Understanding Black Water

The type of tropical fish and aquatic plants that are fussy about water often come from the black water habitat. The peculiarity of the black water is often the cause of their sensitive nature. How is black water produced and what characteristics does it have? Its secret seems to be in the jungle of river basins.

The homes of the majority of tropical fishes are the rivers of tropical rainforests. The Rio Negro river system in the Amazon is the most representative of the field. One of the characteristics of the Rio Negro river system, which translates to a black river, is its brown colored water. This water, which is known as black water among aquarists, has unique properties. This water rich in tannin and other humic acids has a very low acidity. Although the variety of fishes that live in black water is a lot less than the variety of fishes in the clear water areas, it is interesting to note that a large number of attractive fishes with distinctly beautiful body coloration, such as Cardinal Tetras and Apistogrammas, live in this water. The Rio Negro river system is unquestionably one of the largest rivers in the world, holding a vast amount of water. Just a handful of water in this river system is amazingly brown. Interestingly, although the water of small tributaries that flow into the Rio Negro river system is called black water, it has different colors and shades depending on each tributary. The color will change depending on the density of trees and flora of the jungle. Black water is the essence of the Amazon. The soil of the Amazon was formed by fallen leaves of the trees in the surrounding jungles. The leaves accumulated over an immensely long period of time that cannot be measured against the life cycle of human being. The result is that the soil formed a giant vegetative filter. The water that goes through it not only turns brown, but it also becomes acidic and softened. Through this process, the water that nurtures colorful tropical fishes is born. ADA's camera crew visited the Rio Negro river system of the Amazon numerous times. Looking into the black water tributaries that flow into the Negro river, we found schools of countless tropical fish swimming over the leaf litter accumulated in the bottom of the river. The scene was definitely a paradise. The tiny tropical fishes that sparkle in the black water seem to be telling us about the magnanimity of Mother Nature in the Amazon.