Fish Lovers 3.0 [new poll]

[ғᴏʀᴇsᴛ★ᴄʀɪᴛᴛᴇʀ]

I have a 21gal tank that's just been sitting around, and after doing some research on what to put in it, I've decided on a betta. So does anyone have any advice for biotopes/aquascaping for a betta tank? A blackwater aquarium seems to be the best option, but I would love a second opinion as well as design ideas. ^^

Blackwater is a lot more difficult than a clearwater biotope, since true blackwater setups either require RO water or a way to let the water "age" with peat, wood and other botanicals to lower the pH for water changes. Especially the reverse osmosis machines can be a little pricy.
But, you can still achive a blackwater feel to the water by putting a lot of dark driftwood like mangrove in there, meaning they have more tannins. The tannins barely affect the water chemistry so you can still do normal water changes with tap water, only there will be a nice tea-like tint to the water.
You could also do a clearwater biotope, and go for some more plants. I would put java ferns or Hygrophila polysperma in the back, Wendtii and thai cryptos in the front, and thin spindly wood covered in java or christmas moss as a cool centerpiece. I would personally go with a light beige to clay red sand substrate cause I like the look of it more, but I also think the substrate in their natural habitat more often is lighter.

[Jun.]

I have a 21gal tank that's just been sitting around, and after doing some research on what to put in it, I've decided on a betta. So does anyone have any advice for biotopes/aquascaping for a betta tank? A blackwater aquarium seems to be the best option, but I would love a second opinion as well as design ideas. ^^

Blackwater is a lot more difficult than a clearwater biotope, since true blackwater setups either require RO water or a way to let the water "age" with peat, wood and other botanicals to lower the pH for water changes. Especially the reverse osmosis machines can be a little pricy.
But, you can still achive a blackwater feel to the water by putting a lot of dark driftwood like mangrove in there, meaning they have more tannins. The tannins barely affect the water chemistry so you can still do normal water changes with tap water, only there will be a nice tea-like tint to the water.
You could also do a clearwater biotope, and go for some more plants. I would put java ferns or Hygrophila polysperma in the back, Wendtii and thai cryptos in the front, and thin spindly wood covered in java or christmas moss as a cool centerpiece. I would personally go with a light beige to clay red sand substrate cause I like the look of it more, but I also think the substrate in their natural habitat more often is lighter.

Mmk, thanks for the help ~
I'll keep doing research as well, and see what I decide to do with it

[PemCorgis]

I have a 21gal tank that's just been sitting around, and after doing some research on what to put in it, I've decided on a betta. So does anyone have any advice for biotopes/aquascaping for a betta tank? A blackwater aquarium seems to be the best option, but I would love a second opinion as well as design ideas. ^^

Don't forget, you can use almond leaves and certain other leaves to help increase tannins in the water! I generally used driftwood and almond leaves for my betta tanks, especially for my breeding tanks! My housemate is currently setting and growing a 20g betta tank "blackwater". She has a gorgeous crowntail in there and he's only more beautiful with the tea staining in the water! Currently she's going out her grasses.

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My 20g is finaaaalllyy getting there. I'm mid algae bloom now for cycling! I did lose one glowlight tetra, but the others are healthy and happy.

the 125g seems to be doing great as well!!! all our new fish are acclimated and doing great!!

[ғᴏʀᴇsᴛ★ᴄʀɪᴛᴛᴇʀ]

What's interesting is that blackwater is not defined by the colour of the water, but by the pH and hardness. Letting tannins from almond leaves and decorative bogwood leech out into the water will only have minimal affects on the water chemestry and is also temporary, because a little bit of tannin is taken out each time a water change is done, until there is no more tannins in the wood. Blackwater is ideally very soft, acidic water with few dissolved nutrients and minerals, such as calcium carbonate, calcium, sodium and so on dissolved in it, unlike lake Malawi for example. Though tannins are acidic compunds, so blackwater setups will always be heavily tannin-stained water because of the peat and the natural tannins in it which also help to lower the pH. So too much tannins in a tank with tap water used for water changes may result in the pH fluctuating, which is harmful to the fish, but it should be fine if the water is only lightly stained.

[PemCorgis]

What's interesting is that blackwater is not defined by the colour of the water, but by the pH and hardness. Letting tannins from almond leaves and decorative bogwood leech out into the water will only have minimal affects on the water chemestry and is also temporary, because a little bit of tannin is taken out each time a water change is done, until there is no more tannins in the wood. Blackwater is ideally very soft, acidic water with few dissolved nutrients and minerals, such as calcium carbonate, calcium, sodium and so on dissolved in it, unlike lake Malawi for example. Though tannins are acidic compunds, so blackwater setups will always be heavily tannin-stained water because of the peat and the natural tannins in it which also help to lower the pH. So too much tannins in a tank with tap water used for water changes may result in the pH fluctuating, which is harmful to the fish, but it should be fine if the water is only lightly stained.

Mannnn I had a nice response typed out, but my internet decided to not behavior. Essentally yes, we used to breed beautiful betta's and continuously added in almond leaves and peat. Plus driftwood will help to lower pH. My housemate's 'blackwater' is about 5.2pH right now. Again it isn't a true blackwater because we are not using RO water. I wish..

And yes, calcium, sodium, etc buffer pH, so that would make sense. I actually use crushed coral to boost my 125g to 7.4pH+ it's great for the rabbit snails too!
We are hopefully getting our own place soon, and I really hope to get my own RO system. As well as my own fish room the dream!

[ғᴏʀᴇsᴛ★ᴄʀɪᴛᴛᴇʀ]

Mannnn I had a nice response typed out, but my internet decided to not behavior. Essentally yes, we used to breed beautiful betta's and continuously added in almond leaves and peat. Plus driftwood will help to lower pH. My housemate's 'blackwater' is about 5.2pH right now. Again it isn't a true blackwater because we are not using RO water. I wish..

And yes, calcium, sodium, etc buffer pH, so that would make sense. I actually use crushed coral to boost my 125g to 7.4pH+ it's great for the rabbit snails too!
We are hopefully getting our own place soon, and I really hope to get my own RO system. As well as my own fish room the dream!

Yeah blackwater looks amazing, but it's so expensive... How did you do water changes for the bettas? But speaking of blackwater, I just started up a 8g shrimp tank and bought some soil to put in there. It's now been 48h with the soil in, and my usual 7.5 pH measures around 6.4 in that tank Don't know what to do now lol. I don't have the time to mess around with my water chemistry before whater changes.

[Hime]

Our water has GH at 3-4°dH and KH at 2-3°dH from the tap, with conductivity bit under 150 μS/cm. lol Still the pH is about 8 from tap and without CO2 it won't drop below 7 in my tank and even 7 is a struggle sometimes. : P With CO2 goig in, I have bumped the KH to 4, as the pH accidentally did drop to 6,5 at first...

Soils tend to drop the pH, or rather are designed to do that as some minerals are easier for the plants to access in lower pH. So I really wouldn't worry too much about it and it will probably level out with water changes. Just don't do very large ones so that there isn't too much swing in parameters at once.

[lustrestar]

I keep bettas, have been for the past three years! My bettas are housed in tanks of five gallons, but I have one tail biter who has to stay in a 2.5 for the rest of his life due to the extra space being too much for him, which is when he begins to fin bite.

These are pictures of both of my five gallons, they are planted with silk decorations and stained with almond leaf tannins.

[rancidram]

I keep bettas, have been for the past three years! My bettas are housed in tanks of five gallons, but I have one tail biter who has to stay in a 2.5 for the rest of his life due to the extra space being too much for him, which is when he begins to fin bite.

These are pictures of both of my five gallons, they are planted with silk decorations and stained with almond leaf tannins.

such pretty babies. i love them

[Starwood in Aspen]

SO About a month and a half to 2 months ago my beloved sassy betta Pinkie passed away... yesterday I just couldn't stand being alone in the room anymore...


Meet Gemini.
Shes really irridescent and pretty. Currently sitting to my Right, acclimating in her 3 gallon tank. (I apologize for the huge pictures)