Steve113

My tank has been set up a while now and is going good so far. I do notice though that if I leave it too long between water changes, the water gets to be a quite dark brown colour, kinda like a weak tea colour. This is most noticable when pouring buckets of water away during the water change.

My water does not go green, clowdy or murky - and no matter how long it's left, just seems to go darker brown.

Is this normal? and where does the brown colour come from?

I have some bogwood in there and I know that tannins can leech out into the water but the wood was well soaked before and has been in there for months!

- incase someone asks the inevitable question re my water quality/parameters: all ok and within normal ranges.

0morrokh

Could be the bogwood. Do you have fish in the tank? My tank water, even in very lightly stocked tanks, turns sort of (very light) yellowish in a week's time. It's just a buildup of organic byproducts of the fish and other stuff living in the tank. If your water is turning brown then there's something leaching tannins into your tank...a bit of discoloration is normal but not a brown color. Carbon filtration would probably take color out of the water, but I don't use carbon in any of my tanks. I don't think it's any problem.

Steve113

Cant be the wood surely - It's been in for so long. and yeah there are fish.
It's most likely stained from the organic mush that builds up in the filter - would that make sense?

Dont get me wrong, the colour isn't a dark murky colour that looks un attractive - I just notice it after I do a big water change - as I notice how crystal clear the water is then! :P

Alessa

yes, same problem here. I believe it is just normal like 0morrokh said. It is also that when you add water to the tank watever wasnt vacuumed away is lifted up and adds that color to the water.

i was concerned about that as well. as long as it isnt "unattractive" like you said, there should be nothing to worry about.

0morrokh

Yeah I don't notice it till I do a water change either...the water I take out (especially when I suck a bunch of crud out of the gravel with it) always looks yellow compared to the fresh water in the clean bucket.

Steve113

Yeah that's like mine. Just wondered if anyone else had the same thing.
Thanks guys.
- anyway, I'm off to do a masive water change cos I've been lazy recently!

COBettaCouple

We have that same thing with our angel tank that has a piece of mopani driftwood in it.

Steve113

- maybe it is a combination of the wood and the mucky filter - but I checked the filter and realised that it was long overdue to be cleaned.

Water's crystal now so I'll see if I can keep it there and not be so lazy! :P