Dick wrote:
On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 09:57:07 -0400, Steve wrote:

Try using a white 5-gal pail for water changes, and you'll probably see
the brownish tint in your aquarium water. You may possibly see colour in
your tap water too, which is why they sell activated carbon filters for
drinking water (removes taste, odour, colour).
Steve


I have a tap water filter, but consider it a waste except its separate
spigot is handy to fill a glass. Otherwise I see or taste no
difference from the straight tap water. I suppose some community
water needs extra filtration.

I used to change out the charcoal in my filters. In fact I still have
a large bag of activated charcoal I am not using, but keep "just in
case." I also have Whisper Junior filters with carbon packages. I
just don't use the carbon.

I change water in my 10 gallon tanks with a 2 gallon white pail. The
only color I notice is due to sediment or milkyness when I had a
"cycling" problem. The 29 and 75 gallon tanks show discoloration
plainly by viewing from the end. I use to have water clarity
problems, but not in the last 6 months and even in the past never
bothered by a brown color.

Carbon is an element common to all life forms. Particular carbon
sources which lead to the brown coloration would be my focus even if
the charcoal did remove the color. What is in the tank that is
leading to the color? I might even find a brown coloration good
contrast to some fish and wouldn't bother with it if I convinced
myself it wasn't harmful.

I have a nagging thought in my head, brown coloration and some kind of
moss or wood. Anyone else connect those together?

dick
Dick,
Reading the links you provided, and others found via google I interpret
that tannins, etc as from bogwood and peat can colour the water, and
that these are the same as, or similar to, D.O.C. Also, fish food,
waste, and dead plant material eventually become dissolved organic
carbon. That is, unless you remove them by gravel siphoning, cleaning
the filter, and so forth.

I think that a bit of colour in the water is not a problem; however
activated carbon will remove it, making old change water more clear than
tap water. The colour of the water from my aquariums varies, but the
only one with totally colourless water is the one, in which I'm using
carbon filtration. The most coloration is water from a 15-gallon tank
having Eclipse bio-wheel filtration and two pretty big Comet Shibunkin
goldfish. This goldfish tank's water (in a white bucket) appears quite
reddish, as though there's some oxidation. This is my only biowheel, and
there is no carbon: I use foam instead of the carbon-filled filter pads
that are sold for this unit.

By the way, thanks for the link to Maine.edu; interesting.
Steve