kev79

i have just set up my new tank and have not kept fish before i cleaned my sand and treated the water but after letting it stand a few days the water has disscolured which im sure is down to wood in the tank this was brought from a pet store and i did give it a quick rinse am i gonna need to take out the water and start again or will it be ok?

Nick Goody

You need to soak the wood for a while as it will release Tannins into the water. Has the water turned a brownish sort of colour?

kev79

yes it has will i need to take the wood out of the tank and start again

capekate

Hello Kev
and welcome to fishlore. Your wood is causing the brown water but it will not harm your fish at all. You can either take the wood out and let it soak til the water is clear or leave it in and over time, which may take quite awhile the tannins will finally leach out. If you do not like the look of the tank with this colored water, I would suggest taking the wood out and do a separate soak.
Best of luck.

kev79

thank you both for your help i didnt want to just start to putting fish in before knowing it was safe ill take the wood out thanks.

capekate

Your welcome Kev,
have you checked out the advice in freshwater beginners section of the forum to learn about the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle your tank without fish? There are some great tips there to get you started!
Best of luck.

agabr123

i think if you put carbon in your filter it will take that out. I just recently ventured into live plants and driftwood and such, and I have carbon that looks like filter floss that I use for the first couple of days, it clears it right up