[dutchfrompredator]

instant amazon was recommended to me and i gave it a try. it's a sort of blackwater extract that you can get to imitate SA water conditions for your fish. my pygos are very fond of it. when ever i do a water change and vaccuum i add some when i fill up and they love the stuff. i have no idea why but they get all frisky and swim around and generally act alert and colorful and active and playful. i also add ketapang vital becasue the people who make instant amazon say you can use them concurrently so i gave that a try too. it's supposed to improve color and make your fish hornier. it's really just almond leaves ground up and i'm not sure if the fish love that or that and the instant amazon together. they're worth trying if you're curious though. not too pricey and doesn't even slightly darken your water. just makes piranhas really colorful on the bottom, dark as hell up top, and frisky all around in my experience.

 

[traumatic]

what are you paying for it?

 

[dutchfrompredator]

let me check..........i got it online at petsolutions. didn't really shop around. it's about eight bucks for a 16 oz. bottle. it's lasted me pretty well and i do lotsa water changes. i'm sure if you shopped around you could find it cheaper. i was just eager to try it.

by the way TRAUMATIC, i just checked out your collection from the pics in your sig. magnificent collection man. truly impressive. your brandtii is like world class and your shoal.....jesus.

 

[traumatic]

Thanks man, I try to take good care of my fish.

I am trying different things to get dark water. Right now I just have an old carbon bag I emptied and put in some chunks of peat. I can it get at $5 for a bread loaf size chunk. It has worked but i'm not sure about how much and how long it lasts. I'm thinking about trying other things to go w/ it, but dont' want to over do it. I have researched ketapang leaves and almond leaves, haven't found it locally. I'd like to use natural tannins from wood, leaves & such.

 

[dutchfrompredator]

i gotta tell you. there are tons of different blackwater extracts. i've heard good things about peat, but i have this going and it's working well. if dak water is your goal, you can slightly overdo the dosage and darken without threatening p's. i'm the kinda of guy who would rather spend the extra few bucks to get pure refined and guaranteed liquids instead of deaing with moss and actual real materials that create the conditions in the rivers they live in. a quick search on any aquarium product wholesaler and you'll get blackwater extracts out the wazoo at good prices, most of which contain peat that's been squished, etc. see if any peak your interest. it can't hurt, and now two of my nats are acting like they want to spawn, they never did that before i added the stuff. i'm pleased with it and would say it's worth looking into. the fish totally love their water right now. i'm rocking heavy filtration, blackwater and almond extracts, and a shitload of fake plants, and my fish are in 7th heaven.

 

[traumatic]

I'll be changing around my filtration systems when I get all my tanks together in one place. Then i'd like to set up a sump w/ a tray for the peat and leaves so it's not messy and easy to change. Right now I have the peat bag on my cichlid/pleco tank. When the filter is hooked up I can try the dark water.

 

[LOON]

Dutch, does the black water extract change your PH ?

 

[dutchfrompredator]

it slightly softens your water to replicate certain sorts of biological material decomposing like leaves from their environment, so yes, i believe it lowers it a little. don't quote me on that though. jerry_playkyda has experience with that. i'm sort of new to the hobby and am embarassed to say i never check water parameters or even cycle new tanks. i've never had a problem and have really healthy fish, but i'm no expert and really need to get serious about monitering that stuff.