Mopani Wood/Tank Cycling

[PeaPuffersRule]

I'm trying to cycle a 5.5 gallon tank with Seachem Prime. I also put in a new piece of Mopani wood to be the focal point. It's been 4 days and the tank is is still a rusty tea color. I wanted to make this is a shrimp tank; don't have substrate yet or plants. Should I scrap the wood?

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Driftwood releases tannins, which causes the water to go brown. It can continue to release tannins for weeks, months or even years. Tannins are harmless and do not affect fish or shrimp, but they do make it difficult to see into the tank.

If you want the wood in the tank then leave it there and just do big water changes to dilute the discoloured water. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[Essjay]

I'm trying to cycle a 5.5 gallon tank with Seachem Prime

What do you mean exactly?

Prime will not cycle a tank, it is a dechlorinator. All Prime will do is detoxify ammonia and nitrite for around 24 hours when doing a fish-in cycle.