Yellow water

[snotirl]

I was in a pet shop today and i was looking at a tank with my father it was a cold water tank with some sharks in it. In this tank the water was yellow and we thought it was the light so we asked the man behind the counter about it and he told us that it wasnt the light it was this stuff called bog wood and it turned the colour of the water that way but its ok he said. he then said that people use it if there fed up with the normal colour of water and want to change it. So im fed up with the colour of my tank he told me to boil the wood first then put it in i havent put it in yet i want to now if it is safe for my fish!?! 8)

 

[teknikz]

ive not heard of ppl using it to change the colour of their water before

the yellow stuff is called tannin.....a colourin from the wood

i dont use bog wood coz it colours the water.....i think its unsightly n looks dirty so i chucked my £20 piece of bog wood away

it makes the water more acidic....i think its acidic....might be alkaline

Tek

 

[gadazobe]

I don't think bog wood affects the chemistry of the water, but I may be wrong. If you want bog wood (plecs need it for their digestive system - they rasp on it) then boil it several times until all the tannins have leached out. I use a bit in each of my tanks for my plec and bristlenose. Also I've often seen other fish grazing on it.
If you look under mopani wood in tropical chit chat - Dragonslair has a very good description of how to get rid on the tannins. It works on the same principle for bog wood as it does for mopani wood

 

[Flippin'thing bit me eye]

It is ideal for american fish particularly Plecs as they need to eat bogwood to aid digestion and nutrition.

 

[snotirl]

i think the water looked nice and it dosnt look dirty so i can use it right?

 

[Flippin'thing bit me eye]

GO ahead, it works wonders for a lot of tetras, glowlights and congo are but a few who benefit from tannin.

 

[snotirl]

Im using it in my cold water tank as well is that ok??

 

[Flippin'thing bit me eye]

I suppose that it is fine in cold water too, just make sure that whatever you do you must soak it for about 12 hours