blackwater

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
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papwalker
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Interests: Dogs, Fish, Photography, microbiology, medicine, cosmology .. let's just say polymath.
Started keeping characins and Amazon cichlids in 1978. Just recently into Amazon catfish.

blackwater

Post by papwalker »

Pleased to see my regime of 'forrest flooding' has worked again.
Added Aqua Master Blackwater Extract, Indian Almond Leaves (two weeks prior), my orinoco tea (simmered mix of almond leaves, peatmoss and sphagnum moss) cold rainwater, brine shrimp, increased oxygenation and some rainwater tank scum with lots of flora.

The herd of corydoras are having what can only be described as an orgy. The tank has eggs all over.

With the exception of my 'Orinoco tea' this regime worked well for Silver dollars also
...hand made my first tank in 1978 with Silastic & toughened glass sliding lids from an ice cream fridge.
...aaand sliced my hand open :-)
lurch1000
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Re: blackwater

Post by lurch1000 »

Never happened without pics ;)

I'm currently considering a project along these lines, would you be able to post any stats for the tank at all?

Cheers!
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papwalker
Posts: 33
Joined: 09 Jun 2012, 19:56
My cats species list: 6 (i:6, k:0)
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Location 1: Sydney
Location 2: Sydney
Interests: Dogs, Fish, Photography, microbiology, medicine, cosmology .. let's just say polymath.
Started keeping characins and Amazon cichlids in 1978. Just recently into Amazon catfish.

Re: blackwater

Post by papwalker »

I don't remember how to add pics here. LOL
Shameful for a software guy.
Ive added an attachment(s).
Can you add multiple images?
Attachments
coryeggs (1).jpg
coryeggs.jpg
Last edited by papwalker on 03 Mar 2013, 11:24, edited 1 time in total.
...hand made my first tank in 1978 with Silastic & toughened glass sliding lids from an ice cream fridge.
...aaand sliced my hand open :-)
lurch1000
Posts: 149
Joined: 25 Oct 2012, 11:02
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Location 1: Yorkshire UK
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Re: blackwater

Post by lurch1000 »

You can add more than one, no idea what the limit is though. I've done two before, once you add the first one and placed inline, go down to where you added one before and do the same again.
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papwalker
Posts: 33
Joined: 09 Jun 2012, 19:56
My cats species list: 6 (i:6, k:0)
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Location 1: Sydney
Location 2: Sydney
Interests: Dogs, Fish, Photography, microbiology, medicine, cosmology .. let's just say polymath.
Started keeping characins and Amazon cichlids in 1978. Just recently into Amazon catfish.

Re: blackwater

Post by papwalker »

Can people see 'my tanks' for stats or do I need to post it all here?
...hand made my first tank in 1978 with Silastic & toughened glass sliding lids from an ice cream fridge.
...aaand sliced my hand open :-)
lurch1000
Posts: 149
Joined: 25 Oct 2012, 11:02
My cats species list: 7 (i:1, k:0)
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Location 1: Yorkshire UK
Location 2: Yorkshire, UK

Re: blackwater

Post by lurch1000 »

Your 60l has some stats, there's no pH or temperature information for the 3' though.

I was wondering if the blackwater had tinkered your pH/hardness/TDS in a different direction to normal.
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papwalker
Posts: 33
Joined: 09 Jun 2012, 19:56
My cats species list: 6 (i:6, k:0)
My aquaria list: 2 (i:2)
My BLogs: 1 (i:1, p:24)
Location 1: Sydney
Location 2: Sydney
Interests: Dogs, Fish, Photography, microbiology, medicine, cosmology .. let's just say polymath.
Started keeping characins and Amazon cichlids in 1978. Just recently into Amazon catfish.

Re: blackwater

Post by papwalker »

The corys are in the 60L
Yes the treatment has lowered ph from 7.2 to 6.6 via tanic / humic acids etc. Add more and down it goes again. My 'Orinoco tea' is pH 4.4

The addition of fresh rainwater for a 10% change will reduce the hardness as might the Almond Leaves etc.

I do the 10% changes daily and keep an eye on the pH as the water softens. The tap water I normally use (in the dry season) around gh3.75. I don't normally test gh/kh of the tank. I plat it by ear.
I give the fish 'treats' that emulate new tasty things washed into the creek.

I increase oxygen with a small AquaEl 500 in-tank filter by using the supplied visor on the outlet and the venturi air feed on outlet. Basically the filter blows fine bubbles and sets up a moderate flow in the tank. The extra oxy to emulate the large surface agitation of rain falling on the creek and the flow increase of the creeks as they fill.
The outlet is 19mm beneath the surface and the visor directs the flow down at around 20 deg.
It's easy, just stick the pump in the tank and it suctions caps to the glass.

The main filter is an Eheim 2213 with no spray bay at water level.

Is that it? I think that's it.
Attachments
bw.jpg
bw (1).jpg
...hand made my first tank in 1978 with Silastic & toughened glass sliding lids from an ice cream fridge.
...aaand sliced my hand open :-)
Bwhiskered
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Re: blackwater

Post by Bwhiskered »

What is the species of cory that are spawning? Many will spawn with just a cool tap water change and some with adding 50% RO. Some of mine also spawn with just putting in a few Alder Cones.
Good fish are spawned and raised in Burlington.
lurch1000
Posts: 149
Joined: 25 Oct 2012, 11:02
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Location 1: Yorkshire UK
Location 2: Yorkshire, UK

Re: blackwater

Post by lurch1000 »

Good stuff! I may make some orinoco tea myself, just where to get the bits from, and see what mix with my tap/diluted tap water wil work for me. How "black" is your blackwater tank at the moment?

Cheers for that.
User avatar
papwalker
Posts: 33
Joined: 09 Jun 2012, 19:56
My cats species list: 6 (i:6, k:0)
My aquaria list: 2 (i:2)
My BLogs: 1 (i:1, p:24)
Location 1: Sydney
Location 2: Sydney
Interests: Dogs, Fish, Photography, microbiology, medicine, cosmology .. let's just say polymath.
Started keeping characins and Amazon cichlids in 1978. Just recently into Amazon catfish.

Re: blackwater

Post by papwalker »

@bwiskered
sturbai and brevirostris
These little beggars are stubborn. Cold low ion water is not enough so I hit them with the full treatment. I even wait for a low pressure system and storms. (thunder gods?)
I really hope I get no hybrids.
Also the rotten juvenile Ancistrus has sucked some eggs through the netting. His days may be numbered, however there is enough planting that some un-netted will be around.
...hand made my first tank in 1978 with Silastic & toughened glass sliding lids from an ice cream fridge.
...aaand sliced my hand open :-)
User avatar
papwalker
Posts: 33
Joined: 09 Jun 2012, 19:56
My cats species list: 6 (i:6, k:0)
My aquaria list: 2 (i:2)
My BLogs: 1 (i:1, p:24)
Location 1: Sydney
Location 2: Sydney
Interests: Dogs, Fish, Photography, microbiology, medicine, cosmology .. let's just say polymath.
Started keeping characins and Amazon cichlids in 1978. Just recently into Amazon catfish.

Re: blackwater

Post by papwalker »

@lurch1000
I use peatmoss from the gardening shop. Looks a bit like potting mix. Sphagnum moss from same.
Indian Almond Leaves from http://www.indianalmondleaves.com.au

Two cups peat and 10 leaves and one cup sphag. I simmer my mix. A lot of guys don't.

The tanks are yellow / weak tea.
Worked a treat for characids only back then I bought the tea from an African breeder of all things.
Anyway, my own regime has worked three out of three now for Corydoras.
Try it on the altums next.
...hand made my first tank in 1978 with Silastic & toughened glass sliding lids from an ice cream fridge.
...aaand sliced my hand open :-)
lurch1000
Posts: 149
Joined: 25 Oct 2012, 11:02
My cats species list: 7 (i:1, k:0)
My aquaria list: 2 (i:0)
My BLogs: 1 (i:0, p:50)
Location 1: Yorkshire UK
Location 2: Yorkshire, UK

Re: blackwater

Post by lurch1000 »

Cheers for that, will look in to it. I expect Mrs Lurch will confine such activities to the garage! :)
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