Dark Tea-Colored Water

[Michael]

Hey there guys and gals...

I'm new to this newsgroup, I'm shure you've noticed...so I'll introduce
myself. Name's Michael.. wanted to come up with some cool nickname but
alas, my creativity is sorely lacking. I guess I'm a newbie to the
hobby, but doin' pretty well so far. The tanks been set up for about 2
months now. Here's my setup:
20 gallon tank
penguin 125 with biowheel
UGF
2 Chinese Algae Eaters
4 Bleeding Heart Tetras
5 4-eyed Phantom Tetras
6 Black Neon tetras
4 ghost shrimp
Various plants, (sorry, don't know the names.. =( lightly planted)

2 pieces of driftwood
Tank Conditions:
pH: 7.2 (I know, a little high for tetras, but so far they seem
happy)
Total Hardness: 120 ppm
Total Alkalinity/Buffering Cap: 120ppm
Nitrates: .5-1
Temp: 78 on the stick on, and 76 on the floating

Here's my question...

I understand that a bit o' tea colored water is desirable sometimes in a
tank, but my tank seems to be a bit more than a "little tea colored" I
change my water (25%) every week and a half or two. The water is
relatively clear after the change, a day after the change, the water
starts turning tea colored, a week later, it's pretty much brown, almost
a light coffee color, by the time I change my water again, it's pretty
dark. I know it's the driftwood (Store bought, safe for aquarium kind)
that's leaching humic acid (?) into the water that's making it brown.
It's been almost 2 months now sinch the tank has been populated and the
driftwood has been in there just as long. I've tried soaking it in
boiling water overnite to no avail. It's not unbearable to look at, and
the fish don't seem to mind, but I was wondering if there's anyway I can
maybe keep the water just a little bit more clear.

Thanks in advance...

[Wutupfolks]

<<It's not unbearable to look at, and
the fish don't seem to mind, but I was wondering if there's anyway I can
maybe keep the water just a little bit more clear.
>>

Carbon should remove it, and the wood will not color the water forever- it will
begin to fade in the months to come.
While efforts to reduce the color it gives might prove mildly successful, it is
a lot of work, and really not necessary.

-- Feel free to email me with complaints, criticism, or etc...

Always get at least two sources of info regarding fishkeeping... One you trust,
and one you really trust... --

(Cut off "MyHead" to send email)

[marco]

Hey Michael,

Waterchanges will work till the wood is done leaching then filter with
fresh carbon to remove the color. The color doesnot hurt the fish.
Mark

Michael wrote:

> boiling water overnite to no avail. It's not unbearable to look at, and

> the fish don't seem to mind, but I was wondering if there's anyway I can
> maybe keep the water just a little bit more clear.
>

> Thanks in advance...

[Russell Furlow]

Time and a good GAC (carbon) filtration will help. Change the water a little more often, like twice a week and about 15% each time.

--
Russ

Michael wrote in message <3738E3CC...@home.com>...
Snip....

[Henri van der Riet]

I also had 2 pieces of wood when I started my tank. It had the same efect.

I eventually put the wood in the kiddies pool with a big lump of pool
clorine and left it for about 2 weeks.
The wood became close to snow white, but a day after puting it back in the
tank the water turned brown
again.
I gave up on the wood and now use other decorations.
I still battle to understand how the LFS's can SELL these peices of wood if
it makes the water look terrible...

>Michael wrote:
>>
>> I understand that a bit o' tea colored water is desirable sometimes in a
>> tank, but my tank seems to be a bit more than a "little tea colored" I
>> change my water (25%) every week and a half or two. The water is
>> relatively clear after the change, a day after the change, the water
>> starts turning tea colored, a week later, it's pretty much brown, almost
>> a light coffee color, by the time I change my water again, it's pretty

>> dark.........

[Chris Hedemark]

Henri van der Riet wrote:

> I gave up on the wood and now use other decorations.
> I still battle to understand how the LFS's can SELL these peices of wood if
> it makes the water look terrible...

Because when you are around long enough to start thinking about the
natural conditions that many fishes favor, you realize that this is just
what the doctor ordered to make that tea colored water that many fishes
favor and many aquarists strive to achieve and maintain.

[JimC]

Henri van der Riet wrote:
>

> I also had 2 pieces of wood when I started my tank. It had the same efect.
>
> I eventually put the wood in the kiddies pool with a big lump of pool
> clorine and left it for about 2 weeks.
> The wood became close to snow white, but a day after puting it back in the
> tank the water turned brown
> again.

> I gave up on the wood and now use other decorations.
> I still battle to understand how the LFS's can SELL these peices of wood if
> it makes the water look terrible...
>

Personally, I like the look. Looks more natural somehow. And the light
filtering past the plants to the depths is gorgeous...

Just my 2 euros worth.

JimC