Habitat - Indoor :: Yellow water

[sbyrd81]

Okay, so we finally got a canister filter for our turtle tank...it's a Marineland C-360. It's been working great so far, however the water is now a strange golden/yellowish color. Any thoughts as to why this might be happening?

[untsmurf]

what are your water temps? are you using a conditioner? what kind of media did you use? was the filter used when you got it? what kind of lighting do you have? how big is the tank? and is it in front of a window?

[ScrewZoo]

Okay, so we finally got a canister filter for our turtle tank...it's a Marineland C-360. It's been working great so far, however the water is now a strange golden/yellowish color. Any thoughts as to why this might be happening?

when did u last change the water

[Chrisbarnett]

do you have any driftwood in the tank?

[sbyrd81]

We just cleaned the tank and did a full water change a week ago.
Nothing has really changed as far as temperatures...water temp is about 78, and air temp is around 84 (with the basking site around 90)
We did not use a conditioner this time, but sometimes I don't and I've never had the yellow water problem.
The tank is a 33 gal (I know, it's small; we already have plans to upgrade within the next couple of weeks.)
The filter is brand new; media includes filter foam, ceramic rings, carbon filter bag, bioballs, and filter floss pad.
Lighting includes a Reptisun 5.0 fluorescent bulb, sun glo 60W, and ceremic heat emitter, and no, it is not in front of a window.

We did put an actual piece of log from outside in the tank for the basking site. Would that effect the color of the water?

[sbyrd81]

I posted my last response before I read your question Chrisbarnett. Sounds like the wood might be the cause for the color change? So, is it okay to have it in the tank or should we try something else?

[PcBuilder14]

Take out the log if you got it from outside unless you boiled it, because it may have bugs and parasites that could harm your turtle.

[untsmurf]

Did you boil or bake the log before hand?

[Chrisbarnett]

Yeah, It's the log making your water a tea/yellow color.

Take it out and boil it, then soak it for about a week, changing the water every day to hopefully soak out any coloring that the log would give off.

[Daniel3507]

would new tank syndrome change the water colors?

[Chrisbarnett]

would new tank syndrome change the water colors?

not really, new tank syndrome is only whitish cloudy, not yellow/tea color.

[Daniel3507]

i thought so. just wanted to make sure

[steve]

Sounds like Chris is right. It's called tannins, and shouldn't be harmful but boiling and thoroughly washing the wood would be a good idea.

You do need to be careful with what type of you wood you use (they might rot, release oils). Not all are suitable, and only specific kinds should be considered in an aquatic tank. Most of us prefer corkbark for our basking areas.

[spaceapple]

Yep, definitely the log. I boiled my driftwood before placing it in the tank, and my water was still slightly discolored for a few days.

[sbyrd81]

Oh, I didn't know you were supposed to boil a log before putting it in the tank...I'll make sure to do that. Thanks everyone for the advice...very helpful!