What is your best way to get tannins out of the water? I'm sick of the water changes not making any change. I miss my clear water oh so much. Am considering a UV sterilizer or Purigen. Any comments on what your best method was?
mopani wood horror
- Thread starter adellababe
- Start date
You can boil the wood to leech out more of the tannins.
Adding carbon will work as well. You'll never have completely clear water as long as there is wood in the tank though.
Adding carbon will work as well. You'll never have completely clear water as long as there is wood in the tank though.
JamesF;5059360; said:
Boiling would be hard, it's about 2' long. We soaked it in the hottest water we could get to come out of the tap in the tub.
Was also considering turning a ten gallon into another filter because soon it won't be being used and it's sitting right underneath it.
I have 7 large pieces in my 90. Three pieces are about 15 years old old. The newer pieces were soaked in a 55 gallon can for about four months before I put them in the tank. Bottom line......I still get tannins. Not bad but enough to be too noticeable or distracting. I run carbon on it for a few hours a day and it helps, but in my experience wood never really stops leeching altogether.
The wood in my 60 leeches as well, but that tank is setup to be a blackwater tank. Very dim lighting, dark gravel substrate and tea colored water. My angel, ram and tetras love it.... so I leave it for that tank.
Carbon helps. Purigen is good too and can be recharged.
The wood in my 60 leeches as well, but that tank is setup to be a blackwater tank. Very dim lighting, dark gravel substrate and tea colored water. My angel, ram and tetras love it.... so I leave it for that tank.
Carbon helps. Purigen is good too and can be recharged.
Look for really tall pots at second hand stores. I have one that is over 2' tall. Failing that, 55 gallon steel drums over a fire work very well.
I have two large pieces of drift wood in a 5gal bucket in my guest room bathtub at this moment. Each morning I drain the water and top it off once again. It's been in there for five days and I'm still getting brown tanin-stained water every time I dump it out. I plan to continue this until the water runs clear. For your situation I would suggest pulling the wood and doing the same. For the existing water do more water changes plus add some charcoal to your filter setup as this will help to clear the water once again. Otherwise if you leave the wood in you're just chasing your tail because the tanins will continue to leach while you're changing water or adding charcoal. Some people actually prefer this 'more natural look' and try to attain it. It's preference though and it sounds like you really don't like it so there's a few tips to help you out.
I have had mopani in my tank for 2 years. It was prepared by scalding and soaking for upwards of a month before being placed in the tank. Its still leaching tannins two years later. Personally I like the look of the darker water, and I think it provides nice contrast for the fish.
Water changes, and carbon help, but it will require LOTS of time before the tannins are gone.
Water changes, and carbon help, but it will require LOTS of time before the tannins are gone.
You guys are lucky. My water is so soft that it pulls all the tannins out of my driftwood in just a few months. I like the amazon blackwater look but all I can do is add alder cones or maple leaves to freshen up the color. So maybe soaking the driftwood in RO water would help. My water has a total hardness of less than 1 and my wood quits leaching somewhere between 3 to 6 months.