Boiling driftwood

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

So i read that boiling driftwood will remove the tanins faster then just soaking them in water. Anyone have any imput on this method?

[MatsP]

Why do you want to remove tannins? It is not harmful to the fish, and makes the tank lokk nicely naturally brown! People spend (small) fortunes on buying "Blackwater extract" to get the same effect...

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mats

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

I dont mind it usually but i set up another tank and id like this one to look a little clearer. Im not saying i want 100% of it gone but i wanna reduce the brown water effect if possible.

[MatsP]

Well, I do believe it works. It also makes the wood softer, so it will most likely last a little less.

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Mats

[The.Dark.One, posts: 1438]

When I saw the thread title I thought you'd had a heater stuck and boiled a driftwood cat!

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

Ya no driftwood cats for me. Actually no heater in the tank either. Tanks been sittin nice at 76 for 3 days now. Its a 15 gallon with 2 peices of wood weighing about 9 lbs and its gross how dark the water has gotten. I might just soak them for a few days or try boiling them.

[MatsP]

Just change the water in the tank - it's the same process as soaking them...

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Mats

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

I didnt want to change it right away since its a new tank and its cycleing but im gonna have to. The wood it just gonna boil for a bit tonight and hopefully that will pull a lot out.

[MatsP]

Why would changing water cause a problem? There is nothing magical in the water (other than ammonia, but I presume you are either adding household ammonia or fish food, or some such to get the ammonia). And you should change all of the water before you put fish in anyway, so why not just leave it until your cycling finishes...

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Mats

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

Ive added ammonia to it and id like to keep it in there. Im gonna have to change it no matter what next week but im just annoyed with how brown the water got. Ive always kept driftwood in my tanks but these 2 peices i just got are just insane with how fast the tanins leached out. Is there any kinds of driftwood that produce less tanins then others?

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

Actually i think ill do a blackwater tank. Its not gonna be appealing to anyone but people like us but it could be fun. Im gonna do some research and find plants and fish that live in blackwater. You guys have any ideas? I know neons and cardinals do but what about the plants and plecos? Also how much light would be required for the plants?

[racoll, posts: 4473]

Im gonna do some research and find plants and fish that live in blackwater. You guys have any ideas? I know neons and cardinals do but what about the plants and plecos? Also how much light would be required for the plants?

You don't really find aquatic plants in blackwater environments, just those that are overhanging the water. It's too dark and acidic for them.

Dekeyseria brachyura would be a good example of a black water pleco. These would combine nicely with cardinals.

If you want a blackwater tank, however, you will need mineral free water. The black colour of the water is not really the important part: it's the low mineral content.

Alternatively, you might just want to try adding activated carbon/charcoal to the filter, as this will remove the dark staining of the tannins.

[MatsP]

Ive added ammonia to it and id like to keep it in there. Im gonna have to change it no matter what next week but im just annoyed with how brown the water got. Ive always kept driftwood in my tanks but these 2 peices i just got are just insane with how fast the tanins leached out. Is there any kinds of driftwood that produce less tanins then others?

Why not dose ammonia again (in proportion to the water change).

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Mats

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

So there isnt much that are in blackwater? What about plants that would be ok in it? Ive got t5s for the tank so light isnt a prob except the darker water.

[MatsP]

Like racoll said, true blackwater is REALLY soft (no minerals) water, rather than the colour of the water - the colour is a side-effect of lots of leaves and other plant stuff in the water, which is also affecting the mineral content. Plants don't really appreciate the low mineral content and acidic water that true blackwater has, and quite often it's also overgrown, so there is no light hitting the river itself.

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Mats

[yayfish24, posts: 74]

So in order to do a true black water tank it would have to be 100% ro water correct?

[MatsP]

Well, 100% RO would probably be a bit too low to create a stable aquarium environment. It may well be what the natural environment is, but in a closed system like an aquarium, that sort of low mineral content will make pH swings and all manner of other strange effects that can cause problems for the fish.

So you need to add either a small amount of tap-water or use "add back in" mineral mix that contains a bit of KH.

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Mats

[racoll, posts: 4473]

Well, 100% RO would probably be a bit too low to create a stable aquarium environment. It may well be what the natural environment is, but in a closed system like an aquarium, that sort of low mineral content will make pH swings and all manner of other strange effects that can cause problems for the fish.

I actually just use 100% RO for one of my tanks at the moment. I'm not sure exactly what the pH is, or how much it varies though. Not very scientific I'm afraid, but the fishes are looking good, and have been for a long time. No problems as far as I can see.

The main point though, is that without access to mineral free water (i.e. RO), then the tank will not have the most important characteristic of blackwater.

[Shane]

Actually i think ill do a blackwater tank. Its not gonna be appealing to anyone but people like us but it could be fun. Im gonna do some research and find plants and fish that live in blackwater. You guys have any ideas? I know neons and cardinals do but what about the plants and plecos? Also how much light would be required for the plants?

I personally think you have a lot of wiggle room to work with. There is a difference between trying to make a true-to-life South American blackwater set up (which very few people do) versus a blackwater "themed" tank that is very attractive and provides a healthy environment.

You seem most interested in South American fishes, but I would point out that there are also some very cool African and Asia blackwater environments that make for some great aquascaping ideas.

Take a look at Gert's tank here for a nice semi-blackwater themed tank. This tank would be appealing to anyone.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33502

Also, try these two articles for ideas
http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworl ... g+habitats

http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworl ... Techniques

-Shane

[racoll, posts: 4473]

There is a difference between trying to make a true-to-life South American blackwater set up (which very few people do) versus a blackwater "themed" tank that is very attractive and provides a healthy environment.

Yes! It is always nearly impossible to replicate nature in your tank, so I would suggest to the OP that letting go of this "biotope" concept is the first stage in freeing yourself to make an interesting aquarium display.

This is not to say to ignore nature; get ideas yes, but not tie yourself rigidly to concepts (unless you really want to!).

For example, plants are scarcely found in natural blackwater environments, but does this mean that you can't keep them in your tank? Of course not.

What must be considered as paramount, however, is the habitat the fishes originally came from and how appropriate they are for their new conditions.

Cardinals, for example, may not see many aquatic plants in the wild, but does it cause them problems in the aquarium? Not at all. On the other hand, putting blackwater fishes such as cardinals into a tank with rock hard tapwater and a couple of lumps of token bogwood will certainly not see them thrive.

I hope this helps and hasn't confused you even more!