# DIY Blackwater (betta spa)



## SweetnSpicy (Sep 3, 2009)

Well, I have no idea if there has been a post of this, or if this thread goes here, so I figured I would give it a shot.

Supplies

~ One 2 liter bottle of soda - cleaned, of course
~ About 20 IAL (Indian Almond Leaves)
~ Cooking pot that can hold at least 12 cups of water
~ Time - it takes a while! About 5hr and 3min total, so be sure to devote an afternoon to this!


First

Put the pot, with about 10-12 cups of water on the stove top. You do not need to use a pot this big, I used one to start, but my mom needed to make something, and took it from me haha. I just used a smaller pot and added water in as it evaporated. Wash the IAL in warm water, to get them damp. Put all of them into the pot, and set it on high. 


Next

Bring the IAL and water mixture to a boil, then turn it down to a medium heat, about 4-6 if you have numbers as heat settings. Let it go into a gentle boil until it is a deep amber color. Then bring it back to a rolling boil until it is a DARK brown. I used a wooden spoon to check when it was done. I stuck the end of the spoon to the bottom of the pot, and when I couldn't see it, I knew it was done. Or when it is the color of Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola, ect..


Finally

Take it off of the heat, and LET IT COOL! If it is still hot, the plastic bottle will morph and melt, and you will get a deformed mess! When it is cool, pour the black water Extract into the 2 liter bottle. It should end up being about the whole 2 liters, or 7-7.5 cups. Wait til it is cool, and divide it out to your finned friends! 

I recommend keeping it in your fridge, to keep it fresh. Be sure to label it, so no one drinks it, because we don't want all of our hard work going to waste! Plus, I heard it tastes REALLY bad... haha



I hope this was some help, as I could not find a guide to making this anywhere. Please let me know what you think! I can upload pics, but I cannot find my camera cord right now, so y'all will have to wait til later hehe.

-SnS


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

whats it for?


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## SweetnSpicy (Sep 3, 2009)

You can use it instead of IAL. I like it better because IAL need to be replaced once they sink, or they make the tank nasty in my opinion.


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

whats IAL?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Indian almond leaf. It sounds kind of like boiling tea to make iced tea.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

My sister decicded to do something similar to this except she just put an iced tea packet in a gladwear container and dipped it a few times then put her fish in once the water was brown. =/ I have no idea how it affected the fish except I believe he was stunned for a while from what I think was caffine shock. =/ I have no idea if that's what really happened though. =/ Your method sounds TONS safer than what she did though. =] I'll try it once I get my betta buddy! =] will it work in the microwave? =]


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## SweetnSpicy (Sep 3, 2009)

@ dramaqueen - haha, yeah! It does, but I am sure it would taste A LOT different than iced tea. 

@ wallywestisthebest - I don't know if the microwave would work, but it would be something to try!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I wouldn't want to drink it and find out!! Yuck!


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## SweetnSpicy (Sep 3, 2009)

LOL neither would I! Lets leave that to the fish!


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## diruak (Dec 16, 2009)

So what is this supposed to do for the bettas again? I've never heard of Indian Almond Leaves.


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## Katana (Dec 27, 2009)

im confused..- it's a drink? (for fish) or a water cleaner? (unlikely by the looks of it)


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## SweetnSpicy (Sep 3, 2009)

@ diruak - IAL is a leaf, that creates a natural habitat type water for bettas, and it is supposed to be a general tonic for fish in general. It is supposed to help induce spawning, help heal wounds in fish, such as fin rot and whatnot, and it does work great. All of my males made HUGE bubble nests, and my females barred up when I added them to their tanks, but I hate the look of the leaves in the tank, and it makes the water a little nasty after a few days. To me, This method is much easier, and a lot cheaper than buying it from the store for $x.xx.

@ Katana - It isn't a drink, see above, and it isn't a water cleaner, see above also


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## aknight (Nov 9, 2009)

Can you buy IAL at PetSmart or PetCo or do you have to order it online?


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

You have to order it online as far as I know. Maybe they sell it in Petco, but I wouldn't know as we don't have that here. As SweetnSpicy said, it has a lot of benefits for your betta.

They sell something called Blackwater Extract in Petsmart, which is supposed to be like IAL. Of course, the real thing is better, I believe.


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## SweetnSpicy (Sep 3, 2009)

They do not sell IAL in any pet or fish store by me, so I ordered it from someone on ebay.

They don't even sell blackwater extract by me, I looked up and down for it until I decided to order IAL.


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## Min (Jan 18, 2010)

I know this thread is older but im curious how much do you use at one time?


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