My first ever black water tank!

Barry Tetra · Aug 22, 2020

Hi guys, I just wanna show off my first ever black water and low budget.
It took me 5 hours to finished all of this, I hope you enjoy.

stockings: 20 neon tetras, 6 lemon tetras and 5 cherry barbs.
the only thing I really proud of is low budget, all fish in this tank only cost 0.6$ (20 Thai Baht) in my LFS.

Barry Tetra · Aug 22, 2020

I want your opinions about decoration and how to make it more natural, post your thoughts!

@AdoraBelle Dearheart @PheonixKingZ @Retired Viking

Guppy10 · Aug 22, 2020

Ok. If it was mine, I'd have something vertical in the rear corners to from your central wood. Probably more wood as I think fake is just trashy lol. Plants at the ends will help in a number of ways also.
Still leaving swimming room but framing your fish.
Looking good so far and what a bargain !

PheonixKingZ · Aug 22, 2020

Nice!

I would add taller plants in the back - this gives a good sense of depth.

I would also get some java moss for the driftwood, and some java fern as well.

Pretty much just get more plants. :nod:

That tank has a lot of potential, keep it up! :fish:

Barry Tetra · Aug 22, 2020

PheonixKingZ said:
Nice!

I would add taller plants in the back - this gives a good sense of depth.

I would also get some java moss for the driftwood, and some java fern as well.

Pretty much just get more plants.

That tank has a lot of potential, keep it up!

How big can neons get? (0.7 cm RightNow) I am a bit concerned of overstocked lately, especially with another tank which is 5 gal and have over 20 endlers in there...

@Byron can you show us your neon tetra's tank? I've seen neons in your profile pic.

Crispii · Aug 22, 2020

Add some botanicals.

AdoraBelle Dearheart · Aug 22, 2020

Nicely done! Always great to be able to pull off a tank on a budget.

I'm no aquascaper I'm afraid! And I haven't had a blackwater tank yet, but have looked intoit a little for my otos,; especially plants, because I love a planted tank and worried about how plants would do. I was given this list of plants that can grow in a blackwater low pH tank;
Cryptocoryne spp. (C.wendtii, C.lutea, C.undulata and C.affinis), Dwarf Ambulia (Limnophila sessiliflora), Japanese Water Cress (Cardamine lyrata), Myriophllyum spp., Bacopa carolina, Java Moss (Vesicularia Dubyana), Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Anubias species.

I feel like blackwater tanks really need floating plants for that authentic feel!

Agree with @Crispii about adding botanicals, and I know @mbsqw1d @NCaquatics and @dmpfishlover have stunning blackwater tanks and could give you much better advice!

CassCats · Aug 22, 2020

Botanicals to use:

Acorn tops (free!!)
Alder cones (offer the best tannins for their size)
Indian almond leaves
Oak leaves
Beech leaves
Maple leaves
Magnolia leaves

Or if you dont like the look of botanicals, you can put them in a filter media sock in the filter, but doesn't help the natural look.

Most blackwater habitats lack plants. I would add some overhanging branches from trees and perhaps some floating plants

Crispii · Aug 22, 2020

NCaquatics said:
Or if you dont like the look of botanicals, you can put them in a filter media sock in the filter, but doesn't help the natural look.

You can also use rooibos tea for tannins.

Barry Tetra · Aug 22, 2020

Crispii said:
You can also use rooibos tea for tannins.

We have Indian almond next to our house

CassCats · Aug 22, 2020

Barry Tetra said:
We have Indian almond next to our house

id be picking up fallen dried branches and leaves off that bad boy then, you lucky person!

PheonixKingZ · Aug 22, 2020

Barry Tetra said:
How big can neons get? (0.7 cm RightNow) I am a bit concerned of overstocked lately, especially with another tank which is 5 gal and have over 20 endlers in there...

@Byron can you show us your neon tetra's tank? I've seen neons in your profile pic.

Are you wanting to know what a neon tank looks like? What they look like? Or how big they are?

I have 8 neons in my 29g tank:

(You can see them in the top left corner)

CassCats · Aug 22, 2020

neons can get up to 2 inches.

mbsqw1d · Aug 22, 2020

Yeh if you're staining the water (you can use rooibos tea for this) then plant wise you're best to go for low light level, i think Adorabelle has covered the list of plants. Mine isn't a true blackwater, i stain the water slightly with tea and add some dried almond and oak leaves. This site is very good

"You Can't Keep Plants in Blackwater", Right? Maybe? Um...

One of the most common questions and points of discussion we receive and engage in here at Tannin is, "Can you keep aquatic plants in blackwater?" And of course, the answer is 100%, unequivocally "YES!" I'll be the first to admit that I am not an expert on aquatic plants by any means, and any...

tanninaquatics.com

Retired Viking · Aug 22, 2020

NCaquatics said:
neons can get up to 2 inches.

I would add more surface plants/leaves they like shade and it helps make them feel safer since birds are one of their primary predators. In the rainy season they are found in flooded areas along the stream where there would be a lot of plants submerged like in my sunken forest. Large areas are flooded for a time. So adding Java ferns and such would be reasonable. Normally it is just leaves and roots of trees and a few surface plants with their roots in the water.

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My first ever black water tank!

Barry Tetra

Fish Aficionado

Barry Tetra

Fish Aficionado

Guppy10

Fish Crazy

PheonixKingZ

Fish Guru

Barry Tetra

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Crispii

Fish Gatherer

AdoraBelle Dearheart

Nutty fish nutter

CassCats

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Crispii

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Barry Tetra

Fish Aficionado

CassCats

Fish Aficionado

PheonixKingZ

Fish Guru

CassCats

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mbsqw1d

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"You Can't Keep Plants in Blackwater", Right? Maybe? Um...

Retired Viking

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