WOW! I had no idea I could use acorn caps, Sweet Gum spiky balls, and Magnolia pods in the tank! I'll pick some up on my walk today! Thanks for the neat (and money-saving) ideas!
I'm so glad I came across this video. I just recently, and by recent I mean 5 days ago, just got back into fish keeping after about 40 years of not having an aquarium. Because I was that long out of the hobby, I did a lot of RUclips research on how to start up and maintain a new tank. In watching dozens and dozens of videos, I kept coming across people who put soil in the bottom of their tanks then covered it with sand and/or gravel so that they could grow healthy plants and their tanks were beautiful (not a single person in all of those videos ever said the water might turn brown). Since I had decided that I was going to have lots of live plants, I decided I would also put soil in the bottom of my tank. About 2 weeks ago, I purchased a used 125 gallon tank, some soil, and some sand. I put it all together and filled the tank with water this past Saturday (5 days ago). It was a little cloudy for a couple of days but from what I saw in videos, that was normal. But then I noticed the water had a brown tinge to it. Then on day 3, it was like a dark tea color. I, of course, went into panic mode because I didn't know what had caused it. So more video research and I learned what had happened. Now it's day 5 and I had just about decided to empty the tank then start all over but this time with gravel and no sand or soil. After watching your video and a couple of other ones like this, I've decided to just keep it like it is. Me, my wife, and my two kids were looking at the tank last night and the brownish yellowish water is actually growing on us...figuratively not literally. It' a lot less cloudy now than it was a couple of days ago and that makes it easier to like, lol. Now that I know that the tannins are not harmful and can actually be beneficial, I'm not in freak out mode anymore. So, I'll continue with my plan to add plants and fill it up full of fish and enjoy the tank with brown water and all, lol.
So encouraging! Here’s another project that you may find helpful 🐟Neon Tetra 🐟Blackwater Peace Lily 🌿Riparium- 1 YEAR LATER! ruclips.net/video/2IlzqzZNP48/видео.html
I will cut part of a tree near my pond who is making me crazy with so many leaves fallen now in autumn. I hate it. My fish and pond don't need so much tannin, but this video gave me some relief. At least I know it is not harmful if not excessive. Thank you.
Omg i feel so stupid now! I took out all the wood from my 2 tanks after seeing a video here on yt saying how it would bleed tannins and make the water look bad😭😅 I will definitly find them tomorrow and put them to soak.
Not everyone likes the appearance of tannins in the water. In some of my tanks, I don’t want the dark look but still try to have at least some tannins in those tanks for the health benefits for the fish
Where I live in Canada, I also have safely used neighbourhood fresh leaves from nettle, dandelion. Dry leaves: maple, ash, birch, walnut, and chestnut. They’ve been Neocaridinia-shrimp safe. Also botanicals add food and surface area to grow beneficial bio-film. Another great video.
That basically covered it bro 👌 cheers i got tannins in mine the log i put in didnt have much to release being so old but soaking this other piece in a bucket made a nice tea colour to add in controlled amounts
Informative video on Tanins... I also have a doubt on the last part you mentioned about soaking the tenants in a container. I have a similar setup where I soak the dried leaves to produce tanins and store them in a container. But how long can we have this tanin water, should we use it like within a month or can we have them for a longer period.
I meant have a separate aquarium setup with the purpose of soaking leaves. It would be like a normal aquarium setup substrate, filter, etc. just without fish. Then it could keep tannins to add to other aquarium.
For me to achieve the awesome Amazon blood red water I use manzanita wood its the best! almond leaves dye the water a light yellow and I find I cannot achieve that deep red colour
I was just reading a blog. This guy was saying blackwater was created by the Taiwanese almond leaf industry to sucker people. Lol. There's decades of research proving the advantages of tannic water. Blackwater and ripariums are a perfect match. I have some immersed plants, so I have to change the water when it gets too dark. I have 2 huge mopani chunks that constantly release tannins.
Great video! I recently added catappa leaves and alder cones to my 15g fluval fluval with 18 pygmy corys. The alder cones are growing a white film. I boiled them for 2 days changing the water many times, so theres no issues with the color. Is this just biofilm? Or a fungus? Is it harmful? Ive also got nerite snails and a bamboo shrimp in there as well....thank you
It’s likely just biofilm, It happens to pretty much any new botanical in the tank. The snails and shrimp will usually eat it as it develops, good for them too
You are welcome! the best book I can think of for explaining the nitrogen cycle would be Ecology of a Planted Aquarium by Diana Walstad. Not specifically for blackwater systems as I recall, but for planted tanks with high organic matter, which would be applicable to blackwater tanks.
Great video. I'm using rooibos tea bags for my RCR/cardinal tetra tank, I was wondering can I just put the herbs into the tank ? Out of the bag, just let everything sink to the bottom (Boiled or not)
I have a question about driftwood🪵. I got some driftwood 🪵out of a creek but although it is not completely spongy gross it is also not rockhard like properly solid driftwood freshly put in the black watertank. My question is do you think it’s harmful to my fish if I got it from a fast flowing Creek. I was able to cut the wood 🪵 with my handsaw just fine without anything just being complete spongy no good stuff.
If you were able to cut the driftwood with a saw then it may be ok. I avoid driftwood that falls apart when you handle it. A fast flowing creek is a good place to get driftwood. Did the creek seem healthy, were there any fish in it, no obvious pollution or anything? If you are uncertain, you could put the wood in a separate bucket with dechlorinated water and watch it over the next days or weeks and see what happens. If the creek seems healthy, I would be ok with it.
Me again. So...I'm thinking about adding tannins in my Samurai betta's tank. He's very skittish to the point where he will hurt himself. I think he will like this. So can I still use led light for the plants? Seems like most blackwater tanks I've seen online use little lighting or only white light. What about blue and red lights?
@@plantlifeproject I just got my first Java fern and that seems to be going well. I also have pothos and was thinking of getting some frogbit for top coverage.
I can’t speak from experience about the danios, I would recommend researching what the native habitat is like and that will guide you in the right direction.
Well.. I think you’re better off using the tea that I recommended. That would likely be safer and all you would have to do is make the tea and put as much ,or as little, as desired. (Just use dechlorinated water and let the tea cool off before adding it.)
It’s up to you. How much wood and what size tank? Personally, I don’t boil my driftwood, I think it would be fine. It will release a lot of tannins and grow a lot of bio film which can be good for the inhabitants.
@@plantlifeproject thank you allot, I just heard of some people that if you didnt boil it it could release some bacteria to the tank. But I didnt knew if it also Aplies for wood you buy of the store, So thanks.
@@zeyddemir702 I was thinking you wanted the tannins. If you don’t want the blackwater then boiling can be helpful to speed up the process of releasing the tannins before putting the wood in the tank. It will still release more tannins over time which can be removed with water changes and by using activated carbon in the water filter.
maple should be fine, just make sure has been "cured', "weathered", completely dried out, dead, etc. just like with any driftwood. If you are wanting tannins for the water, I recommend oak leaves or wood.
@@plantlifeproject Thanks for replying, no, I have just ceramic media and filter sponge, with filter wool, it seems wool is soaking up the tannins. Should I just use the sponge?
Great video on this topic, packed full of info, no bs, and not half an hour long! Rose to you sir.
Glad you enjoyed it!
WOW! I had no idea I could use acorn caps, Sweet Gum spiky balls, and Magnolia pods in the tank! I'll pick some up on my walk today! Thanks for the neat (and money-saving) ideas!
I'm so glad I came across this video. I just recently, and by recent I mean 5 days ago, just got back into fish keeping after about 40 years of not having an aquarium. Because I was that long out of the hobby, I did a lot of RUclips research on how to start up and maintain a new tank. In watching dozens and dozens of videos, I kept coming across people who put soil in the bottom of their tanks then covered it with sand and/or gravel so that they could grow healthy plants and their tanks were beautiful (not a single person in all of those videos ever said the water might turn brown). Since I had decided that I was going to have lots of live plants, I decided I would also put soil in the bottom of my tank. About 2 weeks ago, I purchased a used 125 gallon tank, some soil, and some sand. I put it all together and filled the tank with water this past Saturday (5 days ago). It was a little cloudy for a couple of days but from what I saw in videos, that was normal. But then I noticed the water had a brown tinge to it. Then on day 3, it was like a dark tea color. I, of course, went into panic mode because I didn't know what had caused it. So more video research and I learned what had happened. Now it's day 5 and I had just about decided to empty the tank then start all over but this time with gravel and no sand or soil. After watching your video and a couple of other ones like this, I've decided to just keep it like it is. Me, my wife, and my two kids were looking at the tank last night and the brownish yellowish water is actually growing on us...figuratively not literally. It' a lot less cloudy now than it was a couple of days ago and that makes it easier to like, lol. Now that I know that the tannins are not harmful and can actually be beneficial, I'm not in freak out mode anymore. So, I'll continue with my plan to add plants and fill it up full of fish and enjoy the tank with brown water and all, lol.
So encouraging! Here’s another project that you may find helpful 🐟Neon Tetra 🐟Blackwater Peace Lily 🌿Riparium- 1 YEAR LATER!
ruclips.net/video/2IlzqzZNP48/видео.html
ily thank you i’m so grateful for free education
You're welcome!
Good video! It answered all my questions in 10 minutes. Thank you for the informative video !! Deserves a sub!
I will cut part of a tree near my pond who is making me crazy with so many leaves fallen now in autumn. I hate it. My fish and pond don't need so much tannin, but this video gave me some relief. At least I know it is not harmful if not excessive. Thank you.
It should be fine as long as The leaves may need to be removed occasionally to prevent excessive leaf buildup
Best video I’ve seen on this topic on RUclips, thanks!
Finally you’re doing tannins. Its underrated and a missin essential in the hobby. Fishes love tannins
Thanks I was searching exactly if I can have a black water aquarium with plants on top :)
Setting up a Killifish tank so this was very helpful.
This is awesome. thankyou for this vid. I have been boiling coconut shells and using the tannins like that
Omg i feel so stupid now! I took out all the wood from my 2 tanks after seeing a video here on yt saying how it would bleed tannins and make the water look bad😭😅 I will definitly find them tomorrow and put them to soak.
Not everyone likes the appearance of tannins in the water. In some of my tanks, I don’t want the dark look but still try to have at least some tannins in those tanks for the health benefits for the fish
Where I live in Canada, I also have safely used neighbourhood fresh leaves from nettle, dandelion. Dry leaves: maple, ash, birch, walnut, and chestnut.
They’ve been Neocaridinia-shrimp safe. Also botanicals add food and surface area to grow beneficial bio-film.
Another great video.
Thanks for the info, good to know!
Thanks a lot! I'm taking notes!!!
That basically covered it bro 👌 cheers i got tannins in mine the log i put in didnt have much to release being so old but soaking this other piece in a bucket made a nice tea colour to add in controlled amounts
Very helpful, brilliantly put together video, thank you
Glad it was helpful! Thank you!
love the tank
Thanks!
Informative video on Tanins... I also have a doubt on the last part you mentioned about soaking the tenants in a container. I have a similar setup where I soak the dried leaves to produce tanins and store them in a container. But how long can we have this tanin water, should we use it like within a month or can we have them for a longer period.
I meant have a separate aquarium setup with the purpose of soaking leaves. It would be like a normal aquarium setup substrate, filter, etc. just without fish. Then it could keep tannins to add to other aquarium.
helpful video, liked and subscribed :)
Awesome, thank you! Glad it’s helpful for you!
Great video love the channel. Thanks and very nice tanks too
Very very informative video. I subscribed today. Thank you 👍
You’re welcome! Glad you found the channel!
Awesome video got all the information I needed
Thank you!
Fluval stratum and little crush coral mixed in subtrate will adding taning lower my ph. Wethr tough crushed coral is mixed in subtrate
For me to achieve the awesome Amazon blood red water I use manzanita wood its the best! almond leaves dye the water a light yellow and I find I cannot achieve that deep red colour
I was just reading a blog. This guy was saying blackwater was created by the Taiwanese almond leaf industry to sucker people. Lol. There's decades of research proving the advantages of tannic water. Blackwater and ripariums are a perfect match. I have some immersed plants, so I have to change the water when it gets too dark. I have 2 huge mopani chunks that constantly release tannins.
Mopani is great for tannins!
Great video! I recently added catappa leaves and alder cones to my 15g fluval fluval with 18 pygmy corys. The alder cones are growing a white film. I boiled them for 2 days changing the water many times, so theres no issues with the color. Is this just biofilm? Or a fungus? Is it harmful? Ive also got nerite snails and a bamboo shrimp in there as well....thank you
It’s likely just biofilm, It happens to pretty much any new botanical in the tank. The snails and shrimp will usually eat it as it develops, good for them too
@plantlifeproject ok that's kind of the answer I was hoping for...lol thank you for watching
Great explanation. 👍
Thank you for the info. I’m looking for a book or some literature explaining the nitrogen cycle in a blackwater tank. Do you have any suggestions?
You are welcome! the best book I can think of for explaining the nitrogen cycle would be Ecology of a Planted Aquarium by Diana Walstad. Not specifically for blackwater systems as I recall, but for planted tanks with high organic matter, which would be applicable to blackwater tanks.
@@plantlifeproject thanks for the info. I’ll check that out.
Great video
Great video. I'm using rooibos tea bags for my RCR/cardinal tetra tank, I was wondering can I just put the herbs into the tank ? Out of the bag, just let everything sink to the bottom (Boiled or not)
I think that would be fine.
Thank you :)
Crepe Myrtle? Can I start cuttings in the tank, like a house plant, or only dead dry pieces?
I have only used crepemyrtle as driftwood, not sure if it will grow in water, might be worth experimenting!
I have a question about driftwood🪵. I got some driftwood 🪵out of a creek but although it is not completely spongy gross it is also not rockhard like properly solid driftwood freshly put in the black watertank. My question is do you think it’s harmful to my fish if I got it from a fast flowing Creek. I was able to cut the wood 🪵 with my handsaw just fine without anything just being complete spongy no good stuff.
If you were able to cut the driftwood with a saw then it may be ok. I avoid driftwood that falls apart when you handle it. A fast flowing creek is a good place to get driftwood. Did the creek seem healthy, were there any fish in it, no obvious pollution or anything? If you are uncertain, you could put the wood in a separate bucket with dechlorinated water and watch it over the next days or weeks and see what happens. If the creek seems healthy, I would be ok with it.
@@plantlifeproject Thank you for the response.
Me again. So...I'm thinking about adding tannins in my Samurai betta's tank. He's very skittish to the point where he will hurt himself. I think he will like this. So can I still use led light for the plants? Seems like most blackwater tanks I've seen online use little lighting or only white light. What about blue and red lights?
What kind of plants are you growing in this tank?
@@plantlifeproject I just got my first Java fern and that seems to be going well. I also have pothos and was thinking of getting some frogbit for top coverage.
@@tarameyers494 low lighting either full spectrum or blue and white should be fine for these plants.
@@plantlifeproject Thanks again!
I have Betta and want to add tannins but a saw an article that said celestial pearl danios won't do well in it.. do you think this is true?
I can’t speak from experience about the danios, I would recommend researching what the native habitat is like and that will guide you in the right direction.
can i use food coloring to give the water the look i want.is it safe. as a newbie i just like this look
Well.. I think you’re better off using the tea that I recommended. That would likely be safer and all you would have to do is make the tea and put as much ,or as little, as desired. (Just use dechlorinated water and let the tea cool off before adding it.)
@@plantlifeproject Movement when boiling, doesn't dechlorinate water completly? (I never tested such matter...)
I really want to try this but I'm just afraid my fish won't like it. I have a tank with yoyo and clown loaches.
The loaches should be fine if you want to add tannins in the water, but it’s up to you!
I guess coconut coir works as well?
Yes, it does. Need to make a video on it.
Can i put spiderwood in my already running aquarium with fish without boiling it?
Btw it now isnt blackwater
It’s up to you. How much wood and what size tank? Personally, I don’t boil my driftwood, I think it would be fine. It will release a lot of tannins and grow a lot of bio film which can be good for the inhabitants.
@@plantlifeproject thank you allot, I just heard of some people that if you didnt boil it it could release some bacteria to the tank. But I didnt knew if it also Aplies for wood you buy of the store, So thanks.
@@plantlifeproject and the blackwater will go away after some waterchanges right?
@@zeyddemir702 I was thinking you wanted the tannins. If you don’t want the blackwater then boiling can be helpful to speed up the process of releasing the tannins before putting the wood in the tank. It will still release more tannins over time which can be removed with water changes and by using activated carbon in the water filter.
are maple leaf trees ok to get drift wood from?
maple should be fine, just make sure has been "cured', "weathered", completely dried out, dead, etc. just like with any driftwood. If you are wanting tannins for the water, I recommend oak leaves or wood.
I know I'm late. Are botanicals beneficial to Jack demsey, or green terror cichlids?
It’s never too late. Yes botanicals are beneficial for these cichlids!
@@plantlifeproject thank you.
The filter sponge is filtering out the tannins, how to avoid this?
Does your filter have carbon in it? Carbon will neutralize tannins.
@@plantlifeproject Thanks for replying, no, I have just ceramic media and filter sponge, with filter wool, it seems wool is soaking up the tannins. Should I just use the sponge?
My crayfish keep having white fungus on them, and they die after a few days. Any advice on my tank and how to remove it?
How long has your tank been setup?
Go out in the woods and get the leaves. Soak them in hot water with a little salt. And your good to go.
Are botanical harmful to snails ?
No, botanicals are not harmful to snails but beneficial. They can be a food source for snails
@@plantlifeproject thank you for answering my question. 👍
... unless pH drops a lot & shells get eroded...
Hope dogs haven't pissed on um yeah
Watch out for yellow leaves and driftwood….
@@plantlifeproject I only use indain almond leaves