Fresh2o’s 29g Blackwater Tank

[Fresh2o]

New tank, new build. For those who’ve followed my planted tank build FresH2O's 20g planted rescape, this is a departure from all that greenery. It places more emphasis on hardscape and fish.
Theme: Blackwater biotope
Tank: 29g
Lighting: Finnex 24/7
Heater: 100w Aqueon Pro
Filter: Sun Sun 302B
Substrate: pool filter sand
Hardscape: possibly spiderwood or manzanita or Malaysian DW; leaf litter
Plants: none (for now)
I have 20 lbs of Black Mountain Seiryu Stone in my current tank. Not sure if I will use them because they have a tendency to increase GH and KH. Out of the tap it is 12 and 7, respectively, and I’d rather not let it get any higher. I did not plan on using RO or a buffering substrate to bring things down, so the Seiryu might be out. Field stone looks more natural IMO. The Planted tank is still running; still in the process of removing plants.
Here is the tank. The pieces of spiderwood that looked bigger in the store look puny in this tank. I might return them and get some manzanita online.
One can of black Plasti Dip did not block light penetration 100%. I added a couple of coats of jet black acrylic and that did the job.
What I want it to look like and what it ends up looking like might be two totally different things. Hoping I can get it setup this weekend. PFS should arrive tomorrow.

 

[TMaier]

I will be following along! I really like the height of the 29g.

 

[Fresh2o]

I will be following along! I really like the height of the 29g.

It’s a lot taller than I thought (after dealing with 20 longs and smaller for the last 10 years). Makes me rethink proportions of hardscape. Best of all, fits my current stand and lighting.

 

[Fresh2o]

Help me decide: natural or sandblasted manzanita? Better question, is bark a bad thing? Not concerned with tannins. Tank has a painted back (black) and pool filter sand substrate.
I’m thinking about getting 2x24” or 4x18” pieces. Tank is 18” high. Planning on putting the “trunks” in the upper rear corners with branches reaching downward toward the center. I can always get larger pieces and prune to the required sizes. From the Blooms and Branches site.

 

[coralbandit]

I like the blasted wood better ..
I believe bark will de grade but at what rate I don't know...
What fish are you planning on stocking ?

 

[TMaier]

I like them both. The lighter one will pop on the black background.

 

[Brookster123]

Wowzers! Fresh actually bought a new tank haha. Sand blasted looks good but the likely hood of it holding light color is slim imo, especially if you're going to add tannins. The black crud on natural can get a little funky for the first few months, something to consider.

 

[Fresh2o]

From others sources as well it appears that the bark will decay and slough off.
And yes, the blasted wood will not retain the light color over time because of algae, biofilm, and a natural aging process.
The only physical difference besides the lack of bark with the sand blasted wood is that quite a few of the smaller branches (~20%) will be removed during the blasting process.
Yes, I bought A TANK. It has only been about 5 years since I bought one. And I can still count the number of fish purchases since then on one hand.
Fish? Probably increase the number of ember Tetras and maybe bring in another small and colorful tetra species. And some dwarf Cory’s.

 

[TMaier]

Kuhli’s, Khuli’s, Khuli’s...

 

[Fresh2o]

Kuhli’s, Khuli’s, Khuli’s...

You mean the worms with whiskers? Not out of the realm of possibility.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Following

 

[Alan79]

Kuhli's are fun to watch when they are active but they can be pretty shy. I'd definitely recommend them though.

 

[AJ_117]

Where are you buying the Manzanita from? I was considering it for my own 29g also

 

[Fresh2o]

Where are you buying the Manzanita from? I was considering it for my own 29g also

I have several sources I am considering. Working out some details but will post them here shortly.
What I am looking for is something in the 20-24” range, single trunk and branching (like a broom). The trunks will be placed in the upper right corners and fan out toward the center of the tank. Question I am posting to the vendors is natural versus sandblasted and why? On another site I got some feedback to that question from Tom Barr (Plant guru I have been following for years).

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Hey Fresh. Happy to see you're starting another tank! I have Manzanita driftwood in my 55 and I went with the natural. Outside of getting it to sink I never have had a single issue with it. I prefer the natural looking brown to the stark white of the sand blasted, but that's just me. One thing I have noticed it that my wood is going on year 3 and it has definitely lost a good amount of mass to normal decay and collapse of the wood. Maybe the sand blasted wood won't experience that to the same degree?

 

[Fresh2o]

^^^ I think what you are seeing is the decay of the bark, though I thought it would have occurred in year one.
Yes, have not setup a new tank In a long time.

 

[Fresh2o]

Initially I picked up some spider wood and then was thinking I would be going with manzanita (Houston Manzanita and Manzanita Direct came to mind). So I went to the LFS to return the 3 pieces of spider wood because they were too small for the tank and saw several medium to large pieces of Eucalyptus Root. Spent the next 30 minutes on Google looking up reviews on the use of this type of DW. They were favorable. There was a 29g present in the store so I checked out the DW in various orientations and picked up one piece

For scale, a 24” level:

One of the pieces I did not buy:

Next task is rinsing and soaking this thing. I have a rubber maid tote that should work. Mostly to get it to sink. I don’t have a problem with tannins.
As for leaf litter, I already have some sycamore but I may trek into to woods this weekend to get other types (oak, maple). I was over-efficient this fall and left nothing in the yard.
Also picked up some pool filter sand this evening.

 

[smallfry53]

I vote orientation #3. lol I'm looking forward to watching this one play out. Maybe it'll give me some ideas for my 29. I like short tanks myself. I've always been happier with my 20 long than my 29...

 

[Fresh2o]

I vote orientation #3. lol I'm looking forward to watching this one play out. Maybe it'll give me some ideas for my 29. I like short tanks myself. I've always been happier with my 20 long than my 29...

Thanks for the feedback. Have not had a “taller” tank (compared to 20 longs) since I had a 55. Much more room for activities.
I am taking my time with this build. I have a rough idea of what I want this to look like but that may change along the way.

 

[TMaier]

That’s a nice piece. Lots of tannins in that one.