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BBA Botanical Infusions

Bring back
the amber.
Choose the format that fits your aquarium.

Three different ways to replenish botanical character: a mixed infusion bag, a selected single-botanical T-Bag, or a ready-to-add liquid infusion.

A clear-water planted aquarium with blue and red tetras, green plants, branching wood and pale sand The same illustrated aquarium with transparent amber-tinted water, retaining the fish, plants and layout
Explore the water colour
Switch from clear water to amber tint. Habitat illustration; colour change is illustrative, not a measured product result.
BBA Amber labelled pouches and botanical infusion sachets

Mixed botanical infusion

BBA Amber Tannin Infusion Bags

Catappa leaves, selected bark and seed pods in a contained blend.

From £6.00

Meet Amber →
Premium XXL Botanical Aquarium T-Bags in their labelled BBA pouch

Selected botanical T-Bags

Premium XXL Botanical Aquarium T-Bags

Choose Indian Almond Leaf, Teak Leaf, Indian Almond Bark or Catechu Bark.

From £4.00

Explore XXL →
BBA Live Tannin Culture 250 ml bottle label detail

Liquid botanical infusion

BBA Live Tannin Culture

A 250 ml pump-bottle format with its own measured, gradual-use guidance.

From £14.00

Meet Live Culture →
01 Mixed botanical bag02 Selected botanical T-Bag03 Liquid infusion
Underwater illustration of a BBA-shaped botanical sachet releasing transparent amber wisps into clear water
The infusion beginsBotanical tannins diffuse from the submerged bag into the surrounding water.
Habitat illustration of silver red-faced tetras swimming among green aquatic leaves in transparent amber water
Colour with clarityWarm amber depth, visible planting and open space for fish to move.
Underwater illustration showing crushed botanicals through a submerged tied porous sachet beside a pebble
The botanicals at workA close view of the wet botanical blend, contained while it infuses.
Habitat illustration of ember tetras in a planted amber-water aquascape with branching wood and open sand
The whole atmosphereBotanical colour brings warmth to an established aquascape.

Habitat and usage illustrations. Infusion and colour are illustrative, not measured product results.

The botanicals, contained

Botanical character.
Beautifully contained.

BBA Amber brings crushed Catappa leaves, selected bark and seed pods together in a botanical infusion bag. As the blend steeps, it releases tannins into the water, bringing back the warm amber character that makes a botanical aquarium so distinctive.

Developed for blackwater, botanical-method and biotope-inspired aquariums, Amber is designed to replenish botanical tint and humic substances while keeping the crushed material contained. Enjoy the infusion while leaving your carefully arranged substrate, plants and hardscape as they are.

Every bag holds a standardised crushed blend, roughly equivalent to 2–3 whole leaves. Packed dry, sealed and labelled by BBA, it gives you an individual portion to place, steep and remove. Choose the number of bags you want; the botanical blend stays the same.

  • Catappa leaves
  • Selected bark
  • Seed pods
Contained blendLeaves, bark and seed pods
Two methodsDirect or separately infused

For the aquarium you already love

The layout is established.
Bring the amber back.

You have chosen the wood, placed the plants and left room for your fish to move. As the original botanical tint fades, that familiar warmth can fade with it. Amber lets you refresh the water’s botanical character without starting the aquascape again.

A transparent amber tint changes the way you experience the whole scene: light takes on a warmer tone, pale sand catches a golden glow, and green planting stands against a richer backdrop. Amber puts that atmosphere within reach in a contained, removable format.

Refresh a favourite aquascape

Your leaf layer and hardscape may still be exactly where you want them. Use Amber when the tint has softened and you want to restore the warm botanical look without adding another layer of material.

Let the water carry the colour

Love tinted water and an open foreground? Keep the sand visible and the planting in focus. The botanical blend stays inside the bag, so an amber-water aesthetic does not depend on covering the substrate with loose leaves or pods.

Fit the infusion to your routine

Place a bag directly in the aquarium or filter, or make a separate infusion to cool and add gradually. Two practical routes from the same blend, with a removable bag and a clear starting dose.

Your infusion, your routine

Two ways to welcome
the amber back.

Start with 1 infusion bag per 20–40 litres of aquarium water. Add gradually and observe the tint and livestock response before increasing the amount or repeating the infusion.

Usage illustration of a BBA-shaped tied infusion sachet resting in flowing water in a filter basket
Usage illustration: direct filter placement.

Route 01 / Direct aquarium or filter

Place it. Let the botanicals infuse.

  1. Place the bag directly in the aquarium or filter compartment, using the starting dose above.
  2. Leave for up to 48 hours. Watch the tint and the animals as the infusion develops.
  3. Remove the bag. Remove earlier if the desired tint is reached or livestock appear unsettled.
Usage illustration of a separate amber infusion in a glass beside two BBA-shaped tied sachets, with fresh green foliage and daylight
Usage illustration: separate infusion. Colour shown is not a dose or a target shade.

Route 02 / Separate infusion

Prepare. Cool completely. Add gradually.

  1. Steep one bag in hot water in a separate vessel.
  2. Allow the infusion to cool completely. This step comes before any aquarium addition.
  3. Add the cooled infusion gradually to the aquarium, observing the tint and livestock response.

Use cautiously in nano, very soft or low-buffer aquariums. Remove the bag if it smells wrong, heavily clouds the water, breaks down messily or livestock react badly. Maintain your normal filtration, water changes and stable aquarium care. For ornamental aquarium use; not for human consumption.

A gradual botanical tint

Let your aquarium
set the tone.

Amber is about a living botanical atmosphere: warm colour in the water, visible planting and a layout that remains your own. Let the infusion develop gradually, observe the effect in your aquarium and remove the bag when the desired tint is reached, within the stated use time.

Natural botanicals bring natural variation. Water volume, your starting water and filtration all influence the visible shade, so use the scene above as inspiration for the look you enjoy. It is not a colour chart or a promise of an identical result.

What does Amber add to my aquarium?

A botanical infusion from crushed Catappa leaves, selected bark and seed pods. Amber is designed to replenish tannin colour and humic substances, giving the water warm botanical character while keeping the crushed material inside a removable bag.

Why is the tint lighter than I expected?

Carbon-type media, Purigen-style media, active aquasoils and filtration can reduce visible colour. Check what is in your filter and allow the infusion to develop before deciding whether more is needed.

Do bigger packs have a different strength?

The available options change the number of infusion bags: 6, 10, 15, 20 or 30. They are not separate strength grades.

How long should the bag stay in?

For direct aquarium or filter use, up to 48 hours. Remove earlier when the desired tint is reached or if livestock appear unsettled.

What do I do with the used bag?

Remove it from the aquarium. The used botanical contents can be composted. Adding spent contents to the substrate is optional only when that extra material is intentional for your layout.

Can I use Amber alongside loose botanicals?

Yes. Leaves, pods and wood build the visible structure of a botanical aquascape; Amber gives you a contained way to refresh its tint. It is also an option when you prefer an open substrate with less visible botanical material.

Choose BBA Amber

Your next infusion.
Your kind of amber.

BBA Amber Tannin Infusion Bags

BBA Amber Tannin Infusion Bags in the owner-provided labelled packaging photograph, with the real tied sachets
BBA Amber Tannin Infusion Bags. Select your pack quantity.

Keep Amber ready for the moment your aquascape needs its warmth back. Each pack contains the same botanical blend in individually portioned infusion bags, ready for either of the two methods above.

Start with 6 bags to get to know Amber, or choose a larger pack to keep more individual infusions on hand. Compare the price per bag and pick the quantity that fits your aquarium routine.

One blend / five quantities

Select your pack

Choose your quantity. Bring back the botanical atmosphere.

Catalogue prices checked 2026-09-12. Current availability is confirmed on the product page.

Premium XXL Botanical Aquarium T-Bags in their labelled BBA pouch

Real BBA product photograph. Botanical choice and quantity are selected on the product page.

Selected botanical / contained T-Bag

Choose the botanical.
Keep the format simple.

Premium XXL Botanical Aquarium T-Bags give you one selected botanical in a large contained bag. Choose the material that fits the direction of your aquarium instead of receiving a mixed blend.

Available with Indian Almond Leaf, Teak Leaf, Indian Almond Bark or Catechu Bark. Each choice is offered in packs of 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 T-Bags.

Format Large selected-botanical T-BagStarting use 1–2 T-Bags per 100 L / 25 galMethods Aquarium, filter or separate infusion

Use this product’s own route: place directly in the aquarium or filter, or brew separately and add the fully cooled infusion gradually.

Choose botanical and pack size
Indian Almond Leaf5–25 T-Bags · £4.00–£16.00 Teak Leaf5–25 T-Bags · £4.00–£16.00 Indian Almond Bark5–25 T-Bags · £4.00–£16.00 Catechu Bark5–25 T-Bags · £4.00–£16.00
Front view of BBA Live Tannin Culture 250 ml pump bottleBack view of BBA Live Tannin Culture 250 ml pump bottle

Real BBA bottle photographs. Front and back views.

Liquid botanical infusion / 250 ml

Keep the aquascape.
Add the infusion gradually.

BBA Live Tannin Culture is a ready-to-add liquid botanical infusion made with Catappa leaves, Catappa bark, Catechu bark and Alder cones, developed with a naturally occurring microbial community.

Choose this format when you want a liquid way to replenish botanical tint without adding more whole leaves or cones to the display.

Primary role Tannin enrichment and botanical water characterFormat 250 ml pump bottleOptions One, two or three bottles

Its guidance is separate from Amber and XXL. Shake gently. Introduce measured amounts gradually, allow each addition to disperse, then assess the aquarium before deciding whether more is appropriate. A standard numerical dose per pump has not been established for this infusion.

1 × 250 ml£14.002 × 250 ml£23.003 × 250 ml£30.00
View Live Tannin Culture

Three formats / three different decisions

Which Botanical Infusion
fits your aquarium?

01

Amber

Choose it for: a mixed botanical blend in individual infusion bags.

Catappa leaves, selected bark and seed pods stay contained while you use the established direct or separate-infusion method.

Compare Amber packs →
02

XXL T-Bags

Choose it for: control over the botanical material.

Select Indian Almond Leaf, Teak Leaf, Indian Almond Bark or Catechu Bark, then choose the number of large T-Bags.

See the four choices →
03

Live Tannin Culture

Choose it for: a ready-to-add liquid botanical infusion.

No bag or separate brewing route. Follow its own gradual-use guidance and assess the aquarium between additions.

See the bottle options →

The aquarium scene on this page illustrates a clear-to-amber visual direction. It is not a measured result or a promise that the three products produce identical outcomes.