how can i keep my water "polished"

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

Lightning Bug

My fish talk to me
Nov 4, 2009
121
0
16
im having the hardest time keeping my water from yellowing. after putting hundreds of dollars into this tank id like it to look good. iv been told it's from all the driftwood leaking tannis. personally i think it's from the several hundred MTS iv got crawling around under the sand. i dont want to remove either from my tank. is their anything that i can do get things cleared up? will simply putting carbon in my water work? if so how long does it work? im looking for a longterm fix that is low maintenance and will not hurt my snails (in addition to the MTS i have two anatome helenas, 3 nerites, and one other funny looking snail that i haven't identified). got any ideas?
 

MoonstruckMuse

AC Members
Mar 4, 2007
196
0
0
Putting carbon in would definitely clear it up... but it would also remove a lot of the nutrients that you have from the water. Activated carbon works by indiscriminately binding tons of stuff in the water, and so while the tannins would get bound up, so would the ferts.
MTS probably have little to do with the problem, though if you have tons of them, that may suggest that you're overfeeding the tank a little, which allows their population to explode.

I'm not entirely sure what the best method to deal with the tannins are, but my guess would be that if you used some really strong filtration WITH carbon for a short period of time, you could clear the water and then start dosing again. if you're dosing EI, this'll fit in nicely....
So basically, you might fertilize your tank on Monday and do a big water change on Sunday, or something. Instead of doing a big water change, you could throw activated carbon in your filter (and maybe even add another big filter with carbon) on Saturday, let it run until Sunday, and then restore your tank to how it was, do the water change, and then resume dosing as usual.

You may need to repeat this cycle a few times, since the tannins leach over time.

Also, I've never purposely tried to remove tannins, nor do I dose heavily, so I'm just speculating.
 

Plague

O.o
Aug 4, 2010
718
0
0
Miami, Fl
Activated carbon/carbon does not remove any ferts from the water column. I've been using activated carbon for 8 months and successfully fertilize my plants.
 

coach_z

AC Members
Jan 12, 2009
3,370
1
38
41
NJ - Northern
Real Name
Chris
im having the hardest time keeping my water from yellowing. after putting hundreds of dollars into this tank id like it to look good. iv been told it's from all the driftwood leaking tannis. personally i think it's from the several hundred MTS iv got crawling around under the sand. i dont want to remove either from my tank. is their anything that i can do get things cleared up? will simply putting carbon in my water work? if so how long does it work? im looking for a longterm fix that is low maintenance and will not hurt my snails (in addition to the MTS i have two anatome helenas, 3 nerites, and one other funny looking snail that i haven't identified). got any ideas?
Regarding above quoted text in red: You should listen to the advice that has been given to you, the yellowing is tannins leaching from the wood. It is a natural, normal, and expected side effect of putting wood in a tank. If you do not like the tannins, let the wood soak in a different container and change the water a lot. To remove more tannins faster, boil the wood or place in a cantainer with really hot/boiling water. Do not use a fish tank with boiling or hot water.

MTS wont change the color of the water.

Carbon might help, but your water will still be yellow. Save your money and simply treat your wood like i mentioned above.
 

jasonG75

AC Members
Jun 1, 2010
1,644
0
0
48
Memphis, TN
Agreed....If you don't want yellowing, boiling should have been done PRIOR to introducing into the tank. Depending on size you can fill up a large stock pot and boil it for 45 mins, pour out water, replace with fresh water and boil again. Again depending on the size of the wood you might do this several time.
However this does not COMPLETELY resolve the leaching of tannins, but there wont be as much.
 

Sigrid

AC Members
Jan 8, 2011
337
0
0
both hands in fish tank
Real Name
Bristlenose
I like the little Trumpet snails as they do a good job in digging thru the gravel. Yellowing of water, I experienced in the past, was from leaching of the driftwood.
Sigrid
 

Sigrid

AC Members
Jan 8, 2011
337
0
0
both hands in fish tank
Real Name
Bristlenose
....about polishing the water...Do you have a chance to get a hold of a "diatom" filter? That machine would really clean, remove and polish your water.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store