Best Aquarium Décor Wood AI pick

Chosen by an AI model from its trained knowledge, with its reasoning.

AI pick (line): Zoo Med Malaysian Driftwood

Dense hardwood that sinks after soaking, resists rot and gives plecos and shrimp a natural surface to graze.

Not for: Keepers who want perfectly clear water and don't want to soak the wood or use carbon, because it releases tannins for weeks.

Sinking: Dense woods such as Malaysian driftwood and mopani sink after a soak. Light woods such as spiderwood and cholla may need weighting or longer soaking. Floating wood upsets the scape and can crack the glass if it shifts.
Tannins: Expect tea-coloured water unless the wood is soaked or boiled first. Tannins lower pH slightly. Tannins are harmless and good for blackwater species, but unwanted by some keepers.
Wood type: Use known aquarium hardwoods. Avoid softwoods such as pine and cedar, and unknown wood. Softwoods release sap and resins, and some wood rots quickly.
Fungus phase: White fuzzy biofilm in the first weeks is normal; siphon it off or let snails and shrimp eat it. New keepers often mistake it for a problem and remove good wood.

Those are tannins from the wood. Do water changes, run activated carbon or pre-soak the wood; they fade over time.