Jill
Aquarium Advice Freak
You could try purigen in your filter. It really works good as a water polisher and will take out tannins.
Thanks! I will def give that a try if the water change doesn't help. The wood had been stored in an attic for god knows how long so I think it's just especially nasty. I should have soaked it first. Lesson learned. I'm so impatient when it comes to these things....and it always means more work for me in the long run when I jump the gun.