Can Tanins Be Removed?

[denzil1nil]

I have a large piece of mopani wood that i want to put in the tank but i didnt realise how brown the water gets until i started cleaning it to put in the tank.

Can these be removed from the wood because A i dont want brown water and B i dont want the water chemistery to change, from what i understand adding the wood can cause the ph to drop.

 

[TropicalJuwel]

Carbon will help and your weekly water changes will help dilute the tannis, carbon doesn't last all that long though.

 

[Tom499]

You will want to soak the wood in a bucket of water (dechlorinated, I think) for awhile.

It will depend on the size of the piece, but it will probably take a few weeks, if you want to remove most of it. You'll want to change the water fairly frequently also.

 

[mattlee]

stick some carbon in your filter and it will go. carbon lasts alot longer than people think and should be good for at least 2 months

 

[phoenix2081]

Just soak it in hot water. Change the water every day or two.

Just leave it until the majority comes out. No need to waste water treatment on it, the water does not need to be dechlorinated.

Heres how I had one of my big pieces until I got a bucket big enough.

 

[CezzaXV]

Most people soak it before they add it to their tank. If you want to keep it in your tank, just know that it will stop leeching tannins eventually, though it may be weeks or even months. Impossible to say.

 

[Tonyb111111]

I soaked my two large pieces for three weeks in hot water with regular changes. They were in the tank another two months before the tannins stopped. Tried carbon and a few other things which helped a bit, but the biggest help was regular water changes

 

[mhancock]

I had some interesting advice on a similar post - putting the wood in the toilet cistern for a few weeks, every time it is flushed the water gets replaced and eventually tannins will be gone!

 

[This Old Spouse]

Kinda gross to look at in your toilet bowl, though! All that brown water ...

 

[This Old Spouse]

Kinda gross to look at in your toilet bowl, though!

 

[mhancock]

Kinda gross to look at in your toilet bowl, though!

LOL - not in the BOWL, in the cistern!!!

 

[This Old Spouse]

But the tannin-stained water goes in the bowl!

 

[mhancock]

But the tannin-stained water goes in the bowl!

LOL yes, I had not thought of that! Would look very odd!

 

[Katch]

Seachem Purigen soaks it up really quickly. A 100ml bag in my canister took the yellow out of my water overnight and kept it out.

 

[denzil1nil]

thanks alot guys the wood is defo to big to go in the toilet cistern so ive been soaking it in a bucket of hot water and changing the water every now and then. Ill keep doing this until i get some seachem purigen then put a spare internal in the bucket until its clear.

However once the tanins are gone will this mean it wont affect my ph?

My ph is fine as it is.

after looking at the pic of the wood in the bath ive realised my wood is alot darker more of a mahogany colour so it might not even be mopanni (its what came with the tank i just assumed it was mopanni).