What black water method do you use?

Looking for personal experience with various black water additives/methods.

 

I've used Tetras Black Water Extract

 

Did you like it? Where the fish ok?

 

To be honest, the tank looked really nice on the day of the dosing, gave a really rich color to things, but as the days went by it started to fade. I didn't see any harmful effects on my fish, none of them died when I dose the tank with Tetra Black Water extract.

 

LarrythEDeer made an oak leaf tonic for his black water tank that I thought looked interesting in this thread: He doesn't give the recipe but maybe would provide it if you PM'd him?

 

I've seen boiled oak leaf recipes on YouTube, lots of work. I'm thinking of just using spagum peat moss in the filter. Very inexpensive.

Sera makes a product called super peat I was looking at too.

 

I'm sure that would work. I think certain wood will also give you a darker tint to the water. The manzanita wood I got recently has given my tank a nice brownish hue that I like, not sure how black you could get it that way though.

 

My wood is too old to leach tannins.

 

Instead of using peat in the filter, why not use it as substrate? It looks very good if used with talent and its also a good hidingplace for eggs, fry or shrimp...

I am not an addict of chemical additives - including aquaria...
So I avoid using bottled liquids, especially when they do the same as the original substance - peat, in this case.

I don't use acidity stabilizers/changers, softeners, phosphate removers, SafeStarters, dechlorinators, you name it!
The only 'artificial thing' I use in my aquaria is flake-food (wish I could give the fish 'real' food, but that is not possible) and rarely, medicine (and only when it can't be solved with QT, heating or peat.

So, to answer your question: for the best blackwater effect, I use bogwood and/or peat.
But blackwater is not just about turning the water yellow/brown, it's about the whole setting of the tank: subdued lighting, lots of roots/bogwood, dark background and finegrained, dark substrate.
What good is it to make a top-notch blackwater with state-of-the-art additives if we then light up the thing with a dozen power bulbs to grow a dutch garden in the tank. Just my opinion...

 

Instead of using peat in the filter, why not use it as substrate? It looks very good if used with talent and its also a good hidingplace for eggs, fry or shrimp...

I don't know how, do you?

 

Put the peat in water for a week until it doesn't float. Then disaggregate it and spread it over the sand and between the plants.

 

I did this once and to do it I put the peat in scolding hot water and then let the water cool after this the peat sunk fine and I added the water (once it cooled down and I added prime to it ) to the tank

 

It is a faster way of getting the peat to sink, but it kills the beneficial microorganisms in the peat. It retains its visual properties but it becomes biologically inert.
You can do that, but peat has so many good properties, it really is a shame to remove them. After all, peat is nature's first stage in the transformation of vegetable fibres into coal. So, many of the properties we use in activated carbon, we find in peat as well.

As I said above: I avoid supplying additives to my aquaria. Scolding the peat and then adding 'prime'... doesn't make sense to me :-/

 

siggI do you know a way to use peat without the ph dropp?

 

No, peat (and bogwood, for that matter) has an acidifying effect on the water, but IME that isn't much of a problem, unless huge amounts of peat are used, as most blackwater species live well with acid water.
The substances in nature that darken the water are more or less the same ones that make it acid, so it is almost a pleasant coincidence. And good for us that we can use similar natural substances (peat) to achieve those two changes in the water.

If there should be a need for diminishing this acidifying effect of the peat, I guess changing the water several times, while waiting for the peat to soak and sink, would do the trick.

 

because fish seem to like and feel safer in the dark water but some spices I have need a higher ph

 

How long does the peat stay in the tank? What about water changes? Do I need to add more at each change? I change all tanks weekly.

 

The peat should be left in as the remaining substrates. You can add more, if you want to enhance further the darkening of the water.

 

I've read of using peat under the substrate, but never on. Interesting.

For today I used Blackwater by Brightwell Aquatics. Directions state to use 6 drops per 20 gallon of water daily. States Blackwater is good for plants too.

 

I like using IAL. I use 3 leaf per water change and it keep my tank the way I want it.

 

I like using IAL. I use 3 leaf per water change and it keep my tank the way I want it.

I love IAL, but very hard to find.

 

Can you post a picture on your tank now using IAL?

 

IAL? What is IAL?

 

IAL? What is IAL?

Indian Almond Leaves.

 

I am using the method SiggI suggests in this thread. The peat has been floating but the only problem with it is when the pieces become waterlogged, they sometimes get sucked or stuck into the filter intake before they can reach the substrate.

So what I did was I took one of those Magic Bullet blender hard plastic cups with a tiny holed lid and filled it with peat. Because I don't have nets on hand. And it is currently floating in the tank, but once it sinks I will then assume that the peat has become fully water logged, and will open the lid and spread it over the substrate. I also am using it in my filter. It is Serra? Comes in a yellow box and I got over 1lb of it in there.

I also will be getting some IAL's next week.

I hope what I'm doing, using a hard plastic Magic Bullet cup lol is fine...will be keeping an eye on ph. There's no fish in the tank currently. Am prepping it for blackwater species.

 

You can soak the peat out of the tank - in a bucket, for some days until it sinks. Looks a little awkward having the peat floating around in the aquarium... but since you don't have fish in the tank, I guess it is 'out of the way'

Can you post an of your tank with the 'Magic Bullet device'? I'm kind of curious...

Water looks like a can of tea? post your pH-reading as well.

Oak leaves are also good, and in the right season are pretty easy to get, depending on where you live. Remember they should be collected (shortly) after falling, not ripped while green.

 

Here's the Magic Bullet in my tank, it was floating yesterday, now half of it has sank inside the cup and has brought it down to the substrate. I'll have a full tank shot in another thread when I get my fishies!

Sorry if shot is too dark if so I apologise. But look hard at the left side and it's there filled with Serra peat lol.



Here's my ph according to my API test kit.



I am getting IAL's next week.

 

Pretty dark.

I haven't posted in awhile on this topic.

I have decided to try organic sphagnum peat moss for my blackwater tank. This peat moss is from Canada.



I have read and read on the proper way to use in the aquarium. I will be using the recommended 4 cups (1 quart) per 25 gallons of water.
My tank is 40 gallon so I will round up the number to approximately 6 cups of peat.

I will stuff the peat into a nylon bag made out of pantyhose stockings.
The bag of peat will be added to the hang on back filter.

I will wash the peat in hot water before use to remove dust.

Photos and videos of process to come...

The peat moss is in.

Preparing the peat by soaking in hot water.



The peat in nylon stocking.



Water after soaking peat for about an hour.



Tank before peat.



Tank right after messing with filter, let tons of in the water.



The has settled and the water is clear again. Waiting on the peat to cycle into the tank and make blackwater.

Pics tomorrow...

 

After the peat soaks, it will remain on the bottom. Not flat down, but it makes a spongy layer (like leaf litter). It can get an inch deep, or more if we want.
The apistos love it for hiding - and I think the cardinals feel comfortable over it, at least it's where they prefer to stay.

My big tank is like yours - with white sand at the front.

Look forward to see your pics...

Why don't you make a blog of this tranformation?

 

The peat moss is in.

Preparing the peat by soaking in hot water.
View attachment 96166

The peat in nylon stocking.
View attachment 96167

Water after soaking peat for about an hour.
View attachment 96168

Tank before peat.
View attachment 96169

Tank right after messing with filter, let tons of in the water.
View attachment 96170

The has settled and the water is clear again. Waiting on the peat to cycle into the tank and make blackwater.

Pics tomorrow...

Did you dump the peat in, drop the nylon bag in, or put it in your filter?

I am wondering, what are the benefits of blackwater? Do certain fish prefer it? Is it more natural? What is a good way to put it in your filter? Thank you!

I found this very interesting guide to buying IALs:

 

I am wondering, what are the benefits of blackwater? Do certain fish prefer it? Is it more natural? What is a good way to put it in your filter? Thank you!

I added the nylon full of peat into the HOB filter. The fish from the amazon like it because they come from dark, murky waters.

Siggi, I don't know how to blog. I use an app to get on Fishlore, not the website, so less options in way I post.

The water wasn't as "tea" colored as I had hoped, but I'll wait a few days to add more.

So I'm seeing a tiny tint in the water so far. I'd like to get a darker color, like tea, in the water.

I'll test pH tomorrow and other parameters to see how the peat is affecting the tank.

 

I keep chocolate gouramis in my tank where blackwater is a plus. I have peat in the aquaclear filter running and IAL's, and for water changes I use aged declorinated water that has peat soaking in it and an airstone. So the new water I replace the old water in is tea colored as well.

 

I keep chocolate gouramis in my tank where blackwater is a plus. I have peat in the aquaclear filter running and IAL's, and for water changes I use aged declorinated water that has peat soaking in it and an airstone. So the new water I replace the old water in is tea colored as well.

Does your water stay dark? I'm not getting a very dark color yet. I added 3 large IAL today.

So far my pH doesn't seem to be changing. I can't tell if it's 7.6 or 8. If it's 8, then it's going up.

 

Bogwood is also good to stain the water - although it doesn't have the physiological properties of peat...

 

I always use IAL in my tanks but they tend to break down rather fast in my tanks.

 

It does. Since the water I replace it with is already dark. I test the age water I keep in a bucket and it's always way below your PH readings. I credit that to it being aerated it peat days before doing water changes with it.

 

It does. Since the water I replace it with is already dark. I test the age water I keep in a bucket and it's always way below your PH readings. I credit that to it being aerated it peat days before doing water changes with it.

I just ordered some IAL, do you happen to know how much will it drop the pH?

 

I have some. I'll do a 24 hour pH test if you like.

Gamer, how much peat do you use per gallon? I want the water darker.

 

I have some. I'll do a 24 hour pH test if you like.

Gamer, how much peat do you use per gallon? I want the water darker.

It would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

I'll go stick a leave in a cup now.