Removing Tannins

[Sundew]

I just set up one of Aquatic Eco Systems 650 gallon vats as an Amazon habitat. I used about a dozen large pieces of Malaysian Bog wood as well as some well aged bamboo. Of course all this wood has stained the water a dark orange. I would like to remove a bit of the tannins, a little is expected but there is so much you can barely see the back of the tank. I have been doing a thirty gallon water change a day but without much effect, and also added a half gallon of activated carbon to the filter, also will poor results. (I was unsure whether carbon would remove tannins anyway.)

It may be that the wood will just have to age before the water clears a bit. In any case the fish seem very happy in tea colored water. Maybe some addtional lighting will help a bit?

Vat contains:

1 silver arowana 24"
8 severums most about 8"
3 jurupari 6"
1 Geophagus braziliensis 4"
5 rainbow cichlids, Herotilapia 4"
1 banded leporinus 12"
3 Anostomus taeniatus 6"
4 A. trimaculatus
2 red hooks 8",3"
5 silver dollars 3-5"
10 black tetras
4 red minor tetras
1 false silver dollar tetra
2 striped raphael cats

soon to be added

10 diamond tetras
3 uaru

 

[Yakuza-Irezumi]

You have quite the task at hand!! Add alot of carbon,as that is the only thing i know of to remove anything.With that much bogwood though,it might be futile.So i guess removal or daily WC's wold be of assistance.

 

[Tongue33]

Expensive... but I know that Seachem's Purigen works.. It would take you probably about 10 single bags every couple weeks to every month but will pull the tannins or you could buy a few of the larger bottles of it and bag it yourself..

 

[Raul-7]

Don't waste your money on Purigen (it's the best, but it's selective and pricey - use it when your system is more stable). Use carbon and expect to change it often (every 3 days or so), but it will do the job eventually as it's more aggressive.

 

[ewurm]

Forget Purigen for tannins. Do 50% water changes at least weekly, and use as much carbon as will fit in your filter.

 

[riffraffxl]

IMHO, an even faster way would be to take teh wood out and boil it.

 

[vfc]

You have quite a task there. Bog wood has a ton of tannic acid.

 

[Sundew]

Don't waste your money on Purigen (it's the best, but it's selective and pricey - use it when your system is more stable). Use carbon and expect to change it often (every 3 days or so), but it will do the job eventually as it's more aggressive.

Dang, That's a lot of Carbon!!!

I put in 1/2 gallon of carbon and it didn't even put a dent in it!

I guess water changes are the way to go. I will have to get bigger trash cans for the changes!

At least the fish seem happy, the Rainbow Cichlids have been in there only a week and today I saw two of them guarding a cloud of fry. So far I have only lost one fish, a black tetra disappeared, but it was an odd longfin I got by accident so I guess it was a little slooooow.

 

[Sundew]

IMHO, an even faster way would be to take teh wood out and boil it.

And you know a good divorce lawyer, right?

 

[jdryden]

I have a couple pieced of mopani wood in my 55g and before I ever put them in. I put them in a rubber maid and filled it with boiling water a couple times a day and left it out in the sun in between for about 2 weeks. Didn't take long before the tannins had decreased considerably. However, I then moved it into the kids bathroom and filled it with scalding hot water a couple times a day for the next couple weeks and now it usually starts to taint the water slightly if I go over a week without a water change. But its light enough to live with now. The carbon in my filter only cleared it up for about 2 days last time I replaced them.