Tannins - why?

931 Views 12 Replies 3 Participants Last post by haveyouhadyourteayet, May 19, 2014

StrangeDejavu

Discussion Starter · May 18, 2014

I just had my first run in with betta sickness. My EE male either has fin rot or is a biter, i'm not certain just yet. Last night I added driftwood and planted my other bettas tank (Halfmoon male) with Anubias nana and Water Wisteria and dosed a very, very small amount of Seachem Flourish. This morning I woke up and now he has popeye. :-( While reading on treatments, each person had different methods... epsom salt, aq salt, Maracyn and so on. One thing that was coming up consistently however was tannins. More specifically, IAL or oak leaves. Even in the Disease forum, a member recommended I add tannins (IAL, Rooibos tea, Oak, etc) to the EE's tank.

What's the purpose of darkening the water for a Betta/sick fish? Do these tannins help heal the fish or simply make it feel secure and stress-free? If my EE is indeed a biter then i'm very interested in any natural way to reduce stress and stop the biting. Any information is appreciated.

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haveyouhadyourteayet

· #2 · May 18, 2014

Tannins are mildly antiseptic, but more importantly it makes the little fish happier, which gives them more energy to fight whatever's bothering them.

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StrangeDejavu

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 18, 2014

Thanks Tea, luckily we have 3 giant oaks around our house. Should I be floating the leaves at the surface or crushing them up and adding with water changes? Also, I saw something about acclimation and it affecting pH... if mine is 7.6, how much would it change it?

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Islandgaliam

· #4 · May 18, 2014

I just learned about tannins when I put mopani wood in my tanks..last week lol. And my melting plants with an overdose of Seachem freaked me out! I removed the mopani and boiled the wood real good, then sanded it real well (Bubblo has a fin ripping problem). The tannins are much lighter, and I love the look. Bubblo has even built a bubble nest, first in a long time. And, I got a free syringe with partial ML markings for the Seachem with my $300.00 vet bill. Here's a pic of the water with the tannins after a few days:

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haveyouhadyourteayet

· #5 · May 18, 2014

If you use oak leaves, make sure they're natural fallen, completely dried, and 100% chemical free. It's really important that they've not been treated with anything. I'd just float them in the tanks, my guys like to build nests under their IALs. I think it's a very gentle change in Ph, I wouldn't worry about that over much.

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StrangeDejavu

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 18, 2014

Is the natural fallen part critical? I went outside and pulled some off the branches and have them sitting out to dry. The yard is treated for fleas and other bugs so fallen leaves aren't an option for me unfortunately.

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haveyouhadyourteayet

· #7 · May 18, 2014

Oh I'd avoid using them then... Idk how much of that gets sucked up into the leaves...

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StrangeDejavu

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 19, 2014

Yeah I don't think the risk is worth it. What about an IAL extract like this? I assume this will still provide the same benefits without the actual leaf floating at the surface?

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haveyouhadyourteayet

· #9 · May 19, 2014

I think that is a great idea :3

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Islandgaliam

· #10 · May 19, 2014

haveyouhadyourteayet said:
I think that is a great idea :3

Do you know if tannins from mopani wood are the same as tannins from oak leaves?

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haveyouhadyourteayet

· #11 · May 19, 2014

I think tannins are tannins. I can't imagine they're any different. Not a doctor though.

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StrangeDejavu

Discussion Starter · #12 · May 19, 2014

Thanks for all the help Tea, I just ordered some of the IAL extract. Can't wait to see how my boy reacts to it.

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haveyouhadyourteayet

· #13 · May 19, 2014

It can really perk them up, esp in the bubble nest dept :3

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