# New Driftwood Turning Water Colour



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi all. I have a newish tank that I have set up and am cycling. In this tank, for the first time, I have 'real wood'. It is a couple of pieces of driftwood - one I got from a fellow fishkeeper who had troubles getting the wood to sink and one I collected myself from a chemical free natural environment. We have weighed down the wood (with giant rocks from another tank and stainless steel wires) and have put them in the tank and the tank water is yellowish. Would this be tannins from the wood releasing? I did boil each piece of driftwood before putting it in the tank and the tank was occupied by three common goldfish for about 6 weeks and I just added a pleco from another tank in my house that was being picked on by a Chinese algae eater. The pleco seems to be thriving (as are the goldfish) so before I add what I want in there (lots of cardinals and a few angelfish) I want to make sure that the colour is just the wood. It is a 75 gallon tank with only the wood and those four fish at the moment. The goldfish will come out when I feel that I'm ready to have the others added. I'm at work now, so don't have all the parameters of water quality off hand, but there was nothing abnormal. Will the yellowish colour go away eventually? Any advice/suggestions?
Thanks.


----------



## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

As long as the wood is in the tank. The water will usually have a yellowish look. How hard or soft the wood is may play a factor as well. It may not be as yellow over time. 

Frequent water changes will help keep it from going really yellow. Also running carbon will also help with the color.


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks for that jbyoung00008 - I am running carbon and doing water changes - I guess it's just something I will have to live with if I want to keep the wood in the tank. I do like it in there....


----------



## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

pandamom said:


> Thanks for that jbyoung00008 - I am running carbon and doing water changes - I guess it's just something I will have to live with if I want to keep the wood in the tank. I do like it in there....


Youre welcome. Some others may have some tricks but for the most part if you add wood, the water tends to get a yellowish color and I agree it looks better with wood. More natural 
You


----------



## NGosal (Jun 9, 2014)

I have the same problem in my new tank. But I've been doing 50% water changes every week and I'm noticing the yellow color is getting less each week. I'm running carbon as well and I also boiled the driftwood.


----------



## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

like jbyoung said, carbon will help to remove some of the tanning in your water. The cardinals will love the tanning. It is more or less the natural color of water they come from. The tanning will stop eventually. Some takes longer than others.


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

charles said:


> like jbyoung said, carbon will help to remove some of the tanning in your water. The cardinals will love the tanning. It is more or less the natural color of water they come from. The tanning will stop eventually. Some takes longer than others.


Thanks Charles - that makes me feel better about the fish too. I have to come and see you to purchase my cardinals!! :bigsmile:


----------



## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

dont wait too long. Only about 150 left of this batch.


----------



## eduguy (Jul 6, 2014)

Tanning will always happen when you use driftwood.


----------



## jona31 (Jun 28, 2013)

It's releasing tannins into the water, which softens the water (lowers the PH) (Fish from tropical Asia love it).


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

So, have just picked up an order from Charles - all fish are floating in their bags, getting ready for their new home. Can't wait to get them in there, but am being patient… Will post a photo when they are all in….


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Can't seem to post photos - will check out the reason and try again.


----------



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Purigen is a great product for removing tannins or anything that causes water discoloration. I have a huge log in my 75g and my water was brown ....after a couple days of using Purigen it was crystal clear. I don't use it anymore but it will do the job very efficiently. As mentioned previously, the tannins are beneficial to the fish and most appreciate it. One reason I quit using it myself.

As for posting photos, I find it best to uploading them to a hosting sites first. Personally I use Imgur.com. After uploading them, copy the BBCode/


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks Diztrbd1, I use Purigen in my other 75 g - I will pick up some more and add it to the new tank - thanks for reminding me on that stuff - it's great. I'm just uploading some photos to Imgur. and will post some on here when it is done. That said, I'm not a good photographer at the best of times and I just have a little point and shoot that I don't even know how to adjust the settings on that. I'll have to get my husband to take some photos for me, he's way better...


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Here are a few first shots...


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks to Charles for the beautiful fish - the photos really don't do them justice….


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

My other 75 g community tank...


----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)




----------

