Benefits to Tannins in YOUR Aquarium | What are Tannins in an Aquarium | MR BRIGHTFRYED

[@hayhay8347]

Agreed! Idk why people shy away from a truly natural set up, I think they are so much more interesting, and keep my fish happy. Yay for tannins!!

[@peadookie]

my big thing is the chemistry of the water becomes very different than the source water. In my case, I use conditioned tap and our tap is pretty hard and has a fairly high pH. Can't imagine the fish would love a 50-75% WC each week with a giant pH swing like that.

[@jamesflkid]

It's disgusting ewwww look at his aquarium yuck crystal clear water all the way

[@thewatcher9778]

not all fish like the Ph change that tannins can cause

[@bloun003]

It appears I'm 2 years late with this post but I wanted to say, I'm so glad you explained the benefits of tannins. I think when tannins show up in aquariums it is one of the most beautiful looks ever. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to all of us.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks for the kind words. Really appreciate it. Definitely agree it's one of those things in which people suddly freak out when seeing the colour but once you really understand the potential of using botanicals and creating more natural environments that's when I believe you see the best from your animals as it sparks those natural behaviours 😁

[@iHeartOiSkanks]

yellow water from lack of maintenance is bad.

[@salvanomarkowski134]

I have a fairly big chunk of driftwood in my aquarium. My water is not crystal clear, a little brown which i think looks amazing and natural. My fish thrive and seem happy. My PH has dropped but the best thing to do is just leave your PH alone. In nature the Ph change all the time due to weather and so many other factors. No need to raise or lower the Ph and add unnecessary chemicals. Fish can adapt to ph. Also just wanted to add that tannis actually has some antibacterial effect for the fish too and promotes their health. It helps with injuries a fish might have or any sores. Its works like natural medicine for the fish which is great.

[@sparkdrive2900]

It appears im 3yrs late with this post but i just wanna say I truly appreciate the information you shared

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thank you my friend. Really appreciate the kind words. If you have a spare few mins definitely checkout some of my more updated content on this subject 👌🏻

[@GarrettDaBarber]

I keep mopani wood and almond leaves in the water so it has tannins and the plecos love those types of things to

[@Natquascape]

Great video mate! Totally agree.....cardinal and neon tetras in the amazon are normally found in rivers with high tannins. Neons and cardinals can be found in rivers with pH of 5ish and TDS of 2-4ppm! Goes to show how breeding have made some aquarium fish adaptive to our conditioned tap water/RO water.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks bro, appreciate it. Yes its crazy the aquarium world has certainly taken alot of those key factors out of the hobby with breeding etc I guess its helped us be more successful in keeping some of these amazing types of fish, shrimp etc so there is a benfit to it 😁👍

[@mpk6664]

I absolutely love the look of black water aquariums.

[@PIYOSKAMANFISHING]

I have a bucket full of water with a large driftwood soaked in it for almost a month..water was already dark reddish brown.. Out of curiosity..i put aquaplants replants and guppies in it.. Results were shocking...plant grew fast..in just two weeks..the water is slowly getting clear, the guppies were healthy and saw no algae build up. To add..i left the bucket with no aerator, filtering eqpt. But results are astounding...then i found this video of yours and now i'm enlighten...it's the tannins.

[@Butterflies-are-free]

So helpful 💕 thank you for this! 😊

[@MrBrightfryed]

No problem. Glad it was helpful! 😊

[@rudybriskar5267]

My water just went brownish after adding a small handful of Alder leaves and about 10 Alder cones. I've been watching another channel and it was suggested to add leaf litter and cones. Not asthetically pleasing but I do want my tank, fish and plants to thrive. Great video!

[@johnnybest6386]

I apprecciate u making this content

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks my friend. Appreciate you taking the time to watch 👍🏻

[@michaelfarmer537]

Great video! Thank you for putting up great content that opens fellow hobbyists minds to the whole process behind natures way of sustaining life. ❤

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thank you my friend. Really appreciate those kind words. I try my hardest to give people a more honest perspective of the hobby 🙌🏻

[@TAKEONEURBANPRODUCTION]

I love tannis .. want to maintain it ..when u get this orange to red tint it's so beautiful ..

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thank you!

[@jamiesampson6432]

great video dude, awesome how the lady changed her mind once you told her the benefits and some key factors about having tannins :) also the pandas are amazing.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks mate. Yeah it was a good feeling to know I'd at least gave her the option based on the facts not just peoples one sided opinions on the matter. Cheers they are very cool 👍

[@jamiesampson6432]

@@MrBrightfryed yeah for sure I also find some groups info is far from correct as they don’t do enough research and judge it by the eye or off the first google search they come across

[@MrBrightfryed]

Yes definitely. I think half the problem is the experts on Facebook giving miss information. The group I admin is constantly full of conflicting info. I found it awful as a beginner back in the day as everyone was telling you different things which looking back half of it was totally wrong.

[@jamiesampson6432]

@@MrBrightfryed yeah definitely, some are great but like you said so much conflicting info so sometimes it’s hard to say what is and what isn’t right 🤣🤣 that’s why even if someone shows me something or tells me something I do extra research on it just to be safe

[@tijamir4998]

You my man needs more views and subscribers.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks mate. Appreciate it. If you can tell me how I achieve that I'm all ears 😆

[@rdm215]

Love this video, thank you for putting this important info out there. Living very close to a river I often use natural drift wood for my aquariums. Now I do understand wood and know which types are "ok" and how to cure it properly. However, my fellow enthusiast heads explode when I tell them I do this. I constantly hear how tannins are toxic and I'm killing my fish.. Again, thank you, thank you.

[@FatherFish]

love your channel. Appreciate you are using sand. Have you tried a dirted deep substrate?

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thank you, really appreciate it 👍Yes I often do a dirted mix these days

[@sparkdrive2900]

Are you the real legendary father fish?

[@orandachildren1051]

So I looked up the benefits of tannins because I added drifwood to one of my tanks. The water ia now orange but my water lettuce roots have gotten quite large and seem happy. Only difference was adding the driftwood.

[@KarenCandler-s7p]

Thank you this was most helpful.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Anything. Thanks for watching, appreciate it 🙏

[@tracyperry3238]

I love tannins. Im using aged fallen tree branch plus casuarina cones.

[@tinadoyle3803]

How about addung moss peat to get tannins ? Great video.

[@jonnycharlton7562]

Great topic to cover. I enjoy using various leaves and the occasional seed pod. I’ve noticed since I started to use leaves I the shrimp behaviour , feeding etc is so much more natural 👍🏼 and like you said all the benefits they bring. Keep up the good videos mate 👊🏼

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks mate appreciate it. Yeah I think that's one of the best things about tannins/botanicals (organic materials) is that they bring out that natural behaviour which you wont see with an aquarium that's had all those beneficial materials removed and become "sterile". Unfortunately we've been pushed to believe aquariums are supposed to look a certain way but forget that it's nothing like their natural habitats in the wild.

[@BabyMango]

I have a heated outdoor pond for my guppies and mollies and even a pleco. I allow the seed pods from the tree and other leaves to sink to the bottom. Plecos love black water and tannins! I feel like the more hands off I am in regards to chemicals, the happier my fish are!

[@mistyneely6742]

Thank you for this!

[@MrBrightfryed]

Anytime. Hope it helped. Got loads of other videos on this topic if you fancy a watch 😊

[@sajedts666]

I have a huge bonsai root in my aquarium what do u think about it my fish like it what do u think about it is it good or bad??

[@MrBrightfryed]

I've used Bonsai wood multiple times in aquarium setups, as long as it's completely dead and not sprayed in any chemicals etc then it should be good to use.

[@michaeleber4752]

It lets you also provide a natural food for the fry that suddenly appear in the tank!!!

[@Aquagold.goldysingh1313]

Amazing topic ..keep going

[@ThomYorke1488]

I have a dirted tank and the water is clear but tea colored. I think there are tiny wood chips in the dirt leaking tannins. I tried sifting the soil beforehand but I noticed tiny wood chips between the soil and the gravel cap. My fish don’t seem to mind. I hope it will go away but oh well I don’t like using carbon

[@jimewelsh]

Ok so I ordered 10 alder cones... I put them all in my 55 gallon tank and my tank got cloudy and nitrites spiked .. I did 50% water changes and it still wasn't at zero... Is that what you meant by bio load? I didn't consider alder cones and tannins as bio load. I'm freaking out at work, didn't sleep last night .. worried about my fish

[@MrBrightfryed]

Yes items like cones, pods, wood and fish are all considered bioload. Depending on size of tank, filtration and water hardness they have varying effects the softwer the water the more it effects. I always advise to go slow with adding items especially if the tank has recently been setup. It's best to let it mature etc. Consider adding botanicals like fish. A little nitrate in the tank is a good thing as long as it's not really hight but it's good for the plants. Nitrite is the one worth watching and ammonia. You are doing the right thing with water changes, it's best to just monitor keep an eye on your fish.

[@jimewelsh]

@@MrBrightfryed So far I've only lost one shrimp, which sucks when it's because of a screw-up. But all my fish are safe, and my plants look great. I'll def be boiling botanicals and adding them spread out over time. Thanks for the response and great videos!

[@adamcenteno6155]

Is this good for Discus fish? Up to now no one has been able to answer me.

[@ravingcyclist624]

Excellent video! Questions: What affect will tannin have on "good bacteria" I've brought over from another tank? And, how will Platys react to the tannin? Thanks!

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks for the feedback. Regarding beneficial bacteria botanicals actually play a really great part in helping with the nitrogen cycle as not only being organic matter do they speed up the process they are also a great breeding ground for the bacteria to colonise on so win win! In terms of tannins for platy's, they often come from Mexico and Central America in rivers or streams, like most freshwater fish these are generally filled with organic matter such as botanicals. You will definitely experience more natural behaviours from any fish when replicating the environments they come from, whether it be breeding, schooling etc. Definitely worth a try!

[@ravingcyclist624]

@@MrBrightfryed Thanks for the Rapid Response! I think I'll wait another week to see how the parameters go and add a couple of Platys to the tank. The ambiance is great compared to my usual crystal clear tanks. Excellent mood.

[@majorbruster5916]

Tannins have been shown to inhibit the so-called 'good' bacteria within the nitrogen cycle. There are a few scientific studies on this topic. So this finding contradicts the answer given by Mr Brightfryed. The inhibitory effect of tannins does not discriminate between good and bad bacteria. Where waters are deeply stained with tannins, and the pH is quite low, nitrification is carried out by fungi, archaea, and yeasts. If it didn't, blackwaters would be riddled with nitrogenous compounds. This little-known fact has escaped the attention of aquatic pundits but is something that has been known to ecologists for a long time.

[@abfmkarin]

I have aet up a blackwater tank for the Beta and his Kuhli tank mates and are in the process to set up a bigger blackwater tank for them. I have also a Coldwater tank setup like a river and I am a bit at unease if the two driftwood pieces will add too much tannin and harm the fish in there (like the hillstream loaches.).I used very soft bottled water to fill up that tank as I don't trust chemicals who bind metals etc. What do you reckon I should do? Leave it or do waterchanges if the ph falls below 6,?

[@lilfearson]

How you clean driftwood then?

[@Appinest]

Thanks a lot, I was so nervous the tannins will kill my guppies and shrimps

[@kurtzembower9297]

Your amazing you done educated me I'm an avid fisherman for sport..dont worry I put them back...but WOW i never took it in to consideration nature at its finest if you can duplicate it biuteful thank you.

[@jpaquarios541]

Hi James I totally agree with you about tannins, it is also a good prevent medicine for the health of fish. I use it it not in all my aquariums only for those species that in their habitat the water is with tannins. Thanks

[@MrBrightfryed]

Hey thanks for watching and yes the benfits are just amazing for our aquatic animals, more awareness needs to be provided to our new hobbyists I believe so not to panic when something ironically natural is occurring in their aquariums 👍

[@ingrammac]

I purchased some rosewood from the range & it’s turned my aquarium into a cup of strong milk less tea 😂😂 thank you for explaining! I kind of had an idea it would be beneficial, you explained beautifully!

[@MrBrightfryed]

Haha yeah I think that happens to most people. Certainly shocked me when it first happened to my aquarium. Thanks for the kind words/feedback. Really appreciate it and thanks for taking the time to watch 👍🏻

[@blackbird3456]

I boiled my wood before puting in my fish tank. There was no tannins whatsoever. I am still strugling with algae problems after a year in the hobby. A lot of my fish died of either fungus infections, internal parasites or unknow disease. My plants were thriving but now they're not. My fish tank will be 2 years old this summer. Do you think tannind will get rid of hair algae or any other algae types? I might try to put my driftwood without boiling it to see if tannins will leak in.

[@calebskingdom5696]

Useful information

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks mate, appreciate it 👍

[@emily-nf4mz]

hey guys, question. i love the look of tannins and i have recently just purchased a 10 gal aquarium and i added live plants and wood, im hoping to add some ember tetra, a betta, and a pleco, so my question is will they be okay with the tannins? my tank it still cycling so i can remove it if i need to.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Hey yes they will love the tannins. Many of the tropical (freshwater) fish we keep come from areas full of tannins. If it helps I have a playlist on my channel all about Blackwater aquariums and their effects/benefits/Negatives etc.

[@thomasmickel4427]

All fish output… what eats that stuff?

[@youngndangerous101]

love both clear and tannin water

[@MrBrightfryed]

Absolutely, nothing wrong with either!

[@curvingfyre6810]

Anyone know if theres a variety of live plant that will naturally maintain tannin levels? I'm looking at aquatic morning glory rn, and it'll grow rooted in water, and it's got the tannins, but idk if they'll actually get into the water.

[@orenrez655]

First video I find saying good things about it. So I’ll ask a small question and hopefully find an answer I’m planning a paludarium and wanted to use cork bark for the water barrier in front, also found some nice log outside and wanted to put it standing(roughly 10cm of it will stand in the water). Will it be bad and release too many of these tannins where it will drop my ph? Or few water changes and a small amount of remaining tannins will be actually good? (Going to habitat some shrimps and vampire crabs) Thanks!

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thank you, I appreciate it. Generally because of the colour and its different to what shops display then people think somethings when the water colours up or just don't like the dark colours. All of course how many natural fish habitats are for many reasons. Generally anything like woods, leaves or other botanical items are going to affect the water parameters in some way. PH usually is affected most when the water is softer so if that's the case then yes it will. I'd recommend testing the wood in water without livestock prior to adding anything if you are unsure. Also be mindful of the wood you are adding as some can contain toxins. Make sure it's fallen naturally if from a tree and completely dead before adding it. Lots of lists online which detail the safe ones to use. If not let me know. All in all tannins are 100% a good thing. Lower visibility from predators and contain natural healing benefits in some items like leaves!

[@TAKEONEURBANPRODUCTION]

When my fish are sick from my 55 gallon i drop them in my biotoped red tannin tank its like i sent them to hospital spa they get healthy..

[@MrBrightfryed]

Yes there are so many benefits to botanicals in an aquarium. They certainly outweigh what's perceived to be the negatives, especially the brown water.

[@Getsitdone]

Great info! Harder to concentrate with the music.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Thanks for the feedback. I noticed I was a bit keen with the volume of music in my older videos. Thankfully I've addressed that in later ones! Glad you enjoyed the video 👊

[@keyboardwarrior1946]

Hi! I just put a bunch of leaves into my tank recently and it wen yellowish in a few hours. The problem is, I'm afraid that there would be too much tannin in the water. So, how much tannin is too much tannin?

[@majorbruster5916]

I know this is a bit late, but might be of some benefit to you. The short answer to your question is no one really knows. Also, to clarify a slight misconception popular amongst aquarists, it is not only tannins that are present in blackwaters: fulvins and humic substances are also present which collectively are termed dissolved organic matter (DOM). The most iconic blackwater is the Rio Negro, where the water is the colour of weak to medium strength tea, but this is nothing compared to the peat swamps of Indonesia and Malaysia where you cannot see your hand a few inches below the surface. It is in these habitats that you find licorice gouramis and keepers of these species often use a torch to view them, such is the black colour of the water they keep them in. But this imo is taking things to an extreme. A useful indicator is the pH, because too much DOM can cause a drop in pH down to very low levels which can be dangerous to certain species. Keeping the pH at 6.5 will guarantee that nitrifying bacteria will continue to work. There is no test kit available to aquarists to measure DOM, this usually entails using a photometric method, or an involved titrimetric method, both of which are utilised in analytical laboratories (where I used to work). Find a degree of transparency that you feel reflects the colour you want to achieve, then measure the pH. Ime the liquid pH tests do not accurately read the pH so I use a pH meter. Keep the pH around 6.5 and you can't go wrong.

[@XzhandreiTorralba]

hey I'm really having a hard time keeping the tannins. what kind of filter media should I use that doesn't filter the tannins? please help me

[@MorphedWombat]

I just used a small flow filter from pet smart cheap one that has kept the tannins so far.. in my betta and shrimp tank

[@justin0528]

I'm planning on tanning my aquarium water. What filter should i use?

[@MrBrightfryed]

Depends on size of the aquarium and what you are planning with the tank itself. There's nothing different in filtration with tannins or without unless you are using carbon.

[@justin0528]

@@MrBrightfryed it's a 10 gallon tank with neon tetra in it. Will sponge filter do?

[@MrBrightfryed]

@@justin0528 Yeah sounds good, I use sponge filters in almost all my aquariums and they've worked fine, just make sure to do regular maintenance on the sponges as fine ones get clogged easier than course.

[@justin0528]

@@MrBrightfryed Alright, thanks for the info mate👍👍👍

[@Shalom-qn5wt]

So adding tannins while cycling my tank can crash the cycle?

[@MrBrightfryed]

Depends on how much you add and how hard your water is and how mature your aquarium is. Same as adding fish, I my view. Both add bioload to the filtration. Generally though it would take a lot in my opinion to crash an established tank.

[@Shalom-qn5wt]

@@MrBrightfryed thank you!

[@MrBrightfryed]

Not a problem. Thanks for watching. Really appreciate it 🙏

[@frankcastle8908]

So there are 0 cons to having tannins?

[@ps4ify330]

My ph has reduced, what should I do???

[@MrBrightfryed]

PH is likely to drop using botanicals depending on the type of water you use, softer water has less buffering. It's always best to add small amounts and watch the PH closely. I don't know enough about your setup to advise on what to do further but if it's dropped a small about depending on the type of fish you have it shouldn't cause any problems

[@ps4ify330]

@@MrBrightfryed sorry for being vague. The tannins dropped my ph from 6.8 to 6 last night. When I woke up the tannins had gone in the water but ph was still at 6. I’ve added baking soda and it’s gone back up. Thank you

[@MinxInSinx]

Great video- tho I think I crashed my cycle 🤦🏻‍♂️ Cloudy water not just brown.

[@dianemccarthy5931]

Argh!!!!!!! I keep watching these Tannin video hoping to learn more about why it's beneficial to your tank and it's all words. All I learned from this video is is stabilizes the PH levels and the shrimp like to eat it. Big FN deal if that's all it has to offer.

[@MrBrightfryed]

Hi, Thanks for the feedback. Have you check out my other videos about Blackwater Aquariums and their benefits? Yes tannins leached helps with pH and yes shrimp do enjoy grazing on botanicals but the whole purpose of utilising botanicals is you are especially building an active ecosystem using natural materials. Trying to replicate the fishes natural habitat, doing this in my experience helps with spawning or smaller fish, shrimp, copepods etc have natural hiding places. The fish displaying more natural behaviours, colouration is better as they feel less stressed when exposed to less light as the tannin stained water reduces visibility which in the wild helps avoid larger predator fish. Some leaves have antifungal benefits offering natural ways to aid diseases or illness such as fin rot. Have a search online about many of the rivers tropical freshwater fish come from, its facinating to see. If it helps there's a couple more episodes on my podcast where I go into more details. If you ever want more advice drop me a message on my socials 😊

[@dianemccarthy5931]

@@MrBrightfryed Whew..... thank you for explaining the benefits. I'm so busy I don't have time to watch long videos. I have an inside aquarium and outside koi pond. I've put a few catappa leaves and just want to learn more about this process.

[@aliyacassel9149]

Hon have a chill pill, you're too full on Don't take it out on this guy just because you're too busy to watch a longer video, if that busy you probably don't have the time to look after fish

[@dianemccarthy5931]

@@aliyacassel9149 I'm too busy taking great care of my fish to have time to watch long and drawn out videos. Just get to the point!!!!

[@davechapman9133]

457,709 umms and arhhs, write a script and just read it

[@MrBrightfryed]

@davechapman9133 😂😂😂😂 Thanks for the feedback. Fortunately in the years since that video was made I have done that very thing 👍🏻