Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fishtank Filtration and Cycling => Topic started by: Lellynelly on February 26, 2017, 03:57:46 PM

Title: Bogwood - water still discoloured at 4+ months
Post by: Lellynelly on February 26, 2017, 03:57:46 PM
Hello all.
My latest tank is a 200L, and living in it are a Torpedo barb and an Angel fish that I acquired some months ago.
When setting up the tank around last October I decided on adding a piece of bogwood to the landscape. As suggested by its label I soaked it separately for 2 weeks prior to adding to the tank to allow for the discolouration to disperse. (although the label did also say that it had been pre-soaked)
It has been in the tank since around mid November but the water is still brown. Each fortnight I do a water change of around 20% (sometimes its weekly sometime it may be 20-25% it just depends on what I'm doing and how much time I have). The water always looks slightly less brown after that but soon gets darker again.
I tested the water today and all is good, but I really don't like the way it looks.
It's been 4 months now, will it eventually clear? or will it never clear? When I bought the wood I was of the understanding that discolouration wouldn't be a problem if the wood was soaked beforehand.
Title: Re: Bogwood - water still discoloured at 4+ months
Post by: Matt on February 26, 2017, 04:11:02 PM
The discoloration will lessen with time. But there are things you can do to try and prevent it such as boiling the wood.  Or to remove it such as running carbon in your filter.

Its probably worth mentioning that the tannins are quite beneficial to fish health so you may decide just to leave them to disperse naturally.
Title: Re: Bogwood - water still discoloured at 4+ months
Post by: MarquisMirage on February 26, 2017, 04:15:49 PM
Bogwood is usually used in an aquarium the same way peat is used i.e. softening it and making it more acidic.  The tannins (which are making the water brown) are normal for this kind of wood if it isn't pre-treated which isn't the same as pre-soaked which only means it will sink.  It will eventually clear after many months of having it in your aquarium.  Not usually too long so you may only have a month or two left to wait.

The good news is that this is exactly the kind of water conditions Angel fish, and I think the barbs too though not entirely sure, live in their natural homes and they'll be loving it. 
Title: Re: Bogwood - water still discoloured at 4+ months
Post by: fcmf on February 26, 2017, 04:46:08 PM
If you really don't like the tannin-stained water, then you may find a piece of carbon in the filter may help to soak it up although it needs to be changed frequently (eg during the weekly water change) to ensure that it continues to soak up the tannins.

However, I would really encourage you to view the tannin-stained water in a different way - if it's more in line with what the fish like, then you'll be rewarded with brighter colours and more natural behaviour from them, and so perhaps you'll come to like it for yourself. I forgot to put catappa leaves (which leach tannins too) in the tank following the water change a couple of days ago and something didn't seem quite right - I then realised that the tank looked too clear-coloured and stark. Once I put a couple of catappa leaves in, the water coloured up, had a much more natural look to it, and the fish coloured up too and seemed more "at home" (ie in their own special underwater world as opposed to fish in a tank as a piece of decor in a human home).
Title: Re: Bogwood - water still discoloured at 4+ months
Post by: Littlefish on February 26, 2017, 05:37:15 PM
The older bogwood that I have has stopped leaching tannins, but I boiled it before putting it in the tank, and it still took a while before it was completely clean.
Title: Re: Bogwood - water still discoloured at 4+ months
Post by: ColinB on February 28, 2017, 09:26:49 AM
Clickety-click (http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/how-to-set-up-an-amazon-themed-aquarium) for Angelfish Biotope.