jumping in...first piranha and a few questions

[nzafi]

Thanks for the feedback. Do you get the same benefit from store bought blackwater extract? That might actually be financially feasible but need to look into it.

Spoken to all the experts related to HITH. I have had my rhom for 17 years. Tried HEX, metro+, epsom salt, etc with no luck. He does not eat often enough for me to get him to ingest the right dosage, and dosing the tank has not helped. At his age and extent of HITH of am not willing to catch him every day for several days and inject him with medication. A vet recommended possible direct injection to the infected areas as you cannot really stick a pippette down a 11in rhom's throat without it biting through it. At this stage, I am just trying for optimal water conditions and if he gets better, he gets better.

 

[nzafi]

I think im going to buy some indian almond tea leaves from amazon, throw them into a filter sock from BRS and just hang it in my tank. See how impacts the water. Sound like they continue to release tannins for a month so it should get me threw my weekly water changes.

 

[Woefulrelic]

I think im going to buy some indian almond tea leaves from amazon, throw them into a filter sock from BRS and just hang it in my tank. See how impacts the water. Sound like they continue to release tannins for a month so it should get me threw my weekly water changes.

Give it a try and see how you like it, the sock will hold the detritus as well so no nasty leave matter at the end of the month. It might not cure it but every bit that helps, right? Plus I love the blackwater look.

 

[SandNukka15]

From personal experience if your water is hard then dont use blackwater extract from a bottle .....tetra brand is complete garbage and kents lasts a day......my water is hard with a ph of about 7.5-7.8.......i added teice the recomended dose and it still faded within a day.......and i dont use carbon in my filters so i know it wasnt taken out.

I would go with peat moss or almond leaves

 

[predatorkeeper87]

From personal experience if your water is hard then dont use blackwater extract from a bottle .....tetra brand is complete garbage and kents lasts a day......my water is hard with a ph of about 7.5-7.8.......i added teice the recomended dose and it still faded within a day.......and i dont use carbon in my filters so i know it wasnt taken out.

I would go with peat moss or almond leaves

my water is just as bad, I've started now making peat moss tea, just boil down some regular ol' peat out of the bag for 20 minutes or so, pour the mix in a strainer over a big bowl and bam, homemade black water tea for roughly 10 bucks a bale lol.

 

[SandNukka15]

my water is just as bad, I've started now making peat moss tea, just boil down some regular ol' peat out of the bag for 20 minutes or so, pour the mix in a strainer over a big bowl and bam, homemade black water tea for roughly 10 bucks a bale lol.

Pa water must just suck lol

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Pa water must just suck lol

oh its bad, I'm afraid to walk near magnets theres so much iron in mine lol

 

[nzafi]

From personal experience if your water is hard then dont use blackwater extract from a bottle .....tetra brand is complete garbage and kents lasts a day......my water is hard with a ph of about 7.5-7.8.......i added teice the recomended dose and it still faded within a day.......and i dont use carbon in my filters so i know it wasnt taken out.

I would go with peat moss or almond leaves

After researching the off the shelf solutions I quickly came to the conclusion it is not worth it. I think peat is going to be too messy for me and the easiest path is just hanging almond leaves in the tank directly.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

After researching the off the shelf solutions I quickly came to the conclusion it is not worth it. I think peat is going to be too messy for me and the easiest path is just hanging almond leaves in the tank directly.

honestly peat isn't all that messy if you have large enough pots and pans. it boils very nicely, never spilled any yet. stays at the bottom of the pan mostly too, so no worries of dumping it all over the place trying to get the water out.

 

[nzafi]

Let me clarify. My wife is going to go batsh!t if I decide to start boiling peat in one of her pots (or buy a special pot for it). In the spirit of "happy wife happy life" I try not to push things like this when I have an option for something like hanging leaves in the tank directly