Driftwood actually means driftwood: wood that has drifted in water and been worn down by time, waves, sand or current. In the aquarium trade, however, the word is used much more broadly.
When a store says aquarium driftwood, it could be bogwood, mopani, mangrove, spiderwood, redmoor, manzanita or other types of wood. Therefore, the word driftwood does not always say enough.
Driftwood in the wild is not automatically aquarium safe
It can be tempting to pick a beautiful piece of wood from the beach, lake or forest. But unknown wood can carry problems: salt, pollution, oil, pesticides, rot, resin, fungus or unknown treatment.
This does not mean that no one can use self-collected wood. But it does require knowledge of the species, location, legality, drying and preparation. For most aquarists, it is safer to choose wood intended for aquariums.
Aquarium driftwood is an umbrella term
In aquarium shops, driftwood often just means “wood for aquariums”. It can be very different materials. Some sink quickly. Some float for a long time. Some colour the water strongly. Some get a lot of biofilm. Some are mostly decorative and some have a long tradition in fish aquariums.
Therefore, you should ask more than just whether it is driftwood. What kind of wood is it? Where does it come from? Is it treated? Is it suitable for freshwater? How does it usually behave at start-up?
Where does Tuskwood come in?
Tuskwood can be described as aquarium wood, bogwood and bogwood, but it is more specific than the broad word driftwood. It comes from Nordic peat bogs and has been preserved for a very long time in a low oxygen environment.
It's not just a piece of driftwood with an unknown background. It's a traceable natural material with a clear history, natural finish and WYSIWYG sales.
What to choose?
If you just want some kind of wood in the aquarium, many types of driftwood can work. But if the root is to be an important part of the design, it is better to choose more specific.
Do you want bright and branchy? Then maybe spiderwood is for you. Do you want heavy and hard? Then ironwood or mopani might be interesting. Do you want dark, old, natural and unique bogwood? Then Tuskwood is the right material for you.
In short
Driftwood is a broad word. It says that the product is wood for aquariums, but not exactly what the wood is, where it comes from or how it behaves.
Tuskwood is more specific: real old bogwood from Nordic peat bogs, sold as unique WYSIWYG roots for aquariums.