600 gallons of water is a small enough volume to be effectively treated with
carbon, and carbon will remove the tannins for a short while. The trouble
is, the carbon activation will be used up quickly and the color will return
unless you remove the source of the tannins. Is it dead leaves or
driftwood? If it's leaves, do your best to remove as many as possible. If
it is driftwood you will have to ask yourself if the benefits and aesthetic
beauty of the wood outweigh the tannin problem.

The only reason to drain a whole pond is if you are planning to move it.
Starting "fresh" with a sterile, clean environment may seem like a good
idea, but cycling a new pond with established life in it is a recipe for
disaster, especially in the spring. Remember, your fish, plants and other
charges have just been through the hardest season of the year, and if you
live in the North East, it's been a particularly harsh one. Your friends
are at their weakest. Any additional stress should be avoided.

"Thunderbird84" wrote in message
...
Today it was finally warm enough for me to start getting my pond up
and
running. I drained around 200 (of around 600) gallons from it and cleaned
out the leaves. I the water hoping that when I replaced the water, it
would
dilute the tannins in my water.
It changed the color of my water from a dark, dark, dark tea color to
a
not so dark, dark, dark tea color. My question is, would I be better off
draining the whole pond and putting new water in, or is there a way to use
carbon to do it; and how much would I need?
Also, I'm looking for a new out of pond filter. I've made my own, but
this season I don't want to deal with it anymore. I'm looking for one
rated
for 1000 gallons. Can anyone give me some websites or brandnames to look
at?
Thanks,
Bob


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