Post by charliem177 on Apr 14, 2011 21:50:20 GMT
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to have chat about natural water additives and basically write down all the different varieties there are available these days. *Just a quick note that carbon filters remove the beneficial compounds from the below items so if you do use any of the following, remove any carbon filter pads before hand.*
Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) Leaves (£0.30 each – size and ‘grade’ dependant = 2p a litre to treat a tank)
These are dried leaves from the South East Asia area of the world. They can either be added directly to the tank or they can be boiled in water for 20 minutes and you can then add this ‘concentrated’ liquid. They work by leaching natural tannins and other anti-bacterial compounds into the water. Not only do these help combat disease they also lower the pH and help create a ‘black-water’ environment which bettas love. Only draw back to these is aesthetics, they float around your tank. These will stay effective for about 2 weeks in the water depending on how much you change the water. IAL’s dye the water brown which shows that your tank is full of tannins, similar to adding bog oak to an aquarium. I add 1 IAL leave per 15 – 20 litres. Apart from the Blackwater Extract below I believe that IAL’s are the most potent of all the water additives and one of the cheapest. They also come ground up in tea bags which can be put in your filter. They can be bought even cheaper (8p per IAL) if you order them from a grower in Thailand but delivery can take up to a month.
Blackwater Extract (£5.99 per 125ml Atisons Betta Spa – 5ml per 8 litres (per 4 litres in fry tanks) to treat = 6p a litre to treat)
This is a concoction of Indian Almond leave (IAL) extract, salt, minerals and other natural compounds. You just measure the desired amount and add it directly to your tank. It is similar to the IAL in that it prevents disease and lowers pH. Other benefits come from the extra ingredients which help improve your fish or fry’s health (bone structure, circulation etc) as well as making the males bubble nest more sticky and durable during breeding. There are a lot more advantages of this stuff compared to IAL’s but these come at a price tag. This stuff will last in the water for a couple of weeks as well depending on how often you change your water. If you can afford the price, this is the best stuff to add to your tanks.
Peat Balls (£1 each = 4p per litre to treat but they do last a lot longer than other options)
The manufacturer of these uses high quality raw peat and wraps them in a porous material similar to a pair of tights. I add 1 per 30 - 40 litre’s or so and give them a gentle squeeze. They also have the same affect, releasing tannins and other natural antibacterial compounds whilst lowering pH. You will see a great puff of brown ‘dust’ dissipate into the water – this is the good stuff. The only draw back of these is that they tend to leave a light covering of peat particles on the bottom of the tank. They last for weeks and weeks in aquariums so are probably one of the most cost effective way of creating a ‘blackwater’ environment for you fish.
Alder Cone’s (£2 for 30 = 0.27p – 27p per litre to treat depending on set up)
These are like little pine cones and they work the same as IAL’s by releasing tannins and other natural antibacterial compounds into the water. I haven’t personally used alder cones before but I would assume that they are just as effective. It is recommended (internet) to use 1 cone per 250ml of water in betta jars or 3 - 4 per 100L of tank water in a normal aquarium. The only draw back of these is that you have to use quite a few of them to get the same affect as some of the other items. It would be suitable however to add them into a filter canister to get round this. I don’t know how long alder cones last but it would be safe to say that they would probably stay effective for a number of weeks.
Banana Sprigs (£0.40 each = 4p a litre to treat)
Alternative to IAL’s, they are meant to work in the same way but they do not stain the water brown like all the other items. Dosing is 1 sprig per 10 litres, depending on their size. I haven’t personally used banana sprigs and I don’t think they are widely used in the hobby but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. There are only 1 or 2 sellers on ebay who stock these.
Does anyone know of any others to add to the list?
Charlie
I just wanted to have chat about natural water additives and basically write down all the different varieties there are available these days. *Just a quick note that carbon filters remove the beneficial compounds from the below items so if you do use any of the following, remove any carbon filter pads before hand.*
Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) Leaves (£0.30 each – size and ‘grade’ dependant = 2p a litre to treat a tank)
These are dried leaves from the South East Asia area of the world. They can either be added directly to the tank or they can be boiled in water for 20 minutes and you can then add this ‘concentrated’ liquid. They work by leaching natural tannins and other anti-bacterial compounds into the water. Not only do these help combat disease they also lower the pH and help create a ‘black-water’ environment which bettas love. Only draw back to these is aesthetics, they float around your tank. These will stay effective for about 2 weeks in the water depending on how much you change the water. IAL’s dye the water brown which shows that your tank is full of tannins, similar to adding bog oak to an aquarium. I add 1 IAL leave per 15 – 20 litres. Apart from the Blackwater Extract below I believe that IAL’s are the most potent of all the water additives and one of the cheapest. They also come ground up in tea bags which can be put in your filter. They can be bought even cheaper (8p per IAL) if you order them from a grower in Thailand but delivery can take up to a month.
Blackwater Extract (£5.99 per 125ml Atisons Betta Spa – 5ml per 8 litres (per 4 litres in fry tanks) to treat = 6p a litre to treat)
This is a concoction of Indian Almond leave (IAL) extract, salt, minerals and other natural compounds. You just measure the desired amount and add it directly to your tank. It is similar to the IAL in that it prevents disease and lowers pH. Other benefits come from the extra ingredients which help improve your fish or fry’s health (bone structure, circulation etc) as well as making the males bubble nest more sticky and durable during breeding. There are a lot more advantages of this stuff compared to IAL’s but these come at a price tag. This stuff will last in the water for a couple of weeks as well depending on how often you change your water. If you can afford the price, this is the best stuff to add to your tanks.
Peat Balls (£1 each = 4p per litre to treat but they do last a lot longer than other options)
The manufacturer of these uses high quality raw peat and wraps them in a porous material similar to a pair of tights. I add 1 per 30 - 40 litre’s or so and give them a gentle squeeze. They also have the same affect, releasing tannins and other natural antibacterial compounds whilst lowering pH. You will see a great puff of brown ‘dust’ dissipate into the water – this is the good stuff. The only draw back of these is that they tend to leave a light covering of peat particles on the bottom of the tank. They last for weeks and weeks in aquariums so are probably one of the most cost effective way of creating a ‘blackwater’ environment for you fish.
Alder Cone’s (£2 for 30 = 0.27p – 27p per litre to treat depending on set up)
These are like little pine cones and they work the same as IAL’s by releasing tannins and other natural antibacterial compounds into the water. I haven’t personally used alder cones before but I would assume that they are just as effective. It is recommended (internet) to use 1 cone per 250ml of water in betta jars or 3 - 4 per 100L of tank water in a normal aquarium. The only draw back of these is that you have to use quite a few of them to get the same affect as some of the other items. It would be suitable however to add them into a filter canister to get round this. I don’t know how long alder cones last but it would be safe to say that they would probably stay effective for a number of weeks.
Banana Sprigs (£0.40 each = 4p a litre to treat)
Alternative to IAL’s, they are meant to work in the same way but they do not stain the water brown like all the other items. Dosing is 1 sprig per 10 litres, depending on their size. I haven’t personally used banana sprigs and I don’t think they are widely used in the hobby but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. There are only 1 or 2 sellers on ebay who stock these.
Does anyone know of any others to add to the list?
Charlie
no one has replied to my post yet c