Who Gives A Fish Forums

So I added a new piece of driftwood to my 20 gallon tank without boiling it first. Now the water's turned tea-colored and my Neon Tetras are acting weird. Anyone dealt with this before?

Yep, that's the tannins leaching out. It's not harmful, just looks sketchy. Your Tetras might be stressed from the sudden change. Try a water change and maybe some activated carbon in the filter.

Tannins are natural, but the pH shift could be bothering your fish. What's your current pH? Driftwood can lower it over time. If it's below 6.5, consider adding crushed coral to buffer it.

Piccly wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 12:39 pm Tannins are natural, but the pH shift could be bothering your fish. What's your current pH? Driftwood can lower it over time. If it's below 6.5, consider adding crushed coral to buffer it.

Good point. Also, how often are you doing water changes? More frequent changes can help clear the tannins faster.

I kinda dig the blackwater vibe, but if it's freaking your fish out, yeah, cut it with some carbon. Boiling the wood next time's a good call, though. Live and learn, right?

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll try a water change and add some carbon. My pH is around 6.8, so not too low yet. Appreciate the help!

The tannins will fade over time. If you're using a HOB filter, toss in a bag of Purigen. It's magic for clearing up tannins without removing all the beneficial stuff.

Yeah, Purigen's the way to go. I had the same issue with my 30 gallon. Cleared up in like two days. Just recharge it with bleach afterward, no biggie.

Why not just leave the tannins? Some fish like it. Makes the tank look more natural. Just sayin'.

tender wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 5:12 pm Why not just leave the tannins? Some fish like it. Makes the tank look more natural. Just sayin'.

True, but if the fish are stressed, it's better to clear it up. DarkHive's Tetras might not be used to it yet.