Thanks for the replies. 
The dimensions are metric, so they convert a bit awkwardly.
5'3" x 3'4" x 20", or 160x100x50cm. Rays would be pretty sweet if I could find any, and I'd love piranhas but they're illegal here. I'm planning on getting some spotted metynnises since they're about the closest looking fish to piranhas. http://www.gonta036.com/tansui25/metynnis3.jpg
Blackwater just means tannin / humic acid-stained water, and can refer to a river (eg the Rio Negro) or an acid pool or whatever else. The vegetation is usually low due to the decreased sunlight but not necessarily absent.
I'm trying to get an effect something like these pics: http://www.amanotakashi.net/portfolio/amazon/underwater.html
As you can see in the last pic, the water's quite green at the moment. I'm not sure if that's from the peat moss and indian almond leaves in the filter, or if it's algae because of the window behind the tank. There's absolutely no visible algae on any of the surfaces, and I had a previous tank in the same place which never turned green (and wasn't filtered through peat or IAL), but I'd have expected it to stain more brown. Anyone know what might be going on?
The dimensions are metric, so they convert a bit awkwardly.
5'3" x 3'4" x 20", or 160x100x50cm. Rays would be pretty sweet if I could find any, and I'd love piranhas but they're illegal here. I'm planning on getting some spotted metynnises since they're about the closest looking fish to piranhas. http://www.gonta036.com/tansui25/metynnis3.jpg
Blackwater just means tannin / humic acid-stained water, and can refer to a river (eg the Rio Negro) or an acid pool or whatever else. The vegetation is usually low due to the decreased sunlight but not necessarily absent.
I'm trying to get an effect something like these pics: http://www.amanotakashi.net/portfolio/amazon/underwater.html
As you can see in the last pic, the water's quite green at the moment. I'm not sure if that's from the peat moss and indian almond leaves in the filter, or if it's algae because of the window behind the tank. There's absolutely no visible algae on any of the surfaces, and I had a previous tank in the same place which never turned green (and wasn't filtered through peat or IAL), but I'd have expected it to stain more brown. Anyone know what might be going on?
