I’m 71 and quite disabled…I’m going to set up my first aquarium in decades and my first planted aquarium…either a 10 or 15 gallon on my bedside table. I have plenty of leaves in my yard. We’ve lived here 10 years with no pesticides or herbicides, so this year’s leaf fall (including a Catalpa tree) will be clean. I’ll have to get help to do it, so am setting up a garbage can with leaves and water covered with screen. Hadn’t thought of using Roobius, which I drink. I’ll add some to the mix if I don’t have enough from outside. Can’t wait to enjoy the company of the fish I’ll be putting in! Green neon tetras, Otocinclus and dwarf and/or Peppered Corydoras.
Good luck with the setup! It sounds like an exciting project and these fish will fit perfectly into a blackwater setup. Perhaps it would make sense to first add leaf litter and see how much tannins the leafs will release before adding Robois tea.
@@tropicalfishhub I will…I should have plenty of water…getting a large metal trash can and having the guy who does our yard add leaves and water…getting a second can to catch rainwater. I live in Delaware on the East coast of the US…some of the most polluted drinking water in the country.
I'm happy I found your channel today and subscribed today. I've been trying to create a blackwater tank for a month but without success. From watching your video I'm positive I'll have a blackwater tank of my own.thank you. I'm working with a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon tank 😎👍
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Your tank looks beautiful. I just wanted to make an observation about your comment regarding the question of biological filter. I agree that a biological filter may not be needed in a small tank with not many fish and plenty of surface plants. I also agree that it is a challenge to cultivate biological filter bacteria in acidic conditions.I do, however, think there are certain types of filter bacteria that can survive in soft acidic water. It is true that nitrifying bacteria such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter cannot perform their beneficial function in the absence of any alkalinity, but there are other types of bacteria that can and do provide biological filtering functions in very soft water aquariums. It may not be as vigorous as it would be in hard water environments but it is definitely possible. Please don’t ask me to name these specific strains of bacteria because I don’t know as I’m not an expert but I have kept large numbers of fish with high bio load in very soft water at 5.5 ph which would not have been possible without a functioning biological filter regardless of the water change regime. This is not a subject that is widely talked about.
I just bought this damn good for my discus tank they are much calmer and the color more enhanced just wondering if it can blackwater be use on terapin tank ?
Watching this video for like the 3rd time :) Question: Is boiling the tea critical or is it just faster way to get dark water? Also- I'm only doing partial blackwater with PH 6.8 or so, relying on the botanicals for tannin. As such, I'm using biological media in my canister though once the plants get going I may switch to only mechanical. I use aquasoil as primary substrate so nutrients for plants plentiful. Why did you not go that route under the sand?
Rooibos tea is just a quicker and I'd say more controllable way of adding tannins as botanicals will exhaust their potential after a week or so. In that setup, I used root tabs for Echinodorus, but still the plants suffered in full blackwater and never fully established. I think in partial/weak blackwater, your method with aquasoil should work great. The main problem for me to grow plants in blackwater was always light deficiency. Adding more light usually resulted in upper leaves covering with algae, adding floating plants led to light deficiency in aquatic plants, sort of vicious circle. As long as water has just some reddish/brownish tint (as opposed to Americano-coffee-coloured blackwater) there should be no reason for plants to struggle
Nice work, really like your channel! FYI, there is a product on the market that easily creates the blackwater effect by adding just a small amount. It’s from German brand Sera and is called Blackwater Aquatan. I have no connection to the brand, just experience as an enthusiast. Cheers.
You don't need soft tap water to create black water, all you need is botanicals and that would stabilize ypur ph. I live in Florida, I ge hard well water (about 8) but with the driftwood and active substrate, I get it down to 6.8 Easley.
I have a wild Betta blackwater tank so I cant use a strong flow to filter. Im thinking of using snails to clean the Bottom. Which snails can survive pH 5.5 - 6.5?
I agree that flow in your tank is undesirable. I have regular pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) living in my blackwater tank with ph 5.5, and they seem to thrive and breed there.
Thank you for your knowledge! One day, I'd like to do a black water tank
Thank you! I am sure that you will enjoy it; blackwater creates an extra set of challenges for growing plants:)
I’m 71 and quite disabled…I’m going to set up my first aquarium in decades and my first planted aquarium…either a 10 or 15 gallon on my bedside table. I have plenty of leaves in my yard. We’ve lived here 10 years with no pesticides or herbicides, so this year’s leaf fall (including a Catalpa tree) will be clean. I’ll have to get help to do it, so am setting up a garbage can with leaves and water covered with screen. Hadn’t thought of using Roobius, which I drink. I’ll add some to the mix if I don’t have enough from outside. Can’t wait to enjoy the company of the fish I’ll be putting in! Green neon tetras, Otocinclus and dwarf and/or Peppered Corydoras.
Good luck with the setup! It sounds like an exciting project and these fish will fit perfectly into a blackwater setup. Perhaps it would make sense to first add leaf litter and see how much tannins the leafs will release before adding Robois tea.
@@tropicalfishhub I will…I should have plenty of water…getting a large metal trash can and having the guy who does our yard add leaves and water…getting a second can to catch rainwater. I live in Delaware on the East coast of the US…some of the most polluted drinking water in the country.
@@sharonkaczorowski8690 Great idea to use rain water! It is also perfect for breeding blackwater species
Underrated channel for blackwater setup! Thanks for the information
Thank you:)
You have a gorgeous tank!
Thank you:)
I'm working on my black water tank. Hopefully, it'll be as gorgeous as yours eventually.
Good luck! I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience and joy of blackwater
I'm happy I found your channel today and subscribed today. I've been trying to create a blackwater tank for a month but without success. From watching your video I'm positive I'll have a blackwater tank of my own.thank you. I'm working with a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon tank 😎👍
Thank you! I'm glad that the videos were useful. Good luck with your blackwater projects, they sound exciting!
@@tropicalfishhub you're very welcome
Excellent video!!!
I really have to get that tea. 😀
The setup looks really spectacular and really natural. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you very much:) Yes, rooibos tea saves me some good money!
Very interesting video! But do you have to syphon the bottom when changing the water?
Thank you! I never syphon because of leaf litter as it will all be sucked in.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Your tank looks beautiful. I just wanted to make an observation about your comment regarding the question of biological filter. I agree that a biological filter may not be needed in a small tank with not many fish and plenty of surface plants. I also agree that it is a challenge to cultivate biological filter bacteria in acidic conditions.I do, however, think there are certain types of filter bacteria that can survive in soft acidic water. It is true that nitrifying bacteria such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter cannot perform their beneficial function in the absence of any alkalinity, but there are other types of bacteria that can and do provide biological filtering functions in very soft water aquariums. It may not be as vigorous as it would be in hard water environments but it is definitely possible. Please don’t ask me to name these specific strains of bacteria because I don’t know as I’m not an expert but I have kept large numbers of fish with high bio load in very soft water at 5.5 ph which would not have been possible without a functioning biological filter regardless of the water change regime. This is not a subject that is widely talked about.
Excellent video!
Well explained. Do the tannins affect oxygen levels in the water?
Thank you! As far as I know tannins will not affect oxygen content.
Thanks mate.
I just bought this damn good for my discus tank they are much calmer and the color more enhanced just wondering if it can blackwater be use on terapin tank ?
Thanks it was an informative video.
What plants have you used
I have a plant list in a more recent video from 2 weeks ago. Its called "River bank 3d riparium"
Good info, thanks. 🙂👍
Dude, how is this guy only at 2.41K sub and 69 like. Dropping knowledge
Watching this video for like the 3rd time :) Question: Is boiling the tea critical or is it just faster way to get dark water? Also- I'm only doing partial blackwater with PH 6.8 or so, relying on the botanicals for tannin. As such, I'm using biological media in my canister though once the plants get going I may switch to only mechanical. I use aquasoil as primary substrate so nutrients for plants plentiful. Why did you not go that route under the sand?
Rooibos tea is just a quicker and I'd say more controllable way of adding tannins as botanicals will exhaust their potential after a week or so. In that setup, I used root tabs for Echinodorus, but still the plants suffered in full blackwater and never fully established. I think in partial/weak blackwater, your method with aquasoil should work great. The main problem for me to grow plants in blackwater was always light deficiency. Adding more light usually resulted in upper leaves covering with algae, adding floating plants led to light deficiency in aquatic plants, sort of vicious circle. As long as water has just some reddish/brownish tint (as opposed to Americano-coffee-coloured blackwater) there should be no reason for plants to struggle
Nice work, really like your channel!
FYI, there is a product on the market that easily creates the blackwater effect by adding just a small amount. It’s from German brand Sera and is called Blackwater Aquatan. I have no connection to the brand, just experience as an enthusiast. Cheers.
Thank you:) and thanks for sharing!
How does this doesn't have any watermarks? 😅😅😅
You don't need soft tap water to create black water, all you need is botanicals and that would stabilize ypur ph. I live in Florida, I ge hard well water (about 8) but with the driftwood and active substrate, I get it down to 6.8 Easley.
What is your GH, KH and conductivity? Bringing down pH doesn't make water soft and acidic. I guess each water change causes pH fluctuations?
I have a wild Betta blackwater tank so I cant use a strong flow to filter. Im thinking of using snails to clean the Bottom. Which snails can survive pH 5.5 - 6.5?
I agree that flow in your tank is undesirable. I have regular pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) living in my blackwater tank with ph 5.5, and they seem to thrive and breed there.
Any updates?
I was somewhat overwhelmed by work, but I will be doing a few updates this weekend:)
Nice...
👍🤝🤌