i put driftwoodin my planted tank and the water is a little yellow/orange more yellow. if its the wood will normal schedualed water changes eventually get rid of the color. any help appreciated
will driftwood discolor water
- Thread starter stashmoney82
- Start date
legendaryfrog
Tactical Refreshment Action
Lupin
Registered Member
- Sep 21, 2006
- 21,430
- 13
- 0
- Real Name
- Paul
The wood will leach tannic acids for a long time. The only way to remove the discoloration if you really don't like it is either activated carbon (complete waste of money) or water changes.
ive had my driftwood in the tank for over 5 months and it still discolors water. youd either have to get use to the color of the water or take the wood out.
I have heard that boiling the driftwood (up to 8 hours) will get most of the tannic acid out.
Cheers
Cheers
I boiled my driftwood for a long time (exact number of hours I don't remember) but never saw a coloration of my water...
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
Boiling the driftwood will also hasten the natural breakdown process by weakening the cell walls. Thus its life in your tank will be shortened.
I'm the broken record of blackwater advocacy. But I'll say it again: if you're keeping fish that prefer soft/acidic water (which is the large majority of the common fish kept in home aquariums) then consider the color a blessing.
I'm the broken record of blackwater advocacy. But I'll say it again: if you're keeping fish that prefer soft/acidic water (which is the large majority of the common fish kept in home aquariums) then consider the color a blessing.
Boiling helps destroying the cell walls. After you have boiled your driftwood it will deteriorate quite fast. This will benefit your bacteria and the amount of nutrients in your tank. Before you know it 50% daily water changes will be insufficient. The reason why aquarium driftwood is hardwood is that it doesn't decompose. It does leach a bit of tannins in your water though. I use peat to add tanins, works a lot faster and since it is in the filter it can be replaced easilly.
My water is somewhat coloured, that is a side effect of both peat and driftwood. It is also quite soft and acidic due to filtering over peat, under 3 DG, pH 6. Since my fish are native from the amazone that is a plus.
If you want to boil your driftwood and put it in a tank, please don't put any multicellular creature in there. You might as well toss them in pan of soup or fond for that matter.
My water is somewhat coloured, that is a side effect of both peat and driftwood. It is also quite soft and acidic due to filtering over peat, under 3 DG, pH 6. Since my fish are native from the amazone that is a plus.
If you want to boil your driftwood and put it in a tank, please don't put any multicellular creature in there. You might as well toss them in pan of soup or fond for that matter.
most of the driftwood can with stand boilin water..the effect it has on the cell wall will be pretty minimal. remember this wood is dead it has left behind the woody cellular wall. basically the skelton of the wood. while it may hasten the break down it is minimal in the time frame of break down.
how much tannin you leech out it dependent upon the wood as is the rate of break down of the wood cell walls.
actually the wood more resistant to break down is cedar/cypress. most of the woods have been exposed to high moisture during it's life.. cypress in particular is an excellent wood to use .
how much tannin you leech out it dependent upon the wood as is the rate of break down of the wood cell walls.
actually the wood more resistant to break down is cedar/cypress. most of the woods have been exposed to high moisture during it's life.. cypress in particular is an excellent wood to use .