Show Me Your Blackwater/Botanical Style Tanks!

[AllFishNoBrakes]

What up fish fam?!

So, recently my girlfriend has decided she wants her own tank to play with. We’ve agreed that she will have her own 10 gallon tank with blue neo shrimp. We’ve come to the decision that she will be 100% responsible for her tank, the plants, the livestock, etc as I already have 13-15 tanks to take care of. I’m happy to provide her something to play with and I’m super stoked that 3 years later she wants her own tank!

Considering she will now have her own shrimp tank, I’m HEAVILY considering turning my 20 long invertebrate tank into a blackwater/botanical style aquarium. I’m fascinated with the blackwater ecosystem in general, and playing with something new is always exciting. 
 

Currently the tank has a small ACO sponge filter and plants. I’m happy to add a heater, but don’t really want to change the filtration and for a botanical style aquarium what that tank currently has seems to fit the bill. I imagine a ton of leaf litter, pods, cholla wood, and other tannin-rich hard scape. I have some Spider Wood that I already love, and have store credit at a LFS to continue to pack the tank full. I imagine maybe some new lighting (maybe 2 pendant lights/gooseneck lights, one for each side?!) and some low light plants like some Anubius that would do well in a blackwater set up (low light) and typically do well in my water. I already have low pH/soft water here in CO so I’m not worried about taking things further with botanicals. 
 

While this addition of a tank for her and a “new” tank for me is months away, one of my favorite parts of this hobby is planning a tank. I’m currently thinking of a handful of Sparkling Gourami’s, maybe 15-20 Chili Rasboras, shrimp, and snails for my blackwater tank. Sounds super fun, accomplishes keeping a couple new species, and has the potential to breed some new species which is always exciting for me. 
 

I’d love to see your blackwater tanks and hear your experiences/trials/tribulations/tips/tricks with this style of aquarium! Show me what you got!

Edited February 1, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[Scapexghost]

I wasnt really into blackwater until i watched this md video. Im trying a black water tank now, but with various fish tank related and not fish tank related setbacks i havent but in fish yet.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@Scapexghost Nice! What are you using to tint the water? From the pics it looks like you don’t have a ton of leaf litter/other botanicals but your water is super dark. Also, what are the plants growing emersed from the top of the tank?

[Scapexghost]

On 1/31/2023 at 10:12 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

@Scapexghost Nice! What are you using to tint the water? From the pics it looks like you don’t have a ton of leaf litter/other botanicals but your water is super dark. Also, what are the plants growing emersed from the top of the tank?

The picture is a little misleading bc my phone camera isnt great. There are a solid amount of botanicals im the tank, mainly oak leaves and acorn husks. I wish i used a lighter sand so they stand out more. Thats my tip for you. Used the lightest sand you can find. The emersed plants are lucky bamboo and one very sad peace lily that ill likely need to replace.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Heard on the light sand. Definitely wasn’t thinking of that. I guess it makes sense if it’s covered with botanicals, but I definitely wasn’t thinking of a light colored sand. 
 

The tank currently has black sand. I was for sure planning on replacing that, but I wasn’t thinking of anything light colored 

[knee]

Here’s one of my previous setups back in 2019. It was suppose to be a hospital tank and I was using it to quarantine some croaking gouramis. I just kept on putting almond leaves, added some white clouds and Cherry barbs, and left them there.
 

It eventually became a breeding ground for my croaking gouramis. When I broke down the tank I pulled way more fish than what I started with 😂

here’s a vid of the progress 

 

Edited February 1, 2023 by knee

[CrashBandit05]

This is my 29gal Amazon theme blackwater set up. Nothing too fancy as it's my first attempt at a regional specific aquarium. Two huge pieces of driftwood with several smaller pieces. Currently has two anubias, random Christmas (maybe?) moss, and tons of Amazon frogbit floaters. I'd like to get more rooted plants but I think my substrate needs to be a bit deeper. The GBR is definitely the tank boss and the school of 16ish candy cane tetras all get along nicely!

[TheSwissAquarist]

I remember Rosario Lacorte mentioning on the ACO podcast that when catching fish in black water, the specimens (tetras) had incredibly vivid colors. He hypothesized that fish get better colors in darker water to know where their shoal is. @CrashBandit05s GBR makes me think it might be true! 😁

@Fish Folk @Randy

[Fish Folk]

On 2/1/2023 at 7:33 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I remember Rosario Lacorte mentioning on the ACO podcast that when catching fish in black water, the specimens (tetras) had incredibly vivid colors. He hypothesized that fish get better colors in darker water to know where their shoal is. @CrashBandit05s GBR makes me think it might be true! 😁

@Fish Folk @Randy

Lovely Ram! I’m not sure Cichlid colors work the same way as Tetra colors, but the hypothesis about colors on blackwater fish makes some sense. I hope to visit Peru someday and see them in their natural environment!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 2/1/2023 at 1:50 PM, Fish Folk said:

hope to visit Peru someday and see them in their natural environment!

And probably take a couple home too?😉

[Gannon]

These look so good, makes me want to keep my new tank full of tannins, but I want to make sure my plants are getting enough light. Decisions decisions.