Dirted Tank’s Transformation to a Black Water Dirted Tank ｜ Voiceover ｜ No Filter, No Water Changes
Over a year ago, I set up a self-sustaining dirted tank ecosystem without a filter and water changes.
Now, I've decided to make a significant change to it.
I'm transforming my tank, which has provided me with a visual feast through every season for a
year, into a blackwater ecosystem for the new year. I started by removing all the plants.
Later, I will replant them in their new spots with a different arrangement.
Since the stems of the Rotala are very delicate, pulling them out by hand would cause them to
break at the point I hold them. That's why I cut them close to the substrate. Once replanted,
they will quickly root. I'm sorting all the plants into groups and transferring them to my backup
tank. They'll stay there as guests for a while. I've realized how much the beautiful redness of
Rotala transforms the tank. After the Rotala, I'm removing the Cryptocorynes.
This plant has very strong roots that spread extensively under the substrate. It's almost
impossible to remove them without damaging the roots. I'm carefully taking them out while trying
to preserve as much of the roots as possible. Don't worry, even without roots, they are very
resilient plants. Once I move them to their new spots, they will start growing again after a few
weeks of adjustment. The water became quite cloudy during these processes. In dirted tanks,
disturbing the dirt too much can release nutrients and cause an algae bloom. To prevent this,
keeping the lights off for a few days might help. As long as this isn't done frequently,
it usually won't be a problem. The debris that has accumulated on the substrate for over a year
may look unsightly, but it is incredibly beneficial for ecosystems. Organic waste breaks
down gradually, enriching the soil and providing nutrients for plants. It also serves as a home for
thousands of microorganisms that feed on the debris. Since I'm rearranging the tank, I'm
cleaning this area to create more open space to work. This is the first time I've done this in
this tank, and over time, the debris will naturally accumulate again. Since I didn't vacuum the sand
and soil, I didn't harm the bacterial culture at all. After letting the tank rest for a few days,
the water cleared up a bit. The Monstera plant, which plays a significant role in the tank's
natural filtration, has developed strong roots over the past year. After cleaning its roots in
water, I placed it back into the tank. Thank you, Monstera. After a few more days, the water has
cleared up quite a bit, and the fish are healthy. There is now a nice environment to place the
plants in their new spots. I'm planting the Rotala in a few rows in the back right and left corners
of the tank. This way, we'll have a beautiful red background in the corners. I'm planting the
Cryptocorynes in groups right at the base of the roots and rocks because I made a mistake by
planting them too close to the front glass before. As they grow over time, they end up filling up the
front and the depth of the tank is lost. That's why I want to place them more towards the middle back
of the tank. After planting the Subulatus in the front right and left corners, the plant
distribution in the tank ended up like this. Now it's time for the most important topic, the botanics.
The tank is truly becoming a natural blackwater ecosystem. I carefully add to the tank the
branches of apple, pear, mulberry, sycamore, oak trees, and alder cones that I collected from nature
and that were naturally dried. I soaked them all in water for a few days because without absorbing
water, they wouldn't sink immediately when placed in the tank and I wouldn't be able to position
them the way I wanted. And the next day, the color of the water started to darken. But it wasn't as
dark as I wanted. I bought Catapa leaves and Casuarina cones and added them to the tannin mix.
I'm also adding some Java moss to the tank to enhance the natural look. A few days later,
I reached the desired darkness. After making sure everything was going well in the tank,
I bought new fish. I had been wanting a main fish for this tank for a long time
and I decided on angelfish. After making sure the temperatures of the water were equal for
about half an hour, I placed them in a bucket and slowly added water from the main tank to
help the fish adapt to their new environment. Then, I moved them to their new home. I ordered
these angelfish as Peruvian Altum and purchased them without seeing them in person. I'm not sure
about their species, so I would appreciate it if experts in this area could help me.
Currently, I have Harlequin Raspberries, Cardinal Tetras, Red Nose Tetras, Denison Barbs,
and Orange Venezuelan Corydoras in the tank, but I bought these school fish to increase the group
numbers of some species and for the new tanks I will set up in the new year. Angelfish are
territorial and can sometimes be overly aggressive, not wanting other fish to enter their territory.
Their aggression can increase, especially during breeding time. This can cause serious problems
in small tanks. However, this tank is quite large and there is enough space for each fish.
Angelfish may also be in a predatory role towards fish like Tetras and Raspberries.
In sufficiently large tanks, serious issues are generally not encountered.
On the flip side, Tetras and Raspberries may display annoying behavior towards angelfish.
For example, the angelfish's attractive tails can be enticing to small fish and they may
leave small nibbles. If you have a small tank, please do not keep these species together.
I would like to note this as well. I've completed the first year of my channel on YouTube.
Thank you so much for watching my videos throughout the year.
Your support means a lot to me. I wish everyone a happy, peaceful, and successful year.