I don't bother tannins fight is a lossing battle in my eyes.
Water change is a better fix in my eyes
I would agree with this sentiment, but also add to this comment that maybe we shouldn’t be fighting a battle with tannins at all?
The issue we have with tannins is really just a visual problem, or a vanity issue, but I mean that in the nicest way possible because of course we want our ponds to look as beautiful as possible - duh.
Not only do tannins not pose a threat to your ponds, but they actually help out a ton with controlling algae which we all probably agree is an even worse look. I will take a crisp tea color over a cloudy pea soup any day.
Tannins diffuse sunlight entering the water, which hinders the photosynthesis process of the algae. Less sunlight, less algae.
I *think* I remember something about tannins also binding with nutrients floating around in the water in a way that blocks algae from being able to absorb the nutrients. Something about how the simple cellular structure of algae needs simple nutrient compounds to digest, and the binding of the tannins to nutrients in the water makes them more complex, which makes the nutrients harder for the algae to consume - but more traditional plants still can use the nutrients no problem.
Last thing, tannins are a plant/tree’s natural defense against parasites and fungi, and they keep those antifungal and parasite protection capabilities after they have been leeched from your leaf and plant matter into your water, which keeps a lot of unsavory problems at bay.
I might go google this to confirm and come back with some corrections, but the summary is that tannins are our friends, and pond keepers spend way too much money on chemical additives that do the things that tannins do naturally.
Pretty cool, if you ask me.
