Brown Water

[newkeeper1982]

Hi, our tank is 6-7 weeks old now. All tests are coming back as ok but my water has a brown tinge to it. It is NOT cloudy and actually very clear apart from having this tinge! I clean the filter once a week and have Cories feeding from the bottom so all food gets eaten. We have done 2 partial water changes and it helps for a few days then it starts changing again. Any ideas why its happening and what I can do to get rid of it?
Thanks

 

[StandbySetting]

It's probably Tannins, presumably you have wood in your tank?

 

[KittyKat]

Tannins are harmless to fish, and may possibly be beneficial. As long as you don't mind the tinge, it's easiest to leave it. If you do mind the tinge, increase water changes.

 

[scotty]

just out of interest are you cleaning the filter with tank water or tap water?

 

[newkeeper1982]

No wood as we took it out thinking that was what was causing the tinge (even though we soaked it for 4 days!), shall I put it back in? Yes, cleaning the filter with tank water!
Thanks

 

[StandbySetting]

When did you take it out? Put it back in Tannins are beneficial in most cases as they create humic acid and lower the PH.

 

[raptorrex]

Hi, our tank is 6-7 weeks old now. All tests are coming back as ok but my water has a brown tinge to it. It is NOT cloudy and actually very clear apart from having this tinge! I clean the filter once a week and have Cories feeding from the bottom so all food gets eaten. We have done 2 partial water changes and it helps for a few days then it starts changing again. Any ideas why its happening and what I can do to get rid of it?
Thanks

what substrate have you used?

 

[jnms]

If you don't like the Tannins (if that is indeed what is causing the tinge) then if you put some Carbon in your filter - it will help clear the brown tinage away pretty fast.

But the carbon will need to be changed pretty frequently as it will only remove a certain amount of tannins.

 

[newkeeper1982]

Thanks, I will put the bogwood back in We have small, smooth gravel although I have been advised to change it to sand

 

[raptorrex]

Thanks, I will put the bogwood back in We have small, smooth gravel although I have been advised to change it to sand

I totally agree that Tannins are good for fish., i even like the look. but i would keep the wood out, till we find out why your water is turning brown. (if its not in we can, at least, discount it as a culprit).

you say "small smooth gravel" could you give me its colour, and tell me if you washed it prior to putting it in the tank, also the reason you are thinking of changing to sand?

are you getting any "brown" deposited around the tank, as opposed to in the water. in line with this, how much natural and artificial light does your tank get?

carbon, to eliminate the tannins, works a treat. but it would also masks the, underlying, problems affecting your tank.

you say you have had the tank, "6-7 weeks". how long has it been cycled? ( personally i would suggest that once a week cleaning is not the best way to treat a filter. I would suggest once a month, or there a bouts).

finally i could do with a list of your stock, if any.

 

[newkeeper1982]

Hi rapptorex, the gravel is black and white and most certainly washed until the water was clear! I have previously been told (another thread titled Who is the culprit?) that my bottom feeding Cories should ideally have sand not gravel even though it is smooth not sharp! So I am thinking of getting a second tank for them! The light they get is from an Aquawave Fusion LED light (blue and green) as shown on this link- http/www.aquariumledlighting.co.uk/fusion%20tubes.php which is on from 8am to about 6pm. There are no brown deposits and the tank was cycled for 3 weeks before any fish were added. I have been cleaning (water change) once a week because I thought the slight brown tinge was something that shouldn't be! I shall leave it to see how bad the colour gets or how good it becomes! I am changing my fish about again as advised on my other thread, but these are the fish I have at the moment in one tank: 3 Pearl Danios, 2 Platys, 5 Cories and 6-8 Kribs (who incidently have eaten my Neon Tetras- hence my other thread!!). I am grateful for any input as I am new to keeping tropical fish!

 

[raptorrex]

Hi rapptorex, the gravel is black and white and most certainly washed until the water was clear! I have previously been told (another thread titled Who is the culprit?) that my bottom feeding Cories should ideally have sand not gravel even though it is smooth not sharp! So I am thinking of getting a second tank for them! The light they get is from an Aquawave Fusion LED light (blue and green) as shown on this link- http/www.aquariuml...ion%20tubes.php which is on from 8am to about 6pm. There are no brown deposits and the tank was cycled for 3 weeks before any fish were added. I have been cleaning (water change) once a week because I thought the slight brown tinge was something that shouldn't be! I shall leave it to see how bad the colour gets or how good it becomes! I am changing my fish about again as advised on my other thread, but these are the fish I have at the moment in one tank: 3 Pearl Danios, 2 Platys, 5 Cories and 6-8 Kribs (who incidently have eaten my Neon Tetras- hence my other thread!!). I am grateful for any input as I am new to keeping tropical fish!

thanks for the FULL information here!

few more questions:

do you see evidence of the BROWN, whilst cleaning your filter, or is it just when you look at the tank and do water changes?
does your tank get much natural light too?

the water, I remove, often looks green/brown when i do water changes.

sorry for the repeated questions. but, as you know, there seems no reason for your problem. this means question, questions till we get a tag on the culprit.

the change to sand may reveal something. but i guess we will have to wait to see if the problem resurfaces after.

keep us informed how you go. but we will, eventually, get to the root!

 

[The Taffy Apple]

If it does turn out to be tannis, don't worry about it..

My 120L turns almost to a 'weak tea' colour, my weekly (40%) W/C's soon clear it, but it comes back every time.
A good trick to remember..do you have any floss of wool in your filter? If that is stained brown, then tannis is more than likely the culprit, but as i said, don't worry about it..my fish love it !!!!

 

[newkeeper1982]

Hi, been away for a few days- it was lovely!
Raptorex- the filter always has brown smelly sludge (even worse last night as the mother in law has overfed the tank - we did tell her how much to feed them but she still did it wrong!) I now have a massive spike in Nitrates- should I do a PWC? The tank doesn't get much natural light as its in a corner of the room and not near the window. The water colour seems to have stabilised and no longer looks too bad
The Taffy Apple- Yes, we have floss wool in the filter and this also gets full of brown sludge!
Thanks very much for your help
Newkeeper

 

[KittyKat]

Feeding: I place food in little ziplock bags, enough food per one feeding per bag, then get the neighbours' three year old to come over and tip one bag of food in per day. She's never gotten that wrong so far! I can recommend same procedure for relatives too, when you're on holiday

Yes, do a water change. The brown slimy stuff? Rotting food and #105### like that. Wash the sponge in old tank water and consider feeding a bit less or cleaning it more often.

If you have lots of sponges and maybe even some bio-media in the filter, then only a tiny bit of floss, you should be able to just replace the floss with new stuff every time you clean.. but only if you have lots of other media which is not replaced!