API Root tabs turned water brown

[Sharkrocket72]

Hi everyone,

Right now I am in the process of cycling my tank. It is a 5 gal hex eclipse tank, with 15W of CF light. I am on about the 7th day of cycling, ammonia is almost non-existent, nitrites are about 3ppm and nitrates are about 50ppm. I have some dwarf hairgrass and 2 dwarf Anubis in the tank. The substrate is just plain gravel.

I added some API root tabs as per the directions. The directions say that you should add 1 tab for every 30 sq inches of gravel surface. My gravel surface is about 97 sq inches so I added 3 tabs. The next morning the water turned a brown tea color. The plants seem to be doing fine but the water looks absolutely disgusting. Did I do something wrong? Should I not have added them during cycling? Has anyone else had this experience with the API root tabs?

Any help would be appreciated!

Happy New Year!

 

[rich311k]

Were they completely under the gravel? I have used them many times and have never had that problem.

 

[Zezmo]

The tabs should be burried about an inch or so under the gravel. Place one tab under each grouping of plants.

 

[theotheragentm]

I have API root tabs and mine are dark. When they break apart, they are a black powder, not brown. Something else might be up. Anything else going on in the tank?

 

[Sharkrocket72]

When i put them in they were completly under the gravel. Maybe I will try to put them deeper in the gravel next time.

Nothing else seems to be going on in the tank. Today ammonia is completly gone, nitrites dropped to 2ppm and nitrates are at about 50ppm.

I do use an 1" airstone at night. I have it producing about 1-2 bubbles every 2-3 seconds. Maybe this has something to do with it? Maybe the air under the gravel is bubbling up the tabs causing the water to turn color. ???

Thanks for the replys!