So im gonna do a native tank from this creek behind our place and Im curious as to if I can put leaves in the tank? will it develop anything harmful? I mean the creek runs under a busy road and i can see the oil floating along down the creek along with trash but just curiois since it will be in a tank and not floating down the creek.

I use hardwood leaves in my tank, wont hurt em infact the leaves alone can and will stain the water but the acid that stains it(tannins) actually increase the health and longevity of the fish.

ok that will work I dont want the water to be crystal clear I want it to have like a brown tint to like I have a bunch of new driftwood in there. but Im just gonna be using stuff from the creek.

when using debris like that, you really need to clean it alot more then a piece of wood from the store OR from a tree itself.


for leaves I recommend using walnut and oak leaves. they produce the best tannins.

LadyOnyx got some of my home brew oak leaf extract and I recently made some peat extract for these kinds of tanks.

I love blackwater tanks.

yea I figured the cleaning wouldnt matter to much. like I said you can always see some type of oil floating on top of the water, but what i did collect I cleand. Just a couple of leaves took some out afterwards, moss, and some sticks. I had a slate tile that I broke up just to hold down a couple of sticks. as of right now I only have 2 perch ran out of crickets I only had 1 :( I want just 1 more perch and maybe a crayfish but not sure. will post a couple pics here soon.

heres one of the perch and a picture of the tank. took better pics but they haven't showed up in my email yet.

Ok, that does not resemble any perch I have ever caught or eaten. That looks like a pumpkinseed.

yea it is a pumpkinseed. Its just what Ive always heard them called a perch. I guess thats what happens when you fish with people that dont know.

they still taste good, used to eat em for breakfast down in mississippi alot.

they are great fish, very colorful but very aggressive as well especially in smaller tanks.

I guess they are still getting used to it. I would like a bigger tank but no room :(