i been trying to keep my blackwater black for awhile but it can never last more than 4 days. im using indian almond leaves to make my blackwater. i boil it and pour it in my tank. but after the 2nd or 3rd day it completely clears up as if i have never made it blackwater. i tried dumping the leaves in there after i boil them. i tried puting a bunch of them in the filter but but in a few days it completely clears up. whats going on? and i do not have carbon in any of my filters just sponges. so right now to make my blackwater last i have to boil new indian almond leaves every 3-4 days. anyone had this problem before?
how to keep blackwater....black?
- Thread starter nikond70s
- Start date
I don't boil the almond leaves I collect. They simply leach tannins in heavy amounts and can last for weeks but my tank gets vigorous circulation. Does your tank have vigorous circulation? I wonder if the tannins may be settling if the tank is stagnant. It could happen.
I wouldn't worry about the colour. Once the pH is stable there's nothing to worry about. A lot of other filter media will also remove the tanins
A lot of times, bogwood will stain the water as well. For some of my wild Bettas that I kept, a combination of Bogwood, and added Indian Almond leaves, kept the water a nice tea color indefinately. I miss those days. Now I'm exactly the opposite, I have to add crushed coral to buffer the water to over 8 for my alkaline loving Sacramento Perch.
