help

[chochanator]

hello im new , i have 75 gl tank that i fill with drifwood thinking and trusting who gave them to me that they were cure , guess what not cure my water is beyond blackwhat can i do please help i just got back in to the hobby after 10 yrs because of 1 year old grand daugter thank you

 

[eco23]

It looks like you posted this question in two different sections... I posted a response to your one in the general section

 

[chochanator]

thank you sir , i an a beginner even do i used to have a lot of fish tanks but that was over 10 yrs ago i just pick it up again . so i just did a 75% or a lil more change of water and that their is a huge diffrence in color i know is not goin to be crystal clear for while but i coulndt stand that black water any longer ,know i have two female gupis that survive out of ten that my freind gave to me they are a lot more happier it seems now or meaby i couldnt seem them before lol . i didnt touch the filter is over hang penguin 350 , im planning on buying another one , iwanna make this tank a comunity tank so granddaughter can enjoy it even do she loves it , so once again i appreciate any and all your help that could give e

 

[UntimelyLord]

All driftwood will make the water brown if you don't boil it or soak it for a good while, but I see you've already gotten a more detailed answer. Activated carbon can help remove the brown tint. Here is a good article on starting a freshwater aquarium, I recommend reading up on the nitrogen cycle if you haven't already. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186089
You may need to monitor pH because the tannins that made the water brown will have lowered the pH, and a changing pH can make it harder to start up the nitrogen cycle. I hope you and your grandchild have fun setting up your new tank!

 

[chochanator]

thank you sir but my ph is actually high now that remove that driftwood and i change 75% of the water it seems that the two goppys that survive are now in a corner of that tank hopefully they wont die i bought a test kit for ph that brings 3 bottlesone of then is to bring the ph down i, i used it just now lets see what happens . my granddaughter will be here later on hopefully they wont die so at least she can enjoy them . if you have any advice more than welcome again thank . ps i dont think im going to use driftwood any time soon.

 

[toolman]

The tannins won't harm your fish, my son breeds platys and corycats in his 10g.

If you've lost fish was your tank properly cycled? There is a lot of information on the nitrogen cycle in this forum.

Many on this forum don't recommend using chemicals to alter ph, they tend to be short term fixes. I use Ro/Di water from Culligan, local store has bottle filling machine and is open 24hr, it's cheaper than purchasing your own system (quarter dollar a gallon) and right next to work.
Sent from my N9130 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[chochanator]

i was giving the tank and driftwood that same day , it was my fault i didnt resarch at all i used to have like 5 or 6 tanks 2 of the salt the rest fresh but this was like 10 or more years ago i jumped one this mission for my lil grand daugther so im going to let playany advice will be aprecciated

 

[crazypetpeople]

I would test your tap water to see what your working with to begin with. I have tap water that is 6.5 ph and I made the mistake of using a Ph neutralizer. My Ph dropped to 5. If your Ph does a dramatic drop you can take out some water and dissolve some baking soda in it then re-adding it. but that is an emergency solution and not long term.