How to Take Care of Your Blackwater Aquarium Long-Term

In this video, I share a few tips on how to maintain a blackwater fish tank long-term. How to make sure that your tannins are not gone after a water change? What to do to simplify the maintenance of your blackwater tank?

[@azeemyounus478]

Very nice video I was looking this all information and I found here 👍👍😊👏👏

[@gusvietnam5086]

Great video. Pretty tank also. Thanks for posting! Subscribed

[@ash6248]

Finally a video that helps long term vs immediate

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful

[@jonwebb5241]

Thanks for the coconut fiber tip! Now I can feel less guilty about my peat. Very helpful video, and also the one re: monstera and pathos competing too strongly with my aquatic plants.

[@tropicalfishhub]

I currently switched to using rooibos tea instead of coconut fibre, as it is more tannin rich and cleaner to use. I'm also currently trying to keep both aquatic and riparian plants in the same tank, and I have to fertilize it as competition is too strong.

[@jennyrenard4565]

Thanks for the info. I was thinking to try sphagnum peat moss as you are doing with the coconut fibers. But I didn’t realize it is environmentally unfriendly. Glad I found this video before I bought any. I will use coconut fibers now. I look forward to watching more videos

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you. Coconut fibre is a great alternative to sphagnum peat

[@karthikk7593]

That's a very beautiful Blackwater tank... Well done.

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you!

[@karthikk7593]

*Blackwater

[@Lazarusthefishboy]

Great species profile, mate! 😀👍

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you!

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

We have a beautiful catalpa in our backyard. Once I’m closer in time to setting up my aquarium I will collect leaves from beneath the tree.

[@smallgarden7710]

Thank you sir no one really told that stuff.they all show how to create it. But they are not showing that how to maintain the black water tank

[@emanuelvargas6299]

Great video. Very informative

[@LandOfAbundance]

Good advice! What is the lamp you are using on this aquarium?

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you. There are a 2.3W LED lamp (no brand) and IKEA spotlight table lamp.

[@ChongChiuSenMaharaj]

Thank you very much! It’s truly helpful!

[@azeemyounus478]

Kindly inform me you put after taking the water from tank you put fresh water?

[@josephlu1022]

🙏👍🏻👍🏻Thank you for sharing the useful tips.

[@martinwelters370]

Good information, thanks for showing/sharing

[@kiaraurriola]

This video is awesome. Thank you!

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you!

[@ricardofernandez1031]

thanks for the info! I have a 600 liter aquarium where I was using a commercial extract but it is very expensive. I was also boiling the almond leaves but it is very laborious. I'm going to try the coconut fiber. Do you know when is the amount that I would have to put in my canister filter for 600 liters?

[@tropicalfishhub]

I have used coconut fiber on 60 liter tank and about 200g was sufficient along with adding alder cones after each water changes. 2kg probably should be enough for 600 L, but you will need to wash it thoroughly because coconut fiber has lots of fine dust that can clog your filter sponges. I used to put it in mesh bag and hide it behind decor rather than keeping in filter.

[@danielpick5345]

Beautiful tank! I am going to set up my own 50 galon blackwater in a Close future. I have one question: Should i siphon substrate? In nature there is a lot of detritus covering leaf liter and some aquarist are trying to replicate that. But i am always curios about nitrates levels. How do you keep it low, in case if you are not vacuuming? Thank you, looking forward to answer :)

[@tropicalfishhub]

Thank you! Actually, I never syphoned the bottom, because there was a lot of leaf litter and other debris, and apisto fry used to survive and even grow on microorganisms thriving in the leaf litter. I did 50% weekly water changes to dilute nitrates, and there was no large fish in that tank. Also, lots of amazon frogbit and pothos helped a lot with nitrates. Good luck with your blackwater project!

[@rahulbarick3366]

How do you clean the decayed litter? Its hectic to remove everything putting again and agai

[@tropicalfishhub]

No it will be impossible to remove all decaying litter. I let it stay as it serves as perfect medium to grow bacteria and infusoria which fish fry feed on

[@MarioTran2307]

can i use Lipton black tea for aquarium ?

[@tropicalfishhub]

I probably would not recommend it!

[@AG-wf4mu]

Rooibos teabags! 👍💪

[@Just_Lurking8]

Hi, how exactly do you use them ?

[@MM-Para_J]

@@Just_Lurking8 i boil it, let it cool down than put in tank

[@Just_Lurking8]

@@MM-Para_J Thanks

[@debapriyopal8745]

If you don't touch the bottom layer of your tank during siphoning, how could you able to clean fish wastes?

[@tropicalfishhub]

You filter should be able to remove the waste

[@debapriyopal8745]

@@tropicalfishhub thank you. Is a hang on back canister filter sufficient for a 50 ltr nano biotope setting?

[@tropicalfishhub]

@@debapriyopal8745 It should be absolutely enough

[@evanchong2247]

What fish do you have in this tank?

[@TheBobRick]

Fire

[@harrybellham]

Do you ever remove the old leaves?

[@tropicalfishhub]

No never. They decompose and get eaten by plecos

[@Alphlax0850]

I normally add ketapang leaf in my sump tank how long can it last in it?

[@tropicalfishhub]

@@Alphlax0850 They don't last long. Usually a couple of weeks before it starts decaying

[@dariusbailey1351]

Now that’s some black water

[@susannacremasco9705]

I saw a video where they use tea to blacken the water. Have you ever heard of?

[@tropicalfishhub]

I probably would not do that. Black tea is too acidic and can be harmful to fish.

[@susannacremasco9705]

@@tropicalfishhub I was more concerned about the caffeine, anyway ok thanks!

[@philcarlino6942]

@@susannacremasco9705 I'm late to this, but the tea you want to use is Rooibos. It is an African bush, the roots are used to make tea. It has no caffeine, and is perfectly safe for the aquarium. The color is on the reddish-brown side, I find it quite beautiful and use it in my aquarium without any issues. It's also very inexpensive. Just put the tea bag in like you're making tea, wait for water to come to room temperature then add to your tank after a water change. Enjoy.

[@knyghtryder3599]

I add tea regularly. Out tap water is crazy hard . I keep my blackwater tank only RO/DI water. But at the end of the water change I add tea brewed in tap water that adds a tiny amount of hardness to stabilize and re blackens the water. This isn’t much maybe a liter out of 120 liters

[@tropicalfishhub]

@@philcarlino6942 Thanks for sharing! I never heard of it. Will certainly try it

[@insanity4224]

Is there a concern about an excess of detritus (poo, rotten leaves and uneaten food) and nutrients as a result of never cleaning the substrate? I’m from the salt water tank world so excuse my ignorance..

[@tropicalfishhub]

That's a valid point! Detritus will eventually decay producing ammonia which the plants - either riparian or aquatic - will greedily consume. if there are no plants and no filtration, then only frequent water changes can help.

[@insanity4224]

@@tropicalfishhub ok of course perhaps I should be comparing freshwater plants to marine algae (instead of corals) to wrap my head around the biological process. 🍻