# Tannins Getting Darker



## ChelsRaeLynn (Aug 3, 2015)

So I just set up my first NPT. I used Miracle Grow Organic with a gravel cap. I didn't sift the dirt to get the pieces of wood out because they weren't large or noticeable. Now my tank is slowly getting more tea colored. I do have a filter running on it with carbon in the filter. I've considered taking my sponge filter out of my 5.5gal and put it in my NPT tank instead of my HOB filter. I'm not the type of person that particularly enjoys the look of brown water. Whats the best way to speed up the removal of the tannins?


----------



## Aquastar (Jul 17, 2015)

Lots of water changes and lots of carbon. I did do dirt before the smell was overwhelming. You get used to the tannins after a while. Also, in the first week, the tannins were evil, it lessens with time.


----------



## ChelsRaeLynn (Aug 3, 2015)

So daily 25%-50% water changes? And would it be a good idea to change filters? And just do daily water changes on 5.5gal until I can put the filter back in. (I would by another sponge filter but I don't have the money to do so)


----------



## Aquastar (Jul 17, 2015)

I dunno.i waited till it was super dark, then I did a 50%. But tannins is good Bettas, tetras, Angels...


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I think Seachem Purigen helps with the removal of tannins.


----------



## ChelsRaeLynn (Aug 3, 2015)

Well I set it up yesterday and this morning it was lightly tanned. Now it is the color of coffee in a spoon. (Almost a brownish amber color.)


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

+1 Purgigen. I got the porduct expecting a tannins nightmare with some new driftwood, but a good long boil removed the need for purigen so I never used it. 
If you do water changes with a fish in the tank be mindful not to do too large or fast of a new water add in. tank pH will likely be lower than tap pH and sudden swings in pH can stress fish as well as plants and beneficial bacteria if the swing is drastic and fast... How much your pH has been affected by the tannins depends on your waters hardness (KH) http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/KH
Or just accept it. If you don't have a fish in the tank yet it opens you up for more acidic water (lower pH) fish options like wild bettas, and a lot of other wild caught fish that like "black water" tanks. As well as some plants that prefer lower pH to higher.
Btw if its leeching tannins check your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels(liquid test kit-strips are useleess) as the soil may be leeching ammonia too as decomposing organics = ammonia under water. If you have a cycled filter with good beneficial bacteria colony it will just be nitrates, if you have a very dense planting of fast growing plants they may be absorbing it all and its perfectly fine (I usually have a few weeks of ammonia leeching I use to cycle a filter before adding fish).
If you get sick of tannis and water changes you can gut the tank and sift new soil using window screen mesh (its a good work out on the arms) like I do. I never get tannins in my soil tanks because I sift 99% of the wood out.


----------

