When selecting your driftwood you should go with a natural type that is commonly found in the cichlids natural habitat. The reason we say this is because the driftwood has a lot to do with the individual cichlids water conditions and can prove fetal in some cases. Most New World cichlids live with many different types of driftwood in their habitat. These different types of driftwood release what is called tannins you'll read more about them in this article and why they are so important later.
Many people believe that driftwood cannot be used in the African cichlid aquarium but this however is false. There are many non rift lake species of cichlids from Western, Southern, and Eastern Africa including Madagascar that live with natural driftwoods in their habitats. Often these driftwoods do not release tannins into the water and have no affect on the pH levels keeping them above neutral which is an important factor with Old World cichlids. I however do not recommend using driftwoods with Rift Lake Cichlids unless they are a shore dwelling species like most shell dwellers of Lake Tanganyika. Be sure the driftwood you do decide to use with rift lake cichlids does not release tannins or acids into your tank this will cause your pH levels to drop rapidly and could cause damage to your cichlids health.
Collecting Natural driftwood
You can pick up driftwood found along the shoreline in lakes and streams and use it in your aquarium. I use many pieces I find near springs here in Florida. You should scrub it with a stiff wire brush and remove any bark ruminants or debris. After you have scrubbed it the wood will need to be boiled in a pot of plain water for several hours. 3-4 hours is usually what I do, others have boiled them longer than this to ensure them sinking properly. When boiling driftwood it is called seasoning or curing the wood. It kills any parasites or hitchhikers present in or on the wood. Boiling the wood also prevents a very common problem with driftwood, often un seasoned driftwood will develop a fuzzy short hair like fungal growth on the wood that if left unchecked will grow and spread to neighboring surfaces and eventually into the filters and water column making the water appear a milky white. It can be so white that you can only see one inch into the tank. This does not appear to harm the fish in my experience but is truly hard to clean and is disgusting to look at. This is prevented by curing or seasoning the driftwood.
Tannins
Boiling also has the benefit of releasing tannins that are in the wood. Tannins are a naturally occurring substance that leaches out of the wood, it will tint your water brown or a light tea color, TANNINS DO NOT CLOUD the water but tint it, your water will still be clear. Many South American species thrive in tannin rich water or what some like to call Black water conditions. The Amazon has black water conditions year round some of the species that live there are cichlids, including Angels, Rams, and even Discus and many other cichlids that prefer a lower pH and soft (acidic) water live in these conditions as well.
Tannins are naturally acidic and have been shown in various studies to protect these fish from numerous common diseases and conditions. It has been shown to also help prevent secondary infections in fish with injuries. I believe this is due to the fact that many bacteria cannot thrive in an acidic environment. This is why an effective home remedy for urinary tract infections in humans and pets is to drink lots of cranberry juice (this juice contains a high amount of vitamin C or citric acid). If tannins are wanted in the tank for the above mentioned reason I recommend that you do not boil the wood as long, One hour should be plenty if you boil it at a slightly higher temp.
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