonable amount of time; however, such wood is definitely soft enough for a pleco to enjoy... just ask the invasive ones in Florida! :d
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