Filtration Questions and Getting Started

[nconfort]

Hello everyone,

I am new here and thanks for having me. I have been playing with freshwater aquariums all my life, but have just recently started getting serious about it.

My new aquarium is a 15g column aquarium. My goal is to decorate it with driftwood, live plants, and a "dark" collection of fish. It has a florescent hood light and LED light for night use.

I found the perfect driftwood in terms of shape and size, but it is turning the water brown from tannins. I would like it to be clear, and I currently have the wood soaking (doesn't seem to be out of tannins anytime soon).

My question regards Purigen and Chemi Pure Elite. Would these work well enough to help the dark water, and what effect would they have on live plants. Should I use Purigen and Chemi Pure together?

Also, how would I arrange them in my filter? It is an aqueon 30 power filter (the one that hangs on the tank). I have no idea where to place them and if I need anything else in the filter (I've read about filter floss but have no idea if I would need it in this situation or how to use it).

If you have time to answer in detail, I would be very grateful. Thanks in advance, and I look forward to reading your advice.

-Noob

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Welcome, you could try boiling the wood, that might get the tannins out. Mine stopped after about 3 months. It doesn't harm the fish, just looks bad.

 

[nconfort]

Thanks for your reply.

I have boiled the wood as best I can but they are large pieces and don't really fit in a pot. The concern I have is that they are large pieces of wood in a small-ish tank. So I feel like the tannin will last a long time as opposed to if I had a large tank, and this tank is for display.

I am wondering if the Chemi pure and Purigen would be viable work arounds for the tannin.

 

[DavidAl]

Have you thought of using regular activated carbon?

David

 

[Convict2161]

Have you thought of using regular activated carbon?

David

+1 save your money and just some API bulk activated carbon and some media bags.... Call it a day.

 

[nconfort]

How do you use the media bags? And isn't activated carbon already in the normal filter cartridge?

 

[Ronnie05]

There's not much carbon in the redi processed cartridges.To try and keep up with your issue you'll need to ad more to it and change weekly or bi weekly and do 2 or 3 water changes to help the water stay clear.If your or someone your knows has a outdoor turkey fryer they work great for boiling driftwood and killing any parasite thet might be in them,The pots are big and can handle large pieces and the house won't get hot or smell.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

I would rather deal with some slightly colored water for a little while, then deal with active carbon. You have to pay for it, booooooo, then make sure it doesn't start leaching ammonia back into the water an harm the occupants.

 

[DavidAl]

How do you use the media bags? And isn't activated carbon already in the normal filter cartridge?

You can buy the media bags in different sizes. Petsmart has the small bags for a buck and change. Add the carbon to the bag and tie it off, then just drop it into the HOB somewhere. If it doesn't fit figure out a way where you can put it by the filter's return so the water that is going into the tank has to make contact with the media bag.

David

 

[gravereaper0]

Why dont you cure the wood in a plastic bin of some sort instead of your tank. Get a bag of salt used in water softeners for a couple bucks, no need to waste $ on carbon.

 

[Jantaris]

Why dont you cure the wood in a plastic bin of some sort instead of your tank. Get a bag of salt used in water softeners for a couple bucks, no need to waste $ on carbon.

Yes, I left a very sizeable piece of driftwood for a 30 g tank in a plastic tub for about a week to get the tannins out, changing the water everyday. I have no probs with tannin now. Our only issue is that we have to weight the driftwood down but once we did that, we've had no problems. It's been in the tank for six weeks and is nowhere near waterlogged yet.

 

[gravereaper0]

Got this about 3 weeks ago, its finally water logged, had to weigh it down with bricks as well. Still releasing tannins, but its a big piece 40" long.

 

[Jantaris]

Got this about 3 weeks ago, its finally water logged, had to weigh it down with bricks as well. Still releasing tannins, but its a big piece 40" long.

It's a beautiful piece of wood! Yeah, if it's a piece that big it's a pain to have to take it out and then fiddle with it again. Ours is probably about 3 feet long and it was a chore getting it into our big plastic bin. Maybe some of the suggestions others gave are worth investigating in this case.

 

[nconfort]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips guys! The tannins seem to be steadily reducing with daily water changes. Can't wait to get this thing set up! I'll try to throw up some pics after.