homemade black water extract

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exoticaquaria

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 12, 2012
91
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Shreveport
its been years since ive made homeade black water. I love tetras black water product but it goes too fast and gets pricey in the lonrun so im thinking of going back to the free homemade product lol. from what ive heard on google oak leaves will work. my yard is covered in dried oak leaves but im not sure what species. ive included a couple pics of the oak leaves below. if they are the right kind of leaves I would assume id wash the leaves of all debris with hot water and then boil them over medium heat for about thirty minutes covered, then bottle the black water..? just hoping these are the leaves.. anyone have a clue? or any tips?

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That'll work perfectly fine, I've done that exact method myself with great results.
 
exoticaquaria said:
okay but did you see the pictures? are they oak leaves? I dont want to poison my fish..
Click to expand...
Yeah, I said that'll work perfectly fine. Those appear to be Quercus alba and Quercus rubra (oak) leaves. Perfectly safe for use as blackwater extract.
 
did the oak leave water extract you used benefit your fish and aquarium in any way? also I live in a town with a paper mill and im sure the leaves may be slighty polluted but will I be okay with a good wash and boil?
 
I'm sure that leaves in all suburban areas are slightly polluted. Give them a thorough washing under warm water and them boil them. Put a lot of leaves in a pot half filled with water, that way you get a lot of dark extract/water content. They don't have any benefits to the fish aside from making the fish more comfortable because the of subdued lighting. I used this method in my tank that has Paracheirodon axelrodi, Mikorgeophagus altispinosus, Corydoras julii, and a colony of Palaemonetes sp..
 
thanks guys! is this black water safe for an african lungfish and blood parrot cichlids?

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It's safe for all fish, but not necessary for most.
 
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