Tea Time? Let's Get On The Same Page..

[Phaneric]

Okay. Here's the thing. I have a new 29gal tank.
Added my freshwater sand, 2 plants (not sure what they are), a lava rock, and a piece of drift wood. (after soaking it until the water was a light tea color) 
I filled the tank with 'hard' tap water two days ago.
I added Start Right by Jungle
I added recommended amount of Nutrafin cycle for the first and second day - then realized it was useless cause I'm doing a fishless cycle.
The filter has been running as long as the tanks been filled.
Today I had to leave my house at 4am and didn't get back until 4pm. The water is cloudy, my plants have drooped, and the drift wood has turned the water a very distinct medium tea color. I want to begin cycling, but I'm not sure if all this has effected my water to the point that I should start over.
That being said, my tap water alone tested around 6.5 pH and in the tank (after the start right and nutrafin) tested around 8.0-8.5pH.
I've been told this is a large jump in pH and that I should check the tap water after letting it set for 24hrs to make sure the co2 has dissolved, but because of todays events (the aquarium water turning to tea, cloudiness, and drooping plants) I feel that It may be the drift wood that's causing the pH jump.
It would seem I have to refill my tank anyway because of the wood; I've left a small vile of tap water on the counter for a couple of hrs -I can't imagine it would take long for the co2 to dissolve- If I test it now would my readings be accurate? I'm testing with the API master kit.
Should I just start fresh by refilling my tank and leave out the drift wood THEN test the aquariums pH to see if the drift wood is my problem? OR should I take out all of the items in my tank (not including the substrate) and test the water after adding each item? If i should do the second what would be a reasonable amount of time to test the water after adding an item?
I obviously wont be adding the drift wood the second round if it's going to discolor my water! So I'll leave it to soak for a day or two before trying it again..
Imput?
-Phan.

 

[fluttermoth]

Driftwood would tend to lower ph, not raise it. Soaking in hot water (do not boil it) is the best way to reduce the tannins, if you don't like that look (many fish prefer it though).

The usual culprit in raised pH levels in tanks is the substrate, but you do need to let your tap water stand for the full 24 hours to get a true reading.

The cloudiness will be a bacterial bloom (not the same bacteria as we want in our filters though, unfortunately!) and will clear up on it's own.

Plants often take a few days to recover when they've been moved, so don't worry about the 'droopiness' just yet.

 

[Phaneric]

Driftwood would tend to lower ph, not raise it. Soaking in hot water (do not boil it) is the best way to reduce the tannins, if you don't like that look (many fish prefer it though).The usual culprit in raised pH levels in tanks is the substrate, but you do need to let your tap water stand for the full 24 hours to get a true reading.The cloudiness will be a bacterial bloom (not the same bacteria as we want in our filters though, unfortunately!) and will clear up on it's own.Plants often take a few days to recover when they've been moved, so don't worry about the 'droopiness' just yet.

That's good to know. Will the tannins clear up at all from the wood once the tank begins to cycle? I'm sure it will lighten up over time anyway once my tank is stocked through the water changes.
I used the same substrate in a 6 gal, which I shortly upgraded to this 29 gal and the pH was even higher. Its actually pretty fine and I only like it for the color. I'm going for a tropical community tank. Things like: gourami, danios, Minnows, barbs, swordtails, and angels are what I'm interested in. What is generally a good substrate for this group?

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

The wood may take a while to "tannin out" maybe months, may be years.
 
The easiest way is to have carbon in your filter and replace every 2 weeks. Or deal with it water changes help dilute it

 

[spencer_41188]

, the driftwood I have for my clown and rubberlip pleco's " fiber" was called Malaysian bogwood I boiled it for 15 minutes reading the instructions said, it would discolor water to a tea color if not boiled or soaked

 

[fluttermoth]

It's really not a good idea to boil wood; it 'cooks' the fibres and it won't last as long in your tank, before it starts to break down, as it would if you'd just soaked it.

As you've not included any bottom dwellers on your list of potential fish, you can go with pretty much any substrate. If you think you might want either loaches or catfish in the future, you really should have sand.

 

[rms]

Sorry to go off thread but if your tank is less than 40cm in height even a single angelfish is going to feel cramped when fully grown. There's mixed views on what the minimum is. They range from 40cm to 60cm
 
I'm a big fan of Corydoras as a bottom dweller. They have great personalities and help keep your tank clean of food debris. You'd definitely need sand as a substrate for them, or at least part sand. Substrates can be mixed, but it's a good idea to use rocks or wood to create borders. I have a plant substrate around the sides and back and a patch of sand in the front for my Cory's

 

[Phaneric]

I won't boil the wood just to preserve its life. I can always remove the wood if it seems to be taking longer than I'd like to clear up. Knowing that the discoloration is not harmful, and possibly preferred by the fish, gives me relief. Thanks for tips on the bottom dwellers! I didn't have any listed simply because I hadn't made a decision on which would best work with my set up. Should I maybe switch to a pool filter sand as my substrate? I've heard that it doesn't affect the pH and is safe for the fish. 
My tank is 46.6 cm tall and provides plenty of swimming space. I won't have more than 3 of the angels and am leaning more towards 2. I'm going to make sure not to overfill the space, while providing every fish with what they need to hide and feel comfortable.
And since I still have a ways to go before my tank is cycled I have plenty of time to gather what I need to complete the tanks set up. Any tips are welcomed as well! 
-Phan.

 

[fluttermoth]

Pool filter sand is an ideal substrate for catfish/loaches

Two angels is almost guaranteed not to work, unless you start off with six or seven juveniles, wait for them to pair up and then rehome the 'spares', or you buy an already mated pair. Two random angels (and bear in mind they are virtually impossible to sex until they come into breeding condition) almost never get on, and one will bully or even kill the other.

 

[AquaPit]

Tea anyone??

No..?

 

[Phaneric]

Hmmm... That's no good! I will see if any of the 'real' fish shops around here have any paired angels, otherwise I'll stick with one. I guess my hardest decision will be choosing which one! They are all so beautiful!
The Angel wont be added until I've added all of the others in order from smallest & most peaceful to largest & most aggressive (the only aggressive ones would be the Angel and the Gourami, but I plan on having a handful of females to keep the Gourami preoccupied), giving time for the others to form a bond so that I can build a good stress free community!
I'll be looking into the pool filter sand.. Think I'll just trade what I've got out for that.
I'm not sure if I want a sucker cat or a small pleco, but I'll decide based on my substrate.
And speaking of tea, I think I'll make me a pitcher! lol

 

[spencer_41188]

a pleco you might want to go look at if you go that route, is a clown pleco the max is supposed to be 4 inches, though I have heard of peoples being a little bigger

 

[spencer_41188]

*-you would have to look at , the smallest tank size allowed for that pleco i think it was 20 when i searched it before buying mine