Black Water?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
eklikewhoa said:
It is meant to increase acidity and lower hardness as well as "soothing" properties which a lot of people believe in.

The blackwater extract is just expensive extract, I would use Alder cones or IndianAlmondLeaves which would give the tannin tinted look as well as good water chemistry altering which you would want with the species mentioned... far cheaper and more effective option.
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Where would I buy Alder Cones or Indian Almond Leaves? Just online?
 
Can can get an additive bag and put fluval peat in the filter it will help soften the water and change the color a bit

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IME, nothing beats the alder cones. In my shrimp tanks I just toss it into the tank but with my larger tank being converted to a SA tank I will be using a media bag and tossing a few into the sump, canister works too as I have had a bag of IAL/Alder cones in an Eheim before.

http://www.aldercones.com/
 
Alder cones are good but you need heaps to make a difference in a big tank and then they break down,clog up filters. I find a large piece of driftwood helps in leaching tannins the most and make sure you don't have any carbon in your filters.
 
My 30g Crystal Red Shrimp tank I used maybe 7 alder cones.

Tap water...
pH 7.8-8.2

tank water 6.4-6.6


The point behind using peat like media is to not have to be forced into having a chunk of wood inside the tank if you don't want to. Plus the wood would also be breaking down while leaching the tannins and most of the time at a much slower rate than using peat media. All of it breaks down in the tank... the alder cones or IALs you can just replace.
 
I've used TetraAqua's blackwater extract. My shoal was noticeably more active, and more content when I had blackwater as opposed to just water. For fish from the Amazon, as well as other blackwater species, it somewhat replicates the water that they were bred to thrive in. It also works on Bettas, and Clown Knife fish with similar results. I prefer to let it leach out of driftwood though. It's the most natural way to get those tannins in, long term it's less of a hassle than adding half the dang bottle to a 50gal+ tank, AND it gave my piranhas something to swim over, under, and around while they were pretending that I couldn't see them if they couldn't see me. Whatever method you choose, I'm sure your piranhas will enjoy it.
 
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