I Need Lot Of Tannins For A Black Water Biotope For Bettas But Indian Leaves Are'nt Cutting It

So, I have wood on the way. But I don't think it's a type of wood that releases a lot of tannins. I've been adding Indian almond leaves into the tank for about a month to create leaf litter but it's still only slightly stained (The almond leaves are A+++ grade) I really want to get this water darker, are there any tips for adding tannins?

 

Hello!

Make an extract! Try boiling out your leaves(or a lesser quality if you really want to get the tannins out without having to pay too much). This will eventually release every ounce of tannins they have and you can use fresh leaf litter to keep/maintain the water dark.

 

Hello!

Make an extract! Try boiling out your leaves(or a lesser quality if you really want to get the tannins out without having to pay too much). This will eventually release every ounce of tannins they have and you can use fresh leaf litter to keep/maintain the water dark.

I'll try boiling some later tonight when I get home. I usually have a few fresh leaves floating around the tank because my girls love resting on them. Believe it or not it was actually cheaper for me to get higher grade leaves! $20 for 50 pieces I believe, but they aren't very dark unfortunately which is was I was hoping for... I'm hoping the wood I get in for the tank will release some tannins as well.

 

I don't have any tips on tannins, but I have IALs in my betta tanks too and the water is only very slightly stained. I find that certain types of driftwood (I can't remember the name of it right now) release a lot of tannins.

My betta likes to rest on the IAL too. He's sick at the moment and they seem to be helping him a bit.

 

Boil peat moss in dechlorinated water, then strain the water through fine netting, let cool, and use in the tank. You'll get very concentrated tannins.

 

Boil peat moss in dechlorinated water, then strain the water through fine netting, let cool, and use in the tank. You'll get very concentrated tannins.

I don't have any peat moss... and I've never seen any around

 

MopanI driftwood has heaps of tannins.

 

There is a retailer called Tannin. They have tons of interesting options and the customer service is great from what I hear. The site is pretty educational too.

 

I don't have any peat moss... and I've never seen any around

Do you have a Home Depot or Lowes around? I got mine at one of those. They're usually used for planting hanging ferns. Just make sure there aren't any fertilizers added.

 

MopanI driftwood has heaps of tannins.

I agree I have just a small piece and the water gets quite dark depending on how often I change the water.

 

Do you have a Home Depot or Lowes around? I got mine at one of those. They're usually used for planting hanging ferns. Just make sure there aren't any fertilizers added.

We don't have those in Australia...

 

We don't have those in Australia...

You can probably order peat moss online or find it at a local Garden Center. There lots of options go check out the Tannin website for ideas. You might be able to get some of that stuff locally.

 

We don't have those in Australia...

Oops! Goodness, I have no idea why I thought you were in the states! My mind registered SA as South Carolina. I'm a bit sleep deprived right now if you can't tell. Lol

My apologies.

 

You can probably order peat moss online or find it at a local Garden Center. There lots of options go check out the Tannin website for ideas. You might be able to get some of that stuff locally.

Thanks I'll have a look

Oops! Goodness, I have no idea why I thought you were in the states! My mind registered SA as South Carolina. I'm a bit sleep deprived right now if you can't tell. Lol

My apologies.

Haha no worries, easy mistake to make

 

Surely, you have a hardware, garden store sort of place?

 

I use a bag of peat moss in the filter. Because it just sits in the filter, it works pretty consistently for me. Just make sure you use organic peat moss and test your PH for a few days (peat moss has a PH of about 4.4, so it likely will bring your tanks PH down). I'd add it very gradually so you don't shock the fish that are in there, you can always tie a loop in the bag and add a bit more each day until pleased. You could also boil it, I'm not sure what PH the water coming out would be though. Maybe you can find it online if you don't have a gardening shop or hardware store around you.