How do you add tannins to your water?

[Atitagain]

I’ve been doing a lot of research on blackwater tanks recently, it’s my latest rabbit hole. I find these tanks to be darkly beautiful and they can be very beneficial to fish health and happiness. The natural feel is so calming and intriguing I think it pulls me in closer to see every detail that’s hidden in plain site. We have become so used to water in tanks being crystal clear for viewing and the stigma of that’s the only way to keep fish healthy. I’m currently in process of darkening my 125G tetra tank, I like to call it darkwater not black because I don’t wanna go that deep so I can keep more plants than a normal blackwater tank would be able to have. 
So let’s go to the dark side, what are ways to darken blackwater tanks? I’m currently using driftwood, Indian almond leaves, Adler cones, and rooibos tea bags. I have on order to use more driftwood, oak acorn cups, and lotus seed pods. I also plan to get some peat moss to add in a HOB as well. I seen @Gator mention using this in his canister filters, would love to hear more about this.

Please include pics if you can. Mines not as dark as I will keep it yet been slowly darkening it up over last couple weeks.

[Guppysnail]

I don’t run dark water tanks but I do use Indian almond leaves and mopani. I find the mopani especially stains the water quick with tannins.  I like the lighter tannin look I get with IAL. 

[Atitagain]

On 10/27/2021 at 9:30 AM, Guppysnail said:

I don’t run dark water tanks but I do use Indian almond leaves and mopani. I find the mopani especially stains the water quick with tannins.  I like the lighter tannin look I get with IAL. 

I do have some mopani in another tank but I soaked and boiled it before placing it. Did not want tannins in that tank, it is a great source for tannins tho. IAL are a really good source for natural antibacterial and antifungal treatments and in my research so far the best leaf for tannins I’ve found.

[HotTunaCartel]

Just took some pics for another thread this morning but they are relevant to this.  

I use Indian almond leaves, oak leaves and alder cones.  Also, I've noticed that most of my "drift wood" tends to be tree roots from fallen trees.  I dig them up get all the rot off and dry them over several weeks.  They tend to really add lots of tannins to the water.  

I've used peat moss pellets in my hobs in the past but I didn't like how it made the water a bit hazy.  

[Atitagain]

On 10/27/2021 at 12:03 PM, HotTunaCartel said:

I've used peat moss pellets in my hobs in the past but I didn't like how it made the water a bit hazy.  

I’m getting ready to start experimenting with these. Before I add them to my main tank. Will look out for the hazy water. Want a dark tint but want it to be clear. (Dark but clear uhhh…yea I said it)🥴

[HotTunaCartel]

On 10/27/2021 at 2:53 PM, Atitagain said:

I’m getting ready to start experimenting with these. Before I add them to my main tank. Will look out for the hazy water. Want a dark tint but want it to be clear. (Dark but clear uhhh…yea I said it)🥴

So what I do is use filter floss in my blackwater tanks.  I'm the same as you, i like them dark but clear.  

A lot of people say floss removes the staining but i've never noticed it.  I wonder if its because I use cheap poly fill, rip some off and just shove it above the hob sponges.   

[Atitagain]

On 10/27/2021 at 3:19 PM, HotTunaCartel said:

So what I do is use filter floss in my blackwater tanks.  I'm the same as you, i like them dark but clear.  

A lot of people say floss removes the staining but i've never noticed it.  I wonder if its because I use cheap poly fill, rip some off and just shove it above the hob sponges.   

I use the same poly in my canister and it seems to be darkening up fine. I have been adding slowly it taking awhile with this big of a tank. and if I add the peat pellets I will be using a HOB with poly on top as well.

[HotTunaCartel]

On 10/27/2021 at 3:27 PM, Atitagain said:

I use the same poly in my canister and it seems to be darkening up fine. I have been adding slowly it taking awhile with this big of a tank. and if I add the peat pellets I will be using a HOB with poly on top as well.

yea def add the extra poly with peat pellets.  I washed mine like crazy but still kinda dirtied the water.  

[Griznatch]

 I have a huge piece of mopani in my 75, almost 3 feet long and I couldn't figure out how to boil it. I poured boiling water over it and soaked it outside in the sun in a big tub for like 2 weeks. It still releases tannins, and my tank is a nice tea color now. the wood has been in there since beginning of June. I actually had to increase my light intensity and  take the light off the risers I had med. My stem plants and some swords weren't getting enough light...

[Atitagain]

@Griznatch do you plan on keeping the water tan after the mopani stops releasing tannins?

[Streetwise]

I have 30-year-old Mopani wood still releasing tannins. I love it!

[Atitagain]

On 10/27/2021 at 5:55 PM, Streetwise said:

I have 30-year-old Mopani wood still releasing tannins. I love it!

Wow i didn’t know they would release that long. I knew some species lasted longer than others and even some within same species varied but 30 years. Is mopani known to regularly last that long? I wouldn’t have imagined anything going more than a year 2 seemed impossible. But I’ve never researched how long average is.

[Ken Burke]

I don’t keep black water, but experimented with alder cones a while back.  A little goes a long way.

[Griznatch]

@Atitagain I'm not going to try and eliminate it. So far my shrimp are doing ok, and the fish seem to enjoy it. I did, however, have to increase my light, gotta keep those plants happy. I like the look and think I'll keep it that way

[Andy's Fish Den]

You're on the right track with all that you are using and going to use. I have seen and heard of people taking leaves, alder cones etc and boiling them and making a concentrate and then pouring that concentrate into the tank. This way, you get the tinted water without all the botanicals in the tank itself. It's probably not much different than some company sold a product years ago called "blackwater extract" that you could put in your tank to darken it. 

[Atitagain]

On 10/28/2021 at 6:59 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

You're on the right track with all that you are using and going to use. I have seen and heard of people taking leaves, alder cones etc and boiling them and making a concentrate and then pouring that concentrate into the tank. This way, you get the tinted water without all the botanicals in the tank itself. It's probably not much different than some company sold a product years ago called "blackwater extract" that you could put in your tank to darken it. 

Thanks, I’ve thought of doing a concentrate and may still if I wanna add a little more tint at times but I want all the biotanicals because I have shrimp in there and my whole reason to set this up is to promote breeding among my rummynose and cardinal tetras.

[Torrey]

On 10/27/2021 at 8:24 AM, Atitagain said:

I do have some mopani in another tank but I soaked and boiled it before placing it. Did not want tannins in that tank, it is a great source for tannins tho. IAL are a really good source for natural antibacterial and antifungal treatments and in my research so far the best leaf for tannins I’ve found.

IAL have withstood more peer-reviewed research, with replicable results, that included detectable changes in immune cells in the blood, of almost any of the peer-reviewed research for fish treatments. 

[Torrey]

On 10/27/2021 at 12:53 PM, Atitagain said:

I’m getting ready to start experimenting with these. Before I add them to my main tank. Will look out for the hazy water. Want a dark tint but want it to be clear. (Dark but clear uhhh…yea I said it)🥴

Atitagain, I have had the best success with clear (as in not cloudy), dark tannin water (and also lowering our 7.8 to 8.2 pH water) by burying the peat moss under dirt, and then capping the dirt.

If MTS are going to be the substrate aeration crew, then use at least 1" gravel or sand for your cap though😅 Blackworms don't redo the landscape nearly as much as the MTS (and are the best to use with low pH).

Interestingly, the Walstad is still above 7.2, and is still hard thanks to the liquid rock that comes out of the faucet.

Nice, dark red tannins, and I can see clearly to the back of the tank the day after I clean the glass and trim the plants (plants are the only 'filtration', I am debating putting a Coop sponge filter in, since I am now running air stones).

I probably have an average of 1 IAL/ gallon of water, and replace a leaf when the amphopods have eaten it down to the veins. The IAL in my other tanks get a nice brownish red water color, if I boil the leaves first and add leaves + cooled "tea" to the tank.

I have only successfully gotten the darkest water in tanks with dirt covering peat moss, however.

[Atitagain]

1st off thank you for all the info, very much appreciated. I am reading Walstads book ecology of the planted aquarium but I’m finding it to be a very hard read. I’m not good with comprehension when reading (my son is helping me and I am improving) anyway if you don’t mind I have a few questions?

On 11/1/2021 at 4:09 PM, Torrey said:

burying the peat moss under dirt, and then capping the dirt

I assume actual peat moss not the pellets I’ve bought?

What type of soil do you recommend? I love fluval statum but it’s very expensive. Don’t like eco complete.

I was thinking of making some “tea” with IAL, Adler cones and some oak acorn caps. In your opinion, worth it or just do IAL?

 

[Gator]

Atitagain, I use the peat pellets in all of my filters. I've used whole oak leaves with the stems removed added directly to my tanks and I've done very well with them, but they rot away fairly quickly or maybe eaten by Oto's and Pleco's. I've also used driftwood with some success, Mopani wood with some success, and Cholla wood with some success. Cholla wood is also good for Oto's and Pleco's to eat while adding a little tannin into the water and the Oto's and Pleco's can't eat Cholla wood very quickly, but they can eat it. 

Though I use RO/DI water in my blackwater community tank, I still use peat pellets in the filter and it doesn't stain the water unless I use too much, but the peat pellets make the water softer and more acidic.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll make a decision that's right for you and your fish, though it may take some trial and error, just don't use too many peat pellets at one time if you choose Peat.

Sincerely

Gator   

[Atitagain]

@Gator thanks a lot. Some great advice, I’m trying to find a good source for oak leaves, liter, and small (up to 24”) branches. I know a few people who have property to search on just haven’t had time. The peat pellets I’m gonna experiment in a 20G first try to work out a decent ratio then start on the low end to start using it in the 125G. Thank you for the encouragement and confidence.