Stupid drift wood... *grumbles*

[Cephas]

Okay, when I first set up my tank I had a nice, big schunk of drift wood that I'd been soaking for about a month before hand. When I put it in, I was convinced that it was ready. After about a week, the tank got a slight yellow colour - this I could handle as it wasn't very thick. Another week, more yellow etc.

Anyway, it eventually turned the water into an all-out tea colour. So, coupled with the fact that I didn't really like how it made the aquascape look, it made the ammonia test hard to read and I can't imagine it'd be nice for the fish, I took it out, put two tribal ornaments in and did I water change.

My Point

I'm assuming that with water changes the colour'll eventually fade? (It's already beginning to) Or is there something else I should do?



Cheers. Any help's appretiated.

 

[The-Wolf]

apart from the colouration the tannis
have very little effect on water parameters.

you are correct that it will eventually go with water changes.
I have heard that adding activated carbo to you filter will
speed up this process, but I've never had to do it, so i can't be
posative that would work.

 

[Cephas]

Ah, okay. Thanks.

I think I can wait out with the water changes as long as it's not doing anything but making the tank look feral and neglected (you can't really notice it when the light's on anymore, anyway.).

 

[paulthegreat]

Sounds like you had a bit of mangrove root. I have some Opawa root in both of my tanks and only the slightest coloration in the small tank that goes away for a few days when I do a water change. In the 112liter there has been no color change at all. A few more water changes and your tank should be pretty much clear again.

 

[KentBlokey]

I've recently put some Mopani in my Tank. The water has changed in colour slightly, was bad at first but a water changed fixed that! Now I quite like the tinge that it has!!!

 

[Cephas]

Yeah. I really didn't mind when it was just a slight tinge, but by the end (and after several water changes) it looked like I'd dunked a big tea bag in the water. I've re-decorated the tank now and it looks even better than it did, anyway.

As for what type it was - I have no idea. It did look like a part of a root and some-what mangrovey, but I don't really know for sure. Though I'm gunna hold onto it for in the future when I have a big enough space/budget for a big tank. (Naturally, I'll soak it longer than I did this time. )

 

[StarOrbs]

What I did was soaked it overnight in a bucket of hot water. Then I scrubbed it with a sponge lol.. Then I soaked it in boiling water. It still floats a bit but I got the slate that connects to it underneath the sand and rocks on top of it. Looks good anyway.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I liked my chunk of driftwood till it turned my water brown and I started getting comments from my little brother and his friends that my tank looked like I'd murdered someone in it and turned the water all bloody.... It was dark brown water, not RED!!! Little beasts.....

 

[OohFeeshy]

Hehe. Some people actually like tannins in their water.

 

[samuel]

I have added some new pieces of driftwood that I purchased from the lfs. I kept the pieces soaked for 8 days in buckets and changed the water twice a day (morning and night).
The pieces of wood constantly discolored the water to a brown tea color. Finally, in a fit of rage I boilded water and soaked them all in boiling water, It seemed that the hotter the water the more color came out. Cold water did not make the color leech out as much.

I then took the pieces of wood and oven baked them at 350'F for 30 minutes or so making sure they did not catch fire

I then returned them back into buckets with water for the night to notice if they were still disoloring the water. It seemed to have reduced it alot. When I finally put them in the tank after a few days I noticed the gold-brown color once again. I am currently doing 1/3 water change daily, I have test the water and the readings are not affected buy the discoloring.

I finally broke downand called the lfs to figure what is happenning and their suggestions was exactly what I did. Sooner or later I will prevail.