Ghost Wood
Also sold as Ghostwood · California ghost wood
Synonyms California driftwood
Ghost Wood is a piece of aquarium driftwood sold by the piece, typically around 30 × 18 × 14 cm (11.8 × 7.1 × 5.5 in). In the water it leaves the water chemistry alone, tints the water lightly, and floats until it is waterlogged.
At a glance
| Material | Wood |
|---|---|
| Raises hardness | No |
| Tannins | Some |
| In the water | Floats until waterlogged |
| Edges | Smooth |
| Prep | Soak |
| Default size | 30 × 18 × 14 cm (11.8 × 7.1 × 5.5 in) |
Before it goes in
- Ghost Wood is inert: it will not move KH, GH or pH, so it is safe in a shrimp tank and in soft water.
- It leaches some tannins and tints the water lightly at first; the colour fades over a few months.
- It floats until it is waterlogged. Soak it for a few weeks, or hold it down with rock, or it will lift the scape.
- Before it goes in, soak it.
- 5 different pieces of Ghost Wood are modelled, so the one you place looks like one you could actually pick out of the bin.
- A default piece is 30 × 18 × 14 cm (11.8 × 7.1 × 5.5 in); you can stretch it to whatever you bought.
Does it raise pH and hardness?
No. It is inert, so KH, GH and pH stay where your tap water puts them.
Does it sink?
Not at first. It floats until it is waterlogged, which takes a few weeks of soaking — or hold it down with rock in the meantime.
Do I need to prepare it?
Yes: soak it before it goes in.
Will it tint the water?
A little, mostly in the first months, and it fades.
What it goes with
- Plants you can tie or glue straight onto it: Anubias nana 'Petite', Subwassertang, Anubias barteri and Bucephalandra 'Green Wavy'.
- Substrates that leave the water where it is, the same as this one does: Walstad, ADA Amazonia and Colored Gravel.
Often compared with
| Ghost Wood | Cholla Wood | Spider Wood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raises | None | None | None |
| Tannins | Some | Some | Some |
| In water | Floats at first | Floats at first | Floats at first |
| Prep | Soak | Boil | Soak |
More hardscape
Sources (2) · checked Sep 2026
- Sinking, Tanninsbuceplant.com
- Sinkingshop.glassaqua.com