Driftwood, yellow water?

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ChrisH

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 21, 2007
341
1
0
newfoundland, Canada
Hi had driftwood a while now and have been doing weekly 25% water changes but the water has been yellow since i added the dirftwood, soemoen told me to completely empty the tank and clean the rocks and stuff befor ei empty it but i dont knwo what to do with my fish for that time while im doign it. what do you guys think?
 
Unless the pH of your water has been lowered drastically I'd recommend that you just let it be yellow for the time being. The yellow tint is just the tannins in the wood being released into the water, and eventually it will leach comepletely out and the water changes will get rid of it. Tannin is pigment that naturally occurs in wood, they can lower your PH over time but are harmless to fish. I would not risk compromising the beneficial bacteria in your tank by emptying it.
 
elting44;1522712; said:
Unless the pH of your water has been lowered drastically I'd recommend that you just let it be yellow for the time being. The yellow tint is just the tannins in the wood being released into the water, and eventually it will leach comepletely out and the water changes will get rid of it. Tannin is pigment that naturally occurs in wood, they can lower your PH over time but are harmless to fish. I would not risk compromising the beneficial bacteria in your tank by emptying it.

I agree. It could take a very long time for your wood to stop leaching the tannins though. Like possibly a couple of years.
 
if you already add salt when you do your water changes, try adding a little bit more, ive heard it helps to leach the tannins quicker.
 
I actually prefer it. I've got a large piece in my 55. I've read that activated carbon will help keep the tannin level down. I like the yelow water, I think you get a better appreciation of the camoflage with the dark water, with dark driftwood and background. I have 3 severums in it, with one small pleco and 3 corys. The two large severums actually just spawned. I didn't know it untill I was moving one of the pieces of driftwood, as they were injuring themselves on it. I smashed some of the eggs, so they ate them, think it was the female. They have been busy this past week clearing out a depression in the gravel for their fry. And have been quite aggresive to the smaller one, to the point that he doesn't even eat. I'll be moving him to another tank if the wife will let me have one, otherwise, he'll be going back to the store.
 
Don't drain your tank. Either learn to like it (I think it looks nice), increase your water change schedule, or you can use carbon and/or Purigen to help remove it.
 
ive done like 4 water changes in a week since ive added another small piece and my tanks water ha seemed to go slightly yellow but i like it it makes my convict look like a festae!lol:ROFL: o yea and this bit floats lmao i wont try to hold it down with stuff because the smaller convicts seem to like it
floating?:screwy:
 
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