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I know the pics don’t really ever do darkwater justice unless it’s super dark or a better photographer than I am. But the IAL I added (24) have done an amazing job. I will be checking all the water parameters tomorrow because I’m testing my tap water for comparison. I already tested straight out of tap, now I have an air stone running and it will be ready for final testing in the AM. 
this is like exactly how dark I originally wanted to be,  it I’m loving it so much I might have to get darker! It’s crazy to me the affects it has on the water and shadows. Might just be my excitement but all the fish seem very happy as well. I’m gonna be patient and maybe some rummynose breeding just happens. I’m gonna give it another 3 months so the fish can mature more and then push the issue with a lot of live feedings, turn up the heat, and get the PH down to 6.4. 3D60B9D2-B076-49DC-BD0D-D8AE5D9E4F73.jpeg.dc17c73ed5a2b06377e827a9db7ee262.jpeg


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this is a 20G I’m gonna be working on next to get blackwater. Already in the tank I have the driftwood pile, lil peat moss pellets in the HOB, and a couple IAL. There isn’t much tint to it now. I’m gonna move forward with oak leaves, litter, and acorn caps that I collected myself. I think inside the root ball will look amazing . Only problem with this tank is I have the HOB on right side (no room on back and I like it) then the light stretches the length. So how do I get a lid on this? Without moving light every time I get in it?I might have it figured out but will have to test. Love to hear ideas?04E4C844-D619-444D-9ABB-7ACF78471C3E.jpeg.ceaf6e26fa9d340b028c699c9d331f56.jpeg

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puffers loving it and since I put in the lamp eyes and platys in there I see them (the puffers) a lot more! 😁9716508D-B20C-4859-A75D-410CEBC3D5AD.jpeg.886e3e22fe6f9e6d3dd6e75aa038c579.jpeg

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Water testing for the 125G (ammonia 0ppm at all stages)

straight out of tap

5033D884-6BCF-4917-AA9B-740F85E3A041.jpeg.3bd596ce776dc374d2bcca56fec7fe6f.jpeg

Nitrates 0 ppm- nitrites 0ppm- GH 300+- KH 100- PH 7.8

Tap 24 hours with airbstoneA69C33F9-C465-4D9A-B555-F3B4DAE42170.jpeg.9524249fd4eda1fa0e24e4da788dd79d.jpeg

nitrates 0ppm- nitrites 0ppm- GH 300+- KH 100- PH 7.8

at time of IAL (24)CB3E59E6-C9F0-4BCF-97E5-5307A2228CF3.jpeg.d8be8acb80c0209cfc8a11dd094e091a.jpeg

nitrate 20ppm- nitrites 0ppm- GH 300+- KH 100- PH 7.4

IAL (24) after 48 hours 09B4D84D-FBC0-4793-8BC7-F6A687516058.jpeg.dc302757b67caf11e9fd67f96956daf7.jpeg

nitrates 25ppm- nitrites 0ppm- GH 300+- KH 80- PH 7.2

From 7.8 down to 7.2 I think is good results. I believe another couple months of seasoning and getting some real peat in there I can get the PH down to 6.6 - 6.8. That might be low enough to get them rummys spawning? 
PATIENCE !!! I’m trying to set up an environment they want to breed, not to become a rummy breeder. (Although I will be a rummy breeder and that’s kinda cool)

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On 11/15/2021 at 5:17 AM, Atitagain said:

@Torrey thank you so much, you have helped so much and been an inspiration during my learning process. Still ongoing of course!  You’ve made me think of something I don’t remember ever testing my water out of the tap here. I will do that today. Good luck next weekend 🤪and BTW your turtle does sound like quite the bugger 🐢 

Karma is a p.i.m.a., and I wouldn't have her any other way 🤣

I remembered why it was so important to get everything done last weekend, I am in class this weekend 😅 Tonight is going to be loooong

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On 11/20/2021 at 1:34 PM, Torrey said:

Karma is a p.i.m.a., and I wouldn't have her any other way 🤣

I remembered why it was so important to get everything done last weekend, I am in class this weekend 😅 Tonight is going to be loooong

So sorry to hear that. And that’s the absolute truth about karma!

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20G pea puffer tank has not darkened hardly at all. I’m trying to be patient with the leaves and litter braking down to release more tannins. Added 10 more acorn caps tonight. The oak leaves look a lot better than IAL but you can see a difference in a couple days max with IAL. And now it’s been 8 days and nothing. Wanna keep it all oak if possible but we’ll see.

The 125G is looking amazing to me right now!! I added some Rooibos tea bags last night and right now it looks great. The color in the cardinal tetra especially the blue shines through. All the fish and shrimp look great. It’s so cool something that looks so natural, like I could have just removed a slice from a river and placed it in my room. D27648E9-7650-4D84-AFE3-A211D193EFA1.jpeg.4c026a4117ea452523d7145b240174b6.jpeg

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I knew when I started this that a 125G would be super difficult to make a darkwater tank. I should start out with a 20G or something. I am so glad I didn’t, there are so many different elements. It take me a long time to look over the tank from one end to the other. 

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On 11/25/2021 at 9:34 PM, Atitagain said:

20G pea puffer tank has not darkened hardly at all. I’m trying to be patient with the leaves and litter braking down to release more tannins. Added 10 more acorn caps tonight. The oak leaves look a lot better than IAL but you can see a difference in a couple days max with IAL. And now it’s been 8 days and nothing. Wanna keep it all oak if possible but we’ll see.

The 125G is looking amazing to me right now!! I added some Rooibos tea bags last night and right now it looks great. The color in the cardinal tetra especially the blue shines through. All the fish and shrimp look great. It’s so cool something that looks so natural, like I could have just removed a slice from a river and placed it in my room. D27648E9-7650-4D84-AFE3-A211D193EFA1.jpeg.4c026a4117ea452523d7145b240174b6.jpeg

A9D01B5B-E947-40FA-9E60-149B340E4220.jpeg.7a1a193e2012f35967656e4e085568f9.jpeg

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I knew when I started this that a 125G would be super difficult to make a darkwater tank. I should start out with a 20G or something. I am so glad I didn’t, there are so many different elements. It take me a long time to look over the tank from one end to the other. 

Oh, this is GORGEOUS!!!!

Oak tends not to break down exactly the same. However, the creek by our home growing up only had oak trees in our neighborhood (poor city planning), and the pooled areas that got enough sunlight in the summer to get **warm** got quite a bit darker. 

I have boiled acorns and oak leaves and used the tannin tea to darken water. I am patient, but not patient enough to wait for it to happen naturally from oak alone. The boiled leaves will begin to behave more like IAL, and won't stay stiff any longer. If you are enjoying the look of the oak leaves, I would add the boiled leaves to the larger tank, and just add fresh leaves, boiled acorns, and the tea to your smaller tank.

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Just a suggestion since it’s the look you want from the tannins. You can get a  relatively cheap piece of small mopani on Amazon. I think I got 2 pc for 25$. Boil it. You get ultra dark “tea” to stain the water like concentrated darkness. Freeze what you do not use to add as needed. Dry the mopani. When you boil it again it releases mega tannins again and they are DARK. much darker than anything you can get with IAL. I love following this journey. That 20g is so striking. 

PS. don’t use wife’s pot or use stainless steel pots so no staining. I do not want to be accountable for your wife murdering you 🤣

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On 11/26/2021 at 7:26 AM, Atitagain said:

@Guppysnail I got my wife new pots and pans for Christmas (because that’s what she ordered and told me I was getting her) so I now have my own pot.😁

Wise wife!

I didn't wait until my spouse ordered anything. 

I took my spouse to Costco and asked if they were creating a new kitchen, what would they want... and then bought what they selected 😅

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I’m getting pretty good tannins after moving my 20H and letting it run after a 100% water change. It was really dark after a year of no water changes. I almost kept the water, but I needed a simple move.

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I might stage my spare aquarium wood in there for a couple of months.

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On 11/28/2021 at 5:45 AM, Atitagain said:

Made mopani tea for the 20G last night. Added about 3/4 gallon and 😁!!!

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Each squirt is 30ml the progression pics we’re taking over about an hour.

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the last pic is a view from the end of the tank looking through.

 

Those red leaves are gorgeous in that water!

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