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water went brown after bio filter!
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Posted by
nina_gretta 9 Tucson AZ (
My Page) on
Mon, Jul 30, 12 at 12:35
| I built my bio filter a few months ago and it cleaned the water up great. Now the water is kinda brown looking. I have 2/3 covered with plants and also put up a shade sail. We have had rain the past few weeks (monsoon season) but the rain does not run from the yard into the pond. It will run from the concrete patio. Any ideas why it is turning brown. I'm resisting cleaning out the bio filter but it is hard. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: water went brown after bio filter!
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| nina, most of the time brown water is caused by tannic acid that occurs with decaying leaves, or peat moss in planters. To make sure it is not a particulate problem, scoop up a pint or so of water in a a clear container and allow it to sit and settle for a couple of hours. Particulates will collect in layers. Those are removed through filtration. Quilt batting is good. If there are no particulates and the water is tea colored, you have tannic acid which can be eliminated by putting a container of Activated charcoal in a place where there is a good flow of water. Change your potting soil to one that is mostly clay. |
RE: water went brown after bio filter!
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| Thank you. That stands to reason because I did muck out a 5 gal bucket of crap off the bottom last week. Is it better to put it in the skippy or in the actual pond. Any ideas where to buy it cheapest. Pet stores sell small amounts for big $$. Thanks again. |
RE: water went brown after bio filter!
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| Try a local craft or material store, they should have it for cheaper. |
RE: water went brown after bio filter!
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| Hello, nina gretta. Locate the source of the brown water & correct it. Whether it's particulates or tannins, the charcoal is not necessary. If your water cleared before you stirred up the muck, it's not likely your planting medium unless you've added something recently. Batting is a wonderful thing. That and a lil patience will save you $$$. Always better to correct the problem rather than treating *symptoms*. And a whole lot less expensive. blessings,
~digger |
RE: water went brown after bio filter!
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| Once tannin is present, it doesn't go away by itself. It must be either diluted by water changes or removed by the absorption quality of Activated Carbon. Maybe there are other ways to do it but I doubt they would be very practical. Tannic acid can play havoc with PH levels too and it can have a nasty smell like dead swamp or rotten organic material since that is what makes it. I recently bought a half gallon container for $12.00 at Pet World. Garden centers sometimes carry it at low cost for African Violets. I have found it for various prices at many stores. A half gallon will last a year or more in my pond which is under very large red oak trees. I place a cup or two in a perforated planter and put another perforated planter on top of it to hold the carbon inside. It goes in the top of the Skippy with either some rocks or a potted plant inside to hold it in place. A muslin bag works too. I get the largest size chunks of carbon I can find because it is the surface that collects the molecules that make the stain and odor. When it seems to lose its effectiveness, I lightly crush the chunks and it starts working again because I have exposed fresh surface area. I can do that 2 or 3 times if I don't mash it too much the first time. Powder works fast but doesn't last long. The difference in clarity is amazing. The bottom and the fish colors seem to pop out at you. |
RE: water went brown after bio filter!
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| I added the carbon and it is already getting better. Thank you so much for the info. I found the carbon at the local pet store. It was kinda pricey but worth it to see my critters again. I put it in a build your own fish tank filter because it was all I had. Im sure a bigger one would be better but I will work on that. I hung it right inside the outlet spout for the bio and its working. |
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