Tannin question

[thewaterboy]

Hi everyone, I have a quick question about tannins. I bought wood at my LFS. I soaked it for about a month, changing the water every 3-4 days. After a month passed I threw it in the tank, and to my surprise there were A LOT of tannins still in it. It has turned the water lightish brown and it gets worse every day. It has gotten to the point where I am worried the tannins will kill the fish. I know tannins decrease pH so I am keeping an eye on it. Assuming pH is okay can the tannins alone kill the fish?

Thank you very much.

 

[phillydog1958]

nope, your fish are safe. take the wood out and boil it, if it will fit in a pot.

 

[kzimmerman]

It could cause a pH crash if your pH is low and your water is pretty soft. It's very unlikely however. Boiling will work, you can also soak it in a bucket with a little leach in it for a while. Rinse a couple of times, add a declorinator to the bucket and let it soak overnight, should get rid of most tannins. You can also use activated carbon to remove some. Some tannins are beneficial to many fish, like most tetras, cories, ect. You can also control tannin concentration with water changes.

 

[JK47]

The tannins won't kill your fish at all. Depending on your stock, they may appreciate it. Why not let the wood do its thing? Tannins are beautiful IMO and all of my tanks are heavily stained intentionaly. It doesn't have the dramatic impact on PH that a lot of people will say. Even if it does affect your PH, it will happen slowly so there is nothing to worry about. My two cents...