drift wood

Question
I realy like the look of driftwood. could you talk to me about the pro and cons of using driftwood out of freshwater lakes. I am cycling a 55 gal tank with 5 zebras its in its third week and I am still doing many water changes. The driftwood I have collected is currantly sitting in a bucket of water. thanks Linda  

Answer
Dear Linda,
I also like the natural look of driftwood in aquariums. You seem to be doing everything right with your aquarium cycling and soaking the driftwood in water first.  Driftwood will cause your water to look slightly tea colored for awhile. That really can be controlled by frequent water changes.  Driftwood will lower the ph of your water but usually this is not a really big problem unless you are keeping fish that require a higher ph.  Be sure before adding the driftwood to your tank, you check for any loose bark or anything else hidden in any        or crevices of the wood. It really should not have much left hidden in the wood since you are soaking it.  Best of luck!
Hope this Helps!
Karen