The Tint

Not so fragile....

Isn't it funny how, in our own minds, we tend to overthink some aquarium-related stuff?

Okay, maybe it's just ME; however, perhaps you can relate? An example?

I recall not too long ago, when I would work on my aquariums and needed/wanted to do something that would be sort of disruptive to the tank, like moving some rocks, wood, tearing out some plants, etc.- I literally had to "psych myself up to do it.."  I was always of this mindset of "Don't do THAT- it'll upset the whole system..."

I used to feel that the whole idea of keeping an aquarium was to keep it pristine and untouched, like the day it was set up...sort of like a new car...you know...don't get that first scratch on it! Like, I was afraid to do stuff that would stir up the sand or to move stuff around too much. I mean, I felt that this activity could disrupt the system to "the point of no return."

I was worried it would stress the fishes too much, or whatever.

As if Nature isn't a rather chaotic place, filled with all sorts of natural occurrences for which our fishes need to compensate for in some manner? Now, I realize that in Nature, a fish can escape pretty far away from a disturbance, but still..a disturbance is a disturbance, right?

Yup.

Now, I realize that digging deep into a long-established sand bed or tearing out all of the long-established biological filter media in a highly populated tank are examples of "no fly zones"- stuff you'd be foolish to do- stuff that CAN have real negative consequences for our fishes. Disrupting the function of the biological filtration of your aquarium is always a sketchy prospect, at best. 

But stuff like moving some rocks...or just netting out some fishes temporarily while you do a major disruptive cleaning...That would typically stress ME out more than the fishes I'd be so worried about. And, in decades of working on tanks, I honestly think I could count the number of fishes lost during heavy-duty work in their tanks on the fingers of one had...I mean, I can't really recall any incidents! I mean, for a LOT of fishes, it's just not as big a deal as I seem to have made it over the years...Really.

Sure, moving around fry or newly settled-out marine fish larvae, or disrupting fishes tending to their brood is an obvious "no-non", but really- moving 'em around periodically is not such a big deal. Breeders and people with 50-tank fish rooms know this initmately!

I have no idea where this mindset/perception of "disruption=catastrophe" came from? 

And, as I heard a little kid say once in the LFS to his dad, attempting to convince him to buy that Red Tailed Shark right then and there, while they still had a day of shopping ahead, "Dad, fishes don't break so easily...."

Brilliant. Perfect, even.

I couldn't have phrased it any better! The little guy was spot-on!

I think that we,  as hobbyists tend to get a bit nervous about new tanks in particular...And I also think that we tend to use all the fancy technology and "infrastructure" we can muster to create a sort of "hedge" against some sort of disaster that we feel is inevitably lurking out there...Another topic for another time, but at least, tangentially related.

Yet, I can't help but think that a well-thought-out aquarium which embraces biological stability and common-sense aquarium practices can create a natural "line of defense" that will provide protection and foster resiliency in our fishes.

There are other things that we do in the hobby which- whether we know it or not- foster this resiliency.

And then, there is the “community tank” philosophy. Its never left our collective psyche in the hobby, so we tend to use very comprehensive approaches to ensure that the broadest variety of life has the greatest possibility of success...can't argue with that, really..

And we do it with reef tanks, and planted tanks, especially: If you’re keeping a huge array of plants from all different parts of the river or stream environment, multi-stage CO2 systems, additive dosing regimens, automatic top-off/water change systems, and high-intensity LED lighting all have their place, right?

We use the broadest brush to cover the most canvas — all the possible scenarios. Technologically complex systems and approaches seem to have become a necessity. We rely on them for so many aspects of fish life support...It's almost like we have developed a sort of "dependency" on them, right? 

Well, maybe not.

I mean, the reality is that amazing work is done daily by killifish breeders, Betta fanciers, and other hobbyists in bare bowls, plastic shoe boxes, and glass jars. They perform frequent, large water exchanges and are often moving fishes all over the place...They rarely lose fishes maintained in these decidedly simplistic systems.

Hardly the pinnacle of "high tech"...but it's worked well for generations. 

Why?

Easy.

It's about skill, faith in our abilities. Confidence.

A confidence that goes from the realization that our fishes and aquatic organisms are not always as "delicate" as we tend to think they are...In fact, they are remarkably tough, adaptable, and responsive to what we do.

Fishes are some of Nature's most adaptable and successful organisms...I mean, they've been around for hundreds of millions of years for a reason, right?

They're not so fragile, for the most part.

Sure, serious environmental disruptions and changes always carry risk. Rapid changes can stress or kill fishes. However, the daily or weekly activities of maintenance or "tweaking" our aquariums is not as detrimental to them as we might have harbored in our imaginations...

Yeah, so the next time you want to move a few rocks, pull up a few plants, exchange a few botanicals, and get a little anxious...just remember the words of wisdom from that 8-year-old in the LFS:

Fishes don't break so easily.

Remember those words. The might just come in handy sometime.

Stay relaxed. Stay strong. Stay bold. Stay confident. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Changing for the better? Or, just changing..?

As part of our mission to constantly inspire, it occasionally is necessary to move on and try new stuff...And this is almost a contradiction to my mindset as a hobbyist, which has always told me to stay the course with all of my aquariums. Much like I am with my business, I'm pretty patient. I like to have my aquariums set up for extended periods of time; let them "evolve", etc.

So the dichotomy of inconsistency starts tearing at the edges a bit! Like, I only have so much space and time for setting up aquariums with different themes, looks, and ideas...And the way to maximize "idea infiltration" in today's 24/7/365 social media world is to put out as many provocative ideas as possible in a relatively short span of time... Like, that's why I have my window sill "geek lab" in my office, lol.

I mean, I'm the guy who rails on contest 'scapes, which are constructed mainly for a short period of time. It's almost heretical- if not a bit hypocritical- of me to push things hard and fast, lol. Yet, quite often, the hobbyist in me wins out, and certain tanks do stay up longer than just a few months. Let's look at some of the ideas and tanks we've played with in the last few years of Tannin's existence...there might be some lessons to learn...and maybe some inspiration to take from them!

Every aquarium is a unique microcosm, with different looks, goals, and processes that it embraces.

Some have to in order to become what they must.

Like, my brackish water aquarium, which has been up for over a year, really evolving into something exactly like I envisioned...It simply wasn't "there" after a month or two, or even six. Our botanical style tanks, with few exceptions- just don't start looking their best- all "earthy" and "funky" and...established- for a few months, typically.  

To terminate them "mid-evolution" is really a kind of shame!

Of course, there are a few things you could do to sort of "expedite" the "established" look of a botanical-style tank, but they're really just sort of "hacks" (ugh I hate that word!)- and are no substitutes for just letting a tank evolve over time naturally.

What are they, you ask?

Well, you could use some botanicals and partially decomposed leaf litter, substrate, and even water from an established botanical-style tank to give you a bit more of an "evolved" vibe and perhaps some function.

And, if doing this for purely "functional" reasons as opposed to just trying to "hack" the look- I can actually see tremendous merit to this idea. Hell, adding sand or gravel from an established tank to "jump-start" a new one has been standard practice in marine aquariums for decades, and in freshwater as well. Doing this with botanical materials- rich with detritus, biofilms, fungal growth, and beneficial bacteria- is simply the botanical-style version of this time-honored process, right?

Yet, there is no substitute for patience and the passage of time.

Looking back on some of my favorite tanks that I've executed in the past few years, it becomes increasingly obvious to all that these systems really don't hit that "look and feel" that I want until long after they've evolved naturally...however long that is. Stuff needs to acquire a "patina" of biofilm, a "stain" from the tannins, and decomposition of botanical materials needs to really begin before one of these systems turns "functional" as well.

I mean, every new botanical-style tank looks cool from day one...But the long-established ones stand out. After 6 months, that's when things get really special.

I've long held that my fave botanical-style, blackwater aquarium of all was the one I did about 2 years ago..an aquarium utilizing mangrove wood, extensive leaf litter, and catappa bark throughout. This is probably the only tank in recent years that I've truly regretted changing and moving on from! 😂 

It literally looked like shit for the first couple of months of it's existence: Slightly tinted water, a contrived-looking "campfire-like" wood stack, bare sand, and mostly intact botanical materials. I had to do a bunch of iterations with the hardscape to get it where I wanted it. It almost looked contrived, but I knew instinctively that if I waited it out, let Nature do her thing- that the potential was huge in this tank.

However, a few months in, biofilms started forming. The wood acquired that "patina" we talk about so much. Leaves and botanicals broke down...And the water took on the most earthy-looking, deeply mysterious color I've seen in a blackwater aquarium.

By some standards, the water in the tank could be described as almost "turbid"- taking on an appearance as though there were fine materials in the water column. Yet, the tank had a real magical appearance with the lighting; the fishes were as colorful, relaxed and happy as any I've ever seen, and the water parameters were spot-on and consistent for as long as the tank was set up.

The essence "wabi-sabi", for sure. Transience, the ephemeral aspects of our botanicals...the wonders of Nature, embraced.

And of course, there are some concepts which have the "broken-in" look from almost day one, simply by virtue of the materials which they utilize. An example was the "pure leaf litter" aquarium which I set up to test the idea of internally-sustainable food production for fishes. The system was set up with about a 2"/5.08cm layer of Texas Live Oak leaves and Yellow Mangrove leaves to comprise the entire "hardscape" of the aquarium.

A shoal of Paracheirodon simulans (the "Green Neon Tetra") formed the perfect "subject" for this concept tank. Once out of quarantine, the fishes were not fed at all in this aquarium, and almost doubled in size in a couple of months! It didn't take all that long for the aquarium to acquire the "look" of a very long-established one, thanks to the capability of the Live Oak leaves to acquire biofilms and some detritus. 

Now, this tank was certainly not one that everyone would find "attractive"- however, to a botanical-style/blackwater aquarium freak like me, this aquarium was more than just a "proof of concept"- it was an example of an unconventional aquarium that was able to sustain its residents for the duration of the experiment. I think that this tank could have ran for an indefinite period of time, with only routine maintenance and replenishment of leaves as necessary.

And then there are aquariums which are simple in concept, look "about right" from day one; and you just need to set them up and sort of "wait it out" until they start looking more "established"- which might only take a few weeks or a month or two at the most. A perfect example is the tank I've affectionately called the "Tucano Tangle"- an aquarium set up to replicate part of the habitat of the Tucano Tetra, Tucanoichthys tucano.

Possibly one of the easiest biotope-inspired aquariums I've ever set up, this one really took on the look I was trying to achieve in seemingly little time at all. It started with a simple "superstructure" of Spider Wood, topped with several specimens of Melastoma Root, to achieve as sort of tangled, earthy, "deep" sort of look. The substrate was a very shallow mix of sand and some very fine claylike materials, topped with a sprinkling of (wait for it) Texas Live Oak leaves.

After an initial settling-in phase, this tank easily shifted out of "new and pristine mode" into "looks like a natural habitat" mode, as I kind of expected that it would!

As the water darkened, and the biofilms and "patina" took over, the tank became a perfect demonstration of the power of simply "executing and waiting" on your tank to "do its thing" and evolve.

And evolve it did, in a relatively short period of time!

Now, other experimental systems I've played with simply take more time to do their thing and come into their own before you'd really move on. However, they actually are intended for "forced iteration"- a deliberate change to their composition or progression. Indeed, after the initial setup, the "evolved" product looks little like what it started out as. Of course, these projects may take many months to evolve as part of the plan.

The best examples of this are what I call my "Urban Igapo" tanks- the Varzea aquarium I'm playing with is perhaps the most evolved one that I have pics of at the moment.

Intended from the outset to demonstrate how an ecosystem changes from "dry season" to "wet season", this tank started out in a "terrestrial mode", with a carefully blend of selected substrate materials, mixed with botanical materials, such as crushed leaves ("Mixed Leaf Media") to form a representation of a forest floor. After a period of time sowing some seeds and bulbs of terrestrial plants, the substrate was quite damp and established.

And of course, when it was time to "inundate", the system took on a completely different look and feel, transforming from a purely terrestrial environment to an aquatic one.

The key ingredients- time and patience, in generous quantities, and having a plan or "track" to run with, create truly interesting outcomes...if, of course, you let them play out!

My true "igapo" aquarium went on a slightly different track...It started it out in "wet" mode- silty, sedimented, and tinted, and then I "drew down" the water level and sowed grass seeds to take advantage of the wet, rich substrate for growth.

It's in "terrestrial mode" at the moment, happy growing Paspalum grass. Months afterwards, we will begin the process again...and run through the "seasonal cycle" once more.

The timetable governing this process can be "manipulated", but the pace at which things happen- growth of the grasses, establishing them, and how long they survive under inundation- are dictated almost entirely by Nature. We're merely facilitating the process and watching! 

And then there are systems which, by virtue of their very concept, capture the essence of a natural habitat in a very specific phase- and can do it almost immediately...

An example of an aquarium that takes on the "established" look literally from the first days would be the "Late Season Igapo" tank that we recently set up. This system is designed to replicate- in form and function (to a certain extent, of course) the habitat which emerges when a flooded forest floor is inundated for several months. After this period of time, much of the terrestrial vegetation goes into a "dormant" phase, and detritus and biofilms over a "matrix" of these materials form the basis of the aquatic "terrain."

And of course, utilizing a mix of sediments, crushed leaves, and plant stems/twigs in the scape encourages the formation of biofilms and the sequestering of detritus and other materials as the basis of your scape will, almost from the beginning, give you an established-looking tank which also happens to function in a manner similar to what you'd find in the natural habitat.

This is an aquarium that- much like the leaf-litter-only system that we talked about above- is providing the bulk of the nutritional needs of its resident fishes (in this case, Neon Tetras) with little to no supplemental feeding. The "changes" to this habitat will simply take place at the pace of Nature.

She'll dictate the direction of this tank for the next few months.

So, what was the point of this rather meandering review at some of the aquariums we've been playing with here? To sort of show that botanical-style aquariums typically require more time to evolve. This process can be "expedited" or manipulated a bit, bit to achieve truly meaningful and beneficial results, you just can't rush stuff! 

When you do, as we've learned, results can be, well- "different" than they would be if you allow things to continue on at their own pace. Not necessarily "bad"- just not as good as what's possible if you relax things a bit!

Patience is our guideline. Nature our inspiration. Experience and execution our teachers. We're on a mission...to share the benefits which can be gained by embracing and meeting Nature as She really is.

Botanical-style aquariums are not all that dissimilar from a reef aquarium, or a more typical planted aquarium, in that they simply need time to evolve. Instead of growing plants, we're cultivating bacterial biofilms, fostering decomposition, and allowing these processes to dictate the pace and direction of the aquarium.

Of course, if we need to speed up the process- for "marketing" purposes or others, as I've discussed, the impact on these tanks might simply be that they never hit their full true potential. 

However, if you have the time, patience, and vision to see these tanks through, the sheer inspiration and knowledge that you can derive from them is almost incalculable. The "unlocks" and benefits are very exciting. And the glimpse into the world of Nature as few aquarists get to experience it- unfiltered and unedited- is perhaps the greatest takeaway of all. 

That could certainly be defined as "changing for the better!" 

Stay inspired. Stay motivated. Stay observant. Stay enamored. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Weather? Or Not?

The deeper we go into the world of specialized, natural-style aquariums, the more unique opportunities arise to witness new behaviors in our fishes, and to achieve some interesting outcomes. One of the coolest ideas that I believe deserves more attention is the idea of manipulating environmental conditions in our aquariums to replicate the seasonal changes that take place in these environments in Nature.

It's hardly an earth-shattering idea, but I think that the concept of seasonal environmental manipulation as simply part of managing some types of aquariums deserves some additional consideration, because it can more faithfully reproduce the subtle changes in the environment of our fishes on an ongoing basis.

It's been known for decades that environmental changes to the aquatic environment caused by weather (particularly "wet" or "dry" seasons/events) can stimulate fishes into spawning. 

As a fish geek keen on not only replicating the look of our fishes' wild habitats, but as much of the "function" as possible, I can't help myself but to ponder the possibilities for greater success by manipulating the aquarium environment to simulate what happens in the wild.

Probably the group of aquarists who has had the most experience and success at incorporating such environmental manipulations into their breeding procedures is Corydoras catfish enthusiasts! 

Many hobbyists who have bred Corydoras utilize the old trick of a 20%-30% water exchange with water that is up to 10° F cooler (6.5° C) than the aquarium water is normally maintained at. It seems almost like one of those, "Are you &^%$#@ crazy- a sudden lowering of temperature?"

However, it works, and you almost never hear of any fishes being lost as a result of such manipulations.

I often wondered what the rationale behind such a change was. My understanding is that it essentially is meant to mimic a rainstorm, in which an influx of cooler water is a feature. Makes sense. Weather conditions are such an important part of the life cycle of our fishes.

With a greater understanding of some of the environments we attempt to replicate in our tanks, and a desire on our part to replicate the way they exist at different times of the year, many of us are starting to experiment with seasonal water level increases, botanical "pulsing", etc.

Still others attempt to simulate a "dry spell" by allowing the water quality to "degrade" somewhat (what exactly that means is open to interpretation!), while simultaneously increasing the aquarium temperature a degree or two. This is followed by a water exchange with softer water (ie; pure RO/DI), and "resetting" the tank temp to the tank's normal range of parameters.

The "variation" I have heard is to do the above procedure, accompanied by an increase in current via a filter return or powerhead, which simulates the increased water volume/flow brought on by the influx of "rain."

Clever.

Many breeders will fast their fishes for a few days, followed by a big "binge" of food after the temperature drop, apparently simulating the increased amount of food in the native waters when rains come.

Still other hobbyists will reduce the pH of their aquarium water to stimulate breeding. And I suppose the rationale behind this is once again to simulate an influx of water from rain or other external sources...

Weather, once again. It's influence is wide-reaching and inescapable. 

And another trick I hear from my Cory breeder friends from time to time is the idea of tossing in a few Alder cones into the tank/vessel where their breeders' eggs are incubating. This decades-old practice is justified by the assertion that the alder cones possess some type of anti-fungal properties...not entirely off base with some of the scientific research we've found about the (allegedly) anti-microbial/antifungal properties of catappa leaves...

And of course, I hear/read of recommendations to use the aforementioned catappa leaves, oak leaves, and Magnolia leaves for just this purpose...

Interesting. 

And of course, if we look at the natural habitats where many of our fishes originate, we see these seasonal changes having huge impact on the aquatic ecosystems. In The Amazon, for example, the high water season runs December through April. And during the flooding season, the average temperature is 86 degrees F, around 12 degrees cooler than the dry season.

And during the wet season, the water level in the streams and rivers can be between 6-7 meters higher than they are during the dry season! 

And of course, there are more fruits, flowers, and insects during this time of year- important food items for many species of fishes.

And the dry season?

Well, that obviously means lower water levels, higher temperatures, and abundance of fishes, most engaging in spawning activity. 

Any annual killifish enthusiast will tell you a dozen ways to dry-incubate eggs; again, a beautiful simulation of what happens in nature...So much of the idea can be applicable to other areas of aquarium practice, right? 

Yeah... I think so.

It's pretty clear that factors such as the air, water and even soil temperatures, atmospheric humidity, the water level, the local winds as well as climatic variables have profound influence on the life cycle and reproductive behavior on the fishes that reside in these dynamic tropical environments! I'm really enjoying experimenting with going from "dry season to wet season" in some tanks at the moment, and it's nothing if not fun! 

We've literally scratched the surface, and the opportunity to apply what we know about the climates from where our fishes originate, and to incorporate, on a broader scale, the practices which our Corydoras-enthusiast friends employ on all sorts of fishes.

So much to learn, experiment with, and execute on. And in Nature, we have the very best example of all from which to draw information and inspiration! 

Stay curious. Stay intrigued. Stay observant. Stay creative. Stay experimental...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

A push towards the Pantanal...

Every once in a while, I find myself researching some exotic habitat to replicate in my aquarium, and I'll inevitably mumble to myself something like, "Oh, that's cool! I'm gonna get back to that..."

And of course, I usually do...at some point.

Of course, I tend to be obsessed about a very narrow range of habitats, as is evidenced by my ramblings here and elsewhere, right?

I mean, I admit that you don't have to search very deep into our blog to find at least 100 posts referencing flooded forest floors, particularly in South America; specifically in Brazil.

They've been a focus, an educational vehicle, and an inspiration for all of us in the blackwater/botanical-style aquarium game. Now of course, the flooded igapo forests are but one of hundreds of possible habitats the botanical-style aquarium geek can choose to replicate, or be inspired from.

One look at this habitat and you can't blame me, right?

However, there are some other, very compelling habitats to explore out there!

Today, let's take the most cursory look at a different habitat-The Pantanal- an inspiring place that we've never really touched on much- one which can inspire some amazing aquariums!

One which...isn't "tinted!" Well, not like those igapo, anyways! 

This is a perfect tie-in to a discussion I'm going to have later today with my "Pal in the Pantanal"- Tai Strietman, who's doing his post-grad work in this incredible habitat, and who's amazing pics from this area have graced these pages and our social media feeds for some time now!

THE PANTANAL...

The Pantanal (derived from the Portuguese word "pantano"- meaning "swamp", "wetland", or "marsh") is the largest wetlands region Earth. Full stop. Primarily located within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, it also extends into the state of Mato Grosso, and the nations of Paraguay and Boliva as well! We're talking about region estimated to be as large as 75,00 square miles/195,000 square kilometers!  

It's freakin' huge! 

Essentially a large depression in the earth's crust, the Pantanal constitutes a huge river delta, into which a number of rivers converge, depositing sediments and other biological materials. Now of course, with a habitat this large, there are multiple ecosystems contained in it- as many as 12 have been defined by scientists! 

(Image by Alicia Yo- used under CC BY-SA 3.0)

Now, our main focus is, of course, fishes- and the Pantanal offers plenty of places for fishes to reside in! The cool thing about the Pantanal is that as much as 80% of it is floodplains submerged during the rainy seasons (in which up to 59inches/1,500mm of rainfall have been recorded! That corresponds to water depths which can fluctuate up to 15'/5 meters in some areas!), and is home to an astonishing diversity of fishes and aquatic plants! With it's enormous expanse of shallow, slowly-flowing water (velocities of no more than 4"/10cm per second are typical), dense vegetation tends to be the norm here. 

The water itself tends to be turbid, and perhaps even a bit anoxic at times. And, interestingly, the highest levels of pH and dissolved oxygen in these habitats tend to occur when the water decreases and plant growth is stimulated. Curiously, however, scientists are not 100% certain if this is because of the plants going crazy with photosynthesis, or mixing of the water column due to influx of water. 

(Image by Filipefrazae- Used under CC BY-SA 3.0)

Over 400 fish species call this region home. Interestingly, the "keystone species" of The Pantanal is a snail- the Apple Snail (Ampullaridae), which is a real survivor, as it has both gills and lungs, which makes survival possible during the early part of the flood season when huge amounts of terrestrial plants decay and use up the available oxygen, resulting in suffocation to all of the larger decomposers in the ecosystem.

This remarkable- and fortunate- adaptation enables the humble snail to consume the majority of the dead plant matter and turn it into "fertilizer" for the aquatic plants...And, in a sort of insult, really- the snails become feed for other animals. A rather undignified end for such important creatures, wouldn't you say? 

(The "keystone species"- image by Stijn Ghesquiere, used under CC BY-SA 3.0)

Many of the fishes which are found in The Pantanal are migratory, moving seasonally between the river channels and the flood plain regions. As you might imagine, the bulk of them are detritovorous, feeding on the fine particles from the accumulated sediments and macrophytes (remember them?) within the ecosystem.

Macrophytes supply shelter, food resources and cover for the resident fishes. Still other fishes consume the aquatic insects and microorganisms/biofilms that are recruited in this habitat. Most are well-adapted to the relatively oxygen-poor waters of this vast flood plain.

Characins are represented big-time in this habitat, with species of Moenkhausia, Hyphessobrycon, Pyrhulina, Aphyocharax, and Characidium all present. Oh, and Apisto lovers will be pleased to know that there are some cool ones found there- Apistogramma borellii, A. trifasciata, A. commbrae, and some others. Even species as wide-ranging and diverse as Corydoras, Crenicichla, Otocinculus, Abramites, and Leporinus are found in this ecosystem.

According to most of the studies I read on this ecosystem, the contributing factors to the fish population include stuff like the clarity of the water, the abundance of the food sources (ie, those macrophytes again!), and the connections between lakes and rivers. And, as the water recedes, the available macrophytes tend to settle on the margins of the habitat in the form of...wait for it...our old friend, detritus! 

And during the low-water seasons, the resident fishes tend to occupy the areas where autochthonous resources- materials which formed in the areas where they are found, not from outside of the habitat a la our old friends, the allochthonous resources.  (Damn, we talk about some obscure shit in this blog, huh? You guys are smart!). 

Of course, the seasonal flooding of the marginal lowlands increases the quantity and availability of allochthonous feeding resources for the floodplains and the fishes which reside there. An interesting example of the tight relationship between various habitats in the region, wouldn't you say?

When the water levels rise, the marginal vegetation in the habitats dies off and contributes to the levels of organic matter found in the water. This results in a decrease in dissolved oxygen, pH, and transparency of the water column. This of you who are geeky hardcore biotope hobbyists, who obsess over stuff like creating a tank to represent a habitat in a specific time of year should take note, huh?

Biologists tend to think that the small guys- the characins, specifically, benefit from fast growth, high fecundity (ie; they're prolific!), and rapid colonization capabilities- and that these characteristics tend to determine success in The Pantanal environment. And one more example of this is the "role" of fishes in the Pantanal which consume fruits (which come from the trees adjacent to the wetlands).  Around 150 species of fruit-eating fishes inhabit this system.

When the fishes eat the fruits, they pass the seeds through, well- pooping. Amazingly, it's thought  that they are responsible for the dispersal of as much as 95% of the trees which comprise tropical forests of the region! That's literally the definition of "doing useful shit", IMHO...

Interestingly, the highest levels of pH and dissolved oxygen in these habitats tend to occur when the water decreases and plant growth is stimulated. Scientists are not 100% certain if this is because of the plants going crazy with photosynthesis, or mixing of the water column due to influx of water. 

Aquatic plants found here include such popular aquarium species as Polygonum, Salviania, Pistia, Ludwigia, and others.

So...all of this cool information to process- and we've just touched on the tiniest amount of the most superficial information that can be of interest to botanical-style aquarium hobbyists!

How could we represent the Pantanal in an aquarium?

Well, for starters, you could take a cue from the hardcore biotope community and "pick a season", and build up your "micro-Pantanal" from there! Of course, botanicals are absolutely appropriate for this niche, right? I am thinking of a group of less "tint-capable" materials, such as Latifolia Pods, Dysosxylum Pods, Mokha Pod sections, Parviflora Pods, Puberula Pods, Nypa Palm Flowers, etc. these would represent the accumulation of fruits and seeds which are part of the allochthonous input in this habitat.

Substrates would likely be a mix of finer sands, and you could include some of the more nutritive fertilizer additives and substrates as well. These would both functionally and aesthetically represent the sediments which comprise the substrates in The Pantanal.

With aquatic plants being most common in these habitats, the rich substrates and combination of minimally-tinting botanicals makes for a most interesting planted tank! I could even see working with some marginal aquatic plants/grasses to represent the vegetation which is found in this habitat.

(Not this habitat- but an example of marginal growth...)

Although you might find some branches in this habitat, you'd likely not find big logs and such, so an aquarium attempting to replicate this habitat would likely be more realistic if you utliize twigs and smaller branches for this.

And of course, leaves could work, but I'd tend to use smaller, less "tint-capable" ones like Guava leaves if you're so inclined.

Now, we've hardly even touched on the possibilities here. Just, hopefully, whetted your appetite for this!

In the interest of keeping this blog reasonably short, I had to stay relatively superficial. And to be quite honest, I literally have no examples of an aquarium created to represent this habitat. At least, none that I am aware of, or which have permission to share photos of- so please share some if you have such a tank!  

Or, create one from scratch, and document it for us! 😍

This habitat is just FILLED with possibilities for replication!

This relative absence of representation of this habitat in the natural aquarium hobby tells me that not only is The Pantanal ripe for replication- it's a perfect ground-floor opportunity for studying, discovering, and creating evolutions and breakthroughs in the hobby.

And, with these environments under a variety of external environmental pressures, learning about, and sharing aquariums based on them- is a great way to call to attention to the threats they face. 

Time to do something, right? Let's see what you've got!

Stay inspired. Stay excited. Stay creative. Stay educated. Stay studious...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Faith in Nature...

Patience...

I guess it's a "thing" that you can acquire over time...or maybe you're born with it...Not 100% certain, but I know I've gotten way more patient over the years, especially with my aquariums. 

I think it's perhaps the most essential trait we need for success with almost any kind of fishy endeavor- yet particularly important in the context of natural-style, botanical-influenced aquariums like we play with around here. These systems take time to "run in", settle, and evolve. You can't rush it.

This is where the "science/Nature" part dominates over the "art" half of the equation. You can create a beautiful hardscape or whatever, yet Nature and biological processes will dictate the way it evolves and becomes a suitable habitat for your fishes.

It's been that way for millennia...Nature calls all the shots. We just need to accept her moves and her pacing...We need to have some faith that stuff will work out, even with minimal intervention-on occasion. It's easier to embrace this when we understand Nature's ways.

There is a word that I think is really important to the work we do with blackwater/botanical-style aquariums.

ˈkādns/ noun-  The flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced.

 

Stuff takes time to happen. We may want it to happen faster. We may want it to look a bit different, or take on a different direction...But it won't. We can work with Nature, and let her do the heavy lifting...or we can resist and end up with something quite different. 

Both can be beautiful. However, to allow Nature to have her way- at least once in a while- opens us up to the possibilities of outcomes beyond what we could have ever imagined! 

It requires faith, restraint, and above all...patience. And an understanding that things change over time - especially if we let them.

As we all know, nothing lasts forever.

And it's especially true with our botanicals. They are, most definitely "ephemeral." They don't last indefinitely, and they break down at a pace determined by Nature and the environmental conditions we set up for them.

And when you think about it, there is a real "pace", a process- a cadence to what occurs when they are utilized in our aquariums.

From the minute you prepare a leaf, seed pod, or other botanical for use in the aquarium, it begins to break down.

The processes of hot-water steeping, boiling, or prolonged soaking start to soften the tissues of the leaves or seed pods, release bound-up pollutants, and begin the gradual, but irreversible process of breaking them down, at a pace- or "cadence"-which nature determines.

As our botanical materials break down, more and more compounds (tannins, humic substances, lignin, bound-up organic matter) begin leaching into the water column in your aquarium, influencing the water chemistry and overall aquarium environment. Some, like Catappa leaves, break down within weeks, needing replacement if you wish to maintain the "tint level" you've started to achieve in your aquarium.

Knowing when to replace them is sort of a subjective call, at least initially.

Once you get used to working with them in your aquariums, you may be able to notice pH increases, TDS changes, or other environmental/water chem indicators/phenomena which can clue you in that it's time to replace them. Perhaps one day, more readily-applicable tannin test kits might be helpful. Standards, other than visual cues, will help dictate our replenishment.

On the other hand, many types of seed pods and other botanicals will last much longer periods of time than leaves in most aquariums, yet may not impart their tannins and other substances as quickly as say, leaves, simply because their very structure is different than the softer, thinner leaves. Many will hold their form for a very long period of time, yet may not be releasing quite as much tannins or humic substances as they were initially.

When do you "need" to replace them? Or do you just leave them in your tank indefinitely?

Again, it's sort of a judgement call.

Without the ability to measure the levels of the specific substances that botanical items are imparting into your tank (and, quite frankly, knowing just what they are!), it's really about "nuancing it", isn't it? Like so many other things in this hobby, you sort of have to take a "best guess", or go with your instincts.

Hardly the precise, scientific, "boiler plate" advice some of us might like, but that's the reality of this kind of tank. It's not like, for example, a reef tank, where we have detailed chemical baselines for seawater parameters, and 32-component ICP-OES tests to establish baselines and measure deviations from them, and trace elements to correct all 32 parameters.

Nope. It's a lot less about precision here.

It's about nuance, observation, "feel"... finesse. 

Obviously, you need to obey all of the common best practices of aquarium management, in terms of nitrogen cycle management, water quality testing, nutrient export, etc. in a natural, botanical-style aquarium (blackwater or otherwise). However, you have to also apply a healthy dose of the above-referenced "emotional elements" into your regimen as well!

Going with your feelings is not always such crazy notion. Learning to have faith in Nature and her work isn't so bad, either. Nature almost always finds a way, right?

And don't forget- although aquariums are a closed ecosystem, they are still subject to Nature's rules and processes.

Remember, anything you add into an aquarium- wood, sand, botanicals, and of course- livestock- is part of the "bioload", and will impact the function and environment of your aquarium. Even materials like rock and substrate add to the chemical dance occurring in our aquariums  and have their own set of impacts.

Nothing we add to our systems has no consequences -either good or bad- attached to it.

Particularly with botanicals, it's about understanding a balance, a quantity, a "cadence" for adding stuff, so that the closed environment of your aquarium can assimilate the new materials, and our friends- the bacteria, fungi, and other organisms which serve to break them down- can adjust.

Rapid, dramatic environmental shifts are never a good thing for any type of aquarium, and a system like we run, with lots of organic material present, is just as susceptible to "insults" from big, poorly thought-out moves as any other. Perhaps even more, because by its very nature, our style of aquarium is based upon lots of natural materials which impact the environment on multiple fronts. 

We need to remember this.

We need to observe our systems keenly- test when we can, and always apply common sense to any move we make.

Again, the key here is that "cadence"- understanding that the material we add needs to be added-and replaced- at a pace that makes sense for your specific system. Those of us who have been maintaining these types of tanks for some time now really get this, and have a great "feel" for how our tanks run in this fashion.

Again, there is no "plug and play" formula to follow- only procedure. Only recommendations for how to approach things. Only common sense and the wisdom gained by doing. We sound a bit repetitive at times; however, like so many things in aquarium-keeping, our "best practices" are few, simple and need to be repeated until they simply become habit:

1) Prepare all botanicals prior to adding them to your aquarium. 

2) Add botanical materials slowly and gradually, assessing the impact on your aquarium environments and inhabitants.

3) Either remove botanical materials as they break down (if that's your aesthetic preference), or replace them when they reach a point where they are no longer providing the aesthetic and environmental conditions that you desire.

4) Observe your aquarium continuously.

If you noticed, the first practice is simply logical.

You need to employ it...if there were ever a "hard and fast rule" in the botanical/blackwater game, this would be it. Number 2 is all about the cadence...the real "secret", if you will, which sort of sets up everything else.

By observing and assessing, you'll get a real feel for how botanicals work in your aquarium.  And #3 is the real "finesse" part of the equation...the nuance, the subtle, yet noticeable adjustments and corrections we make to keep things moving along nominally- sort of like pruning in a planted tank, or weeding a garden...it's a process.

In fact, the entire experience of a blackwater, botanical-style aquarium boils down to a process and a pace that helps foster the gradual, yet inexorable "evolution" of the aquarium. And let there be no doubt- a botanical-style aquarium does "evolve" over time, regularly and steadily changing and progressing. As we've mentioned before, it might be the perfect expression of the Japanese concept of "wabi-sabi", popularized by Takashi Amano, which is the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

This is a huge point; something which everyone who works with blackwater/botanical-style aquariums comes to know and usually accept. We need to have an attitude which doesn't allow us to panic; to make fast, short-term moves in favor of longer-term outcomes. It's a very different philosophy. You need to accept different aesthetics. You need flexibility. You may even have to accept short-term losses for a greater long-term good.

You need to have faith in Nature.

It's a dance. An art form. A process, and an evolution. Sometimes seemingly chaotic, other times maddeningly slow. Always alluring. Always deferring to Nature...

And it's all held together by you- the aquarist, applying as much emotion as you do procedure- all done in the proper time...at the right cadence.

Observe. Study. Learn. Share...Evolve.

Stay focused. Stay in touch. Stay Patient. Stay attuned. Stay observant. Stay faithful..

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman                        

Tannin Aquatics

For the love of rock...

Like many of you, I enjoy playing around with aquascapes. I'm interested in creating all sorts of aesthetics which tie in with the natural habitats we are into. And often, that involves using rocks. Well, not that often, actually, now that I think of it...However, on those occasions when I DO use rocks, it can be fun... 

I mean, usually.

But, like, one or two rocks isn't exactly "aquascpaing with rocks", right?

And that's typically the extent of my work with rock these days...The sad truth is, I'm not particularly good at it! Now, you'd think that, being a reefer, arranging rocks would be second nature, right? 

Well, perhaps.

Nah. I admit, I suck at it. 

Even when I was a reefer, where rocks are the whole game in aquascaping...I sucked at it, for the most part. The only saving grace for people like me is that the corals will grow to over over whatever "rockwork" you create! So, if you grow nice corals, you still look like an aquascaping genius! 

I mean, sure, I can create a little pile here and there.

I can replicate a reef, maybe create little areas of rock reminiscent of those that you'd see in a stream...But those "artistic", Iwagumi-style rock arrangements or carefully thought-out hardscape featuring rock...

No chance. None at all. Like, zero.

That's why I lean on my friends to do the work when I want serious use of rock in something, lol.

Leaves? I'm fearless...I'd dare say, I am a master at them, lol. Seed pods? Easy- I'm in my element! Driftwood and twigs and such? Totally. I mean, I'm no George Farmer, Jurjis Jutajevs, Cory Hopkins, or Johnny Ciotti- but I can come up with some stuff that works...

But, rocks? Ummm...no.

I love them.

I love those Iwagumi scapes. I love bold scapes which seem to effortlessly integrate rocks into the wood and other elements.. 

I mean, I admire them greatly.  I'm sort of in awe of the skill of those who create them. I just have zero interest in doing them myself. I'm not much of a "technical 'scaper."

And, if you think about it- pretty much every aquarium which I've done and shared with you on these pages pretty much doesn't feature a single rock in it! Ever notice that?

So it IS kind of funny to walk into my facility and look at all of the rock we offer for sale, and think to myself, "It's totally beautiful...But I have no idea how to use this stuff!"

Yeah, that's some brutal honesty! 

Now that Tannin has evolved from just a "blackwater specialist" to more of a "natural aquascaping specialist", providing inspiration and materials for a wide variety of habitat replications, it's neat to take a fresh look at materials like rocks. And very therapeutic for me, actually!

It's fun to think of rocks as vital components of aquariums modeled after Nature. There are so many possible combinations and possibilities to create amazing stuff with these simple elements!

And, it's also important for us to explain why we typically don't see rocks in some of our fave blackwater habitats, like the igapo- the seasonally-flooded forests of Brazil. There are some reasons that make real sense!

The "whitewater" rivers of South America rush quickly down from the mountains of Peru and Bolivia, too rapidly for clay and silt to be stripped from them. The rocks from these mountainous areas offer minerals and nutrients such as nitrogen, attached to the silt and clay, and minerals like illite, montmorillomite (hey, we know that one from shrimp geeks!), and chlorite, to nourish the lower-lying areas.

In these areas, numerous microbes and plants consume some of the nitrogen, and while eaten by other organisms, convey what's left to the even lower-lying forest habitats.

The Amazonian blackwater rivers are largely depleted in nutrients, having passed through the lowland forest soils as groundwater, from which weathering has already occurred. "Hydro-geomorphic processes" ( i.e.; a fancy way of referring to part of the stuff that makes rocks!) are far less intense than they are in the upland, mountainous regions of The Andes, with their abundance of minerals, nutrients, slits, and sediments.

In other words, the result is that most low-lying Amazonian forest soils are really low in nutrients. The soils are nutrient-poor, acidic "podzols..." It's been suggested that most of the available nutrients are taken up by the root mats of the dense plant growth in these forested areas. And even the rainwater provides little in the way of nutrient for the plants which grow there.

However, what little nutrient there is typically returns to the soils by means of leaf drop from the trees which grow there. And of course, when the water returns to the forest floors, what little nutrient remains is released into the waters, too. And it's quickly utilized by the resident microorganisms.

Serious nutrient cycling, right?

I'm no expert-or even a novice- on geology or geochemistry, or anything in that subject area, for that matter....However, based on my research into this stuff, it goes without saying that these are hardly conditions under which rocks as we know them could form.

Now, you might find the random rock in the igapo that was washed down from the Andes or some other high-country locale in these forests, but it did not evolve there. This also helps to explain why the blackwater habitats are generally low in inorganic nutrients and minerals, right? 

Yet, you might find areas of rocks which have accumulated, into which blackwater streams and rivers might overflow into. These would be cool potential niches for us to replicate in aquariums, huh?

However, if you're really, really hardcore into replicating an igapo in your next aquarium, you'd probably want to exclude rocks...

I've pretty much obsessed over this particular habitat; I can't help but wonder if there is subconscious bias I have against rocks- and THAT is why I never scape with them?

Nah! Couldn't be.

Well, maybe?

On the other hand, with all of the delightful possibilities that nature offers for us to replicate unique natural habitats in our aquariums, utilizing rocks in your 'scape is just a cool thing to do, huh?

A little research, a little practice, and a bit of sleuthing about the natural aquatic habitats  of the world can yield remarkable amounts of inspiring information! And we know a place where you can find some really cool rocks, when the muse hits...

Leaves. Wood. Water..Life. And ROCKS. All working together.

I love rock. I LOVE rock. Must convince myself... 😂

Hmm...I'm going to go down and look at our rock bins again. I know I suck, but I have this idea that I've been meaning to try...It might work this time...

Stay creative. Stay inspired. Stay persistent. Stay thoughtful...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Shifting with the seasons...Pt. 2

I think we shall be lovers
Through all the seasons yet to come......
Until the end of time

.- From the poem, "For All Seasons" by Linda Ori

After yesterday's piece, we received a fair amount of interesting feedback and discussion from our community. A lot of you were curious about how we could more realistically and impactfully execute "seasons" in our botanical-style aquariums. It's amazing to see you having discourse about this concept which has not previously been discussed much in the hobby, to my knowledge. 

As we gradually ease towards Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere, it's easy to contemplate the subtle- and sometimes not-so-subtle- things that occur when the seasons change. And of course, I can't help but wonder how this affects our fishes, and how they might benefit from understanding these changes and applying our own version of them in our aquariums?

We all know a little about what happens during seasonal changes in Nature: The weather patterns shift. These are profound impacts on the wild habitats of our fishes. They have important effects on the way our fishes live out their lives. I think we kind of beat the shit out of this concept yesterday. However, I think we can still examine this on a more practical level...

I mean, it's obvious how the seasonal shift affects our personal hobby efforts, right?

With cooler weather prevailing in many parts of the world, and outdoor activities starting to become a bit less attractive in some areas, many hobbyists once again turn their focus on to their aquariums. Many are focused more on perhaps starting-or finishing-projects which previously were delayed in favor more appealing summer activities.

Aquarium clubs their have big annual shows. Attendance at their meetings goes up. As aquarium industry businesses, we notice an uptick in sales activities and customer interest. It is notable, predictable...logical consumer behavior.

Yes- it's "Aquarium Season" here in the Northern Hemisphere! Time to play with some new ideas- or to perfect some that we've already started working on. This is a very exciting time! 

Now, all seasonal celebrations aside, what kinds of impacts do seasonal changes have on aquariums and the fishes which inhabit them, that we can capitalize on as hobbyists?

Well, for one thing, lighting differs. With high tech LED systems now readily available, and less expensive all the time, it's never been easier to manipulate the color temperature, angle, intensity, and duration of light in our aquariums. Each of these aspects has potential implication for the husbandry of our fishes. This is a vastly unexplored area in the freshwater aquarium world; ripe for exploration and potential breakthroughs!

Since many of the areas from which our fishes hail are near the Equator, there is very little temperature variation between the seasons. However, the rainy season in these areas does occur, and impacts the aquatic habitats significantly.

The wet season, as we discussed yesterday, is extremely important for our fishes which hail from these regions.

In the Amazon, for example, the wettest part of the wet season occurs between December and May. During the wet season, the Amazon rainforest receives as much as 6 to 12 feet of rain (1.98- 3.6m), which can cause rivers like the Amazon to rise as much as 40 feet (12m), flooding the surrounding forest areas! The fishes adapt by moving into these areas that were previously barren and dry, foraging among the now-submerged trees, grasses, and plants.

As a lover of this flooded forest habitat, I find it irresistible to study!

I believe that the process of creating a "dry" (terrestrial) 'scape, and then gradually flooding it with water, as we've shared with you a lot recently, is one of the key "unlocks" to learning more about these seasonal changes on the environment and our fishes.

Even starting with a shallow-water level and gradually increasing the depth and making some compositional changes to the physical environment, by adding more botanical materials, is a good simulation of these dynamics.

Look for our launch of the "Urban Igapo" products in the coming weeks, to make it easier than ever to experiment with this process, Tannin Aquatics style! (Okay, shameless business plug out of the way...)

Everything seems to adapt in the rain forest, including even the trees. Trees have adapted to this seasonal flooding by developing roots that grow above the ground. These roots are known as "buttress roots." They would be an interesting feature to replicate in the aquarium, right? We would simply start our tanks by choosing pieces of driftwood which resemble these features; or, we can utilize several pieces to recreate the look- and function of them!

What "function" can an "artificial" recreation of this physical feature perform? Well, for one thing, it can become a place to sequester/accumulate leaves and botanicals- much like happens in the wild habitats. My much-maligned (by ME, lol) Asian-themed blackwater aquarium at home embraces this idea and attempts to replicate the feature.

Yeah, I personally am so over this tank, lol-more on this soon- but it has served its purpose validating my thoughts on this idea!

So, it always seems to come down to leaves in the waterways, doesn't it?

And of course, the leaves come from trees, and fall into the water. Yet, it's not quite that simple, actually. There are processes and cycles involved with leaf drop that we can replicate in the aquarium to some extent.

For example, recent studies have shown that rainforest trees and plants actually "flush" (grow new leaves) shortly before the arrival of the dry season. It's postulated that there is something in their "genetic programming" that allows them to prepare for the onset of the relatively "light-rich" dry season, to get them ready for  enhanced photosynthetic activity. Even the onset of the dry season could be replicated in an interesting manner in our aquariums...

You'd "pulse" the addition of leaves during this period, which would, of course, mimic this natural process effectively!

And with regard to that "wet season", how do we sort of mimic the environmental effects of the seasonal inundation in aquariums that are already "wet?" In other words, in an existing "filled" aquarium?

Well, short of running them half-full most of the year, and then increasing the water level to full during the "rainy season" (ohh...that's a cool idea!), perhaps we could mimic the "dilution" in the water which occurs when massive amounts of rain fall. In other words, lots and lots of consecutive water changes! Like, maybe a few times week in greater percentages.

And we could supplement this with greater flow, from the filter outputs or the addition of powerbeads, etc.

"Fellman, you're insane! The benefits that you'd get from all this extra work aren't worth it."

Do you know that for sure?  (the "benefits" part, of course. You already figure the "insanity" thing is a definite possibility, lol). There is a reason why fishes react to seasonal changes the way they do.

I think it's a worthwhile experiment.  🤓

Of course, other things you could do to mimic this seasonal inundation are to add more and more leaves and botanicals during this time, mimicking the affects of continuous leaf drop and the accumulation of botanical materials caused by currents.

And perhaps even "refreshing" the substrate with additional material (like soils, clays...you know, that planted aquarium stuff) to sort of simulate the release of new organics and other compounds caused when previously dry forest floors are inundated with water. I find this idea sort of intriguing!

Oh, and you can add a lot more food.

Like, feed a lot of live food like Daphnia, copepods, worms, fruit flies, etc. Stuff that would likely be more readily available to fishes in an inundated environment. Perhaps even changing the diet seasonally to reflect this abundance would be interesting. Now, I'm not suggesting to starve your fishes the rest of the year, but I am curious if there would be any significant effects that we'd notice in captivity by varying the diet and quantity fed to our fishes based on seasonal availability of different food sources...

Creating aquariums which replicate more specific conditions within the context of seasonal changes, including the availability of food sources within the aquarium, is a fascinating process with broad-reaching implications.

I mean, fishes have evolved over the eons to feed in this manner...Could it be a key to better breeding, perhaps activating some "locked-up" genetic programming in even our captive-bred cichlids, characins, and catfishes?  I know that I talk about this a lot- because I think there is something there. Could the application of the impacts caused by these seasonal cycles be an "unlock" that puts those difficult-to-spawn fishes "in the mood?"

Who knows? However, doesn't it make sense to investigate?

I think so!

There are many, many different seasonal change "cues" and occurrences which we as hobbyists can study and experiment with to see what- if any- impact they might have on the fishes we keep.

The adaptations, behavior changes, and spawning activities which occur in our fishes are certainly be tied into these seasonal changes, and perhaps the key to more predictable/successful spawning of challenging or previously "un-spawnable" fishes could be replicating them, to some extent, in our aquariums.

Something to think about.

Something to play with as the days grow colder, the nights grow longer, and the opportunity to spend more time in our fish rooms beckons.

What secrets will YOU unlock?

What geeky experiments will you try? What lessons will we learn? What fishes will we spawn? How much money will we spend on fish stuff in the process? 😆

Wait. Don't answer that...

Please do consider this process of studying and replicating- to the extent that you can- the wonderful and fascinating seasonal cycles of Nature, and their impact on the fishes we are so obsessed with.

As much as you'd like me to, I'm not going to stop talking about this idea, lol. Besides, someone has to do it, right? Might as well be our community!

So get to it!

Stay crazy. Stay creative. Stay motivated. Stay innovative. Stay adventurous. Stay experimental. Stay inspired...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Slipping through the seasons...

As you likely have figured out by now, we have a certain obsession here with replicating the form and function of Nature, to the greatest extent possible. And of course, the "function" part is often more of a challenge than the "form", so any processes found in Nature that we can replicate to some extent not previously executed in an aquarium is an evolution of sorts in our process, and a true "win" for the hobby.

Perhaps one of the more obvious, yet less tackled aspects of Nature that we can work on is...change. 

Yeah.

If there is one constant in nature, it's change.

And it's kind of ironic to me that one of the things we typically strive to avoid in fish keeping is change...well, rapid environmental change, anyways. Yet, we are typically sort of modeling our aquariums after a natural habitats, many of which do undergo significant periodic or seasonal changes during the course of a year, don't they?  Yet, although we are replicating some cool natural habitats as never before,  we don't usually vary environmental conditions throughout the year in our aquariums...

In fact, they're almost sort of "static" in terms of intentional seasonal changes, right?

Why is this?

I suppose it's another case of, "We do it this way because it's how we've done it for a century..."

Perhaps its time to loosen the chains of "conventional aquarium practice" and look towards some largely unexplored waters, right? Could there be something to be gained by modeling our aquariums after natural habitats during different times of the year? Some benefits for our fishes and the other organisms we want to nurture in our closed aquatic systems?

I think so!

Seasonal change is hugely impactful in tropical regions.

Its influence at every level is significant. Even the larger lakes undergo seasonal changes. For example, Lake Tanganyika, the second deepest lake in the world, undergoes surface water temperature changes throughout the year in its upper layers. Surely these have impact on the distribution, spawning, and feeding habits of the resident fishes, right?

In Amazonia, floodplain lakes associated with the river also undergo seasonal changes, which affect water quality. At high water phase, the large amount of nutrient input from the terrestrial environment causes the increase of primary productivity, and can lead to the lakes becoming very "eutrophic."

This also has an impact on the fishes which live there.

And of course, we all know about the annual killifishes of Africa and South America, which have adapted over eons to the varying seasonal conditions of rainfall and desiccation. They inhabit slowly evaporating pools, puddles, and wetlands, that dry out and fill once again during the rainy season-whenever that may be- and are highly variable, yet very dynamic environments, which give both life and death to the killies and other aquatic life forms which reside in them.

As hobbyists, I'd hazard a guess that we (unconsciously) tend to model our aquariums after one season in the wild habitats (if we even consider seasons at all), not really taking into account the significant changes that occur in these environments at various times of the year. If you look at it from a "literal" perspective, not taking into account the hobbyists who work with annual killies, for most of us, it's sort of "always the wet season" in our aquariums, right? 

Now, there is certainly nothing wrong with this approach.

After all, we're into keeping fishes, not creating recreations of of dry rainforest floors or empty mud holes! Well, maybe not just yet...And we should!

I just think that it would be kind of cool to model our aquariums after typical environments as they look and function at different times of the year. We've already touched on the flooded Igapo forests of Brazil, in which the forest floor becomes seasonally inundated by overflowing streams and rivers. It's an amazingly dynamic habitat that I'm glad we're starting to see more interest in.

Yet, I wondered for years how interesting it would be to take it even further, and create an aquarium around the seasonal changes in such a habitat. You know, with more shallow water levels, a greater ratio of botanicals/substrate to water, and different temperatures, lighting, etc.?

That was the basis of my "urban igapo" idea- starting out with a dry, "terrestrial" habitat and gradually flooding it to simulate the seasonal inundations which these habitats go through annually. I've done this several times, nuancing various aspects like soil composition, planting, and fish stocking along the way. It's become one of my fave projects, and I hope to see many of you playing with the idea more!

To that end, I've worked on varying soil "recipes" for both the igapo and varzea habitats, which operate similarly, yet have distinctly different physical characteristics. These become quite obvious when you begin playing with more functional environmental replications of them, too!

And of course, it's not just about these Amazonian habitats...there are numerous other habitats around the world that are suitable for such simulations.

What about a vernal pool in Africa that houses annual killifish?

Could lowering the water level significantly at various times of the year perhaps trigger specific behaviors related to the onset of the dry season? We already have a good handle on the spawning of annual fishes like Nothobranchius, and how CO2 and such affects egg viability, development,  and hatching times ( a concept known as "diapause"),  but I wonder if we could gain even more insight into the fishes themselves by gradually decreasing water levels to simulate this seasonal change?

Or perhaps even changing food sources to simulate the varying resources which are available during different seasons?

There are many fishes which could benefit from such replications.

If you recall, not too long ago, we talked about the Zebra Danio, and how it adapts to changing conditions in its native habitats. Typically, these fishes are found in Northern India, and this area is subjected to seasonal rainfall between the months of June and September due to the summer Monsoon, and the water levels and characteristics vary considerably at different times of the year.

They are often found in inundated rice paddies and marginal pools, with silty, kind of turbid water with very little movement. During the dry times of the year, they spend their time in calm, shaded areas of streams, with rocky substrates. How interesting it would be to give them "monsoonal" conditions, versus the conditions more typical of the dry season that we tend to provide them in aquariums!

I find examining these seasonal changes in the natural habitats and how they affect our fishes irresistible! There is something very alluring about perhaps gaining some small insights into how the environmental changes that occur throughout the year affect our fishes. I mean, there's more to it than simply raising and lowering water levels or temperature, but those a re good places to start, right?

What kinds of secrets could you unlock about your fishes by manipulating factors such as turbidity, water movement, substrate/botanical additions or subtractions, varying light intensity/duration, temperature (we've done this to some extent), pH, and even food supply? There is a lot of great scholarly data out there on almost any tropical environment you can think of, and with the concern over climate change, there is a lot of scientific information  analyzing seasonal variations in all sorts of aquatic habitats worldwide. 

It's out there for the bold, motivated hobbyist to apply to our aquarium work.

The passing of seasons, and varying environmental conditions they create are fascinating opportunities for us as hobbyists to examine and learn about how our fishes interact with their environments, and how we might be able to create even more successful outcomes for a wider variety of fishes.  Perhaps we could get some "movement" with some which have typically eluded or proven difficult to spawn to date using more "traditional" approaches.

I've been working with brackish habitats for a while now, and, although I've played around quite a bit with the water and substrate composition, I have yet to fully examine the idea of tidal influences- more frequent changes to the habitats...something that has not been worked with very much in home aquariums in the past. I think that there might be much to gain from replicating such fluctuations in the aquarium.

Mangroves are fascinating trees, and have proven to be adaptable, resilient, and quite easy to grow in captive systems. The impact of tidal changes, lighting, and substrate composition are all dynamics that we can and should study more in the context of our aquairums. These amazing trees are know to foster and support a very rich, dynamic ecosystem of both flora and fauna in Nature, which creates a significant food chain.

We can certainly make a greater effort to recreate this food chain-and its benefit- in our aquariums! 

What secrets could we unlock by playing with some of these ideas? There is so much more than just a cool look, believe me! Their extensive prop root systems and adaptations to the substrates they grow in alone could provide many years of breakthrough aquarium work- and fun- for those who choose to study it a bit more!

Amazing stuff that we can unlock simply by looking at things just a bit differently...

Now, sure, we already play around with some environmental conditions in order to induce spawning in our fishes, which is well-documented, so why not play around with (or at least, examine) various types of seasonal conditions for fishes to see what other impacts we can influence (i.e.; greater growth rate, coloration, appetite, etc.)? 

With all of the amazing curiosity, talent, and creativity in our growing global community of adventurous aquarists, there is a ton of room for amazing work and even some breakthroughs!

I hope that I've piqued the interest of at least a few of you into taking a different sort of look at the way we plan, develop, and manage our aquariums. Not that taking such an approach will guarantee groundbreaking results, sure to change the way we keep our fishes (it might!)- but it might just stimulate more ideas, more discussions, and facilitate the "connecting-of-the-dots" process of weaving together what we already know with what we haven't yet tried.

Simply influencing other hobbyists to look beyond just the aesthetics, and to consider how the natural ecosystems that we tend to replicate these aspects of actually function- and that these functions can be replicated with greater detail if we apply the same zeal to this stuff that we do to the "look!"

And, understanding these natural processes and replicating more and more of them in our aquariums can expose more and more people- even non hobbyists- to the wonder and fragility of these fascinating aquatic ecosystems, fostering a greater demand to protect them.

It's an amazing time to be an aquarist, isn't it?

I mean, we have the fishes, the technology, the materials, and the means to research arcane topics once considered solely the domain of scholars. We can actually execute on many of these things. We can try playing with concepts that we've likely never given much thought to previously. And we can rapidly communicate and share our ideas, successes, challenges, failures, and overall progress with fellow hobbyists all over the planet.

Nature is calling. 

This is how quantum shifts occur in the hobby. It's how significant evolutions in understanding and executing take place.

Yeah, those "passing fancies" might just create some entirely new paradigms for our hobby. Let's hope! 

We just need to jump in and get our hands wet!

Stay studious. Stay excited. Stay resourceful. Stay creative. Stay adventurous.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

The real "One Percenters..."

The other day, I gushed to you about my fave "Holy Grail"-type fish, Crenuchus spilurus, and it seems to have struck a chord in some of you- always a great thing when you're a writer, BTW!

I was chatting online this AM with a friend in Europe (gotta love the era we live in, right?) about some upcoming aquarium projects that we're both doing, and we were discussing our dream fish selections for said projects- often lamenting the lack of availability or difficulty in obtaining various species. 

"I'd do a whole tank around that one...just can't find the damn fish anywhere..."

You've had those conversations, too. I know that you have!

This is both the bane of our existence and part of what makes the hobby so compelling and alluring, right?

As a lifelong hobbyist, I've spent a lot of time reading about, researching, observing, and collecting tropical fishes- just like most of you.

It's a big part of the hobby for many of us!

And, in all of those years of researching, I couldn't help but wonder about some of "those" fishes- you know, the ones that are found in scientific studies and papers about wild fish populations- fishes that seem to be ridiculously abundant in their natural habitats- swarming in and out of view in all of those underwater Amazon videos-yet almost never even showing up as a blip on the radar for the hobby!

What gives? Why do we rarely see them in the hobby?

The mind boggles...

Or, is there a logical, straightforward explanation that we don't always think about?

Now, there are plenty of reasons why some seemingly abundant fishes never show up in the trade, the primary one being that the collectors are simply not aware of any commercial value for them, and are far better off, from an economic standpoint, when they bring in 5,000 Cardinal Tetras instead of the abundant, but commercially "uninteresting" Hemmigramus elegans, for example.

A basically grey, nearly monochromatic characin has little in the way of value to the exporters, who need to satisfy the demands of wholesalers, who in turn, cater to stores...who cater to hobbyists worldwide. Now, one only needs to contemplate how different things would be if suddenly there was a huge demand for this fish from the hobby world. Like, what if it became the "it" fish for some reason? Maybe it was the easiest characin on earth to breed, or if it was determined that they contained a specific protein in their tissues that is effective at treating cancer or something; we'd no doubt see 'em coming in by the ton!

Duh. Easy. Obvious.

So it's really about demand.

And that makes sense. We love our hobby, but collecting and importing fishes is...well, a business. And business largely runs on seemingly almost unfairly "dry", yet prudent, fiscal decisions.

Now, when you think about it, a fish being relatively drab and unremarkable in appearance has at least one benefit- it takes external pressures off of the wild populations of many species! No one is typically grabbing the grey characins or unmarked cichlids, right? So they can reproduce at will and maintain an abundance, while their more colorful brethren are picked off by sharp-eyed, profit-motivated  fisherfolk by the thousand.

It's not really that difficult a concept to wrap our collective heads around, is it?

Yet, of course, as a hobbyist, I find myself wanting some of these less "interesting", yet relatively "common in nature" fishes to work with!

I know from my years in the marine side of the aquatic livestock industry that some of the more rare, less in-demand fishes will come in with more common, in-demand species as "incidental by-catch" on occasion, and the sharp-eyed hobbyist/collector can score a somewhat rare, albeit nondescript Tang, for example that just shows up in a shipment of 400 more commercially-viable Acanthurus leucosternon, or whatever.

(Acanthurus chirugus Image by JT Williamns, used under CC BY 2.5)

These are always cause for celebration among serious marine fish enthusiasts, and many cool forum post has been dedicated to a (on the surface, at least) relatively unexciting brown Tang that an eagle-eyed, highly experienced hobbyist nabbed at the wholesaler or LFS, picked out of a large group of the more popular species it arrived with.

These little "discoveries" fuel a lot of people's passion for the hobby!

And it's the same in the freshwater market, of course. Sometimes a few of these (hobby) oddities will trickle through in a group of more widely known, more commercially viable species. And occasionally, they find themselves in the hands of some really sharp retailers who understand the (hobby) scarcity of the fish and their value to a hobbyist. This happens a lot with dwarf cichlids, like Apistogramma, and with catfishes, like Corydoras.

And that's what's fun, to me. You never know what might make it through! My local fish stores (and yours too, no doubt) has always had one of those "Any fish in this tank $1.00!" displays...and you just never know what true rarity you might find in there, cast aside from a tank full of more "viable" fishes...

And then there are fishes which don't make it in to the hobby to any degree because, well- they're not that appealing to a large number of hobbyists...yet. Perhaps they come from a specialized habitat, and need the same situation in an aquarium to show off their best color and vitality.

An example?

It's no secret that I've been obsessing for sometime about the small, relatively nondescript characin, Elachocharax pulcher. Part of one of my fave families, Crenuchidae, these are little, darter-like fishes that are common and abundant in the extensive litter banks of Amazonia in South America, yet virtually unknown to the hobby. A real shame, because they are fascinating fishes that we could do some cool stuff with in our tanks! 

They obviously would work really well in the leaf-litter beds that we're somewhat fond of replicating in our own aquariums, and would no doubt be popular within our tiny community of enthusiasts! They're cool enough that even hobbyists who have never heard of or seen them could be enticed to keep some if they were actually available!

Of course, I have no illusion that us- "the 1% of the 5%" of tropical fish enthusiasts who make up the segment of natural-style aquarium keeping, biotope-oriented characin lovers who keep leaf litter aquariums would even show up as an economically viable segment worth catering to by collectors!

However, what if a few of these cool fish got through...and what IF some capable hobbyists were able to breed them in viable numbers? Not only would success with obscure species like this release us from our reliance on chance collection/importation of them, it could possibly even permanently satisfy a demand- regardless of how tiny- for this cool little fish in the hobby!

And, most important, it could conceivably prevent any sort of need to continue to remove them from the wild. It's that "what if?" that keeps a lot of us dreaming! And of course, if enough people are exposed to such a fish, it just might open some eyes up to the pressures on the wild habitats which need our attention and care. A real "win" for Nature.

A very selfish, and I suppose, kind of a fantasy-like, almost blissfully ignorant point of view, I suppose, but fun to think about, right? Yet, entire specialties in the hobby, such as killifish keeping- are built upon this idea of obtaining and breeding relatively obscure species )and variants from different geographic localities) of fishes. 

(Yes we DO obsess...Chromaphyosemion sp.- Image by Mike PA Calnun)

And of course, it's not limited to just killifishes. There's Bettas, Apistos, L-number Loricarids, etc.

I can imagine if I polled a random group of you, there would be many fishes (from different families of course) just like my little friend, Elachocharax, which would be treasured by a tiny group, and diligently maintained, spawned, and preserved for future generations to enjoy. 

So, yeah- As part of our "fish geek due diligence", we need to keep an eye out on wholesale stock lists, and intently scrutinize vendors' and dealers' tanks, hoping, waiting, and watching. They may not be with us in the hobby right now- for any number of reasons, but these "out-of-sight", yet truly "aspirational fishes" are what keep a lot of us going... 

US, the real "one percenters..."

These fishes hold us spellbound, captivated, and diligent.

They're always on our minds.

What's your dream fish, and when will it show up?

Do you look for "substitutes"- or hold out for the "real deal?" How badly do you want it?

Keep searching.

Stay focused. Stay alert. Stay diligent. Stay persistent. Really- stay freaking relentless.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Fish hooks man: An homage to "The God of Running Waters..."

There are numerous approaches to utilizing botanicals in our aquariums, ranging from the purely aesthetic idea of "tossing in a few leaves and seed pods", to a full-blown biotope-inspired aquarium, painstakingly thought-out to recreate the function and form of a specific habitat.

Of course, we've talked a lot about creating aquariums to replicate specific habitats...it's kind of what we do here, right? Super rewarding. Yet, it's even more fascinating and rewarding to design an aquarium around a specific fish sometimes.

Especially when it's one that you have coveted for so long, right?

I'll share with you one of my personal "Holy Grail" fishes...one I've no doubt discussed many times before here yet one that keeps me obsessed. Being a fish geek, I know that this is something you can relate to well:

We've all had that ONE fish which just sort of occupies a place in our hearts and minds- a fish that-for whatever reason- bites you and never lets go, right? I think that every serious aquarist has at least one such a fish..

Here's mine...

Of course, it's also about the habitat which this fish lives in that's kept me under its spell for so long...

As a lover of leaf-litter in our natural, botanical-style aquariums, I am fascinated not only by this unique ecological niche, but by the organisms which inhabit it. I've went on and on and spoken at length about many of the microorganisms, fungi, insects, and crustaceans which add to the diversity of this environment. And of course, we've looked at some of the fishes which live there, too! Perhaps not enough, actually...

One of my all-time favorite fishes- and my absolute favorite characin is none other than the amazing "Sailfin Tetra", Crenuchus spilurus!  This is a truly awesome fish- not only is it attractive and morphologically cool-looking, it has a great demeanor and behaviors which separate it from almost every other characin out there! 

It's almost "cichlid-like" in behavior: Intelligent, interactive, and endearing. It has social behaviors which will entertain and fascinate those who are fortunate enough to keep it.

Now, I admit, it's definitely NOT the most colorful characin on the planet. But there is more than this fish than meets the eye.

It all starts with its most intriguing name...

The Latin root of the genus Crenuchus means "Guardian of The Spring"- a really cool, even romantic-sounding name which evokes imagery-and questions! Does it mean the "protector" of a body of water, or some honorary homage to everyone's favorite season? Not sure, but you must agree that the name is pretty cool! In greek, it's krenoychos -"The God of running waters."

Yeah. That's the shit. I mean, do Latin names get any cooler than that?

The Crenuchidae (South American Darters) is a really interesting family of fishes, and includes 93 species in 12 genera throughout the Amazon region. Most crenuchids are- well, how do we put it delicately- "chromatically unexciting" ( ie; grey-black-brown) fishes, which tend to lie in wait near the substrate (typically leaf litter or aggregations of branches), feeding on insects and micro invertebrates. And the genus Crenuchus consists of just one species, our pal Crenuchus spilurus, a fish which shares habits and a body shape that are more commonly associated with Cyprinids and cichlids!

That's just weird.

Now, the relatively subdued coloration serves a purpose, of course. These fishes live among leaf litter, root tangles, and botanical debris..in tinted water...which demand (if you don't want to be food for bigger fishes and birds) some ability to camouflage yourself effectively. 

The Sailfin is an exception to the "drab" thing, and it's remarkably attractive for a very "simple" benthic-living fish. Sure, on the surface, it's not the most exciting fish out there, especially when it's a juvenile...but it's a fish that you need to be patient with; a fish to search for, collect, hold onto, and enjoy as it matures and grows. As the fish matures, in true "ugly duckling"🐥  style, it literally "blossoms" into a far more attractive fish.

The males have an extended dorsal and anal fin, and are larger and more colorful than females. Yes, colorful is relative here, but when you see a group- you'll notice the sexual dimorphism right away, even among juveniles.

Individuals spend a lot of their time sheltered under dead leaves, branches, roots, and aquatic plants. They tend to "hover", and don't dart about like your typical Tetra would. In fact, their behavior reminds me of the Dartfishes of the marine aquarium world...They sort of sit and flick their fins, often moving in slow, deliberate motions. Communication? Perhaps.

The Sailfin feeds during the daylight hours, and spends much of its day sheltering under branches, leaves, and root tangles, and is a mid-water feeder, consuming particulate organic matter, such as aquatic invertebrates, insects, bits of flowers, and fruits- the cool food items from outside of the aquatic environment that form what ecologists call allochthonous input- materials from outside of the aquatic habitat, which are abundant in the terrestrial habitats surrounding the aquatic ones which we love to model our aquariums after.

And of course, we can easily model our aquariums after these compelling habitats...

Yeah, we've written about that topic a lot...Recreating the habitats of leaves and other botanical materials which the fish frequent in Nature.  Liek, we talk endlessly about this shit, I know, but...

Hey, do those guys who sell leaves on eBay and such make the effort to discuss this stuff with you?  Oh, yeah... they don't...just sell stuff and don't bother to write (ouch, a DIG! )...yeah...No hate there, lol.

Oh, back now from my rather ugly digression...

And, further distinguishing the Sailfin from other characins is the males' parental care (yeah, you read that correctly!) of it's small (for a characin, that is) clutches of eggs (usually only like a max of 100) and larval stages of the fish- characteristic more commonly associated with cichlids than characins! 

Are you interested yet?

Wait, don't answer that! I'll keep going...

I first fell for this fish as a kid, when I saw a cool pic of it in my dad's well-worn copy of William T. Innes' classic book, Exotic Aquarium Fishes. The book that pretty much assured me from toddler days that I'd be a fish geek. I obsessed over the book before I could even read...

I was hooked from the start with Crenuchus, especially when reading about the romantic etymology of the name!  And it just seemed so "mysterious" and unattainable, even in the 1930's...well, especially back in the 1930's, but it seemed downright exotic! To this day, it's one you just don't see too much of in the hobby. And then, tying it together with my love of those leaf-litter-strewn habitats, it was a combo which I couldn't resist!

I never got this fish out of my system, and it took me like 30-plus years of being a fish geek to find this fish in real life. And, you know that I jumped at the chance..It was so worth the wait! The Sailfin is one of the most engaging and unique fishes I've ever had the pleasure of keeping!

Oh, and they are known to "vocalize', producing an audible "clicking" sort of sound that you can hear outside the aquarium...A very interesting phenomenon! Another interesting tidbit of knowledge about this fish" They possess an organ on the top of their head, which according to Gery, is "comprised of rod-shaped cells, encircled by a net of capillary vessels." What's it's purpose? No one is sure.

More mystery. More romance. 

Yeah. 

Although they are a bit solitary in nature, I've found that they've do really well in groups, sometimes forming loose aggregations within the confines of the aquarium, hovering over the leaf/botanical bed, waiting for food. And they have a sort of "social order" that only they seem to understand, but it's very evident. A fascinating set of activities which makes them even more interesting-and endearing!

Sailfins might be a bit shy initially upon introduction to the aquarium, as these fishes are cautious, rather "sedentary" characins, and don't swim quite as actively as other characins. Like, no "Cardinal Tetra-style" shoaling behavior here. Getting them to feed regularly in the aquarium- while not difficult- may be a bit of a process, as they are cautious fish, and tend to not stray too far from the botanical cover. 

Think of all of the unique ways we could replicate parts of the habitats which they inhabit. 

If you have other, more active Tetras and other fishes in the aquarium, they'll be a bit more tentative at first. However, these are decent-sized fishes that will eventually overcome their initial shyness, and move confidently- if not slowly-throughout the aquarium. Though they tend to never stray too far from the protection of roots, wood, or leaves.

My kind of fish!

Once you keep this fish, I'm confident that you'll just sort of "get" it! If you just look at the fish, most of the time, it's really easy to simply dismiss it as "grey and boring..."

It's not.

IMHO, they're one of the most perfect fishes for the botanical-style, blackwater aquarium, especially, if you dedicate a system to their lifestyle and needs. And of course, it will fit right in to a well-thought-out natural, botanical-style community aquarium of smaller fishes, like the less "hyper" Tetras, Apistogramma, and catfishes.  

Again, these fish are so cool when housed correctly that you might want to keep them in a dedicated species aquarium. They're perhaps one of the only characins which we can say has a real individual "personality", which makes them "worthy" of such a committment!

I hope I've encouraged you to search for these amazing fishes...or to consider setting up a dedicated, carefully-configured biotope-inspired aquarium for YOUR "Holy Grail" fish.

Yes, my photos suck. And yes, I am geeked out about this fish. And, yes...you need to try them. Build an entire aquarium around them.

And yes, if you do, I'll hit you up for better pics! 😍

If you're looking for that "it" fish that will really make your botanical-style aquarium "pop"- adding a real presence and interest to the habitat you've created- give some real consideration to this wonderful fish- if you can find it! 

Trust me, having the "Guardian of The Spring" in your aquarium is worth the wait! Your botanical-style aquarium needs this fish! It's that cool.

Of course, it's one of many amazing fishes swimming in the tropical waters of the world; one which you as a hobbyist could dedicate and entire setup to, and never get bored or even remotely tired of...really. 

Yes, we all have that one fish. It's what keeps us passionate about the hobby; keeps us going. Keeps us dreaming, striving, searching.

Find yours. 

Embrace it. Love it. Share your work.

Stay persistent. Stay diligent. Stay resourceful. Stay passionate. Stay relentless...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics