Tannins/driftwood/ph/a bunch of stuff

sumthin fishy

sumthin fishy

I eat spam
Aug 22, 2005
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central california
Real Name
mike
A few questions:

1. a. I got a rather large piece of driftowood for the 55 yesterday. Put it in (thank god it sinks!) and it fit perfectly! about 1/4" between its top and the cover. :dance: I know it will start to leech tannins, my first question is about thier removal. Oppinions or facts, which is better, using carbon in my filter or just let the water changes take care of it?

1. b. How will driftwood affect my Ph. I would like to lower it a bit, Im arround 7.2(close to what the lfs had them in), and have SA fishes in there, and need to get it down. How much will it drop(does it depend on how much I used?) and will it be too drastic a change?

2. I got some plants for my 10 gallon. Peacock fern and anacharis. It was home to guppies, a ram, and a few cats prior to adding plants (all but the gupers are now in the 55). The plants have been there about a month now, and the water is starting to turn a brownish green. Is this normal? There is no driftwood in the 10 so its not tannins unless im dumb and those plants leach tannins. The plants are healthy growing, not dead or dying. I do weekly 1/4 WCs, and the color doesnt bother me unless I find out its killing my fish.

3. RUST!!!!! I found a nail in my substrate!! Im not even going to try how to figure out how it got there, or how long it was in there. Lets just say since I set it up a few months ago. How bad is it?
 
I don't really have answers for you but you just helped me come to a revelation. I've been baffling over why my pH dropped from 7.0 to 6.4 in a short amount of time. I've been doing water changed but my tap pH is a bit higher too. Heh the only thing I changed was adding driftwood! That must be it!
 
I put several pieces of driftwood in my 55 about 6 months ago and did not notice any kind of ph drop at all.

As far as removing tanins, I soaked mine for a week and changed that water every day. Worked ok, although some still showed up in the tank. I actually liked the way it looked as it was more natural for a SA tank. The tanins have now come out naturally through water changes.

I'm just not real hip on carbon.
 
It should lower the ph a bit, but I don't think it should lower it too much. As far as tannins go, I would soak it in a tub for a week or 2 and change the water 1-2 times a day. I am doing that now, at first my water was turning very brown, now it barely has any color to it. I don't think rust should be that bad. If you add iron to your water for a plant supliment, more of the iron will rest then actually be used by plants. As long as most of the rust is on the nail and it should be ok.
 
the amount of tannins and the changes in ph will vary depending on several factors.
part of which may include factors such as:
..what type of wood it it and how long has this driftwood been soaking in water.
 
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And the buffering capacity of your water affects how the driftwood will alter the pH. I maintain a pretty stable 7.0-7.2 in my aquariums. The one with the largest piece of driftwood dominating the tank has the same pH as a tank with no driftwood at all.
 
sumthin fishy said:
3. RUST!!!!! I found a nail in my substrate!! Im not even going to try how to figure out how it got there, or how long it was in there. Lets just say since I set it up a few months ago. How bad is it?
Click to expand...
:OT: :OT: :OT:
When reading this post I read snail instead of nail. So, I thought rust was an "anger word" or another snail species. Than, I re read and read nail, and this time it was a finger nail that came to my mind. Can't believe it took me 3 times to understand what you were talking about. :duh:

Language barrier has not been totally destroyed... :read:
 
I have a ton of malay driftwood in my 29 and see NO effect on ph. I've found that any rocks with even a slight buffering capacity (in my case black slate) is enough to maintain ph. I've actually found it VERY difficult to lower my ph. The only success I had was to use mostly RO water, peat extract and remove anything thay might buffer the water.

As for tannins, the malaysian stuff (sounds like what you have) will leach for a long time. Like I said, I have a ton in my tank, but kinda like the look of slightly tinted water (biotope appropriate and all that). My tank looks alot brighter after a water change however.
 
Pato- you know I like a good language barrier, and that was a funny one! Thanks.lol

Moo- yes it is malaysian, the guy at the lfs told me to watch my ph for a bit before trying the peat. I was making sure he was right (usually is, but I always like a second or third or tenth oppinion)

Thanks everyone else for the replies...hope I didnt forget any follow up questions, if I did just smack me over the head.

No about #2 WHYYYYYY???!!!!!
lol
 
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