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WHY IS MY WATER BROWN OR "TEA STAINED?"

Adding botanicals to an aquarium can cause effects on the colour of the
water, often turning the water from a clear colour to a dark orange/brownish
stain. Similar to the colours we see when making a cup of tea, when the tea
leaves are infused with the addition of hot water they turn the water brown
and alter the smell and taste of the water.....Same goes for botanicals!

This is completely normal and can be more prominent with different types of
botanicals used. Often the effect comes stronger when using leaves over
pods. Additionally however wood leaches these tannins too so if you've ever
introduced items like driftwood in the past you have more than likely come
across this phenomena already.

Tannins have many benefits to aquatic life, from the natural healing
properties these contain such as anti-fungal properties to help with fish
illness such as fin rot or white spot to reducing natural line of sight making
fish feel more comfortable swimming about, this aids in reduction of fish
aggression and is complemented with enhanced colouration.

Some recommended items which produce higher quantities of tannins are:

Indian Almond Leaves (Catappa Leaf) Catappa leaves also known as
"Indian Almond Leaves" come from the Terminalia catappa tree. They
have chemical healing properties which may naturally help fight off mild
bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections. Therefore, these leaves are great
for many different types of livestock including bettas, shrimp, community
fish and more. In nature, Terminalia catappa leaves will fall into rivers
and other bodies of water and will tint the water a rich brown 'tea' colour
as they break down. This is due to chemical compounds found within the
leaves called tannins.

Driftwood/Bogwood, dried/dead wood often found on costal areas or
rivers which have been collected (Or purchased) can generate massive
amounts of tannins due to the thickness of the wood. Generally these
items decay over long time frames and will leach tannins throughout their
time in water gradually causing less effect over time.

Tannin "Tea Bags" Sometimes it's not always achievable to keep adding
botanicals to an aquarium especially in such short amounts of time, this
can often be the result of not wanting to "Over Stock" our filtrations
causing cycle crashes, after time these botanicals will leach less and
less humic substances into the water called "Tannins" resulting in
clearer water especially after water changes etc. These tea bags are an
excellent option to give you that brown colour to the water without
adding more botanicals to your aquarium. Soak tea bag in boiling water
until it starts to sink. Allow to cool before adding to the aquarium. Leave
in until desired effect has been achieved!