Why Is Mangroves Driftwood Special?
Mangrove is a type of tree that lives along the coastal line. It grows in muddy or saltwater areas. The tree is a natural habitat for many living things.
The root and trunk could be naturally washed and drifted away and become driftwood. Nowadays, people also make handmade Mangroves driftwood, and they also accept custom requests.
The demand is rising because of its uniqueness below.
Pros of Mangroves Driftwood
Absorb and filter salt
The root is rising above the water/mud that mostly contains salt. This tree is salt-tolerant, and its root filters the salt to send the freshwater for the leaves and trunk.
Though this mechanism does not work once it becomes driftwood, it still proves that Mangrove is unique from other wood.
Release tannins slowly
There are several types of mangroves, like red mangroves, and all of them contain tannin.
Yet compared to other tannin wood such as Blackwood and Madrona, Mangroves driftwood releases tannin slower.
So it takes a longer time to change the water if the tank has Mangrove.
Have many branches
As we can from its tree, the root part has dozens of branches. It adds more aesthetic value and provides more places for fish to hide. However, the trunk part mostly grows without branches.
Light and easy to cut
Compared to other driftwood, Mangroves driftwood is user-friendly as it is light and easy to cut with gardening clippers. Everyone needs to be careful in cutting since it is also prone to break.
Effortless placement
The best of Mangroves driftwood is that you can set it vertically or horizontally and it looks great both ways.
If it sets vertically, it is unnecessary to attach it to a slate because it will sink quickly. For the new driftwood, it might need to be attached if it is set horizontally.
As days passed by, the driftwood will sink gradually.
Tips for Setting Mangroves Driftwood
Though the driftwood is great for any placement, there are several things to be cautioned of.
One of them is the choice of fish. If the driftwood is placed vertically where some parts are going above the water surface and the tank is open, the ‘jumper’ fish is not a good choice.
Soaking it in water for few hours will help it from floating.
Summary
The authentic natural Mangroves driftwood is unique since it:
- Absorbs salt
- Releases tannins slower
- Easy to place
- User friendly
- It has more branches than other driftwood
There are many fake and artificial Mangroves driftwood online. So be careful and check the particular traits above.
