[monty67]

So I've noticed that my tank, which has been set up for a while has had some problems with yellowing water lately. I've been doing some pretty big water changes once a week to help this but it only seems to give me a small break from the colored water.

The tank has been established for a few years. 20 gallon, fully planted with water wisteria, lots of anubis, ludwiga, crypts and some bulbs. The only thing i can think of is that the malaysian driftwood that is about 5 years old has started leaching again, the plecos do rasp on it pretty good.

I was going to go get a carbon insert for the HOB to help out, any other suggestions? I hate doing water changes that often cause i feel it throws an established aqairium out of wack, I could be wrong.

thanks

 

[TexasCichlid]

Yellow water sounds like tannins. Carbon inserts cannot deal with tannins. Purigen can. Get a bag of Purigen, the pre-sealed bag form not the loose media form, and put it in the HOB. The loose media is tempting, but the bag is the important part. Your water will be tannin free in a few days.

 

[Bubba_Shrimp]

If you have an additional space in your filter then adding new media (purigen for example) would be fine.

However, If it requires removing an existing media and your tank is heavily stocked, ammonia spikes might happen as you will be removing part of your bacteria colony with media. I'd closely monitor ammonia during this time.

 

[monty67]

good advise, thank you. I have a spare HOB i think i can fit on the back and use for the extra media so i don't loose the good stuff in my main. thanks

 

[Bubba_Shrimp]

That would be a way to go roud:

good advise, thank you. I have a spare HOB i think i can fit on the back and use for the extra media so i don't loose the good stuff in my main. thanks

 

[monty67]

Well, it looks like I will have to order the purigen since i can't find it locally. So for the mean time i went and picked up a filter cartridge for the old whisper HOB that i threw on the back. It has carbon and honestly I am surprised at how much clearer the tank looks this morning. Much less yellowing in the water.

 

[Bubba_Shrimp]

About a week ago I setup a new 90 gallon with some Manzanita branches in it. Manzanita was boiled previously and still after a few days water was yellowish in my tank. Maybe some crap was leaching from my black diamond blasting sand as well.

I have 2x Rena XP3 filters on it and put the carbon pouch in one of it. Water cleared in less than 2 days. Apparently there are some other things in that filter as I just looked at the description:
“Removes dissolved organic matter, odors, colors, toxins, and medications”.


It helped me... But now I replaced it with more bio media.

Well, it looks like I will have to order the purigen since i can't find it locally. So for the mean time i went and picked up a filter cartridge for the old whisper HOB that i threw on the back. It has carbon and honestly I am surprised at how much clearer the tank looks this morning. Much less yellowing in the water.