AboutNick Expertise I can answer virtually any question relating to freshwater aquariums. I specialize in everything and anything to do with planted and unplanted community tanks, from stocking and compatibility to technical, plant care, set-up and maintenence. I have experience with all kinds of fish and have cared at one point or another for almost every kind of freshwater tank through the years. I can also help find you the best equipment and foods for your money. There are certain products that are useless, and ones that are great, usually the only way to find out is to try them, and I have tried them all.
--If you are having problems with your goldfish, and they are in a tank under 30 gallons please do not bother me with your question. The answer to any question relating to goldfish in tanks under 30 gallons is yes, they do have disease, no they will not live long in a tank that size.
Experience I have been keeping fish since I was 6, I have numerous tanks set up right now and I am the department head of the fish section at a local pet store.
Question hey there, i just aquired a 46 gallon bow faced tank. i have balas, mollies a 4.5 inch tri color and a blue lobster. for my ornamentation i chose red slate, drift wood from malaysia and a stone, not sure of the name, but quite pourous, orange in colour with many pockets. after a week post setup, i noticed my water had changed to a reddish hue of a colour. it makes the tank dark, murky and ugly, please help me identify the culprit, so that i might get my tank back to a vibrant-luminous appearance.
Answer Tannins.
They leach from the wood into the water.
You can boil your wood to remove some of the tannins, but they will come back.
Don't worry, all the tannins will eventually go away. It is a process all new wood goes through. Keep up regular water changes, and it should be gone in a few weeks.
