Ever added a new piece of aquarium wood to your aquarium and then waking up the next morning and found that your aquarium water is now stained yellow, the same color as your cup of tea? Well, there is a perfectly good explanation for this phenomenon, so let’s get started!
What are tannins and why is my water yellow now?
Tannins or Tannic acid is basically naturally produced by the decay of things like driftwood, leaves, or botanicals from in your aquarium. Tannins or Tannic acid can be found in virtually all families of plants and comprises up to 50% of the dry weight. Once tannins leech into your aquarium, your water color will take on a yellowish-brown appearance. The best description one can often give is that it has the same type of color as weak tea.
Is tannins dangerous for my aquarium’s inhabitants?
Tannins are not harmful at all to any of your aquarium critters!
What are the benefits of having tannins in your aquarium water?
In fact, it is rather beneficial to the health of your aquarium and its inhabitants. Tannins have long been proven to inhibit and prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in one’s aquarium. Â Tannins also positively affect the healing process of fish that might have damaged their fins due to fights or other environmental causes. The healthier your fish are, the more comfortable they will be in your aquarium, and the happier they are likely to be. You should see a considerable change in the attitude and behavior of your fish once you make the switch from clear, normal water tanks to a full aquarium stained with some tannins.
What else do tannins affect in your aquarium?
Tannic acid as the name implies is an acid which means it will lower your pH, not by a lot but enough that you might notice it when doing water changes. Aside from the pH tannins introduced into your aquarium, tannins will also soften the water a little. This can be useful for certain species of tropical shrimp and fish that require softer water to thrive in.
I don’t like the way it makes my tank look, how do I remove it?
Any aquarium filter that contains a small bag of activated carbon can typically clear an aquarium of tannins in several hours. You can also use synthetic absorbents like Seacheam Purigen to remove the tea stain coloring from your water, having said that, a big piece of wood will take years to leech out its tannins. Many websites claim that boiling wood will remove all the tannins, but at the end of the day accomplishes nothing and in fact, it only serves to deteriorate the wood more rapidly in your aquarium. So why do people tell you to boil your wood? What purpose does it serve, well it is supposed to remove the Tannins, but in fact, it will only remove the Tannins at the very top layer of the wood that you are boiling. So boiling would not make any difference as the wood will keep on releasing Tannins for many months, even years.
