I would like to get a piece of driftwood from my tank to make my future neon tetras feel more at home. I read that they like "blackwater" so my question is, is there a certain kind of driftwood that will leach tanins and make my water a tea color or is it just luck of the draw? I also like the look of the tea colored water.
Tanins from driftwood
- Thread starter bigfish93
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Blueiz
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I personally prefer malasian driftwood, and it will leach tanins. You can also buy blackwater extract for your tank 
DragonFish71
Great white snark
Adding black water extract can be an ineffective way to add tannins, same with peat. I do use both in our tanks, but only after a massive water change. Your filter will filter it out. It will also do the same with DW but depending on the wood, that could take a long time to happen. I use mopani and malasian in our tanks, the malasian seems to have more tannins. I'm currently running an experiment between the 2 woods now. The water in one 5.5 is less "tea like" than the other 5.5. Same size DW, same type filters, same everything. (yeah I got really bored with all the cold here this week)
So, if you want a better release of tannins, I'd go for the malasian.
So, if you want a better release of tannins, I'd go for the malasian.
Blueiz
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Your filter will only filter it out if you run carbon..
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
malasian driftwood is the way to go but after a couple months it will leech out. so really unless you are switching it out every few months extract might be your best way to go.
DragonFish71
Great white snark
carbon is not the only thing that will filter tannins out of the water. Flosses/fibers and some water polishing products will as well.
Black water extract will be filtered out in about a week. It's a constant additive. Meaning you need to stay on top of it weekly at the least.
Peat is a longer lasting approach. I was changing ours out about once a month when Ph levels started to rise.
DW is the best, continuous source. Yes it will eventually stop leeching tannins but that takes a longer period of time.
I've done all 3 of these on our 40g, some might remember the posts about Ph issues. I personally have found that by keeping up on peat in the filter and not using any water polishing media (carbon or other forms) that the tannins leeching from the DW are keeping the Ph in the tank at 7.0, 7.2 is when I change it again. The neons the OP is talking about do prefer, like the rams we kept, a lowered Ph value, hence the tannins. (also they like the darker water) But, as I have also learned, the hard way I might add, keeping the Ph steady is better than mucking with it at all by adding additives. So it's up to the OP to decide use DW and let nature take it's course, or have to keep a constant "flow" of additives on hand.
Black water extract will be filtered out in about a week. It's a constant additive. Meaning you need to stay on top of it weekly at the least.
Peat is a longer lasting approach. I was changing ours out about once a month when Ph levels started to rise.
DW is the best, continuous source. Yes it will eventually stop leeching tannins but that takes a longer period of time.
I've done all 3 of these on our 40g, some might remember the posts about Ph issues. I personally have found that by keeping up on peat in the filter and not using any water polishing media (carbon or other forms) that the tannins leeching from the DW are keeping the Ph in the tank at 7.0, 7.2 is when I change it again. The neons the OP is talking about do prefer, like the rams we kept, a lowered Ph value, hence the tannins. (also they like the darker water) But, as I have also learned, the hard way I might add, keeping the Ph steady is better than mucking with it at all by adding additives. So it's up to the OP to decide use DW and let nature take it's course, or have to keep a constant "flow" of additives on hand.
