Aquascape Tutorial: Neon Tetra Blackwater Aquarium (How To: Full Step By Step Guide)

[@TobyCreates]

Me: **takes time perfecting the tannins in my tank** My mom: *why’s the water so dirty?*

[@sujitraikwar2149]

hahahhaa

[@calemanderthesalamander8156]

OMG!!! THAT HAPPENS TO BE TOO! and Chris gave you a shout out. I LOVED IT!

[@TobyCreates]

Calemanderthesalamander really? Cool

[@calemanderthesalamander8156]

@@TobyCreates Yes. i had a shrimp tank and my mother did not like it. how many subs you got?

[@TobyCreates]

Calemanderthesalamander like 370 something?

[@TheReggaesunshine]

Perfect choice of music for this video on this tank!

[@milkweeddreams8828]

Simply magical when you added the fish in slo-mo, along with the music...WOW...I have an old fiberglass boat in my back yard that I have made into a black water bog with goldfish...and I added a full size skeleton laying on the bottom among the sand and rocks and an empty rum bottle in his boney fingers, he has aged nicely with algae and the fish love hiding in his ribs, a fun garden project living the Florida tropical, pirate lifestyle...argh...

[@ianjohnboy]

sounds amazing you any pics please

[@d4nial]

A freakin' PLUS on the sad ambient music choice. Love it!! A welcome change from the usual pumped up electronica on everyone's tank videos!

[@abelationgorgoro8310]

I know. What song is that anyway? Didn't see the credits for it. It's cool

[@relaxingshrimp5548]

I'll keep that in mind lol

[@planetpompom]

Agreed, I dislike the tank videos where the person's shouting at you and the music blasts your eardrums out!

[@noeltex7558]

@@abelationgorgoro8310 what song is that in the end ?

[@abelationgorgoro8310]

@@noeltex7558 don't know. Trying to find out

[@hunterehart]

I love how the discus are just watching what’s going on 😂

[@justinweisberg1634]

“We want tannins We want tannins”😂😂

[@rickfromthecape3135]

They're like, "Hey look! They're building a new place next door!"

[@justinweisberg1634]

Lol! 😂

[@chinchou012]

Right I thought the same thing it was so cute the whole time while he was making the scape they were being so nosey

[@Abraaodias99]

Muito bonito esse cardume de neons

[@MDFishTanks]

Hi everyone. Thanks for watching my video. This is a little different from the usual builds but I love how it has turned out and it's great to have something different in the new studio :) (edit: with the price of the wood, I meant each, not for the two. Think it might have come across that way...) Light: US (similar) amzn.to/2GVEGuP UK amzn.to/3hlRsiB Stainless Lily Pipes: US amzn.to/2FqHpvR UK amzn.to/2RlfrnC Filter: US amzn.to/3kO0l6K UK amzn.to/33a4Qml INDIAN ALMOND LEAVES: US amzn.to/2R6G6bh UK amzn.to/3tqm1tr CATAPPA LEAVES: US amzn.to/3xZxXG3 UK amzn.to/3uwmID3 Tank: @t Hardscape: www.aquariumgardens.co.uk Plants: www.tropica.com

[@mrkrabs5729]

Get a pixie frog (African Bullfrog) please

[@slipperythought89]

You make fish keeping look like art man

[@shrimperlincs3395]

Nice Blackwater! I'd love it in there 🦐✔️

[@kidrobin171]

You only need to add "Daun Ketapang" if you're Betta lover, and that's turn into brown water easily

[@vidopulos]

Hi MD, what is the maximum width of glas that the acrylic holder for lily pipes can hold? The tank looks awesome

[@SatchPatch25]

I adore how the Discus were following your every move! So precious❤

[@Thomas-lr5kw]

And now....for something completly different! A no plant blackwatertank! Very nice M.D.

[@Itssam89]

If not the best tank in the gallery, simple yet effective 👍

[@glennk.7348]

I like how the discus(es) come over to see who’s moving in next door!

[@masterchock328]

This tank gave me a little thrill. Looks stunning, there is something majestic about it

[@omkiddd538]

I can’t be the only one that thinks a giant koi betta would look amazing in the black water set up or a white betta

[@thefifth6307]

I love white betta’s. Platinum is awesome

[@iszsvnnyknight5688]

White Betta!

[@relaxingshrimp5548]

I'm putting wild ones in mine, thinking of tankmates (considering kuhli loaches, wild type cherry shrimp, rasboras)

[@relaxingshrimp5548]

@@thefifth6307 I call my white crowntail Falkor, he is so beautiful (and the best dad- you know what's awesome? A tub of white betta fry, they're so much easier to see, and so cute hunting baby brine shrimp!)

[@maxwelljacobs961]

Just picked up a male 'white opal' betta a few days ago and have already got everything on the way to start a blackwater tank (which I didn't know existed until after buying the betta). First fish and tank I've had in maybe 20ish years, will be first ever blackwater.

[@25luay]

Hey MD, i would put some protection on that sink when you take out the fish, or stick to the bucket. It would be a shame if some jump and go down the drain. Super cool setup tho :)

[@badenielsen]

Yeah i always use a bucket, with my luck i need to😅

[@aidandalton7404]

I once accidentally siphoned a rummy nose tetra into the toilet, luckily I had a miniature net and rescued him from the bowl.... He lives on happily to this day.... Miracle fish.... 🙂😯

[@rickfromthecape3135]

@@aidandalton7404 Call him King....He was sitting on the throne!

[@aidandalton7404]

@@rickfromthecape3135 😀😄👍

[@pekitivey]

I dropped an Oscar on the floor last week doing this with a bucket 😭 my net was to small. He's absolutely perfect tho. Made a full recovery.

[@momomnc7206]

That release at 14:11 is just beautiful! Watching it over and over again!

[@YsabetJustYsabet]

Have to say, I love that you did a blackwater tank! I was born and raised in NW Florida in the U.S., on what we call the Panhandle, directly on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico; and the Blackwater River flows about 70 miles away, between where I was born and where I went to college in Pensacola. I've canoed and swam in the Blackwater, watched gators slide into the river from the bank (the rangers will tell you that it's gator-free, but nope) and it's a truly beautiful place with water the color of tea and with the most delicious scent-- Cypress, Sweet Bay and Tupelo trees, all with their feet in the water. I don't know if this is the sort of place you're basing this tank on, but I wish you could see it; it's just amazing. So thanks for reminding me a bit of home!

[@NenetteSerrano]

Wow what a talent you have. Looks beautiful and natural!

[@earthgirl7267]

Love this tank!!! Blackwater aquariums are my favorite. 💙🐟

[@SkipperBlue]

This tank is perfect for neon tetras. I wish, other fishkeepers would do the same.

[@JamesTHEKOIwhisperer123]

Yes mate was waiting for this one happy days 👍👌

[@fishmanc5357]

Fankyamudda4darabbits 😉

[@JamesTHEKOIwhisperer123]

Luke Kennedy 😂😂👍

[@johnnywhite1681]

Looks great! The darker water really contrasts with the tetras.

[@IftyAmin]

I love your outro music, fits the tanks perfectly.

[@mone2475]

Anyone else get a little stressed when he was pouring them into the net over an open sink?

[@scoottism]

Discovered this channel a week ago after a hellish week at work. The videos and beautiful tanks really chilled me out. Massive thank you for helping me out things into perspective. Please keep up your amazing work.

[@ren2704]

A white betta would be a nice complement to this build! Loving it!

[@lucypher5200]

A living, breathing sculpture. You're an artist, and your work is exquisite.

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

I am jealous that you get to have so many tanks in your own studio!!!! Awesome. Maybe keep the breeding par of Discus in there instead. Can make som good money raising up quality Discus.

[@betterthantelevision]

Floaters, nice! They are amazing, but almost equally annoying when doing maintenance. Plus they grow like mad. My one bit of advice is to add MORE botanicals, get that water good and black. Nice work MD.

[@mathewguarneri8973]

Love to see a tank of just neons, made so well for neons.

[@ollie8314]

Beautiful tank. I love the contrast of the bright tetras and the darker water. I'd personally put a few accent plants underwater, to me it feels a little top-sided right now..

[@eureka285]

This one is my favorite tank so far. 😊

[@bm3aquatic]

The pieces of wood fit perfectly in the tank. Great job as always MD!

[@h20aklandfng63]

Those Discus look unreal. Beautiful fish. Oh...the new tank looks good too lol

[@varunk6633]

I could never. How can someone have so much passion.

[@aidandalton7404]

Brilliant. Tetras will feel right at home in those conditions. So natural, biotope set up for amazonian fish species. The way all tetras and angels etc should be kept. Fantastic, bet your neons even spawn... Great set up. 👏 👍

[@RyCJordan]

Thank you for making this video. My boyfriend has been watching it and finally wants to make tanks like this. I've been trying to talk him out of neon orange gravel for over two years. Here you come along and do it for me in less than five minutes. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@i8dpie]

Absolutely Stunning.

[@Stephanie-wp3th]

Those neon tetras look amazing in there.

[@missmermaid6249]

OMG this was perfect timing. I LOVE what you did. It’s incredibly simplistic but beautiful. I’ve got some Orinoco angels and want to create a natural environment for them. I know how to do it but rather watch you do it 😂 the fish look awesome in there. 👍👍👍

[@trinitygrover445]

awe, the discus were so interesting in what you were doing

[@kdr1048]

Blackwater for Life! Awesome

[@alfredtomas1759]

Your show allows me to live vicariously through you.

[@pasquinomarforio]

Great taste in music, too. Thanks.

[@sarahk4047]

The tetras look like they are glowing 😍 magical ❤️

[@austinhelliar-hayton9924]

“If you can’t do this, give up” 😂😂😂 too funny

[@Djprasad1000]

It looks gorgeous and background music is perfect with movement Which music was it

[@sathiroy3343]

Love from India

[@Mommamacnz]

This looks lovely with all the neon tetras in there. I'm glad you left the greenery as floating plants as I think the impact would have been a lot less if you'd had heaps of plants in the tank

[@Fyyt]

It was real satisfying watching you release the tetras into the beautiful tank and the music was on point, it has inspired me to build a tank like this! Thank you for sharing this!

[@NAMEERKLIFTS]

Hi, just a tip, plastic media doesn’t work well in caniste filter. They work when they can move around freely, like in a sump. Ceramic media or one very pourous are better when not moving and in a canister.

[@ameermirza6427]

Omg , i love this tank . The background music is soo good and this video is mesmerising

[@jawsnfins5055]

Can you scape a nano planted aquarium for shrimps 😍😍

[@gowseabegum3489]

Please

[@codyshowalter583]

Cool blackwater scape and nice choice with the neons. Should put some pothos plants on the wood outside the water, roots will look cool in the water and add some additional filtration, and the pothos vining up the wood towards the light will look awesome.

[@Noriko1988]

Love how your discs watch carefully what you are doing and what kind of neighbours they're gonna get this time :D

[@moinakhdey8115]

Wow amazing woodscape. Loving it

[@bookwyrm969]

My actual dream tank

[@poione42]

Know what I’m doing to my 30 gallon cube. Simple and beautiful perfect tank👌.

[@treav29]

Man,,, this is so awesome, loved everything, and the background music fits exactly.

[@Aquagold.goldysingh1313]

Wow...finally we have black water tank in md tanks gallery....so amazing setup. Neon Tetra are beautiful fishes. Love to see your work sir..

[@aidanhollandsmith6033]

this is my favorite scape you have ever done 🔥🔥🔥

[@juliet_bnt1737]

the more i look at it, the more i fall i love with it, good job!

[@chessexpertchaney4770]

Love the beautiful cardinals tetras

[@duncandonuts5268]

Good thing you got meds. I don't think I've ever gotten a set of neons without them getting sick. And I've bought them from several different stores. I've even ordered them online.

[@wilber1982]

Yeah neons are very fragile in my experience, cardinals seem more robust and penguin tetras even more so, if you can put up with the constant chasing of each other.

[@duncandonuts5268]

@@wilber1982 That's what makes them fun :P

[@ahmadomary9551]

That is fantastic 👌👌👌 i didn't like black water before this now i want one , you are amazing thank you for the inspiration .

[@elizabethgiles2158]

A giant betta would look great in there 👀

[@stevebarasch27]

I love this tank tbh

[@susanhenderson5599]

Now that tank is Awesome lovin the blackwater and it looks so natural.🐟🐠🐡

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

You know my world is not right when I'm behind on my MD fish tank videos 😭 I'm loving that boggwood😍 and your discus just watching along 🤗😂 one of the things I really love is your attention to detail! That's what sets an aquascape apart! I love making botanical soup I definitely share your excitement 😂 A black water setup really is beautiful!!! The addition to the of the red root floaters was perfect! Nicely done with the neons!!! It turned out beautifully! Thank you for sharing and another amazing tutorial I hope you have a very blessed day!🙏🌱🐟🌱

[@greghoffstadt667]

Love it. Personally I would add cherry shrimp . To accent your fish. Nice tank over all.

[@brfinger]

Also, if you prefer to help them school a bit better, add a fish that will aggravate them a bit / larger size. A good example for something you could use that would go well in a blackwater tank are dwarf gouramis. Potentially you could use a betta, however, sometimes neons will fin nip bettas.

[@calemanderthesalamander8156]

GREAT JOB!!! the neons really stand out against those tannins.

[@jordanhill15]

"If you can't do this, then give up" 😱 the very first negative thing I ever heard on your channel....and it was sarcasm lol..love it

[@Mya8D]

“If you can’t do this, then give up” lmfao😂😂😂

[@AniOleh]

5:50 I just love how all the discus fish look at him while he setup the tank.

[@kasrenzo3116]

Put some L144 plecos in there!! Ideal setup.

[@angeliccrusader5988]

So simple yet so stunning!

[@EyeCantGame]

Nice to see a different style of tank! Big fan of neon tetras🐟 Great vid MD👏🔥

[@HeRo-qd6tk]

LOVE love love BW set ups. Thanks for this eye-candy!!

[@Shannybabe1000]

I love the music choice

[@helmetuno7087]

Yesss by far the best channel out there!! Im new an have been binge watching. BEAUTIFUL tanks!!

[@vrcoralarc6958]

Easiest scape eva done. Best part is whtever comes to ur mind you go for it n dont think much !! Beautiful work MD :)

[@Manny-gf9gm]

Yes, the steel look is nicee 👌

[@billnipp2309]

Always loved Neons. :)

[@Steve200300]

Nice tank set up. I’ve done my first black water tank put in my first lot of cardinal tetras wow there colours really pop.

[@STONLY]

What nature can give us is absolutely amazing and beautiful ❤️

[@ericdavison2125]

Our local river levels have risen and picked up lots of wood. I will check the dam where it chokes and hope for knotty roots! Paying out for azalea roots ? No thanks! I wonder if rainwater can be used too?

[@onearmbandit4226]

I love how these Blackwater tanks and tanks with tannins in them look so good !! Then when you show someone your tank that you put so much time and effort into making it what it is - turns around and says that the water is so dirty and you need to clean your tank.... lol 🤔

[@philcarlino6942]

Blackwater is my favorite. Definitely need to add Apistogramma next! So many to choose from

[@eightpotdan]

Very nice. If you want a longer tannin effect, remove the Purigen. Also saves exhausting the Purigen with tannins ❤️👌

[@benshaw3891]

Eheim sell “Torf peat pellets” online (eBay etc). They’re a type of filter media meant to tint the water and alter water parameters, to better resemble a swampy black water environment. I’ve never tried them but they’d probably work really well.

[@lizoakham992]

And here is me trying to remove the tannins from my tank! 😂

[@CodyRay787]

If the plant bug won't stop itching, try some cabomba just loose in the tank. The stuff grows like crazy, can be planted or loose and provides tons of oxygen for the fish. Great way to export nutrients from the tank as well. Little more hiding space to boot.

[@DylanP7734-o7y]

Love the tank I wish my parents would allow me to have a black water tank

[@onearmbandit4226]

Go for it, get a nano tank and put it in your bedroom😉

[@DylanP7734-o7y]

RJD Fish Tanks thanks I’ll try to

[@julianaquascaped]

I recently replaced my glass lily pipes with stainless steel myself. Partly inspired by your setups! I was just tired of them only looking nice for the first couple of days after cleaning them.

[@julianaquascaped]

ok also my wife accidentally broke on of them.

[@EclipseLleuad]

Can't wait to see the tannins deepen even more. The neons will pop against that so much.

[@pekitivey]

So inspiring. Thanks MD

[@francoisblom9691]

Absolutely love it!

[@weloveyou1234]

That moment, when you're so happy with your betta tank... Then u see this video and think " my betta would love this" lets get scaping hahaha 😂

[@Christodophilus]

Go for it! :)

[@weeinspiration]

Great work with the music on this one!

[@carocaro101]

I’d like to suggest some sparkling gourami as your next addition to this tank. They do well in black water and I think they would look beautiful in this tank

[@ray-rayramirez4257]

Wow. Im very impress. I love all your tanks! Very nice

[@mrcyril1236]

Your aquarium is so beautiful, i'm fan and i love neon