# black water extract



## Jimmyhf6 (Sep 13, 2003)

well i bought a bottle a long time ago but never used it because tested it but it didint do much but make the water werid do u think it will work wiht my pirayas and will any extra chemicals be added that will harm my pirayas if i put it in thanks?


----------



## psrotten (Jan 27, 2004)

it doesn't really do much to the water just adds trace minerals and a slight tint to the water, but IMO its great as my rhom and brandtii are much more active every since i put it in.


----------



## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

Some would say it can raise aggression, since it does make thge inside of the tank darker than usual. But remember that when using BWE, you'll need to take out your active carbon for it to last as long as possible. Also check your PH from time to time. BWE is known to change PH levels also.


----------



## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Its works but I will never use it again.


----------



## Piranha Boy (Feb 27, 2004)

Black Water Extract is made from steepings of leaves and barks to emulate what happens in the waters in the fish's natural environment. The problem is that it don't last long and the extract is fairly expensive.

I have bypassed that extract altogether and give the fish the same effect just by adding leaves that drop from my tropical plants. These leaves I add at least a couple of times a week and they sink, slowly releasing their tannins and other organic acids. About once a month or so I'll also open a dry teabag and toss that in too. Unfortunately, if you have lots of water movement it'll never settle out on the bottom of the tank and will end up in the filter. My fish prefers very little water movement so I only have a very small fountain pump to barely circulate the flow and all the organics fall to the bottom. Having this on the bottom also helps break down any uneaten food also.

In the wild the bottom of the ponds or streams have a fair bit of leafy detritus and the BWE is meant to give the water the same "taste" which is also important in conditioning of the tank, particularly for the beneficial microorganisms.

Atlanta Braves.... tell us why you don't use it anymore. Perhaps there is something about it that we missed and should all know.


----------



## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Piranha Boy said:


> Atlanta Braves.... tell us why you don't use it anymore. Perhaps there is something about it that we missed and should all know.


 Well I have only used it once in my aquarium and the one time that I did use it I totally regret. For the first day it looked totally chill in my tank. The next day when I woke up I hade some major "fog" in my tank. I could hardly see shiet! Talking to DonH about this we concluded that the Black Water Extract caused a bacterial bloom in my tank.

Therefore, Black Water Extract is not for me.


----------



## Deeks (Apr 23, 2003)

To Piranha Boy:

So you put tea in your tank? What kind and how well does it work. I've never heard of this, but it sounds like a good idea.


----------



## Piranha Boy (Feb 27, 2004)

Deeks,

I have been doing this for years and years now. As I drink Tetley (not an ad for that particular type of tea







), that's the kind I use however I would use any other kind as long as it's not the flavored type. Having diversity of organics is important so I also drop the odd plant leaf in. The best kinds of leaves are those that don't decay too fast as they sit in the Vallisneria for a long time and provide habitats for invertebrates and protists. Tough, leathery leaves work best and I really like the way they sit on the bottom of the tank too. They float for a day or so on top of the water before sinking . Result: The tank looks like it's a piece of pond in a glass box.


----------



## jeepman784 (Jan 8, 2004)

piranha boy, pics of this 'river in a box' ?
sounds like it looks cool


----------



## Piranha Boy (Feb 27, 2004)

Here you go my good man. This is looking at the end of the tank. Notice how Kilzses is always trying to get a piece of me!!??!!









I'll take others showing the substrate and leaves on the bottom of the tank this weekend.


----------



## jeepman784 (Jan 8, 2004)

oh man, that that is friggin sweet!!!! I LOVE THAT LOOK, what size tank is that again


----------



## Deeks (Apr 23, 2003)

Thanks man, that looks f'in great! I'm gonna give it a try.


----------



## Jimmyhf6 (Sep 13, 2003)

wow very nice thanks for all the info but i think im oot going to use it yet ima wait till my pirayas get accustumed to the tanka dn yea add more fotos its very interesting


----------



## rbp 4 135 (Mar 2, 2004)

god that is a river in a box, your making the amazon jellous


----------



## Piranha Boy (Feb 27, 2004)

jeepman784 said:


> oh man, that that is friggin sweet!!!! I LOVE THAT LOOK, what size tank is that again


That, my good man, is the end of a 150 gal tank.








Yeah, Kilzses loves it too. I'm hard-pressed to go near it without him telling me who owns it







.... and the rest of the living room too!!









A close inspection of the surface will reveal a few leaves in the process of becoming waterlogged and sinking.









Unfortunately, I never got those pix I promised







I'll get some hopefully tonight.


----------



## jeepman784 (Jan 8, 2004)

is that tank tough for cleaning?


----------



## Piranha Boy (Feb 27, 2004)

I have yet to clean it.









Natural systems clean themselves and that is what I'm trying to replicate.







The only thing that might need to be done once every four or five years is to suck out some excess mud. I still leave plenty there for the weather loaches I have in the tank for scavenging Kilzses' scraps. They live in the mud.


----------



## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

move to water chemistry forum


----------



## NTcaribe (Apr 8, 2004)

nice!,nice


----------



## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

Damn..I guess I cant get any black water extract for my cons...they like the dark water..Ive put brown paper bags over my lights before and they were much more active. I have a 55 gallon, a 60 Gallon Filter on one side and a 20G on the other..It would probably suck up the tea..


----------



## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

Well actually about an hour ago, I made some tea. I put some cubes in it to make it the same temp as my water. I added the chlorine stuff, and put it into the back of my filter cartridge, so it could suck up some of the leaves. My water is a slight bown color, it actually looks nice.


----------



## Piranha Boy (Feb 27, 2004)

Trick is, don't add too much at once. Let the system balance with what you have first and then next week add a little more.









I just toss the unsteeped dry leaves in and let them gradually lose their tannins and other contents. It is a slower but more natural and safer way to darken your water. Making tea will draw all the nutrients out of the leaves and make them available to the organisms in the water instantly. It is possible to get a slight bloom doing it that way. If you do get a bloom, you shouldn't need to change the water as it should clear on its own in a few days.

Remember... they like it black, no sugar or cream!


----------

