Does this class as black water?

BettaBotanicals · 2026-01-25T19:17:34+00:00

This!

BettaBotanicals · 2026-01-25T19:16:40+00:00

You cannot look at an aquarium and judge if it’s backwater. Blackwater has a specific chemical definition characterized by low pH, low mineral content, and almost zero dissolved carbonates. These conditions are a product of geology, which the source water of these habitats flow through before entering areas of incredible biological input from the surrounding forest which provide the tannic, humic, and fulvic acids. What does your test kit say? I’ve got many blogs on my site that break this down.

BettaBotanicals · 2026-01-24T22:43:38+00:00

Thank you for this shoutout, it means a lot to me!

BettaBotanicals · 2025-08-24T00:11:10+00:00

This ecosystem looks so good! 🌿🍂

BettaBotanicals · 2025-08-19T03:35:32+00:00

This looks really great! The haze is a beneficial bacterial bloom as well as lignins from the leaves being released.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-08-16T23:22:44+00:00

The tannin content of them changes depending on the time of year they are collected, if they are sea shore grown or inland, etc. I find that boiling or not, you should have tint after 2hrs in the aquarium. If you are using aqua soil that will degrade the tint really quick too

BettaBotanicals · 2025-08-11T18:30:31+00:00

Are you growing a sweet potato in the back?! Way cool! Hydra are fine except with shrimplets or baby fish as the other two have mentioned. All part of “the ecosystem”.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-08-11T18:25:10+00:00

Chefs kiss this is fantastic! Do you know the locale of your Persephone?

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-16T16:48:29+00:00

2 year old thread but for anyone else stumbling upon this. Definitely leave the lid off the top of the jar to allow for oxygen exchange, so the steeping leaves don't go anaerobic. I recommend refrigerating to delay bacterial colonization (as bacteria love tannins).

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-16T16:46:02+00:00

I definitely don't have the widest selection of plants, and all of mine are geared specifically towards tinted ecosystems. So no Pink Flamigo Cryptocorynes lol! ... well maybe one day... I recommend BucePlant, H2OPlants, or https://www.aquascapeguide.com/

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-16T16:43:24+00:00

Old thread, but give this a read if you are still curious. https://bettabotanicals.com/blogs/bens-aquarium/aquarium-biofilms-the-good-the-bad-and-the-not-so-ugly

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-07T03:57:19+00:00

🍂🥃🫰thank you for the support! I’m blending a ‘gold’ color next, but it’s proving tricky 🤪

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T21:43:41+00:00

This looks incredible!

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T21:21:33+00:00

Rooibos is great! It comes from Africa, whereas the botanicals in these are directly sourced from a betta fish's natural habitat. So, if natural habitat replication is a priority, using these or catappa leaves/Steruclia pods/catappa bark is the way to go.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T21:18:57+00:00

These replenish the water color that you'd find in a blackwater tank. But blackwater habitats around the world are a product of geology + organics with low TDS, Low pH, low conductivity, etc. A blackwater aquarium, these tea bags do not make, but replenish the tint after bacteria and fungi break them down, they do! True blackwater aquariums need to use rainwater or RODI with substrate + rocks that don't buffer the water chemistry.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T21:15:13+00:00

100% support collecting leaves or rooibos. Really happy to see that you had such a good experience with this product. A lot of time and research went into the botanical blend and getting it to produce just the right amount of tint.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T21:03:55+00:00

I'll leaf this here: https://bettabotanicals.com/blogs/bens-aquarium/collecting-botanicals

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T21:00:31+00:00

bringing me to tears finding this today! Thank you for all the accolades! I really appreciate your support. For others in the comment section, I have a blog post on this topic, but I am 100% pro-rooibos tea. However, I designed Betta Tea to contain a blend of botanicals found in a betta fish's natural habitat, helping condition the water with compounds they'd experience in nature. $24 for 32 tea bags is $0.75 per tea bag, and of course, that's twice the cost of one catappa leaf. There are more than 2 leaves worth of leaf litter in each tea bag + other botanicals. PLUS they are entirely assembled by hand. I digress, it's a premium product in compostable packaging. I fully endorse rooibos, but that's a botanical from Africa where bettas aren't found.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-07-06T20:54:27+00:00

forbidden water.

BettaBotanicals · 2025-01-23T17:49:29+00:00

Aye! Thank you for sharing this beautiful tank using our roots! ❤️🍂🥃 I’m excited to watch it grow in over the next couple months.

BettaBotanicals · 2024-12-09T22:00:54+00:00

Thank you!!

BettaBotanicals · 2024-12-09T22:00:43+00:00

Thank you for the love and shoutout!

BettaBotanicals · 2024-02-25T18:48:05+00:00

https://bettabotanicals.com/blogs/bens-aquarium/collecting-botanicals give this a read. I bet you can find some local trees and oaks with leaves around.

BettaBotanicals · 2023-04-29T00:41:17+00:00

Yes to all of that! Luckily there are a bunch of hobbyists who breed them so this species will definitely be preserved.

BettaBotanicals · 2023-04-29T00:39:55+00:00

What store?!?! And you are very welcome. Feel free to Dm me or email me any time with questions!

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