{"id":82,"date":"2021-12-05T20:23:33","date_gmt":"2021-12-05T20:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?p=82"},"modified":"2023-09-12T13:04:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T13:04:43","slug":"driftwood-for-plecos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"82\" class=\"elementor elementor-82\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5b120b1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5b120b1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;142746f&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f7e3af7\" data-id=\"f7e3af7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff16443 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ff16443\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Do plecos need driftwood in their tank?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ad4474 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2ad4474\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>For many years people have been arguing about whether plecos need wood in their tank. Do they really need it to survive, or is it just something people say?<\/p><p><strong>Most plecos don&#8217;t need driftwood to survive. However, for almost all plecos it is recommended to have at least some driftwood. Driftwood balances <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/what-do-plecos-eat\/\">their diet<\/a> and is beneficial for their digestive system due to the fibers they absorb when grasping on the wood.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3afec25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"3afec25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/fp-LH67stto&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-video .elementor-widget-container{overflow:hidden;transform:translateZ(0)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{height:100%;width:100%;display:flex;border:none;background-color:#000}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1\/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% \/ var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-open-inline .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;background-size:cover;background-position:50%}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{cursor:pointer;text-align:center}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay:hover .elementor-custom-embed-play i{opacity:1}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{display:block;width:100%;aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio);-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;-o-object-position:center center;object-position:center center}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1\/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% \/ var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .e-hosted-video .elementor-video{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-video,.e-con>.elementor-widget-video{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b8bee9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6b8bee9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What plecos need driftwood in their tank?<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-147b95d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"147b95d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Maybe you didn&#8217;t know it, but plecos are actually a group of hundreds of species, who all go under the name of &#8216;pleco&#8217;. Some common species are Bristlenose plecos common plecos and clown plecos. They might seem very similar, which they are on certain areas, but they are also very different.<\/p><p>And so they are their needs in terms of wood. Clown and bristlenose plecos for example will both benefit from wood, while other species like Zebra plecos or Snowball plecos don&#8217;t mind a lack of wood.<\/p><p>But why do some species of plecos need wood in their tank, and others do not? This comes down to their natural habitat and diet. Some species live in areas where there is lots of wood available, while other species live in fast-flowing big rivers with only rocks.<\/p><p>This means that there are species that actively grasp on wood and other more carnivorous species that who don&#8217;t grasp on wood.<\/p><p>To help you out I&#8217;ve created a table with 15 of the most common pleco species, their natural diet, and whether they need wood as part of it.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0ddedf4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"0ddedf4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<table style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\n        <colgroup>\n       <col span=\"1\" style=\"width: 33.333%;\">\n       <col span=\"1\" style=\"width: 33.333%;\">\n       <col span=\"1\" style=\"width: 33.333%;\">\n    <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n  <tr>\n    <th>Species \/ genus<\/th>\n    <th>Natural diet<\/th>\n    <th>Wood recommended?<\/th>\n  <\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Bristlenose pleco(Ancistrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Vegetarian, grazing on biofilm<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Common pleco (Hypostomus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Omnivore, mostly algae and some meat<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Clown pleco (Panaqolus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Grazing on wood,  other plant-based foods<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n      <td>Flash pleco (Panaqolus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Grazing on wood,  other plant-based foods<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Zebra pleco (Hypancsitrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Entirely carnivorous, shrimps, snails, ...<\/td>\n    <td>No<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <td>Queen Arabesque Pleco (Hypancistrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Entirely carnivorous, shrimps, snails, ... <\/td>\n    <td>No<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Snowball pleco (Hypancsitrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Omnivores, mostly meat<\/td>\n    <td>No<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Leopard frog pleco (Peckoltia sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Omnivores, mostly meat<\/td>\n    <td>No<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Candy Striped Pleco(Peckoltia sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Omnivores, will eat some algae<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Peppermint pleco (Paracistrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Mainly algae<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Golden Nugget Pleco(\nBaryancistrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Mostly high-protein plant-based foods<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Sailfin Pleco (Pterygoplichthys sp.<\/td>\n    <td>Brown algae, plant-based material<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Royal Pleco (Panaque sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Mostly plant-based, ocasionally wood<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Blue phantom pleco (Hemiancistrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Omnivorous, a good  algae eater<\/td>\n    <td>Yes<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>Sunshine Pleco (Scobinancistrus sp.)<\/td>\n    <td>Omnivorous, mostly meat<\/td>\n    <td>No<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39d6872 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39d6872\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As you can see, there are quite a lot of species that don&#8217;t need wood in their tank. They will do just fine when given a good amount of other natural hiding places like pleco caves and stones.<\/p><p>However, adding wood to your tank is still a great way to provide natural cover. Enough hiding places is something that all plecos &#8211; no exception &#8211; need and wood is a great way of providing it. So even if you have a species that doesn&#8217;t need it as part of its diet, it can still be beneficial.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ede4df3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ede4df3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why do plecos need wood?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f04fc9a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f04fc9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>You might think that driftwood is just for providing shelter, or for your aquarium to look nicer. Actually, it has a lot more benefits for your pleco catfish than you might think.<\/p><p><b>Driftwood is a crucial part of the diet of many plecos in the wild. Plecos grasp on wood, which contains lignin, cellulose, and other fibers that benefit their digestive system. Wood also creates a natural place for them to hide and feel more comfortable.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d54a727 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d54a727\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-532\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c.jpg 800w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c-768x515.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">The ideal snack for pelcos. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7gM2K1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joshua Ganderson<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f0f30a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1f0f30a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. The fibers help their digestive system.<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f8d1328 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f8d1328\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>If you&#8217;ve taken a look at the table above, you have seen that the diet of pleco species is very varied.\u00a0<\/p><p>Some pleco species only eat meaty foods, while others will spend their time grasping on wood for the biofilm and fibers.\u00a0<\/p><p>When you look at the natural habitat of some pleco species, you can see rivers and streams with lots of trees growing on the sides. These trees shed leaves and obviously, pieces of wood get in the water. After a certain period of time, the wood will soften and biofilm will grow on it.<\/p><p>This extra source of food creates an open niche as we could say in biology terms, and species like Panaqolus maccus (Clown Pleco) and Ancistrus cf. cirrhosis (Bristlenose pleco) will sit around these branches grasping on it.<\/p><p>Wood-eating pleco species have a long gut system, which allows them to digest complex and hard fibers. Driftwood contains cellulose and lignin, which are both crucial part of the vegetarian pleco species&#8217; diet.<\/p><p>So in your tank you should try to mimic the diet they get in the wild as much as possible and driftwood is ideal for it. Many plecos will hide between the wood and scrape on the wood. Since only a very small portion of the wood comes off a time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42e9696 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"42e9696\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3781072569_3a0cb12d5f_c.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-536\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3781072569_3a0cb12d5f_c.jpg 800w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3781072569_3a0cb12d5f_c-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3781072569_3a0cb12d5f_c-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">The mouth of this Royal pleco is made for grasping on wood. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/6L7Z9n\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jan<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-55d94f3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"55d94f3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Biofilm and algae on the wood<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a7ad58b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a7ad58b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A few days after putting the wood in your tank, a lot of small organisms will start to grow on it. You might have noticed some algae growing on your driftwood, or a slime-like structure. The biofilm is just the dead wood being consumed by bacteria that create this slime layer.\u00a0<span style=\"color: var(--ast-global-color-3);\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: var(--ast-global-color-3);\">Don&#8217;t mind, both aren&#8217;t harmful and even beneficial.<\/span><span style=\"color: var(--ast-global-color-3);\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var(--ast-global-color-3);\">We can see that some species like the Peppermint pleco (Parancistrus nudiventris) almost entirely live off of algae growing on rocks in the fast-flowing river of the Rio Xingu.<\/span><\/p><p>Thus, the micro-organisms and algae growing on your wood are actually a good thing, indicating a healthy ecosystem in your tank. Your pleco(s) will enjoy grasping them of.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc29dbe elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-blockquote--button-color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"fc29dbe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor-pro - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n@charset \"UTF-8\";.entry-content blockquote.elementor-blockquote:not(.alignright):not(.alignleft),.entry-summary blockquote.elementor-blockquote{margin-right:0;margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;outline:0;font-size:100%;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;border:0;font-style:normal;color:#3f444b}.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote .e-q-footer:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote .e-q-footer:before,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote:before,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote cite:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote cite:before{content:none}.elementor-blockquote{transition:.3s}.elementor-blockquote__author,.elementor-blockquote__content{margin-bottom:0;font-style:normal}.elementor-blockquote__author{font-weight:700}.elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{margin-top:12px;display:flex;justify-content:space-between}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{display:flex;transition:.3s;color:#1da1f2;align-self:flex-end;line-height:1;position:relative;width:-moz-max-content;width:max-content}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover{color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button span{font-weight:600}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i,.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button span{vertical-align:middle}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i+span,.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg+span{margin-left:.5em}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg{fill:#1da1f2;height:1em;width:1em}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-label{white-space:pre-wrap}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{padding:.7em 1.2em;border-radius:100em;background-color:#1da1f2;color:#fff;font-size:15px}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover{background-color:#0967a0;color:#fff}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-right-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg{fill:#fff;height:1em;width:1em}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{padding:0;width:2em;height:2em}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i{position:absolute;left:50%;top:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%)}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{content:\"\";border:.5em solid transparent;border-right-color:#1da1f2;position:absolute;left:-.8em;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%) scaleY(.65);transition:.3s}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{right:auto;left:-.8em;border-right-color:#1da1f2;border-left-color:transparent}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-right-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{left:auto;right:-.8em;border-right-color:transparent;border-left-color:#1da1f2}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-left-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--skin-boxed .elementor-blockquote{background-color:#f9fafa;padding:30px}.elementor-blockquote--skin-border .elementor-blockquote{border-color:#f9fafa;border-left:7px #f9fafa;border-style:solid;padding-left:20px}.elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation .elementor-blockquote:before{content:\"\u201c\";font-size:100px;color:#f9fafa;font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-weight:900;line-height:1;display:block;height:.6em}.elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation .elementor-blockquote__content{margin-top:15px}.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__content{text-align:left}.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{flex-direction:row}.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__content{text-align:right}.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{flex-direction:row-reverse}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote{text-align:center}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer,.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote__author{display:block}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{margin-right:auto;margin-left:auto}<\/style>\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\tHowever some plecos have algae and wood as a big part of their diet, additional feeding is still required. They can't survive on only wood, so <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/feeding-plecos-vegetables\">feeding plecos vegetables<\/a>, pellets and algae wafers is necessary.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e4bbb2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5e4bbb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Apart from algae, wood also provides a great surface for many <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/7-best-plants-for-plecos\/\">aquatic plants<\/a> to grow on. This includes java fern, java moss, and Anubias.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83ed6b6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"83ed6b6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-532\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c.jpg 800w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4116673946_9aab2bb16c_c-768x515.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">The ideal snack for pelcos. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7gM2K1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joshua Ganderson<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3912423 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3912423\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Balances water parameters.<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc6734c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fc6734c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>When you add wood to your tank, it releases tannins to the water. Just like when you add indian almond leaves, these totally unharmful (and often beneficial) tannins can cause a lower pH. Compare it to making tea ;). In these <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/water-temperature-pleco\/\">warmer water temperatures<\/a> the wood will gradually release tannins.<\/p><p>In the wild habitat of plecos, we can see the water is often very brown. This isn&#8217;t because the water is polluted, but because of the large number of leaves and wood in the water. As a result, the water in these streams is often very soft, with pH between 5 and 6 or lower.<\/p><p>So, if you want a more balanced tank, why not add any driftwood?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cac4ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"7cac4ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/DPcViFxtU94&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-89a1015 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"89a1015\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. It imitates their natural habitat<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed977fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ed977fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the wild, plecos live in South America. Mostly in the tropical rivers of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. In these rivers, tons of organic material and leaves add up. This creates the ideal habitat for plecos to hide and breed.<\/p><p>Other species like Hypancistrus zebra live in bigger rivers (Rio Xingu) where the substrate mostly consists out of big rocks and sand. This is also one of the reasons why they don&#8217;t necessarily need wood but do great with other forms of hiding.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42688a1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"42688a1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/PGF3cCioUVI&quot;,&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-056ae15 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"056ae15\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. A natural hiding place for your pleco<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8b0e8ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8b0e8ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos are rather shy fish, that spend most of their time hiding on the bottom layer of the tank. They usually come out scavenging for food, but in the end, most plecos like the comfort of hiding.<\/p><p>This is why every pleco needs to have access to at least some natural hiding places. When you don&#8217;t give plecos enough options to hide, this causes stress and your pleco will actually hide more, or even <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/do-plecos-bury-themselves\/\">start digging<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p><p>Hiding places can be added by providing hard structures like rocks, pleco caves, or even better; driftwood. The reason I prefer driftwood is that the shape is always different. Many pieces of driftwood have holes or natural caves, which make the ideal places for plecos to hide in.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41700f6 elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-blockquote--button-color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"41700f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\tYou might think that adding more hiding places cause your pleco to hide more, but actually the opposite is true. In a tank with lots of ding spots your pleco will feel safer and will dare to come out more.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4423f99 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4423f99\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7811781558_7cca797f50_c.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-523\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7811781558_7cca797f50_c.jpg 800w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7811781558_7cca797f50_c-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7811781558_7cca797f50_c-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">As you can see, this Snowball pleco is way more active when given enough shelter. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/cUiquW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nathan O'Nions<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-614b4db elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"614b4db\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The best sort of wood for plecos<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc23ee0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fc23ee0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There are many kinds of driftwood available to put in your tank. All look slightly different, but many kinds are very similar. The main difference between the sorts of driftwood is their origin and the tree they come from.<\/p><p>If you&#8217;re looking for driftwood, search for driftwood that&#8217;s is slightly soft. This way, plecos can scrape off small parts. Here are three kinds of driftwood I recommend, and which your plecos will find great.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Spider driftwood &#8211; <\/strong>As the name suggests, spider wood is a complex structure of roots and can differ a lot in shape. Spider wood is a light wood and doesn&#8217;t release as many tannins as other kinds like Mopani and Malaysian driftwood, which makes it ideal if you prefer a more clean tank. It is a great hiding place for small pleco species, that can hide between the small branches. It&#8217;s a big biofilm producer, which makes it ideal for plecos to scrape on.<\/li><li><strong>Mopani driftwood &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Mopani driftwood is an African sort of wood, which is very heavy and releases a lot of tannins. It sinks very fast. Just like Spider driftwood, it&#8217;s also a big biofilm producer, which makes it ideal for your plecos to eat.<\/li><li><strong>Malaysian driftwood &#8211; <\/strong>This wood is great because it&#8217;s very varied in shape. Whereas spider wood and Mopani wood have fewer holes, Malaysian driftwood has very unique shapes which makes it ideal for plecos to hide in. It will also release useful tannins and has a moderately soft edge, ideal for plecos to scrape on.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-165c147 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"165c147\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Conclusion<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f300f3f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f300f3f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>If you&#8217;re wondering wheter you should put driftwood in your tank, it&#8217;s probably a yes. Many species will benefit from grasping on the wood and by eating it. The biofilm and organisms growing on the wood are great extra nutrition too. On top of that, it&#8217;s a great first food source for <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/raising-pleco-fry\/\">pleco babies<\/a> if you ever get a surprise :).<\/p><p>On top of that, in their natural habitat plecos hang out around wood and rivers are often brown from all the tannins released by the wood. Thus, the wood mimics their natural habitat, provides extra shelter while stabilizing the water parameters like pH.<\/p><p>If you&#8217;re looking to buy driftwood, there are many options available. My favorites are Mopani and Malaysian driftwood because they release lots of tannins and provide lots of hiding possibilities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do plecos need driftwood in their tank? For many years people have been arguing about whether plecos need wood in their tank. Do they really need it to survive, or is it just something people say? Most plecos don&#8217;t need driftwood to survive. However, for almost all plecos it is recommended to have at least &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank | Keeping Catfish<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank | Keeping Catfish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do plecos need driftwood in their tank? For many years people have been arguing about whether plecos need wood in their tank. Do they really need it to survive, or is it just something people say? Most plecos don&#8217;t need driftwood to survive. However, for almost all plecos it is recommended to have at least &hellip; 5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank Read More &raquo;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Keeping Catfish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-05T20:23:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-09-12T13:04:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/why-do-plecos-need-driftwood.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1872\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thijs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thijs\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Thijs\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e\"},\"headline\":\"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-05T20:23:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-12T13:04:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\"},\"wordCount\":1852,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\",\"name\":\"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank | Keeping Catfish\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-05T20:23:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-12T13:04:43+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Plecos\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Care\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/care-plecos\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/\",\"name\":\"Keeping Catfish\",\"description\":\"Tips for Keeping Catfish In Your Aquarium\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Keeping Catfish\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png\",\"width\":396,\"height\":80,\"caption\":\"Keeping Catfish\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e\",\"name\":\"Thijs\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Thijs\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/author\/thijs\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank | Keeping Catfish","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank | Keeping Catfish","og_description":"Do plecos need driftwood in their tank? For many years people have been arguing about whether plecos need wood in their tank. Do they really need it to survive, or is it just something people say? Most plecos don&#8217;t need driftwood to survive. However, for almost all plecos it is recommended to have at least &hellip; 5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank Read More &raquo;","og_url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/","og_site_name":"Keeping Catfish","article_published_time":"2021-12-05T20:23:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-09-12T13:04:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1872,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/why-do-plecos-need-driftwood.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Thijs","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thijs","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/"},"author":{"name":"Thijs","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e"},"headline":"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank","datePublished":"2021-12-05T20:23:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-12T13:04:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/"},"wordCount":1852,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Care"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/","name":"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank | Keeping Catfish","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-12-05T20:23:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-12T13:04:43+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Plecos","item":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Care","item":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/care-plecos\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"5 Reasons on Why Plecos Need Wood In Their Tank"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/","name":"Keeping Catfish","description":"Tips for Keeping Catfish In Your Aquarium","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization","name":"Keeping Catfish","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png","width":396,"height":80,"caption":"Keeping Catfish"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e","name":"Thijs","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Thijs"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com"],"url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/author\/thijs\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82"}],"version-history":[{"count":148,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11560,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions\/11560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}