Hornwood
Also sold as ADA Horn Wood · Ancient Horn Driftwood · Nano horn wood
Synonyms Horn wood · Horn driftwood
Hornwood is a piece of aquarium driftwood sold by the piece, typically around 26 × 14 × 12 cm (10.2 × 5.5 × 4.7 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 | 26 × 14 × 12 cm (10.2 × 5.5 × 4.7 in) |
Before it goes in
- Hornwood 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.
- 4 different pieces of Hornwood are modelled, so the one you place looks like one you could actually pick out of the bin.
- A default piece is 26 × 14 × 12 cm (10.2 × 5.5 × 4.7 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
| Hornwood | Cholla Wood | Ghost 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 (1)
- Sinking, Tanninsbuceplant.comSep 2026