rust in my tank water

Question
Sorry hit the wrong button there. I was trying to ask if you know how to get rust out of tank water. I live in the country and threre is a lot of rust in the water out here. I have a 125 gallon tank and is is murky with rust. I have some fish comming that I have ordered and I need to get it out of there ASAP.  I have a fluval 404. I put in water conditioner that is suppose to eliminate heavy metals, also a bio chem zorb filter from aquarium pharmaceuticals. So far nothing it has been 12 hours or more since I put that in and it said should see results with in 3 hours!! I know when I fist set this tank up I used drops of some sort to get the rust out but I can't remember where I got it It was a whate bottle with an orange label that had a fish on it that looked like charlie the tune off of starkist tuna. SOrry too much cofe and way too stressed out about getting my tank right. It is my one and only hobby that was taken away from me once before because my tank was moved to install windows and they kicked the buckets that had my heaters and bubblers in them and killed all of my cichlids that I had for almost 6 years. You can understand my frustration I'm sure. Anyways, I hope to hear from you soon I am supposed to get my fish shipped out tomorrow. Which means they will get here Thursday.
thanks
Wanda
any info you may have I am sure would be helpful.


Answer
Hi Wanda,
  Geez, rust in your tank water is not at all good.  Do you drink that water??  Yikes!   

  There are chemicals that will attempt to remove it, but it depends on how much rust is in there.  Rust (iron oxide) is highly toxic to fish.   

  If it was me, first I would see if I could get water that didn't have rust in it.  If I couldn't do that, I would get some large rubbermaid tubs or a new clean plastic garbage can and wash it out (NO Soap!) as best as I could.  Then I would put the water in it and let it settle.  Rust is heavier than water and will settle.  Let is settle for as long as you can (a few days) and then using a siphon skim off the top 2/3rds of the water and use that.  Throw out the bottom third (which should contain the rust).   Even then, I wouldn't want to use that water, but if you have to, then you have to and I think that is the best you can do.  With that 2/3rds that you put in the tank, use of the chemical treatments that tries to remove heavy metals.  

Good luck.

P.S. Are you sure that it is rust and not just discoloration?

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>