Easy Blackwater Aquascape for Tetras

[Music] yo what's going on serpa squad tanner here and i'm back with another aquascape this one was inspired by these two pieces of driftwood i found the other week at my parents house they had them in the trash of all places i couldn't get over how awesome they were so i took them for myself prior to using them in the build i thoroughly sprayed them down to remove loose debris i also boiled them for a while to ensure they're safe for livestock [Music] obviously i can't do this without a tank i decided to build one with scrap glass i measured out the pieces and cut them down like usual i wet down 60 grit sandpaper and buffed out the edges [Music] i rinsed off the debris now that the pieces are clean i can tape off for silicone [Music] i applied 100 silicone to all of the appropriate sections i assembled the tank accordingly [Music] i smoothed out the silicone on the inside of the tank i removed the tape and let it sit overnight [Music] i went back and removed the anchoring tape [Music] as i've explained before i like to build these on cardboard it makes construction much easier because you can simply cut it off the bottom of the tank like i did here i attached a piece of window tint film to the back of the tank i sprayed it down with water and placed the adhesive side over the glass i squeegeed out the water then i cut off the excess [Music] i also put one half inch thick neoprene under the tank to act as a self-leveling mat [Music] what i've created is a 15 gallon rimless tank since the driftwood will be the main attraction i place them first there's so much detail and texture that it's pretty hard to go wrong with any placement that said i knew i wanted a gap between the pieces i really like how this arrangement creates a path in the middle under the roots these pieces aren't even close to being waterlogged and will float to keep them stabilized i'll attach them to slate i drilled holes with a masonry bit i used flathead stainless steel screws to secure them from the underside these are ideal because they'll sit flush with the stone and while corrode from being submerged after that i put the branches back in their respective locations escape is a little different than before but i like it even better this time around for the substrate i'll go with pole filter sand i thought the color of this sand worked best with the aesthetic i have in mind i went back and evened it out with my trusty fan brush i also sprayed it down for better distribution for the rest of escape i'll utilize an assortment of leaves and botanicals like the wood i boiled them prior i did that so they sink immediately i think they really bring the natural look full circle and complement the driftwood i placed some of the larger leaves first to get a base then i added the large seed pods i integrated them within the roots you figure in nature things just fall in the water and get mangled together although this is somewhat controlled that's the idea i have in mind for this scape once i like the placement of those items i went back and added smaller leaves these will add a lot of texture i filled the tank to get a better idea of how things will look i liked it a lot so far now for the fine details i sprinkled sand over everything to give the look of sediment build-up this seemed like a good time to add the filter i don't have a lot of space behind the tank so i went with an internal filter for this one i installed it behind the scape on the left side of the tank where it's mostly hidden i'll conceal it further with plants since i didn't add aqua soil or anything like that i went completely with epiphytic plants anubias to be specific there's anubias nana anubius nana petite and anubius golden coin i removed the plants from the rockwool and split up the rhizomes where i could i also trim some of the excessive roots for easier planting and to stimulate new growth since they're epiphytes i can simply wedge them between crevices and the hardscape i put the larger plants in the background and the smaller ones in the foreground [Music] that concludes the tank setup all it's left to do now is add the livestock prior to that of course i dosed the tank with fritz turbo start which was provided by fritz first up are some narite snails i have four olive and one zebra [Music] as for the fish i'm going with two types of tetras first they're a small school of x-ray tetras in my opinion these are the perfect fish for this type of setup i also have a skull of ember tetras they're a lot shyer than the x-rays but they contrast well with them since they're much smaller i also decided to add a handful of malaysian trumpet snails i had some available from a different tank so i figured why not [Music] there you have it my latest blackwater aquascape overall it's a pretty simple escape consisting of only a few elements however the detail of those pieces makes this an intricate design the sparse planting on the wood leaf litter botanicals and tannins in the water really add to the look as well [Music] i think materials like these demand a black water setup and lucky for me they created that look on their own i really like the current selection of fish as well in time i'll likely add something else once the tank is a little more established what else do you think could live alongside the current selection let me know in the comments until then the fish snails and myself will enjoy it as is that's all for now as always i hope you enjoyed the video and learned something new until next time surprise squad take care and peace [Music] you

Channel: SerpaDesign

Views: 216,282

Keywords: aquarium, aquascape, fish tank, blackwater, planted tank, ember tetra, x-ray tetra

Id: hn_Zl7I_9E0

Length: 8min 27sec (507 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 21 2021