# what 2 do???



## Curley (Aug 4, 2004)

Water is light brown and stinks. I did a big water change and replaced filter pads about 4 days ago but still the same. What could be the reason? The water has never been like this. thanks


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2004)

Probably need to know a lot more than given. How long has the tank been running, stocking and decor? Have you recently added anything? what filter are you using? Additives?


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## buette (May 12, 2004)

hello 
have you cleaned up your gravel with a mulmsauger(pic)
i´ve have to do it every 2/3 months
without this the water smells like harbour after some time

its difficult for me m to describe in english sorry


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## buette (May 12, 2004)

hello 
have you cleaned up your gravel with a mulmsauger(pic)
i´ve have to do it every 2/3 months
without this the water smells like harbour after some time


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2004)

Could your fish have diarrhea?

Just kidding.









Do you have wood in your tank? That'll change the color of your water.


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## dutchfrompredator (Sep 26, 2004)

make sure you try ammocarb or similar media in your filters. activated carbon reduces odor and discoloration.


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## alan (Mar 11, 2004)

Bullsnake said:


> Could your fish have diarrhea?
> 
> Just kidding.
> 
> ...


does he have wood ?? oh i see,in the tank............


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

Bullsnake said:


> Could your fish have diarrhea?
> 
> Just kidding.
> 
> ...












and wood may be the problem


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## Curley (Aug 4, 2004)

lol.... Wood, I got a woody. Wait oh' wood. I have some wood in the tank, but that has been in there for 5 months and I soaked it for a week. It never gave me problems before. I took care of the smell and brown tint. I made a huge water change and the smell was from rotten meat that was hidden. It was clear for a day and now its back to being cloudy/ white ish. Live plants, sand, and 1 piece of driftwood? Could the wood all of sudden start releasing inner color? I took my water in to test and everything was great. PH was the only thing that was a tad high, but nothing drastic. What to do? I placed new filter pads and carbon. I keep doing water changes, but nothing. HELP.... tHANKS EVERYBODY. ... 
gOTTa Luv this site!


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2004)

Curley said:


> Could the wood all of sudden start releasing inner color? [snapback]793873[/snapback]​


I think that might be the problem. Either that, or some free-floating algae is giving the tank a greenish tint, that is looking yellow/brown to you.

The yellow tint is actually the color of many rivers in the Amazon system for the same reason, so it makes your tank look authentic.

If it is tannic acid released from the wood, a handful of fresh activated carbon will clear it right up.


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## Curley (Aug 4, 2004)

put a handful of carbon in the filter?


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2004)

Curley said:


> put a handful of carbon in the filter?
> [snapback]794864[/snapback]​


Yes, but you can't dump it in loose, it needs to be contained somehow. It depends on what kind of filter you have. For example, my Emperor filters have an extra box to put stuff in. In an Aquaclear, you can buy the carbon bags for the filter.


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## Curley (Aug 4, 2004)

Is it alright to take a nylon (rinse with water) then place fresh carbon in it. Tie it, rinse it, and then stick in tank for a week or 2? My friend told me that it will help clean my water. Good or bad idea?


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2004)

If water is not flowing through it it wont be as effective. The idea of putting it in your filter is so all the water in your tank is pushed through it. The best bet would be put it in an old pair of your girlfriends/mums pantyhose, tie it and then dump in your filter. Alternatively if you use a powerhead you could buy one of those cages for underneath them that hold media.


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2004)

Curley said:


> Is it alright to take a nylon (rinse with water) then place fresh carbon in it. Tie it, rinse it, and then stick in tank for a week or 2? My friend told me that it will help clean my water. Good or bad idea?
> [snapback]797187[/snapback]​


If by nylon, you mean pantyhose, then yes, that'll work great. In fact, that's what I had as a kid, before I got self-concious that I had panty hose stuffed in my filter. (It was a clear, air-driven box-filter)

As Mellor said though, you willneed a way to make water flow through it. Placing it inside your filter so the water passes through it is probably the best way to go.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Curley said:


> Water is light brown and stinks. I did a big water change and replaced filter pads about 4 days ago but still the same. What could be the reason? The water has never been like this. thanks
> [snapback]783179[/snapback]​


I have never had a tank smell that was fully cycled. I think by replacing the filter pads and carbon you took out all the good bacteria and tossed it......and your tank is recycling. When you want to change the filter media you need to do it over time and not all at once. The filter pads is where 99% of your bacteria resides.

Sounds to me like this is what happened.


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