Tannins are VERY good for fish! The biological anti-biotic benefits can never be understated. I use Rooibos (Afrikaaner for ''red bush") tea bags @ 1 bag per 38-litres. Tannins colour the water, they do not permanently stain anything! Leeching wood in aquariums I think would depend on species as none of my wood seems to be leeching anything.
It surely stained the bucket I had the driftwood sitting in for the past 3 weeks. It didn't get any better and still leaking as much as when i first started.
I bought a large piece of driftwood for my 55 gallon and it was turning my tank brown within a week! I finally took it out and put it in my horses' water trough over the summer. That trough is fed by a gutter from our barn so the water is always turning over and stays full. I put it back in my tank after about 4 months and now I don't notice the water turning brown at ALL between weekly water changes. So, time is definitely a way to get them to decrease. (Obviously boiling wasn't an option because it's a BIG piece.)
I bought a piece of moponiwood and I soaked it in hot water for three days, changing it every 24 hrs before I put into my fish tank. It has not colored the water at all after a week.
Two weeks ago, I added a driftwood to my 35 gallon tank for the first time. My danios seem to be happy and loving it. I also love the tea colored water in the tank.
Tasmania (where I'm from) has peat bogs and alpine grassland that feed the mountain streams making them not so much brown as deep red. The water is always free from silt and floating particulates and if not for the deep red tannins, it would be crystal clear. I like that look, it reminds me of home. My wife is Japanese and she doesn't like that look. Japanese rivers are super clear.
I believe if I use that analogy of a "tea pouch" it will quickly darken clear water. But if you empty the cup over and over.. eventually it will loose tannins. In a forest that continues to live and die, I think it would never cease. However I heard the air pockets in driftwood release the tannins and eventually it will slow and lighten.
I think it depends on the type of wood you put in the tank. I've had a couple pieces of wood that leached out after a few weeks and the water did not turn brown in two tanks. In my 125 gallon a beautiful piece of wood has been in there for two years and the water turns brown after 3-4 days after every water change. I wonder if different types of wood produce less tannins.
Hi I know this is a different subject but I've just bought 2 57l fluval aquariums and just wondered how long aquariums actually last if you look after them properly, thanks pal this was a great video because a lot of people must change there water every month not knowing tannins are never going away, so really there wasting there time, thanks again pal take care, all the best to you.
I’ve soaked a few pieces of mopani over a year and half with regular water changes and several sessions of boiling the wood. (20+ hrs of boiling) There are less tannins but not by much. I use Purigen to remove it as I like my tanks clear and cleanly presented.
I soaked some driftwood I picked up from a beach for a couple of months. It had been presoaked so had no problems with tannins. Did pick up mosquito larvae though, but the fish liked that 😬
I have Malaysian driftwood in my 55. First few months it leached heavily even after soaking in salt water, boiling and running through the dishwasher. After a year I really don’t notice much yellowing. Mopani however leaches a lot more.
I have a 2.5 gallon nano tank with 3 pcs of driftwood and some java fern narrow leaf, with an anubius nana and some dwarf sag. Never had any tannins. Of course I boiled the wood in a slower rolling boil for 2-3 hrs to help it sink and draw out the tannins first. Then I soaked it in clean water for a while. All was clear..still is. 👍
I have a 10 gallon moderately planted shrimp tank. One small piece of driftwood and a new Indian almond leaf swapped every month. I try to get tannins in it but its crystal clear. My 40 though looks like tea after 24 hours of a cycle. The only difference aside from size is java fern present I'm the larger. Never saw it before, thank you
The driftwood I’ve found from the pet store has been leeching tannins for weeks. When I go to the desert and find wood that’s been sun bleached there are no tannins! So I think until the wood has been in hot dry sun, it’ll leech!
Tannins are great! It gives the aquarium a more natural look. Indeed, Tannin Aquatics has an entire business revolving around getting more tannins into your tank. PH problems can be resolved with buffering, salts and certain substrates. But for the most part, celebrate your tannins! 🍸
I think java fern fixes the tannins in their roots which turns them black or brown. Java fern I had tied to a rock with no wood in that tank remaned a light brown while another piece I had was tied to drift wood in another tank had black roots. Either they absorb the tannins from the wood itself or from the water. At least that is my guestimation from observation.
I’ve got a nice piece of Manzanita Wood in my 20 Tall and I boiled it for several several hours and soaked it overnight and once the water color got almost clear while boiling it. I took it out ran it under hot tap water and gave it a good scrubbing then put it in my tank. My water looks crystal clear but I know it still leaches tannins that my eyes just can’t pick up on. I don’t worry myself to death over it I do the main thing and that’s enjoying my beautiful aquarium.
My java ferns do not turn the water tea colored. It stays clear even in a temporary vase that I kept just two java ferns in (one Windolov and one regular). So it is still your wood leaching in my opinion (could it have something to do with the water itself why it would keep leaching, like high or low KH or GH?).
Question , do different types of wood produce different amount of tannins? I have four pieces and never get the tannins you get. Also, Suwannie river and okefenokee swamp water gets tannins from peat.
I spent about $70 on a large piece of driftwood a few weeks ago. I put it in the tank forgetting to soak it and use boiling water, etc.. After taking it out of the tank it had a gooey film and smelled bad. I started soaking it over and over again in a bucket. This would be for a 50g shrimp tank. I'm not a fan of the tea-colored water but if I want to use this great piece of driftwood, I guess I'll have to try it. Great vid, thanks!
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly but you make it sound like wood will give brown tanin, which i dont want to deal with, this whole cleaning stuffs. However Ive seen videos and commens where they say they don't get tanin :s I'm confused
Isnt it "humic" acid? Also, I boil my wood for 2 hours with several water changes in the pot (it makes the water black), and it prevents my water from becoming black water. I believe ammonia and nitrite bind to humic acid (from leaves and wood,etc) and they "remove" the tannins just by binding.
I really couldn't say. I've never remineralized my water. Epsom salts (MgSo4) will certainly help, but I think you'll still want to add a bit of calcium. Epsom salts will give you magnesium, but not calcium.
Asking how long Tannings will last from a piece of Driftwood is like saying how long is a piece of string??,,....I use red cedar roots from a stream with no I'll effect...in fact I had fish breeding with them roots and the best part is.. the wood/roots is free where I live🙂
Mopani wood is the worst I use spider wood haven't had a problem for at least 8 months in the beginning of placing in my tank it did have a tannin water color but after being filtered I guess I'm going by trial and aria it ujusted and it's very clear don't know what I did lol but its working
As someone who has a no filter tank I personally don’t mind the tannins as it helps keep the ph balanced and gives it a swampy look that I’m going for
Tannins are VERY good for fish! The biological anti-biotic benefits can never be understated. I use Rooibos (Afrikaaner for ''red bush") tea bags @ 1 bag per 38-litres. Tannins colour the water, they do not permanently stain anything! Leeching wood in aquariums I think would depend on species as none of my wood seems to be leeching anything.
It surely stained the bucket I had the driftwood sitting in for the past 3 weeks. It didn't get any better and still leaking as much as when i first started.
Tanins are good. They used to treat illness with them, and still do.
But what kills bacteria can kill your fish too, If overdosed.
I bought a large piece of driftwood for my 55 gallon and it was turning my tank brown within a week! I finally took it out and put it in my horses' water trough over the summer. That trough is fed by a gutter from our barn so the water is always turning over and stays full. I put it back in my tank after about 4 months and now I don't notice the water turning brown at ALL between weekly water changes. So, time is definitely a way to get them to decrease. (Obviously boiling wasn't an option because it's a BIG piece.)
I soaked a piece of wood for an entire summer on the most sunny part of my deck and changed the water frequently. My tank water is crystal clear.
I bought a piece of moponiwood and I soaked it in hot water for three days, changing it every 24 hrs before I put into my fish tank. It has not colored the water at all after a week.
I like your water fall
Two weeks ago, I added a driftwood to my 35 gallon tank for the first time. My danios seem to be happy and loving it. I also love the tea colored water in the tank.
Tasmania (where I'm from) has peat bogs and alpine grassland that feed the mountain streams making them not so much brown as deep red. The water is always free from silt and floating particulates and if not for the deep red tannins, it would be crystal clear. I like that look, it reminds me of home. My wife is Japanese and she doesn't like that look. Japanese rivers are super clear.
Dan I totally agree have a 55 gallon with Malaysian driftwood that's been in their for years and still leeches quite a bit of tannins.
I believe if I use that analogy of a "tea pouch" it will quickly darken clear water. But if you empty the cup over and over.. eventually it will loose tannins. In a forest that continues to live and die, I think it would never cease. However I heard the air pockets in driftwood release the tannins and eventually it will slow and lighten.
I have a Driftwood (Mopani) that never Leached Tannins after boiled.
I also have other Driftwoods that never stop of Leach Tannins.
I think it depends on the type of wood you put in the tank. I've had a couple pieces of wood that leached out after a few weeks and the water did not turn brown in two tanks. In my 125 gallon a beautiful piece of wood has been in there for two years and the water turns brown after 3-4 days after every water change. I wonder if different types of wood produce less tannins.
"FOR-E-VER, FOR-E-VER,FOR-E-VER, FOR-E-VER" - The Sandlot
Hi I know this is a different subject but I've just bought 2 57l fluval aquariums and just wondered how long aquariums actually last if you look after them properly, thanks pal this was a great video because a lot of people must change there water every month not knowing tannins are never going away, so really there wasting there time, thanks again pal take care, all the best to you.
I’ve soaked a few pieces of mopani over a year and half with regular water changes and several sessions of boiling the wood. (20+ hrs of boiling) There are less tannins but not by much. I use Purigen to remove it as I like my tanks clear and cleanly presented.
Tell me about it I’ve been soaking/ boiling a few branches of mopani for over a month now and after 2 days the water is still extremely brown
I soaked some driftwood I picked up from a beach for a couple of months. It had been presoaked so had no problems with tannins. Did pick up mosquito larvae though, but the fish liked that 😬
extra nutrients lmaoo
Good. I fucking hate mosquitoes 😤
I have Malaysian driftwood in my 55. First few months it leached heavily even after soaking in salt water, boiling and running through the dishwasher. After a year I really don’t notice much yellowing. Mopani however leaches a lot more.
I have a 2.5 gallon nano tank with 3 pcs of driftwood and some java fern narrow leaf, with an anubius nana and some dwarf sag. Never had any tannins. Of course I boiled the wood in a slower rolling boil for 2-3 hrs to help it sink and draw out the tannins first. Then I soaked it in clean water for a while. All was clear..still is. 👍
I have a 10 gallon moderately planted shrimp tank. One small piece of driftwood and a new Indian almond leaf swapped every month. I try to get tannins in it but its crystal clear. My 40 though looks like tea after 24 hours of a cycle. The only difference aside from size is java fern present I'm the larger. Never saw it before, thank you
The driftwood I’ve found from the pet store has been leeching tannins for weeks. When I go to the desert and find wood that’s been sun bleached there are no tannins! So I think until the wood has been in hot dry sun, it’ll leech!
I boiled driftwood for 5 hours and it’s been in a bucket of water for bout a week and the water darkens and I change it every 2 days
Dark hardwood & mangrove species. My experience more or less forever but slightly less over time.
Tannins are great! It gives the aquarium a more natural look. Indeed, Tannin Aquatics has an entire business revolving around getting more tannins into your tank. PH problems can be resolved with buffering, salts and certain substrates. But for the most part, celebrate your tannins! 🍸
I think java fern fixes the tannins in their roots which turns them black or brown. Java fern I had tied to a rock with no wood in that tank remaned a light brown while another piece I had was tied to drift wood in another tank had black roots. Either they absorb the tannins from the wood itself or from the water. At least that is my guestimation from observation.
Sounds Logical..
Facinating.
Sounds like good information.
Tannin makes it natural... Especially in biotope aquarium... It's looks great
i do have no staining with spider wood
I’ve got a nice piece of Manzanita Wood in my 20 Tall and I boiled it for several several hours and soaked it overnight and once the water color got almost clear while boiling it. I took it out ran it under hot tap water and gave it a good scrubbing then put it in my tank. My water looks crystal clear but I know it still leaches tannins that my eyes just can’t pick up on. I don’t worry myself to death over it I do the main thing and that’s enjoying my beautiful aquarium.
My java ferns do not turn the water tea colored. It stays clear even in a temporary vase that I kept just two java ferns in (one Windolov and one regular). So it is still your wood leaching in my opinion (could it have something to do with the water itself why it would keep leaching, like high or low KH or GH?).
Not sure. Maybe the acidity of the water?
Is the background waterfall a real stone? Did you carve the water path? or is it a natural path?
It's expandable foam that I sculpted and painted with silicone.
My crayfish love it I didn't even cure my driftwoods at first I got panic because it cause some bubbling later on i realize it was because of tannins
i live on the banks of the mississippi river. i found some great wood at the river, but its hopeless. it never stops dirtying the water. i give up.
Drift wood can leach tannins for decades. often from 50-100 years from what I've been told. Many leaves also give off tannins as well as wood.
Put new one in two months ago and still pretty tanny
Mines is in there 2 years n still brown I just keeps bn plecos
I put a small amount of jave fern in a small betta tank and the next day it was brown. There was no wood in this tank
Question , do different types of wood produce different amount of tannins? I have four pieces and never get the tannins you get. Also, Suwannie river and okefenokee swamp water gets tannins from peat.
I assume different wood produces different amounts.
Why does driftwood add biofilm and film on the glass? Since putting it my tank my betta has been stressed. What would cause this?
I don't know why it would stress your fish unless it was contaminated with something?
I spent about $70 on a large piece of driftwood a few weeks ago. I put it in the tank forgetting to soak it and use boiling water, etc.. After taking it out of the tank it had a gooey film and smelled bad. I started soaking it over and over again in a bucket. This would be for a 50g shrimp tank. I'm not a fan of the tea-colored water but if I want to use this great piece of driftwood, I guess I'll have to try it.
Great vid, thanks!
It sounds like you need some type of pleco for your driftwood. They're great and maintaining Driftwood to a pristine condition
@@stevenahlberg1542 The piece of wood is fine now. This is for a shrimp only tank but its a wonderful piece and looks amazing.
I bleached a log once it turned white, 3mos later it was back to same color
tannins help wit ph as well
so do you think plastic driftwood is a better idea,
I don't. I like real plants and wood. Tannins are good for your fish too.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly but you make it sound like wood will give brown tanin, which i dont want to deal with, this whole cleaning stuffs. However Ive seen videos and commens where they say they don't get tanin :s I'm confused
New sub
Isnt it "humic" acid?
Also, I boil my wood for 2 hours with several water changes in the pot (it makes the water black), and it prevents my water from becoming black water.
I believe ammonia and nitrite bind to humic acid (from leaves and wood,etc) and they "remove" the tannins just by binding.
When up to the Suwannee river a few month's ago. Definitely black water! I'm about a hour south of Tampa, what part of Florida did you live?
I was in Jax Beach (and a few months in Jax proper)
I worked for Skinners Dairy.
I have a big piece of driftwood in my ten gallon and now my dank is very dark. I don’t know how I feel
Love the tannin! it's good for your fish and looks natural and beautiful. If it gets too dark, just do a water change.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly lol its really dark though.
What is best product for replacing minerals for RO/DI water
I really couldn't say. I've never remineralized my water. Epsom salts (MgSo4) will certainly help, but I think you'll still want to add a bit of calcium. Epsom salts will give you magnesium, but not calcium.
From what research I have done probably the best product would be Seachem Equilibrium
Thanks for the reply
Asking how long Tannings will last from a piece of Driftwood is like saying how long is a piece of string??,,....I use red cedar roots from a stream with no I'll effect...in fact I had fish breeding with them roots and the best part is.. the wood/roots is free where I live🙂
It's been 3 years for me still leaching tannins
API BIO-CHEM ZORB SIZE 6
new sub here
Thanks!
I added driftwood to my tank and it has zero visibility now
Some fish are intolerant of tannins - CPD's for example
put the wood in a glass bowl see if its does it then
Must be American dirty wood lol I've never known it here in UK
Mopani wood is the worst I use spider wood haven't had a problem for at least 8 months in the beginning of placing in my tank it did have a tannin water color but after being filtered I guess I'm going by trial and aria it ujusted and it's very clear don't know what I did lol but its working