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the water in my tank has been yellow for a long time now, and i'm not exactly sure what the source is and how to fix it. i've tried endless water changes... trust me! ... didn't work... i'm not sure if it's the substrate, the 'driftwood', the plants, or what...

the driftwood is in small quotes b/c it's not real driftwood... it looks like driftwood but is made out of some synthetic material. if i didn't know better, i'd think it was real... however, it said on the packaging that it will not pollute the water... is this a case of false advertising?

question: is there something that i can do to/ put in the water that will break down/ get rid of the yellowness that won't hurt the fish??? it'd kinda ugly to see yellow water... mind you, the water is only yellow when the light is off. and it's not the lighting in the room, i've taken the water out and it's still yellow in different lights... solutions please!!!

only two things i can think of.

1. could be the lightbulbs giving off this coloring, but you said it's the same under other lights as well

2. I'm wanting to say it has something to do with the water coming out of the tap I know this sounds awful, but if the changing of the water isn't helping at all, then that is what makes me think the water you are using (even straight from the tap or what have you) is causing the yellow coloring. I know my tanks tend to be a bit yellow and it's because of the dang tap water]:|run the bathtub full (if you have a white tub) and see what color it appears to be...I know sometimes mine is more yellow than other times...if this is the caseI'm sorry I don't have a solution, but if someone has one let me know

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

You may want to systematically test each tank component in isolation to see what it does. Take a glass of water with the same clear, dechlorinated water you use for changes and put a sample of substrate (for example) in it and let it set for a few days. If it stays clear, keep trying with other components. Maybe you'll find a rock or something that is leaching minerals, or something.

Good luck!

Gary

I have two suggestions:

1. I could be bacteria or diatoms. If you clean your gravel and filter too often, nitrifying bacteria can just float free in the water. On the other hand, cleaning too little can lead to bacterial or diatom blooms from high levels of nutrients in the water. Check your nitrate level (and nitrite and ammonia, if possible). If these are high, this might be it. Only clean half the gravel at one time, and don't replace all of your filter media at the same time.

2. Unless you keep live plants, try using charcoal in your filter. I don't use it myself, but I believe you need to replace it every month or so. It will remove many minerals and nutrients that can cause diatom and bacterial blooms.

good luck!

Last edited by crazy4plants at 18-Oct-2005 21:59

i don't think it's the water because i also have a little 5 gallon and it's crystal clear. i know the water is not PERFECT coming out of my taps, but it's not THIS yellow.

spaz,
I have noticed that in a lot of tanks
with really yellow water, ammonia is often the cause.
Is the tank overstocked?
High bioload from heavy waste producing fish?
Does the color lighten with water changes?
Have you tested for ammonia, nitrites and nitrate?
Do you have driftwood in the tank?
Live Plants?


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sorry, i forgot to post my readings

ammonia 0.0
nitrite 0.0
nitrate 10.0
ph 7.2

yes i have live plants.

i really don't think ammonia is the problem.

What is your substrate?
If this is a case of tannic acid such as leaks from driftwood and peat moss then frequently changed activated carbon will remove it. However if several frequent water changes or large water changes do not clear it up and there is no real driftwood or peat moss in the tank it doesn't sound like tannic acid. It sounds like your water could be reacting with something. What dechlorinator do you use? If you leave tap water sit in a glass for a day or 2 does it eventually turn yellow? If you leave tap water sit in a glass with your dechlorinator does it turn yellow?

The water in my ten looks yellow but really isn't. The incandescent lights make it look that way. try to isolate by the method described above.

Well hmmm, your levels are very good.
You said the driftwood is plastic?
Then you shouldnt be getting any tannic
acids.
I would do what someone else suggested,
pour a tall glass of water and another
with the dechlorinator added, and let it sit
for a couple of days. If it turns yellow you
know where your problem is coming from.
You said your 5g tank stays crystal clear?
What type of filtration do you have on each?
Have you tried some activated carbon in your bigger tank?
What dechlorinator do you use?


Last edited by So_Very_Sneaky at 20-Oct-2005 16:10

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