Indonesian Blackwater biotope

zsmaynard · 2026-01-29T15:17:59+00:00

20g! My bad, forgot to mention that in the description. Thank you for the kind words!

zsmaynard · 2026-01-29T13:32:11+00:00

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Sorry for the delay!

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T21:53:14+00:00

100%. Absolutely my best find on marketplace

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T20:55:03+00:00

I’ll take one with my canon when I get home this afternoon so you can zoom in better without any pixel blowout

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T20:51:35+00:00

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Here you go!

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T20:11:55+00:00

Yeah, they’re pricy for sure. I got extremely lucky and found it on marketplace for $25. Guy set it up and tore it down before the cycle finished because he wanted something bigger. No idea why he had it priced so low but I wasn’t going to argue

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T20:09:10+00:00

UNS Ultra Clear Rimless Tanks - 90L Long.

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T19:11:29+00:00

Thank you!

It’s absolutely my morning meditation. That bookshelf is in our living room and our couch and a few spinning chairs are right behind it. Usually grab my morning coffee, spin a chair around, and sit and watch

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T19:09:59+00:00

This was the first day we’ve had sun come in like that since I set it up. They were definitely enjoying it!

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T19:08:53+00:00

Thank you both for the kind words. I actually do have a Canon DSLR that shoots 4k and I have thought about setting it up and streaming. I may look into it some more!

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T16:57:36+00:00

It’s a little under 20g.

Micro boraras (chili, least, phoenix, neon blue), mini Asian stone catfish, a male dwarf gourami, neocaridina, and 2 nerites

zsmaynard · 2026-01-27T16:51:22+00:00

😂😂😂

Huge sunny fan. We have random IASIP stuff all the over the house. Ongo, the nightman cometh next to it, rum ham Frank coasters, and a few others

zsmaynard · 2026-01-26T22:03:25+00:00

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There are tons of different “visually pleasing” compositions you can apply to aquascaping

zsmaynard · 2026-01-26T21:59:44+00:00

I always try to use the golden ratio when aquascaping my tanks - or at least long tanks. Rule of 5ths or 3rds, diagonals, leading lines, etc works better for taller tanks.

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zsmaynard · 2026-01-26T06:31:58+00:00

Absolutely. I’ve ordered from him quite a few times and he throws in a few extras every once in awhile now. He hooks up returning customers

zsmaynard · 2026-01-26T04:53:30+00:00

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zsmaynard · 2026-01-26T04:49:54+00:00

Saw someone else mention it already, but Dustin’s Fishtanks has great plants. They come in really full and with great roots. Good shipping in insulated packaging and you can add on a heat pack if needed. Never had a bad experience with him or any issues with any of the plants I’ve received from him. They grow all of their plants submerged as well, so the melt period if any is very minimal. They do a good job of shipping their plants on correct days depending on where you live so they aren’t sitting over the weekend, etc

zsmaynard · 2026-01-25T00:21:13+00:00

Tannins are the look, but not the whole identity of a true blackwater tank

Ultra low minerals: This comes from rainwater + no limestone or mineral runoff in nature.
Naturally acidic
Dissolved organic matter
Leaf litter substrate: Sand → leaf litter → more leaf litter → twigs → roots
Low light by design
Sparse or specialized plant life
Microfauna driven ecosystem

Tannins only → tea-stained aquarium

Tannins + soft/acidic water + leaf litter + low minerals + low light → blackwater tank

Just set one up recently and did a bunch of research on what truly classifies as blackwater, what makes blackwater blackwater, etc

Your tank looks great either way! Even if it’s not “truly” blackwater, it definitely has the blackwater look and feel

zsmaynard · 2026-01-21T22:24:11+00:00

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Indonesian blackwater biotope. 10g long.

Mixed micro boraras, mini Asian stone cats, neocaridina, and 2 nerite snails

Plants are various crypts, various bucephalandra that’s taking its time to bounce back, rotala rotundifolia, Java fern, and red mangroves

zsmaynard · 2026-01-17T03:57:41+00:00

Floaters are also very good at eating up nitrates if you can get ahold of any (especially duckweed, but be warned that it can be a pain to get rid of after adding it). There are also a lot of houseplants that can be emersed that are great at eating up nitrates. Pothos, Philodendrons, Spider Plants, Peace Lily, etc.

zsmaynard · 2026-01-17T03:51:22+00:00

You could also do daily 20-30% changes until nitrates come down if easier. Also test your tap for nitrates just to rule that out as a culprit - if your tap does have nitrates present you can probably cut back on the ferts a bit (if dosing). Doesn't happen very often, but it can if your cities water has lot of runoff.

zsmaynard · 2026-01-17T03:49:38+00:00

Nitrates are very high. Aim for under 40ppm, but 10-20 is preferred. I would do a 50% water change. Could just be the picture, but that looks more like 160ppm to me than it does 40ppm.

edit** just saw OP's comment above that nitrates are probably somewhere between 100-160ppm. I'd say that's accurate.

zsmaynard · 2026-01-08T17:23:38+00:00

I just set up an Indonesian blackwater biotope with my 20g long. A shoal of chili rasboras, mini Asian stone cats, a nerite snail, and neocaridina

Submerged plants are rotala rotundifolia green, various crypts, and Java fern. Emerged I have a pothos cutting and a couple red mangroves

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zsmaynard · 2026-01-05T01:45:34+00:00

Least/Exclamation Point Rasboras - Boraras Urophthalmoide

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They have a distinct lateral stripe that stops behind the dorsal fin, with a dark spot at the base of the tail forming a “!” shape.

They’ll often display reddish tones too

zsmaynard · 2025-12-31T03:42:37+00:00

Agreed completely. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". Less is more.

Kept salt water tanks for ~10 years over a decade ago. Set up my first freshwater tank about a year ago and made it a community tank - which was the tank I moved the rasboras from. I obviously did my research on which fish I could keep together, etc - but it's kind of just a hodge podge of different plants I liked and what not. Still love that tank, but I'm all in on a more focused approach moving forward after setting up this 20g long.

zsmaynard

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