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! 
driftwood and brown water
- Thread starter attiladahun
- Start date
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.
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.....
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.
My friends still comment on how filthy the water is.
How little they know.
Elfinbrook said:
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.
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...
