Blackwater guru
Fish Fanatic
I will be getting a new tank soon, it will be a 10 gallon or a 20 gallon if I can convince my family to let me get the 20. I will try to get it tomorrow and will step by step set it up for the cycle.
Ph: 6.8
Gh: 20-40ppm
If I get a 20 I will do a small planted community and if I get the 10 I will do a betta. Will update this thread along the way looking for help and tips. Anything anyone thinks i should know?
I would recommend this type of setup if getting Asian fish like betta or other fish from Asia and keeping them in a group of other fish is not bad as long as it's fish it would live with natively.
This is a type of setup known as a biotope where everything is built around being close to nature both in things fish choice and how compatible they are but also plants and decorations.
This can take many forms depending on what type of environment you want to create , because betta fish are commonly found in areas that contain what is known as blackwater such as peat swamps in the wild it would be best to keep bettas in this type of setup.
When building this kind of setup researching the various types of fish and plants but also the native enviroments of the fish you are trying to keep is a very important part,for example I only keep fish in my 145 litre/38 gallon biotope setup that I know exist in Brazil such as cardinal tetras or corydoras catfish.
I would also recommend having floating plants because not only does it provide shade for the fish it can also protect fish fry and it can provide food for them in breeding tanks with it's roots. These plants are excellent to have once the tank is cycled because they effectively live by absorbing harmful substances in the water such as nitrates or ammonia so in a way they are like a natural form of extra filtration.
As for the tankmates it's probably better to keep the bettas alone because they can be a target of bullying by other fish even the small ones because of their long delicate fins, although keeping them with bottom dwelling fish is preferable also keep in mind betta fish can be incredibly aggressive and violent towards each other that is if two males meet in the same aquarium space which could end with one of the fish getting killed if not seriously injured.
Blackwater can very easily be added to an aquarium by adding roibos tea bags to the water which should give the water a brown or yellow colour depending on how much tint you want to have.
Another great alternative is using peat moss which does the same thing except it also decreases the pH so keeping an eye on the kh is crucial to avoid a pH crash which can be fatal especially in a small setup where things happen very quickly.
Water changes once a week or every other week is optimal if you really want good water quality along with an improved lifespan for the betta.
Some pet stores especially big juggernaut American stores for example ,Walmart,Petco or target(I am swedish) these stores don't tend to be as knowledgeable or even have all the things you want such as specific floating plants or uncommon fish types, buying from a reputable store that specialises in fish alone is a much better choice because big brand petstores typically just want to sell you things instead of being helpful plus they also have a tendency to lie or spread fishkeeping myths such as "the fish will not grow to the size of the tank" or "it's perfectly fine to keep bettas in bowls because they live in small areas in the wild".
I wish you the best of luck in your fishkeeping career .
