driftwood and brown water

[attiladahun]

everyone has heard about the tannic acids and and other crap that can be leeched into your tank water when you add driftwood. some months ago i put a nice big piece of driftwood in the corner of my 20gal tank. i found it at a local park-it was part of a root that was exposed from the ground on a riverbank, washed clean of dirt and other crap.

I cleaned it, boiled it, and soaked it in a bucket of water for about a month, when the water in the bucket quit turning dark brown when i replaced it.

a few months later, the water in the tank still is a light brown, staying somewhat clear for about a day after a water change.

what am i doing wrong? why the heck is the stupid wood still turining the water brown? and i won't just take the wood out-it took me too long to find, it looks too good, and my fish love it too much.

HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sumthin fishy]

well, it will leach tannins into the water for a long time. Unless its got your PH on a really big swing its not much of a problem. Some fish actually like the lower PH and the lower level of light.

[blkwdw13]

Like sumthin fishy said it can leech tannins for quite a long time.

[attiladahun]

crap, that kinda sucks

[plah831]

tannins aren't really that bad. they won't harm your fish in the long-run. some people even prefer the look of the brown water, it's more natural.

if you want to get rid of the tannins, just use an activated carbon in your filter as needed. i don't like using carbon all the time, but keep it around just in case. you can just put it back in when the tannins come back enough to bother you.

[liv2padl]

what am i doing wrong? nothing. some wood species can take years to leach all the tannins out.

[echoofformless]

Not only are tannins "not so bad," they're actually quite preferable in most tropical fishtanks. I'd assume a good 70% of the fish we keep are from humic waters. Two of my tanks are "blackwater" setups in which I use peat filtration - leeching tannins on purpose. I would actually be sad if my water wasn't brownish.

Who are the residents of your tank? You might be doing them big favors.

[plah831]

Not only are tannins "not so bad," they're actually quite preferable in most tropical fishtanks. I'd assume a good 70% of the fish we keep are from humic waters.
how do you reckon tannins are better for your fish? besides the pH and light reduction, what are the benefits of it? i'm just curious.

[liv2padl]

I'd assume a good 70% of the fish we keep are from humic waters don't assume so, ... you'd be wrong. fewer than 10 percent is more accurate.

[echoofformless]

how do you reckon tannins are better for your fish? besides the pH and light reduction, what are the benefits of it? i'm just curious.


Those are the benefits! :rolleyes:

Many of the tropical fish we keep as hobbyists come from humic waters where fallen tree limbs, sticks, etc are abundant leeching tannins into the water - thus it's more natural for them to live in such conditions. I'm of the belief that the more you replicate nature and native habitats, the happier your fish will be. (Just seems logical doesn't it?) Not to mention the fact that the tannins have a slight antiseptic effect on the tank and also discourage algae growth. Not so much that you'd be able to use it as a serious preventative, but enough that it does make a worthwhile difference. It also provides some benefits for plants as it adds organic matter to the system.

Not to mention that if you're very serious about replicating nature, you would want the look and scent of the tannic water just as part of the aesthetic appearance of the tank if it is meant to house only or mostly soft/acidic water fishes. I'm pretty hardcore though - I keep an Asian blackwater and an Amazon blackwater setup. I just love the idea of being able to replicate nature as much as I possibly can - it adds to the overall challenge and art of the hobby. I find it beautiful to look into a heavily planted tank of tea colored water and to smell the clean, somewhat anti-septic scent of the peat filtration. Just the same as I love the crystal clear, hard scentless water of an African cichlid aquarium with its rockworks.

You don't have to be a hardcore 'toper though, to utilize the benefits of tannic water.


don't assume so, ... you'd be wrong. fewer than 10 percent is more accurate.

Here's a short, incomplete list of aquarium fish whose native waters are tannic and/or soft acidic -


Many New World Cichlids, ie:
German Blue Ram
Discus
Angelfish
various dwarf cichlids

Other Amazon/South American species, ie:
Most tetra -
Rummynose Tetra
Glolight Tetra
Cardinal Tetra
Neon Tetra
Black Neon
Bleeding Heart Tetra
Head & Tail Light Tetra
Blue Tetra
Flame Tetra
Lemon Tetra
Penguin Tetra

Also Hatchetfish, certain Loricarids and certain Corydoras

Asian species-

Labyrinth fish such as:
Most Gouramis
Most Bettas

Others include Rasboras, Loaches, Glass Catfish, Cyprind sharks, Flying Fox, Danios, Barbs and Loaches.



And you still think that's only 10% of the fish in this hobby?

[Elfinbrook]

Actually, not only can driftwood leach tannins into the water, but corkbark glued to the inside back can do the same thing. I apparently did not soak my corkbark long enough and now I have dark brown water to deal with! :(

[DeRo316]

Just put some carbon in your filter. If you have a HOB put it in the filter floss, if you have a canister put some carbon as one of the stages. I change my carbon every month and a half or 2 months and my water stays relatively clear with weekly 30/40% water changes.

[Elfinbrook]

Actually, my setup is brand new (no plants or fish yet) and I am running activated carbon in my Fluval 305, but the tannins are so strong, the filter media doesn't make a difference. I guess I'll be doing massive water changes for months to come.....

[thefirethief]

Im in the same boat. My driftwood pieces have been leeching tannins for about 5 months, despite boils. Its all to do with whats aesthetically pleasing to yourself really. My tank looks beautiful when Ive just done a water change and its crystal clear, but after a week or so it takes on that murky brown colour. Which I think looks even better.

My friends still comment on how filthy the water is.

How little they know.

[DeRo316]

I am running activated carbon in my Fluval 305, but the tannins are so strong, the filter media doesn't make a difference. I guess I'll be doing massive water changes for months to come.....

Sorry for ya. I figured since my peice was so large I could relate but I guess mines not that bad. Its about a 30lb peice of oak.

[Elfinbrook]

I just know that a large part of my problem is the corkbark I siliconed to the back of the tank. I only soaked it for a week, then it didn't register in my pea brain that the brown water I dumped out meant there would be more. I can't blame it all on the driftwood. Nowhere did I read in my research that corkbark would also leach tannins. Well, I've kicked this dead horse long enough; time to move on to new aquatic problems...