SubstrateSource Natural Cholla Wood – Driftwood for Aquariums, Air Plant Base, Hermit Crab and Freshwater Shrimp Hideout, Fish Tank Decoration, Chinchilla Chews, Reptile Habitat Wood – 4 Inch, 3pc
$9.97






Price: $9.97
(as of Nov 24, 2025 18:45:49 UTC – Details)
Product description
Natural Cholla Wood for Aquariums, Shrimp, and Reptile Terrariums 
Harvested from the cholla cactus, our cholla wood is a favorite natural decor for freshwater tanks and terrariums. This aquarium cholla wood is safe, long-lasting, and perfect for shrimp, bettas, and plecos. Enhance your aquascape with driftwood for fish tank setups.

Sticks
Our cholla wood sticks are hand-selected and ideal for shrimp, snails, and small fish. These shrimp sticks provide the perfect grazing surface and are safe for all freshwater aquarium driftwood setups. Use them to create custom shrimp hides for aquarium habitats.

Tunnels
Cholla wood tunnels offer an open, tube-like design that’s perfect for shrimp breeding and natural hiding spots. These aquarium logs are made from real cholla wood long pieces and double as shelter and a food source. Great as driftwood for pleco and nano fish.

Boil
Boil your cholla wood for 20–30 minutes to remove tannins and help it sink. Boiling ensures it’s safe and ready for your aquatic pets.

Soak
Or soak your cholla wood for aquarium use in warm water for several days. This softens the wood, reduces tannins, and helps it become waterlogged.

Rinse
After boiling or soaking, rinse your cholla wood pieces thoroughly. This final step removes debris and makes your tank wood ready to place.

Ready to go!
Once boiled, soaked, and rinsed, your cholla wood aquarium decor is safe for all aquatic life. Add it to your setup for instant natural appeal.
Why Cholla Wood Is a Top Choice for Aquariums & Small Pets 
Cholla wood is lightweight and porous offering natural enrichment, biofilm growth, and shelter. It’s perfect as wood for fish tank aquascapes or betta driftwood décor. A must-have aquarium driftwood for shrimp, plecos, and small species.
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
Product Dimensions : 5.3 x 2.1 x 1.7 inches; 1.6 ounces
Item model number : H1A01001-003
Date First Available : August 23, 2014
Manufacturer : SubstrateSource
ASIN : B00MYN48J0
Best Sellers Rank: #26,366 in Pet Supplies (See Top 100 in Pet Supplies) #23 in Aquarium Décor Wood
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,425 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Cholla driftwood sticks are great for creating a natural appearance, and adding additional hiding places for shrimp and small fish or climbing decorations for hermit crabs.
Easily attach live plants such as anubias, bucephalandra, or even moss to create a natural sunken log effect, or place in reptile habitats to create a desert look.
Consists of all-natural, organic dried husk of the Cholla cactus with a porous skeleton-like structure and soft texture.
Each stick is approximately 4” long and 0.5-1.5 inches wide. You will receive randomly selected sizes both thin and thick.
Boiling the wood prior to use is recommended and will reduce natural slight browning of your water and help them sink better as they are very light and will float initially. This will reduce over time.
Customers say
Customers find the cholla wood to be of good quality and functional, working well without boiling, with shrimp loving to play and hang on it. The size receives mixed feedback, with some finding it good while others say it’s smaller than expected. While some pieces sink perfectly, others float, and durability is a concern as they break apart and deteriorate within months. Value for money is also mixed, with some considering it good value while others feel it’s not worth the price.
13 reviews for SubstrateSource Natural Cholla Wood – Driftwood for Aquariums, Air Plant Base, Hermit Crab and Freshwater Shrimp Hideout, Fish Tank Decoration, Chinchilla Chews, Reptile Habitat Wood – 4 Inch, 3pc
Add a review
$9.97
Giovanni Onorato –
Natural Cholla Wood
I have purched many of these Natural Cholla Wood pieces in many different sizes. My fish love them. They look great in your aquarium with a natural look and shape. They are light weight ,easy to clean if necessary. They are a great addition to your aquarium and a great value for the money. They are 100% natural and work well as a hide for bottom dwellers or just decorations. Try them, you’ll like them !
Dawn M. Taylor –
Small but cute
My shrimp and snails love them.
Rev. Marvel –
A few unexpected positives!
I got the tunnel shape, and it’s perfect! It was a minor or slow change in the ph of my tank water. I’m preparing to introduce neocaridina shrimp into my aquarium. This will be a perfect little hang out for them. My hillstream loaches are loving it! I already have mopani driftwood that they like to flutter around on, but the cholla wood seems to be a favored spot! I think the price was fine. It’s really a lovely color and texture addition. It was unintentionally a great spot to anchor my water wisteria, and some of my pennywort has attached too. I don’t think it will clog the wood for the shrimp either. If anything it will be beneficial for them.
Tayler –
Good value
Bought these to put in the tank to help with tannins and use for hides eventually when I get shrimp. Theyâre pretty small but came pretty much in one piece. I boiled to help them sink, it took around 25 minutes for all 3 pieces to be ready. Easy to maneuver around and position where you want them.
Sophia Ali –
Delighted with My Purchase: Cholla Wood Adds Charm and Character to My Aquarium!
I recently purchased a piece of cholla wood to use as a decoration in my fish tank, and I couldnât be happier with the results. What sets this wood apart is its unique appearance, providing a distinct look to my aquarium that isnât as common as other decorations.Upon arrival, I was pleased to find that the wood was precisely as described in size and appearance. However, itâs important to note that before placing it in your aquarium, soaking the wood in water for a few days and changing the water multiple times a day is essential to remove the tannins. This process prevents the wood from turning the aquarium water a dark brown color.Once the soaking process is complete, the wood can be safely added to the aquarium without any concerns. The tannins wonât harm the fish; instead, they simply tint the water, mimicking a natural stream environment.I highly recommend this cholla wood for anyone seeking a unique and natural-looking decoration for their fish tank. Its intricate structure provides ample hiding spaces for small fish, particularly beneficial if you have young fry or baby fish in your tank. Overall, a fantastic addition to any aquarium setup!
kren –
Good size for small tank, RCS liked it right off, turned water brown w/i hrs even after boiling & soaking; wouldn’t buy again
Got 3 pcs that look pretty much the same as the picture; all are 4″ long, one is 1 1/8″ in diameter, the mid-size pc is 3/4″ dia, the smallest is 5/8″ dia and will not stay on the tank floor without being weighted down. I boiled all three of them twice & soaked them twice overnight before putting the mid-size pc in a 5 gal tank of Red Cherry Shrimp. Even after all that, it still made the water a light shade of brown within 24 hrs of placing in the tank. Not too happy about that & am hoping it doesn’t get any darker, but the shrimp crawled all over it right away, so I guess they like it. Will probably use the other 2 as decoration in my 20 gal long when I get that set up for the Axolotl I plan to get in the next couple months. Don’t want to put any more than one in this small 5 gallon or the water will be much too brown for my liking. All-in-all, they’re okay for small tanks, but after seeing them in person and how brown just one makes the water after treating them to reduce that “problem”, I don’t think I’d buy these again. Instead, I’d probably choose a smaller pc of Malaysian driftwood for my RCS tank. I think the shape would add more interest to the overall look of a tank, big or small.
Amazon Customer –
Durable
These worked well all summer for escape routes in my outdoor bird fountains. Durable enough to use again next season.
Jason –
Works well
I used these in my aquarium to attach plants and moss too. Worked perfect
Ms. S. L. Conlan –
Bought for shrimps to hide in as they are in with small fish. Not as hollow as I was expecting with one peice not appearing hollow at all. Quite slow to get fully waterlogged; one piece took 24h to soak and is in use and they seem to like it. 2 other pieces have now been soaking with a weight on for 3 days and still float as soon as the weight is removed. I’m sure they will get there with patience and hopefully will do the job of protecting the baby shrimps when my adults begin to breed
Zeeshan Saeed –
In description its mentioned wood. Originally received plastic decorations.
Michael Boerefyn –
Pretty decent I guess for the price. This isnât common for us in Canada to have this, but I get fry in my aquarium and I thought it maybe a good hiding spot.I soaked them for 2 weeks changing water every 3 days. They stunk bad after that. So I boiled them 5 times for 15 minutes per time. They still stink, but not as bad.Since I donât have experience with Cholla not sure if you have to boil them for 2 days, but 5x 15 minutes seemed like a lot plus they sat in the hot pot after for a few hours.
Dee Genie –
Small in size but they look really good for miniature landscaping
Brittany k –
Not bad if you arenât too picky two looked great last one had saw marks but made it work! New tank no creatures yet but happy with the wood being different!