[Jeditwin]

I put two pieces of driftwood in my tank, is this the reason that my water looks like it has a yellow tinge?

The tank looks pretty cool with a yellow look.....kinda like looking into a river or something.... I would really like the water to be clearer...How can I achieve this....

I want clear water to appreciate the colors of the fish, when I put them in....

 

[CichMomma]

Yes, your driftwood is leeching tannins. It is making the water more soft and acidic as well. If you don't want it to leech in the tank then you would need to take it out and let it soak in a rubbermaid tote or 5 gallon bucket, depending on the size, until it stops leeching.

 

[Jeditwin]

Thanks, how long of a process is this? How long will it take before I can add them again to my tank.....

 

[prov356]

You can also use a chemical media like carbon or purigen to remove the tannins. The purigen can be recharged. But, soaking or boilling speeds the process up if you don't mind leaving the wood out for a while as it can take weeks. If you can't boil, just soak in hot water that you change daily.

 

[Jeditwin]

Thanks... I will boil the pieces tonight, and let them soak for a while... .I will see what happens... Hopefully, I can get the water clearer faster than longer.....

 

[dotbomb]

Jeditwin, I recently boiled a piece of driftwood for my 20g long. I boiled it three times for about 20 minutes each time. For a 20g tank it is a decent size piece of wood. I have no tannin release and doesn't decrease my ph noticeably.

 

[Jeditwin]

Everyone, please I am now really frustrated...... I boiled the pieces of wood, I also soaked the wood for days, changing the water daily... until there wasn't any more tea color in the 5g bucket they were in....

Still my water isn't as clean as I would like it to be, I have cleaned the filters and everything, what else can I do for the water to look clear, so that my fish and their awesome colors can be really appreciated......

 

[702Cichlid]

I give a +1 to prov356's suggestion of using purigen (my personal choice) or another chemical media to get rid of the rest organic chemicals still in solution. I would also take a few minutes and inspect the driftwood for soft, squishy or decomposing spots. Decomposition when it starts means it's time to ditch that piece of driftwood altogether.

Good Luck.

 

[CichMomma]

Everyone, please I am now really frustrated...... I boiled the pieces of wood, I also soaked the wood for days, changing the water daily... until there wasn't any more tea color in the 5g bucket they were in....

Still my water isn't as clean as I would like it to be, I have cleaned the filters and everything, what else can I do for the water to look clear, so that my fish and their awesome colors can be really appreciated......

This is similar to what happened to me in my little planted tank. I didn't use any extra additives or anything like that. I just decided to be patient until it stopped altogether. Even after boiling and soaking, etc., I just decided to put it in the tank and wait it out. I did 50% water changes every other day until I noticed it wasn't leaching as much. That probably took about 6 weeks and now the water is clear. Obviously this exact scenario is just my experience with it. Eventually it will stop, it will just take a little time.

 

[RRasco]

Lots and lots of water changes. I have a piece of malaysian that still seems to leech tannins after a year of being in the tank.

How do you treat with purigen? Just did some quick reading on it and it sounds great. Do you put it in a media bag and add to a filter? What other methods are there?

 

[Anthraxx8500]

guys dont just boil these logs. in my experience *** had to "remove" anything on the logs that is softer (i use mala. hardwood). i then either boil them if they can fit submerged in a pan, and if they cant i boil water and add it to a 5g bucket with the logs. continue adding water to the bucket as it boils. leave it overnight and repeat a cpl times. should wake up to 5g of cola everyday and in less then a week its a managable amount released in a tank. GL to ya. remember the softer it is the more it will leech.

 

[Bruce Haynes]

...or take out the bogwood and use plants, rocks, or other decorative media. My bogwood has been leeching tannins for months and months...but I like the blackwater look and my fish are mostly SA anyway so the blackwater look is desirable in my tanks. If you can't beat it either get rid of it or learn to appreciate it.

 

[lexbomb]

Try Bio chem zorb, its half the price of purigen and is just as good IMO
Only thing is it cant be recharged, Got rid of all my tannins in 24hr

 

[irondan]

i have had several peices of malaysian bogwood in my tank for 3 years that still leach. i dont mind the look and the tannic acid is good for the fish. works like a natural antibiotic. i do a 50% water change weekly and the water becomes tea coloured in 3 days. i also like the blackwater look

 

[Jeditwin]

Just a question here guys, as my water still seem to be a bit yellow or cloudy looking..... Could the color be coming from a reflection from my off white back wall my tanks sits in front of? I have a black background on the tank? WOuld this have any effect?

Also, could the coral pieces I have in there make it this color? I really don't know why it is looking this way.. I have been doing water changes and what not, but nothing seems to be clearing it up to look crystal clear like my other tank.....

 

[Jeditwin]

Anything... anything....

 

[DanniGirl]

While I agree it's probably the wood, it could be a combination of the coral as well.
Where did you get the coral? LFS or beach?

 

[Jeditwin]

LFS...... Could that be it? Because I could easily switch it out for something else... To stop the discoloration.....

 

[DanniGirl]

How well was it prepared? (Cleaning?) Did it have a smell to it before you placed it in the tank?

Years ago this happened to me but I collected coral straight from the beach and it may not work in your case, so keep that in mind.

After collecting large pieces of coral, I had boiled them out (dumping water in a 5 gal. bucket) for days and followed by a week of air-drying. I placed them in the tank and within the hour, the water turned yellow. I removed the pieces and they reeked of ocean critters! :x
So, I ended up power-washing them off followed by a 24 hour soak in a strong bleach solution. Following the bleach solution, I soaked the pieces in water for 24 hours- changed the water- soaked again for another 24 hours followed by another power washing. Then I let them sit in the sun for a few days after which, I placed them in an established tank with no fish. About a week later I pulled the pieces out and they had no smell and the water parameters were perfect.

Obviously I went overboard, but it worked. LOL! :roll: :lol:

You need to find the route cause of the problem so two things you should do:

1.) First pull out the driftwood and see if there is any improvement. If so, then honestly, ditch the piece of wood. It sounds like water clarity is your priority so time to decide what is more important.

2.) If there is no improvement (when you remove the wood) then remove the coral and see if there is an improvement.

I hate to say it but I don't think it's going to be a quick fix. Just be patient and eventually you'll have the water to your liking. :thumb:

 

[Jeditwin]

thanks so much.... i appreciate it...