can I use teabags to add tannins to the water?

[fishcatch22]

do you think adding a green tea bag to my tank would safely release tannins into the water? i'm using peat filtration, the pH is down, but I don't have that nice brown tinge....

[webcricket]

I'd be concerned about the caffeine content in green tea - especially if you use enough of it to color the water. Perhaps try a black tea instead? I've heard of tannins being added with tea, perhaps someone here can actually comment on their personal results and suggest a caffeine free tea for you.

I know they do sell a "blackwater extract" at pet stores that will add tannins.

[fishcatch22]

I'd be concerned about the caffeine content in green tea. Perhaps try a black tea instead? I've heard it done, perhaps someone here can actually comment on their personal results with using tea.

I know they do sell a "blackwater extract" at pet stores that will add tannins.this tea is decaffinated. I think it may have flavorings, though.

I know ,but I do live off my allowance (trying to find a job right now), so I want to find a pretty cost effective way to do it.

[webcricket]

Heh, edited after you quoted me. I tried a google search for you but couldn't find the types of tea people use. Hopefully someone else can add more information for you.

[Mgamer20o0]

why do you want to do this?

[fishcatch22]

why do you want to do this?well... I want my tank to imitate a blackwater habitat.

[YoFishboy]

If you have any oak trees in your area, you can boil clean oak leaves and add the resulting "tea" to your tank...excellent for creating black water.

[fishcatch22]

If you have any oak trees in your area, you can boil clean oak leaves and add the resulting "tea" to your tank...excellent for creating black water.I live in alaska, so the winters too long for oaks. I do have aspens, though.

[YoFishboy]

Hmmmm....well, then you can try adding more peat or plain sphagnum moss to increase the tannins....driftwood often works too....

[fishcatch22]

Hmmmm....well, then you can try adding more peat or plain sphagnum moss to increase the tannins....driftwood often works too....well, I must have some pretty barren driftwood and peat because they've been in there a week and haven't added any tannins yet.... should I give it more time?

[YoFishboy]

It can take a while....is the water colored at all? I would just add more peat...

[fishcatch22]

It can take a while....is the water colored at all? I would just add more peat...nope. clear as a central antarctic summer morn.

the peat comes in pellets that swell up to about 4" long, I have 3 in my filter bag. I think I could cram one more in there.....

[YoFishboy]

nope. clear as a central antarctic summer morn.

the peat comes in pellets that swell up to about 4" long, I have 3 in my filter bag. I think I could cram one more in there.....

LOL...I say go for it! If it starts getting too dark, you can always do a water change.

[fishcatch22]

LOL...I say go for it! If it starts getting too dark, you can always do a water change.true.... I crammed as much as I could physically fit.

[fishcatch22]

also, how often should I change the peat?

[YoFishboy]

change the peat when, after regular water changes, it can no longer "recharge" the water to the darkness you want within a few days.

[Toirtis]

That is odd....usually even a small amount of peat will colour the water within hours....what sort of peat pellets are you using?

[fishcatch22]

That is odd....usually even a small amount of peat will colour the water within hours....what sort of peat pellets are you using?the type designed for potting plants in. it comes in small, flat pellets that swell up inside a mesh holding (which I remove), and you are supposed to plant seeds in that.

[YoFishboy]

Are those "pellets" pure peat? Look for the "bricks" of untreated peat at the nursery.

[ErrorS]

I have to ask the obvious..

you're not doing 50% water changes every 2 days or using carbon in your filters, are you?

[fishcatch22]

yo: yep, 100% peat.

errors: nope. I do a WC once every 2 weeks (I test every other day) and no carbon to be found in my filter.

[Toirtis]

Oh, those peat pellets...you know, I really believe that those must lose a lot in the manufacturing process, as I have never seen tannins come off of one (when using them for starting plants)...try putting some regular, fresh garden peat (try to find the not so ground-up sort) in a filter media bag.

Alternatively, make some peat 'tea' in a pot of boiling water, cool it, and pour it in your tank.

[fishcatch22]

Oh, those peat pellets...you know, I really believe that those must lose a lor in the manufacturing process, as I have never seen tannins come off of one (when using them for starting plants)...try putting some regular, fresh garden peat (try to find the not so ground-up sort) in a filter media bag.

Alternatively, make some peat 'tea' in a pot of boiling water, cool it, and pour it in your tank.okay... I bought them at wal-fart, guess I got what I paid for.

[Toirtis]

okay... I bought them at wal-fart, guess I got what I paid for.


As good as the same type of product bought anywhere else...just not aquarium-grade peat is all.

[fishcatch22]

As good as the same type of product bought anywhere else...just not aquarium-grade peat is all.they sell peat specifically for aquariums? i've never seen any at my LFSs....

[Toirtis]

they sell peat specifically for aquariums? i've never seen any at my LFSs....


They do, usually in pelleted form (Fluval makes some:
http://www.hagen.com/canada/english/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=114&PROD_ID=01014650010101 )

...but you can use a good grade garden peat, which is a bit messier, but works just as well, and a lot more cheaply.

[fishcatch22]

They do, usually in pelleted form (Fluval makes some:
http://www.hagen.com/canada/english/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=114&PROD_ID=01014650010101 )

...but you can use a good grade garden peat, which is a bit messier, but works just as well, and a lot more cheaply.i'll se oif I can find one. I want water as soft and brown as I can get.

so... I guess i'd have to go to a specialty garden store for this?

[Toirtis]

i'll se oif I can find one. I want water as soft and brown as I can get.

so... I guess i'd have to go to a specialty garden store for this?

Well, a garden store, anyway...I would imagine that nice fresh bog peat should be pretty available to you up there, as it is screamingly common here in Alberta and BC.

[fishcatch22]

Well, a garden store, anyway...I would imagine that nice fresh bog peat should be pretty available to you up there, as it is screamingly common here in Alberta and BC.I guess so.

hmmmmm.... perhaps in the summer I could gather and dry my own moss.

[Blueiz]

i'll se oif I can find one. I want water as soft and brown as I can get.

so... I guess i'd have to go to a specialty garden store for this?

If the peat you have is loewring your ph as you like..why not buy a bottle of blackwater extract to turn the water the color you like instead of buying more peat? ;)

Blue

[Madcrawdad]

Tetra makes a product called "Blackwater Extract." I've used it when breeding bettas. It adds a nice clear-brown tinge to the water. You can probably get at your LFS....definitely available from Fosters & Smith.

[jm1212]

my question is why do you want to mess with your pH? peat can cause the pH of a tank to be unstable. what is you pH now? if the fish are doing fine now, dont change the pH or it will stress them.

BTW, you should be doing water changes every week, especially with a pleco in a 10 gallon.

[Blueiz]

my question is why do you want to mess with your pH? peat can cause the pH of a tank to be unstable. what is you pH now? if the fish are doing fine now, dont change the pH or it will stress them.

BTW, you should be doing water changes every week, especially with a pleco in a 10 gallon.

By naturally adding things to your tank such as peat, crushed coral, etc.. It actually changes the chemistry of your water, unlike chemical additives that only work temporarily.

I personally use crushed coral, and dolomite in all of my tanks because i have a ph under 6, it keeps my ph stable at arolnd 7.2.

There are many reasons why you would want to raise or lower the ph of your water. The reason I chose to was because I inject co2 and didnt want to risk my ph crashing.

It isn't "bad" to change the ph of your water so long as you know what youre doing , and are doing it with a reason, not just because your ph doesnt read a certain number..

Remember, fish do not read PH, a stable PH that isn't the specific PH for a fish is better than a constantly changing one.

Blue

[fishcatch22]

my question is why do you want to mess with your pH? peat can cause the pH of a tank to be unstable. what is you pH now? if the fish are doing fine now, dont change the pH or it will stress them.

BTW, you should be doing water changes every week, especially with a pleco in a 10 gallon.simple. I want recreate a SE/SA rainforest slow-flowing blackwater stream as accurately as possible. peat slowy and safely lowers pH, and maintains it there.

my tank is so overgrown I can't see the gravel on the bottom. my nitrates stay at 0, even after 2 weeks. I only do WCs every 2 weeks to get rid of mulm to stop my worm population from booming, I coulkd conceiveably go a month or two between WCs.

[kveeti]

You might be interested in this old thread about using tea (by wetmanNY of skepticalaquarist.com ):

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1528&highlight=tea