Driftwood and botanicals for shrimp tanks: safe wood, leaves and how to prep them

By the Shrimp Tank Hub editorsUpdated Oct 25, 2026Research-based

Wood and dried leaves do more in a shrimp tank than look natural. They grow the film of microbes that shrimp graze all day, give shrimplets somewhere to hide, and release tannins that tint the water and, in soft water, lower pH a little. They can also bring trouble if the wood is the wrong kind or goes in unprepared. This guide covers which woods and leaves are safe, how to prepare them and how much to add.

Why shrimp keepers use wood and leaves

• Food. Seachem says that as catappa leaves decay, micro-organisms grow on the leaf surface and become a natural food source for shrimp and snails. Practical Fishkeeping calls leaves a perfect grazing ground for young and adult shrimp. See what shrimp eat.
• Cover. Wood and leaf litter give molting shrimp and shrimplets places to hide; see baby shrimp care and why shrimp hide.
• Somewhere to grow plants. Java moss, Java fern and Anubias grow tied to wood rather than planted in substrate; see Java moss and other mosses.
• Tannins. Wood and leaves release tannins that tint the water tea-brown and can lower pH slightly; more on that below.

Which woods are safe

Practical Fishkeeping also reminds collectors that it is illegal to take wood from private land without permission, that some common land needs a license, and never to tear branches from a standing tree. For a shrimp tank, store-bought aquarium wood avoids the sap and pesticide questions altogether.

How to prepare driftwood

1. Scrub it with a stiff brush and hot water. Practical Fishkeeping recommends scrubbing collected wood and soaking it in boiling hot water before use.
2. Soak until it sinks and stops leaching. All wood floats at first and, Practical Fishkeeping says, will bob on the surface for a week or two if it goes in dry. Soak it in a bucket and change the water whenever it turns brown. Depending on the piece, this takes days, but dense pieces may need several weeks.
3. Skip bleach if you can. If you do use a dilute bleach mix, Practical Fishkeeping says the soak afterwards should last several weeks, with numerous water changes.
4. Rinse and place it. Wedge or weigh down any piece that still floats, and tie moss or ferns on now; see how to set up a shrimp tank.

Rocks need less prep but more caution. Practical Fishkeeping says to scrub them hard with hot water and test for limestone with a few drops of vinegar: fizzing means the rock contains calcium carbonate and will harden the water. That matters for soft-water shrimp; see GH and KH explained.

White fuzz on new driftwood

A white or grey fuzzy or slimy coating often appears on new wood within days of going in. Practical Fishkeeping explains that most wood carries fungal spores that reactivate once wet, and Aqueon describes the film as usually a fungus, sometimes bacteria, and harmless to you and your fish. It may come back a few times before it disappears. You can:

• Leave it. It usually disappears on its own, and Aqueon notes that nerite snails, otocinclus and bristlenose plecos eat it. Shrimp keepers commonly report shrimp grazing it too.
• Brush it off with a toothbrush, or take the wood out and scrub it in hot water, as Practical Fishkeeping suggests.
• Siphon out the loose debris afterwards. Practical Fishkeeping notes that fungi and slime molds feed on decaying matter and produce waste the filter has to handle, raising nitrate.

Don't treat it with chemicals; Aqueon warns these can have unexpected side effects, and many fungus and algae treatments are unsafe for shrimp. A rotten smell or wood that turns soft is a different problem: take it out.

Leaves and botanicals for shrimp

Practical Fishkeeping's guide to aquarium leaves covers several that shrimp keepers use:

Practical Fishkeeping also describes seed pods and other botanicals used as caves for small fish. If you collect your own leaves, its advice is to pick them up in autumn soon after they fall naturally, never from roadsides or other polluted areas, and to dry them promptly.

How to prepare and add botanicals

1. Rinse, then boil. Practical Fishkeeping boils botanicals for at least 10 minutes, optionally in two sessions. Leaves usually sink after about 10 minutes; larger seed pods hold more air and take longer.
2. Let them cool before they go in the tank.
3. Add a few at a time. In an established tank, add only a few leaves or pods, then wait a week or so before adding more. Practical Fishkeeping explains that the tannins can drop pH too quickly, and that bacteria and fungi colonize new botanicals quickly; add too many at once and the resulting bloom can use up oxygen.
4. Dose sensibly. Seachem suggests 1–2 catappa leaves per 20 litres (5 US gallons), removed and replaced every month or as desired. Its leaves may float at first and sink after 2–3 days.

Keepers commonly report shrimp picking a leaf down to its skeleton over a few weeks. Leave the skeleton as grazing or remove it, but take out anything that turns slimy or smells. If a new botanical coincides with cloudy water, see shrimp tank cloudy water.

Tannins, pH and KH

Practical Fishkeeping describes tannin as a weak acid that can reduce pH. It is most effective in very soft water, because the buffering of hard water easily neutralizes it. In practice:

• Neocaridina (cherry shrimp) in tap water with moderate KH will see little pH change from a few leaves.
• Soft-water Caridina tanks are already buffered low by active soil, and leaves suit them; see Caridina vs Neocaridina.
• Very soft, unbuffered water can drop faster than you expect, so add leaves gradually and test; see shrimp tank pH.

If you don't like the brown color, Seachem notes that activated carbon removes the compounds the leaves release, and regular water changes lighten it. Tannin-stained water by itself is harmless.

Track it

Note new wood or leaves on the free Water Parameter Log printable along with pH and KH, so you can see whether they shift your water.

Frequently asked questions

Is driftwood safe for shrimp?

Yes, if it is aquarium wood such as bogwood, Mopani, Manzanita or Red Moor and has been scrubbed and soaked. Avoid softwoods, pine, yew, aromatic woods and grapevine.

How long should I soak driftwood before adding it to a shrimp tank?

Until it sinks and the water stops turning brown. Practical Fishkeeping says that can take days, or several weeks for dense pieces. Change the soak water as it darkens.

What is the white fuzz on my new driftwood?

Usually a harmless fungus or bacterial film that grows on new wood. It normally fades on its own; brush it off if you like, and avoid chemical treatments.

Do shrimp eat the white fuzz on driftwood?

Shrimp keepers commonly report shrimp grazing it, and Aqueon notes nerite snails, otocinclus and bristlenose plecos eat it.

How many catappa leaves should I add to a shrimp tank?

Seachem suggests 1 to 2 leaves per 20 litres (5 US gallons), replaced every month or as desired. In an established tank, add a few at a time.

Do I need to boil leaves before adding them?

Practical Fishkeeping recommends boiling botanicals for at least 10 minutes and letting them cool. It cleans them and helps them sink.

Will driftwood lower the pH in my shrimp tank?

A little in soft water. Tannins are a weak acid, but water with moderate KH buffers them, so cherry shrimp in tap water usually see little change.

Sources: Practical Fishkeeping, What you need to know about tank decoration (bogwood, Mopani, Sumatran drift, Red Moor and Manzanita safe bets; Bogwood and Mopani notorious for leaching tannic acid, soak until leaching stops, days or several weeks for dense pieces; all woods buoyant, bob on the surface for a week or two; grapevine too soft and rots, avoid softwoods; aromatic woods contain toxic phenols, pine and yew leach toxic sap; cherry, pear, apple and oak safe with conditions, must be dry, bendy or green means sap; pesticides and collection laws; scrub and soak collected wood in boiling hot water; dilute bleach needs several weeks of soaking with numerous water changes; fungal spores reactivate when wet, scrub with hot water, mould usually disappears; scrub rocks, vinegar test for calcium carbonate); Aqueon, Maintaining a planted aquarium (white to greyish film on new driftwood usually a fungus, sometimes bacteria, harmless, may return a few times; nerites, otocinclus and bristlenose plecos eat it; avoid chemical treatments; tannins give a brown tint and lower pH and hardness); Practical Fishkeeping, What is this strange thing in my tank? (fungi and slime molds feed on decaying organic matter, including fresh wood, and raise nitrate); Practical Fishkeeping, Using leaves in your aquarium (tannin a weak acid that reduces pH, most effective in very soft water, hard water neutralizes it; leaves a grazing ground for shrimp; oak, beech, walnut, mulberry, hornbeam profiles; collect fallen leaves in autumn, avoid roadsides, dry promptly; boil and soak leaves to reduce tint); Practical Fishkeeping, Top 5 botanical caves for aquarium fish (boil at least 10 minutes, optionally in two sessions; leaves sink after about 10 minutes, pods take longer; cool before adding; in established tanks add a few and wait a week or so; tannins can drop pH too quickly; bacterial bloom can use up oxygen); Seachem, Catappa Leaves (catappa leaves release tannins and organic compounds that help keep pH lower and tint water; micro-organisms on decaying leaves feed shrimp and snails; 1–2 leaves per 20 L or 5 US gallons, replace monthly; float then sink after 2–3 days; activated carbon removes the compounds). Reports of shrimp grazing wood fuzz and leaf skeletons are recurring owner reports.