The Tint

Vinyasa and the botanical aquarium.

In the botanical aquarium game, there are definitely some practical, "nuts-and-bolts" aspects- procedures to follow. "Best practices" to be aware of...As with any aquarium.  

However, where the botanical-style aquarium departs from the "norm" is when we understand that what we are doing is harnessing a different part of nature to assist us in creating an optimum environment for our tropical fishes.

It's different.

Some elements of our type of aquarium keeping reminds me very much of some of the philosophy behind the practice of yoga. The world of yoga is a very interesting one. Not only does it provide strength and inner peace, it teaches lessons on introspection and self-awareness. And an appreciation for the world and nature.

One of the key components of yoga practice is called "vinyasa", the Sanskrit word for  arranging something in a special way. In the yoga context, it refers to a sequence of poses, or "asanas."

In the context of utilizing botanicals in our aquariums, I'd like to think that vinyasa refers to a sequence of what happens after we add these materials to our aquariums. What Nature wants to do...We've sort of touched on this before, but it's a concept so central to our botanical-style aquarium practice that I think it warrants repeating from time to time. 

In my opinion, it's every bit as important and valuable as knowing and adhering to some sort of pattern to arrange rocks, or other seemingly metaphysical concepts which have been incorporated into modern aquascaping and aquatic arts. 

There is a certain sequence by which we do things in our aquariums which, when coupled with two important skills- observation and patience- creates an aquarium which not only looks better- it functions more like a natural system.

When you first start an aquarium, it's all about sequence, flow, and process. And the pace is determined, to some extent by us; however, the real cadence is determined by Nature herself. 

From the minute you prepare a leaf or 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 down, at a pace, or "cadence" which Nature determines.

As we know by now, 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.

Nature dictates the speed by which this process occurs. We set the stage for it- but  Nature is in full control. As an aquarist with a botanical-style aquarium, it's our "job" to observe and know when- or if- to intervene by adding or removing botanicals as they break down.

Franky, 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, our 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.

Nope. 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 botanical-style blackwater aquarium. However, you have to also apply a healthy dose of the above-referenced "emotional elements" into your regimen as well!

This is a much overlooked aspect of aquarium keeping that is more obvious, and I feel, impactful- when working with botanicals.

It's much more than simply tossing some leaves or botanicals into an aquarium. I've seen a rising crop of botanical advocates who have started businesses around botanicals much like we have. It's wonderful. However, most of them seem to simply consider botanicals as a "consumable" or a "product", not grasping the real essence behind them. I find this puzzling, really. I guess it's because I look at botanicals a bit differently. Maybe I'm a bit too serious...a bit weird, but...

There is so much more to this...

Being natural materials, filled with tannins, humic substances, and nutrients, they do more than just make a tank look good, or throw off some substances into the water- they help create a dynamic aquatic environment on many levels- some that we may not yet fully understand...

And of course, there are always the caveats:

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. 

It's a fact we all need to understand and accept.

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 the bacteria, fungi, and other organisms which serve to break them down can adjust.

We can't rush the process. We can intervene- removing stuff. Siphoning out what we consider to be "unsightly growth" on our botanicals. We can interfere...However, we cannot stop the process.

Nor would we want to. 

We talk about botanical-style aquariums "evolving" over time...They most assuredly do, much as Nature has dictated for eons. We can participate in the process. Make significant changes in direction. Yet, at the end of the day, nature dictates the pace, the process...the vinyasa.

We should work with Nature. Trust her. Learn from her. Every day, we have a unique opportunity to do this with our aquariums. How lucky we are.

I hope that, by taking a few seconds to appreciate the process- the flow, and the wonder of how nature can positively impact our aquariums, that we can all achieve what is known as "Ananda"- The condition of utter joy.

Not a bad way to go. I'm pretty grateful for the opportunity to experience the joy that nature brings to all of us- each and every day. 

Namste.

Stay observant. Stay curious. Stay appreciative. Stay open-minded. Stay introspective. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Caution. Concern. Outright paranoia. And the stuff in between.

I have a friend who is like completely convinced that, every time you sneeze, cough, or have a headache, or display any overt "symptom" which could somehow be correlated with symptoms that are associated with a cold- that you've acquired some illness, and that you're headed for a week of bed rest, chicken soup, and Netflix. 

Super paranoid. Drives me crazy.

And yet,  it reminds me of some people I know in the aquarium hobby...  They have an ultra-paranoid mindset that makes me wonder just how they could enjoy any aspect of this game! They're always worried about something with their tanks.

There seems to be a lot less enjoyment and a lot more worry.

And, I sometimes wonder if we as hobbyists tend to become just a little more "paranoid" about stuff than we need to be? I mean, is it a product of knowing a little "too much;" having access to data that was previously unavailable, obscure, or otherwise not utilized? Or perhaps, it's an artifact of the increasing complexity of the equipment we use on our aquariums?

And as a result of having more data, experience, and "stuff" in our hobby, we have more things to be concerned with than ever before!

It's just that simple. 

Are you a hobbyist who, when you're looking at your aquarium, notice that any sound, any behavioral change in your fishes, any minor appearance difference- can send you into a veritable frenzy of cross-checking, water testing, examination, etc? Oh, you may not admit to it; you might think that you're immune to the concerns, etc.

But you're not. And the questioning in your head begins...

Is it that new plumbing connection making that weird trickling sound? Did the light come on a bit later today? Are those Apistos engaged in courtship behavior, or is that some sort of response to stress? Why did the phosphate test show an increase of 0.2ppm? Is that piece of wood shifting. Is that curling leaf on that new Buce a sign that it's gonna melt?

All sorts of issues...stuff which we may never have considered before; yet stuff that's become an essential and important part of our daily aquarium practice. And yes, in generations past, when hobbyists were keeping fishes in glass vessels without pumps, heaters, and filters, they had other things to worry about with their fishes. 

It's part of aquarium culture, I think. And a sort of statement on just where we are in the history of the hobby. The things we are concerned with now are just a product of the times.

Let's face it, we are all sort of paranoid- and I mean that in the nicest way possible. We're damn concerned about the well-being of our fishes, the safe operation of our aquariums, and the overall health of the system. And we should be. We have so much more information to draw upon and analyze than ever before.

That's a good thing, unless we take it too far.

I do also know some hobbyists who, at the first sign of "something not looking right" will launch into a frenzy of water quality checks, corrective filter-media changes, vitamin-dosing, large water exchanges, etc. Now, again, it's great to have a keen eye. It's also great to have a set of "emergency practices" to fall back on if needed.

However, I guess the biggest question is: Are they needed? Perhaps even more stressful to our fishes- and ourselves?

That's where the "baseline knowledge" of our aquariums, honed by keen observation, experience, and the intimate knowledge gleaned by understanding exactly where we want things to be are so important.

For some of us, any little "anomaly" which deviates slightly from what we know and are comfortable with makes us at the very least, cautious and alert...Perhaps, uncomfortable, and at the worst- panicked.

That's too far, IMHO.

Don't panic. Don't be uncomfortable. 

Just be concerned.

Check it out. See what's really going on. Correct only if needed, and get on with your day. No frenzied preventative correction which might actually initiate more problems and stress on your fishes than they're supposed to solve. Maybe you'll catch a problem. More likely, you'll have just suddenly realized that the weird humming sound coming from your canister filter is simply the normal sound it makes during operation. 

And that strange quivering that your new Barb is doing is a challenge to a rival male. Or that the filter pads are getting clogged more quickly than before because you recently added a bunch of different leaves to your tank.

Etcetera.

Yep.

Don't make this hobby more difficult than it is by thinking that you're "connecting the dots" -when you might just be inventing problems that aren't there. 

Because every sneeze doesn't mean you're sick.

It might. But likely not. 

Todays ultra simple, yet hopefully useful thought.

Stay alert. Stay cautious. Stay observant. Stay informed. Stay Active. Stay calm.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Don't fear the fungi. Don't bash the biofilms...Celebrate the slime!

As everyone knows, when you put stuff in water, one of four things seems to happen:

1) Nothing.

2) It starts to break down and decompose.

3) It gets covered in a gooey slime of algae, fungal growth, and "biofilm."

4) Both 2 and 3

 Now, it's pretty much a "given" that any botanicals or leaves that you drop into your aquarium will, over time, break down. And typically, before they break down, they'll "recruit" (a fancy word for "acquire') a coating of some rather unsightly-looking growth. Well, "unsightly" to those who have not been initiated into our little world of decomposition, biofilms, tinted water, etc., and maintain that an aquarium is a pristine-looking place without a speck of anything deemed "aesthetically unattractive" by the masses! 

So, with that little explanatory passage out of the way, let's take a closer look at the stuff that you'll see covering the leaves and pods and wood that you place into your aquarium.

First off, our "friend", biofilm. This much-maligned stuff is something those of us who play with leaves and botanicals know all too well. It's something we see in our aquariums, as well as in the wild aquatic habitats around the world.Biofilms form when bacteria adhere to surfaces in some form of watery environment and begin to excrete a slimy, gluelike substance, consisting of sugars and other substances, that can stick to all kinds of materials, such as- well- in our case, botanicals.

It starts with a few bacteria, taking advantage of the abundant and comfy surface area that leaves, seed pods, and even driftwood offer. The "early adapters" put out the "welcome mat" for other bacteria by providing more diverse adhesion sites, such as a matrix of sugars that holds the biofilm together. Since some bacteria species are incapable of attaching to a surface on their own, they often anchor themselves to the matrix or directly to their friends who arrived at the party first.

And we could go on and on all day telling you that this is a completely natural occurrence; bacteria and other microorganisms taking advantage of a perfect substrate upon which to grow and reproduce, just like in the wild. Freshly added botanicals offer a "mother load"of organic material for these biofilms to propagate, and that's occasionally what happens - just like in nature.  

They are not only typically harmless in aquariums, they are utilized as a supplemental food source by a huge variety of fishes and shrimps in both nature and the aquarium. They are a rich source of sugars and other nutrients, and could prove to be an interesting addition to a "nursery tank" for raising fry if kept in control. Like, add a bunch of leaves and botanicals, let them do their thing, and allow your fry to graze on them! Don''t believe me? Ask almost any shrimp keeper-they'll "sing the praises" of biofilm for the "grazing" aspect!

Is there a "darkside" to biofilms? Of course.

Like anything else, too much of a "good thing" can cause problems in rare instances. Frightening, "aquarium armageddon scenarios" could play out. For example, in an extremely overcrowded aquarium (or a very small one) with marginal husbandry and filtration, with a huge amount of biofilm (relative to tank volume) caused by an equally huge influx of freshly-added botanicals, there is always the possibility that bacteria within the biofilms can multiply extremely rapidly, reducing the level of oxygen in the rest of the aquarium, which could lead to a dramatic reduction of CO2 being released out of the water.

This, in turn, could lead to CO2 levels rising quickly and sharply, potentially causing asphyxiation to the animals in the tank- including the lovable nitrifying bacteria that support it. Now, that's the ultimate "doomsday scenario", extremely rare, yet brought on by a "collaboration" between naturally-occurring biofilm and the impatient aquarist who fails to heed our words and go slowly when adding botanicals to an established aquarium! 

Hey, what about the fungi?

Now, like so many things that we do in the aquarium world, we tend to over-generalize and label any hairy, slimy-looking growth in our tanks as "biofilm." Good as a catch-all phrase, but any trained biologist would likely want to "slap us upside the head" for this sinful over-generalization! I mean, you'll actually see the term "fungal biofilms" in scholarly articles, so perhaps they'll lighten up and cut us a little slack?

Fungi are living organisms that are distantly related to plants, and more closely related to animals, but rather different from either of those groups. Fungi essentially consist of molds, yeasts and mushrooms. Yeasts are single-celled organisms (like bacteria) while molds are long branching thread-like filaments (called "hyphae") that form visible colonies. 

They are found in just about any habitat, yet most live on the land, mainly in soil or on plant material, rather than in water. However, a number of different groups of fungi are found in water, including many Mastigomycotina ("zoosporic fungi"), some Zygomycotina, Ascomycotina, Deuteromycotina, yeasts, and several Basidiomycotina species.

Try googling that stuff for fun some time! 🤓

There are more than 600 species of freshwater fungi! Some may inhabit aquatic habitats for their entire lives, while others may be essentially "amphibious", with part of their life cycle spent in, adapted to and dispersed under water, and another part of their life cycle spent dispersed into the air.  Most aquatic fungi have a sort of stringy `tail' which both helps them stay put and capture food. In addition, the head of the fungal structure is surrounded by a gel-like sticky mucus "sheath" which may aid in adhesion to substrates.

Fungi reproduce by releasing tiny spores that then germinate on new and hospitable surfaces (ie, pretty much anywhere they damn well please!). These aquatic fungi are involved in the decay of wood and leafy material. And of course, when you submerge terrestrial materials in water, growths of fungi tend to arise. Anyone who's ever "cured" a piece of aquatic wood for your aquarium can attest to this!

Aquascaping forums online are filled with horrific descriptions and photos of expensive pieces of wood covered in nasty-looking growth shortly after being immersed, with frantic pleas for help from the hobbyist who set the wood into his/her 'scape only weeks before, with visions of a pristine-looking underwater paradise like you see all the cool kids maintaining...it's both sad to see and a bit amusing. (Yes, I'm not always that nice, lol) 

Fungi tend to colonize wood because it offers them a lot of surface area to thrive and live out their life cycle. And cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, the major components of wood and botanical materials, are degraded by fungi which posses enzymes that can digest these materials! Fungi are regarded by biologists to be the dominant organisms associated with decaying leaves in streams, so this gives you some idea as to why we see them in our aquariums, right? 

Aquatic fungi have been shown to produce a rich array of enzymes able to degrade the major leaf polysaccharides...Interestingly, as leaves decay, their nitrogen content becomes a higher percentage of their biomass, and biologists assume that a higher nitrogen content in leaves and botanicals during this time indicates higher fungal activity and therefore, the decay rates of leaves and the fungal populations are somehow correlated.

And of course, fishes and invertebrates which live amongst and feed directly upon the fungi and decomposing leaves and botanicals contribute to the breakdown of these materials as well! Aquatic fungi can break down the leaf matrix and make the energy available to feeding animals in these habitats. And look at this little gem I found in my research:

"There is evidence that detritivores selectively feed on conditioned leaves, i.e. those previously colonized by fungi (Suberkropp, 1992; Graca, 1993). Fungi can alter the food quality and palatability of leaf detritus, aecting shredder growth rates. Animals that feed on a diet rich in fungi have higher growth rates and fecundity than those fed on poorly colonized leaves. Some shredders prefer to feed on leaves that are colonized by fungi, whereas others consume fungal mycelium selectively..."

"Conditioned" leaves, in this context, are those which have been previously colonized by fungi! They make the energy within the leaves and botanicals more available to higher organisms like fishes and invertebrates! What a deal! 

So yeah, a lot of information to unpack there...most of it pretty damn good! The reality to us as "armchair biologists" is that the presence of these (aesthetically unpleasant-looking) organisms in our aquariums is not only a sign that our closed microcosms are functioning well, but that they are, in their own way, providing for the well- being of the inhabitants! 

The "mental stretches" that we ask you to make to accept these organisms and their appearance really requires us to look at the wild habitats from which our fishes come, and reconcile that with our century old idealization of what nature (and therefore our "natural" aquariums) actually look like.

It's not an easy stretch for most. 

Sure, it's not everyone's idea of "attractive", and you'd freak out snobby contest judges with a tank full of biofilms and fungi, but to most of us, we should take great delight in knowing that we are providing our fishes with an extremely natural component of their ecosystem, the benefits of which have never really been studied in the aquarium, because we're too busy looking for ways to remove the stuff instead of watching our fishes feed on it!

And the reality is that you can scrape and siphon the stuff off of your fancy driftwood...but it will typically come back until the food source ( the surface compounds of the wood) is exhausted or until the biofilm and fungi themselves are consumed by your fishes or shrimp. This, of course, is why most hobbyists tend to "cure" their wood in a separate container over the course of a few weeks or more, rather than "in situ" in the display. Although some of the aforementioned benefits created by this process, in my opinion, might cause a few brave souls to re-think this process! 

Still other hobbyists blast away at these organisms with toothbrushes and syringes of peroxide and accelerate the process to some extent. This article is more about understanding and accepting/appreciating the benefits of these organisms rather than the techniques to remove them, so you'll have to deep dive into some other forum or discussion group to garner the approach to that sort of thing. 😆

The acceptance of these organisms and appreciation for the potential benefits they can provide for our fishes and the aquatic ecosystem itself is one of the real features and potential game-changers that the botanical-style aquariums that we love so much can offer. It's a lot different than what we've all become accustomed to. However, the upside to embracing these gooey-looking growths seems to be far, far greater than the challenges of re-training ourselves to appreciate their appearance.

Be bold...Learn to love your Mastigomycotina- because your fishes probably already do! 

Stay open-minded. Stay curious. Stay experimental. Stay enthralled. Stay resolute... 

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman 

Tannin Aquatics 

In pursuit of shiny brown objects...

Hello, enabling fish geek friends!

Thanks to a bit of prodding from you, our "Tint Nation", I've pulled the trigger on a couple of new additions to our botanical-style brackish aquarium!

As you know, I've been extremely picky about creating a collection of fishes that, while geographically ridiculous, are all species associated with, or found in actual brackish water habitats in the wild. It hasn't been as easy as one might think! So far, we've kept the Rainbowfish Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis, a group of Bumblebee Gobies (Brachygobius sp.) collected from a documented brackish-water habitat, and...yeah, a domesticated form of Molly that a friend  sadly collected from a brackish water estuary near his home in Louisiana. (Yes, kind of cheating, I know...but when I saw these guys I kind of liked them!)

It's been a sort of weird process, I admit. And the stocking plan is basically whatever I can find that fits my "requirements", I suppose.

The idea was to create a collection of species which are small, interesting, and are actually from brackish water. There is a lot of misunderstanding and confusion about some "old faves", like "Glassfishes", long regarded as fishes that come from brackish habitats, when the reality is that the vast majority of the ones collected for the hobby come from pure freshwater, even acidic, habitats! 

And it goes on and on...Once you get out of the hobby literature and look into the scientific literature, it turns out that many of the fishes we have labeled as "brackish" might, might have populations which are found in brackish, but the bulk are not from this type of environment. I'm part fish geek- part "myth buster."

And there are a lot of "myths" out there.

So the search isn't as easy as one might think! There are a bunch of actual brackish water fishes out there in the hobby, but the bulk of them are either domesticated variants of wild species, which can work because of their euryhaline capabilities. Fewer still are actual brackish water fishes; many are simply not collected for the hobby for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the bulk of 'em are kind of dull, to be quite honest.

You have to really be into this to find "real-deal"  small brackish-water fishes, and even more hardcore to create a tank of brackish fishes from the same geographic location. It's taken me almost a year just to aggregate the few, wildly geographic- ranging specimens that I have. 

Recently, through peer pressure, I was able to bid at auction on a few pairs of a cool fish- the rather uncommon "Swamp Guppies",  Micropoeceila picta! This is a fish that, although rather uncommon and somewhat challenging to obtain, has been on my "short list" of fishes I wanted to keep for some time. There is something satisfying and compelling about finally nabbing the fishes you've been pursuing for a while, huh?

This is a livebearer that is known to come from brackish water swamps, mangrove thickets, and marshes. It's a small fish, maxing out around 1 inch in length. The males have an interesting red-orange body with contrasting black markings, while the females are regulation-issue "Livebearer Silver" (ie; essentially colorless). And of course, they reproduce relatively easily because they're livebearers.

Geographically, they hail from Central and South America, from Trinidad to the Amazon River Delta. This means they're found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyuana, and Trinidad and Tobago. So, a wide geographic region, giving you a bit of "latitude" if you're hell-bent on being biotopically accurate!

The specimens that I am obtaining were kept in 1.010 specific gravity, which is right where my tank is, so acclimation after quarantine should be no issue. And, essentially being guppies, they're cute and fun to watch...and the fact that they are relatively small is perfect for this tank.

And of course, being a fish geek, I couldn't stop at just one of the fishes on my short list, and things seem to happen in multiples in this hobby.

Lo and behold, I sourced another one of my personal "holy grail" fishes, the butt-ugly, but undeniably cool Krytolebias marmoratus from Punta Maracayo, Puerto Rico! It's common name...wait for it: "The Mangrove Killifish!"

Boom! THE MANGROVE F---ING KILLIE! 

Doesn't the common name pretty much tell you all you need to know? Yeah, it does...A kilie found in the freaking mangrove habitat! Okay, so it won't win any awards for beauty, but damn, how cool is that! Add to the equation that it's known to be a bit of a cantankerous son of a b--- on occasion, and you've got the makings of a truly great fish! 

This is one of the most fascinating of the (formerly) Rivulus genus.

Interestingly, the species consists mostly of hermaphrodites which are known to reproduce by self fertilization- a real "time saver", I suppose! An individual hermaphrodite Mangrove Killie fertilizes itself when an egg and sperm that it has produced via an internal organ unite inside the fish’s body. This process has apparently been going on for several hundred thousand years, and the species has been undeniably successful!

Another interesting attribute of this fish is that it can spend up to two months OUT OF THE WATER- when it jumps into hollowed out logs and such if its habitats begin to dry up. During this time, it breathes through its skin, and waste is also exported this way. Its gills actually alter their structure during these periods..And when it returns to the water, these "modifications" reverse.

Super cool.

(image by Cardet co6cs- used under CC BY-SA 3.0) 

Of course, there is one wild card here:

The fish is a champion jumper, which means the likelihood of me seeing one or more catch air and carpet surf from time to time during their tenure in my open-top mangrove tank is...well, pretty damn high. The good news is that they have the aforementioned highly adapted survival skills that will enable them to survive before I can toss 'em back in the tank.

I know that a lot of killie keepers might not be happy with me for even thinking of keeping the fish in such a tank, and I know that a ration of shit is headed my way in the form of DMs and Facebook call-outs, but I'm prepared to make recovery efforts as needed....And ultimately, I'll move 'em to a dedicated closed-top tank if it becomes too common an occurrence. 

That being said, I'm totally into this fish. I've kept a bunch of the more "attractive Rivulus" before, so this uniquely monochromatic species is going to be a lot of fun...if it stays in the aquarium, that is. 

So, there's gonna be a few changes around the old "mangal" , as they say, with a strange but somehow workable combination of different brackish water species making their debut.

Thought you might want to know where this tank is at...Looking forward to some more information unlocks on these species as we play with them in this aquarium. And of course, more pics!

SO, thanks for the little nudge!

Stay persistent. Stay bold. Stay dedicated. Stay curious...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

"Under the influence of botanicals"

Damn, that sounds like it should be illegal or "18 and up" or something, but I kind of figured the strange title would apply nicely to today's topic!

One of the questions we've been getting a lot of lately is about the ability of botanicals to influence the pH and hardness of the water. Despite our efforts here among our community to point out how much (or how little) botanicals can influence these environmental parameters, there is a lot of confusion among the general aquatic community.

The perception seems to be based on the appearance of the water (yeah, the "tint!"); that being that if water is brown or golden or whatever, it must be sot and acidic! Like the old expression that "You can't judge a book by its cover", you can't really gauge the environmental parameters of an aquarium by it's color, either. (Damn. We need to come up with something "catchier", huh? LOL)

First off, without delving too far into basic water chemistry, which I have neither the desire or ability to explain in simple terms, I think everyone needs to kind of delve into google and refresh (or educate for the first tiem!) themselves on the concepts of carbonate hardness and pH. This will set you up well for understanding exactly what these parameters mean, and how they can impact your fishes.

Suffice it too say, botanicals cannot influence the carbonate hardness of the water! They cannot "soften" it. Soft water is water that contains low concentrations of ions- particularly calcium and magnesium. In order to achieve "soft water", these ions need to be removed from the water. 

In nature, soft water occurs where rainfall accumulates and rivers and streams are formed over hard, impervious, calcium-poor rocks. Geology, as we've discussed before, is a HUGE influencer of the carbonate hardness of the water in wild ecosystems (and in aquariums, for that matter!). For our purposes, the process of "ion exchange" is the most efficient way to soften water for aquarium use. And that is easily achieved by utilizing an RO/DI ("reverse osmosis/deionization) unit, of which dozens are available for hobbyist use!

For a detailed explanation of THAT process, just google it! My head spins just thinking of how to explain it in a non-confusing matter. In my opinion, an RO/DI unit is one of the fundamental investments that any serious aquarist should make. Yeah, they're a couple hundred U.S. dollars to sort, and arguments could be made about their efficiency, etc., but if you really want to create optimum conditions for fishes requiring soft, acidic water, for most of us it's the best way to go. 

For those of you who have naturally soft water where you live, Mazel Tov. Awesome. However, for the rest of us, we need to buy a damn RO/DI unit and be done with it. 🤓

Now, botanicals DO have the ability to influence the pH of the water, particularly when you are using RO/DI water with little to no carbonate hardness. Because tannins and humic/other acids are released by many botanical materials when immersed in water, the impact can be rather significant if you have enough botanical material in an aquarium of a given size.

Major spoiler: No matter what anyone says- product manufacturer, botanical vendor, "expert aquarist"- anyone- there is simply no "one size fits all" sort of "recipe" that tells you that "X amount of Catappa leaves will drop the pH of a liter of water by 'X' points. There are just so many variables as to make such assertions well- a guess at best, stupidly misleading at worst.

I mean, what is the starting pH of the water? What kind of substrate do you have? What's the temp? Are you utilizing chemical filtration media? How many grams of what specific tannins acid or humic acid are contained in that particular batch of leaves or botanicals? How much makes it into the water column, and after how long?  Etc., etc., etc.  

Blackwater "extracts fall into the same category, as far as I am concerned. Yes, they will impart the aforementioned humic substances into the water. They can influence the pH, will do nothing to the hardness, and make the water a pretty brown color. But that's it, IMHO. No "magic bullet." No "add this and you've gone Orinoco!"

Nope. Like everything else, if it sounds too cool to be true, it usually is. 

You could utilize acid solutions to drop the pH reliably and with precision verifiable by testing. That's a little more serious proposition, but entirely doable. And it is something many hobbyists have done. You can do some research online and find out about this. However, trying to do it the "natural" way is imprecise, subject to many variables (as re-hased above), and unpredictable for the most part.

I sort of like that aspect.

Botanical-style aquariums are not "plug-and-play", "set-and-forget" systems. They are individual, unique, and highly dynamic closed microcosms which require continuous observation and maintenance- like any aquarium. 

Yet, for all of these caveats, I've found blackwater, botanical-style aquariums to be some of the most stable, dynamic, and easy to maintain aquariums I've ever kept, one you get them dialed in. 

Yet, in todays internet-fuled hobby, the misconceptions- good and bad- continue.

So, let's get that thinking out of our heads once and for all. Yes, you can use botanicals to influence the pH of your water if the carbonate hardness is minimal. They can and will impart humic substances and tannins into the water. They will color the water. How much and to what extent is something that is simply unpredictable. 

This is no different than the practice of peat filtration to lower pH of water, which has been preferred by hobbyists for decades. There never was any definite study or  lab testing done to know just how much peat per gallon would influence the pH by "x"...again, this idea of utilizing natural materials to influence the aquarium environment, although not new, has always been as much of an "art" as it is a "science." 

You will perhaps develop over time a technique to get your water conditions "roughly" where you want them, but that takes trial and error, replication of process, and lots of patience! Utilizing botanicals for water chemistry manipulation is NOT an exact science at this point. Sure, we can monitor pH and alkalinity, even test for the presence of tannins. However, what does it mean if there are "x" ppm of "tannins" in your water? There are three main classes of tannins, but literally hundreds of types.

Okay, before you get all depressed and think this is all for not, there's good news. The work we've done with botanical materials in our aquariums has yielded a different type of "measurable" result: Noticeable increase in color, vitality, overall health, and yes- spawning behavior and egg viability in species which come from soft, acidic blackwater conditions in nature.

We have to remind ourselves that, even with our best efforts, and considerable water testing, that at best, any aquarium is merely a facsimile of a natural ecosystem. If you're utilizing botanicals in your aquariums, you're doing "something." And that "something" is generally recreating some of the environmental parameters found in the natural habitats of our fishes. we just may not be able to measure exactly what that "something" is.

Shit. Right? 

Not perfect. Not even close. But way better than throwing our wild-collected Cardinal Tetras into our Los Angeles tapwater, right?

Yep.

For the first couple of years (okay, and continuing its today) of our existence here at Tannin, the biggest concern I have had is encouraging aquarists to utilize botanicals carefully, and to understand that in addition to the aforementioned potential pH impact, they can and will add bio-load to the water, requiring sufficient nutrient export mechanisms (ie; biological filtration, use of chemical filtration media, and manual husbandry practices, like water exchanges) to handle the materials being added into your closed ecosystem.

Adding too many botanicals too quickly is a bad idea, as we've discussed numerous times in this blog. There is absolutely no reason to rush and dump the entire contents of your "Geo Pack" into your 40-gallon aquarium at once and not expect potentially bad outcomes. What happens to your biological filtration when you add 200 fishes to your 40-gallon tank at one time? Bad shit, that's what happens. It gets overwhelmed as the bacteria struggle to catch up and break down the ensuing organic wastes. And as a  result, oxygen levels plummet, CO2 rises, nitrite and ammonia can increase...Big problems can ensue.

However, you know this already. It's "Aquarium Keeping 101."

So, I implore you as always to deploy patience, time, observation, and common sense when adding botanicals to any aquarium, particularly a  long-established one. This is not a "new thing" or some sudden warning we're releasing. We've been proffering this advice since day one of our operation, and will continue to push this practice of being careful forever.

It's just the common sense, responsible way to go!

Okay, now that I've probably shattered some perceptions for some, and maybe scared the living shit out of a few others, I want to encourage you to experiment responsibly with botanicals, as you have been doing for the three years we've been around- and as aquarists have for the better part of a century before.

Although sometimes frustratingly imprecise and as much of an "art" as it is a science, the "New Botanical" movement- yeah, I'm calling it a "movement"- is ripe for experimentation, innovation, and breakthrough. It's already yielded some amazing results for many, and the future is really exciting! Everyone is more -or-less on equal footing here, with the capacity to contribute to the state of the art to what has always been an exciting, yet misunderstood  frontier in the aquarium hobby. 

Aquariums "under the influence" of botanicals are fascinating, aesthetically pleasing, and biologically promising systems that will continue to yield interesting results for decades to come. Now is the time to experiment. To strive. To observe. To test. To progress.

Stay excited. Stay fascinated. Stay skeptical. Stay careful. Stay bold...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Yes, stereotypes are kind of bad...but hey...

As an armchair philosopher, relentless self-appointed "classifier",  and commentator about all things "aquarium", occasionally (okay, more than "occasionally", but who's counting?) I like to examine us crazy people who make up the hobby we love so much.

Who cares if I have no formal psychological training, and am grumpy, presumptuous, and often way off in my assessments of stuff…Fact is, I AM a keen observer of the aquarium-keeping world, and with my dual powers of assumption and opinion, I can make uncannily accurate anecdotal observations and defend them vehemently, regardless of any obvious inaccuracy presented…Hey, I think I’m describing a large chunk of the aquarium-keeping population to a ’T”, but, at the end of the day, that’s what I am- an opinionated hobbyist/businessman with a strong cup of coffee, a consistent blogging habit, some dedicated readers, an internet connection, and a new MacBook Pro…Yikes.

This has trouble written all over it!

Whatever.

Today, ladies and gentlemen, I offer my head on the chopping block yet again, as I present to you a very brief synopsis of some of the aforementioned anecdotal conclusions that I’ve made after years of being immersed in the aquarium-keeping world. Of course, there are my opinions, and for those of you who are offended by the rather broad strokes I’m painting, you can certainly feel free to add to this “open source” summary- in fact, I insist on it.

Todays topic can more or less be summarized as, “What you can tell about a hobbyist without even talking to him/her.”

Seriously, over the years, I think that I’ve made enough observations of hobbyists to make some general conclusions about them without even having to talk to them! And let’s be honest- so have you, but intelligence, tact and decorum have prohibited you from summarizing your observations. I, on the other hand, have no need to adhere to such stringent social restrictions- I’ll speak my mind here and duck the incoming "pot shots" that are no doubt headed my way.  

Yes, this is kind of politically incorrect- I’m literally collating and perpetuating stereotypes- a cultural no-no! But it IS kind of fun…and true in many cases. If you care to join in, I’ve got your back..Here are just a few of the hundreds of observations and stereotypes I have examined to date:

Reef Hobbyists with "frag racks" in their tanks:  Of course, I HAVE to go after my reefer brethren...I mean, it's almost too easy. These guys are just chronic collectors…They can’t get enough of new corals, and, unfortunately, they don’t have enough space on their reef structure to properly mount more frags. Ever seen this? If you hang around reefers, you have. It's the aquatic equivalent of a downtown Hong Kong residential area!

Taking a page from urban planners, they go vertical. They employ whatever means possible to continue to perpetuate their obsession. And that's actually commendable. Funny. But commendable! Generally adaptable, “can-do” kinds of people who want what they want- when they want it. And, judging by the amount of frags on the market, and the number of tanks with frag racks in them- they want a lot! As a reefer and former reef livestock propagator/vendor, I can sort of laugh at them- but they did keep me financially comfortable! So I salute you, "frag hoarders!"

Hobbyists with large Pleco collections: These people would seriously put them on a leash and take them to the mall if they could. They see Plecos in an almost anthropomorphic” manner, ascribing “personality” traits to them.  And I get that. Some of them are amazing!  And they always have like 15 varieties of them...ever noticed that? And they're usually really skilled breeders, too!

As much as we’d like to classify some Pleco lovers as “crazy cat ladies” and such, we all feel this way about Plecos, and have to admit that we see a lot of ourselves in them…These people definitely rock.

“High end” shrimp collectors:  The closest thing freshwater has to "frag fanatics", these are these hobbyists who, to us "outsiders", simply love to name drop. In actuality, they’re experts on these little animals.  An "expert" can be described as someone who "knows more and more about less and less"- highly focused. I mean, when you talk to a shrimp person, they know every name, every morph, and everything happening in the world of these animals. It's pretty impressive!

On the surface, you’d be tempted to just call them a bunch of name-dropping, clique-ish "joiners", but they are way more than that. There is a serious culture in this crowd. They really know their craft...and are excited to share their knowledge with others. Make friends with these people, because they are the ones who will help you settle that bet with your buddies about wether or not you have the real “King Kong Pandas” and not the run-of-the-mill “Crystal Reds”  or whatever. Oh, and you might just learn a thing or two about some incredible creatures, too!

Hobbyists who name their fish: Okay, these are people like me, who couldn't have dogs and cats growing up because they were allergic, so they grow fond of their fishes and treat them like true pets! What’s wrong with that?

Oh sure, the hardcore pseudo-scientist fish geek would say that “Sparky” is just a male Altolamprologus compressiceps, or whatever, but they don’t understand all of the subtle nuances of his behavior that make him so endearing. I submit that people who name their fishes are really keen observers of their charges, and are incredibly diligent- if not a bit sentimental, hobbyists. They fully expect these animals to live or exceed natural life spans in their tanks, and will do everything possible to enable that.

How can we argue with that kind of effort, right?

Super gadget-loving hobbyists: You know the type. Every club has one- the guy that knows how to plumb, wire and program every new gadget that comes down the line. He/she is that rare combination of DIY-er, self-starter, survivalist, and joiner. We NEED these people to tell us how to program dosing pumps, conceive exotic overflow mods, and push and prod us into embracing automation.

He or she has had more than one tank crash, at least one aquarium-related homeowner’s insurance claim, and a healthy balance on his/her credit card, but this is the person you go to for cool stuff. And the best thing about these engineering "Pied Pipers" is that they LOVE to help fellow hobbyists with stuff. Partially because they are maxed out on their credit cards, and can’t get more gadgets themselves, and partially because they love to share.  These folks are everything that's great about the aquarium hobby!

Good stuff.

Aquatic plant enthusiasts: These folks are the "reefers” of the freshwater aquarium world, for sure. (Notice I keep using reef keeping as a reference point? Weird, huh?) They will explore every angle, learn every methodology, examine every product, try any device that will help them create the ultimate collection. Obsessive to the point of being near fanatics, plant lovers occupy a rare niche in the aquarium-keeping world. They have their own language, ritual, technique, and code of ethics.

You can put two plant lovers from different parts of the world together, and within minutes, they will find common ground, probably waxing philosophical about arcane topics like which potassium supplement is best, or the merits of Estimative Index versus the “El Natural”, or what species that Bucephelandra morph you see on Instagram really is. These are some of the hardest of the hardcore hobbyists, many of whom have spent countless amounts of time, money, and risk in pursuit of the ultimate underwater garden. How can you not love these people?

Nano tank keepers: People who may have started with tiny tanks out of practical necessity, and then came to realize that playing with tiny tanks is engaging, challenging, and pretty cool. In short, highly curious, generally meticulous, and very dedicated hobbyists. “Macro hobbyists” would be so content to just write them off as kooks who just like to make something challenging even more difficult- but these people are so much more than that.

While learning the secrets of making their little “slices of the bottom” work, they’ve stumbled on one truism in the aquarium-keeping world that we all must respect: If you can maintain a successful nano tank, you’ll easily be able to handle a much larger aquarium. And, content in their little world, nano tank keepers are the rugged individualists, the innovators, the nerdy “Steve Jobs-esque” outlaws, who pioneer new ideas just...because they enjoy it- not for some recognition or the hope of greater glory heaped upon them by the aquarium world. Whew, “cool” is just one word that comes to mind to describe them…

Aquatic Industry Vendors: Ok, I can vouch for this one. We’re essentially crazy hobbyists who managed to justify our hobby obsession by creating a business out of it. Risk-taking, quick-thinking entrepreneurs who, as one expression goes, seek to “make a small fortune while spending a large one” doing what they love.

Cautious, often calculating, and sometimes just a bit whacky, we are one part crack dealer, one part life coach, and one part fish buddy…It’s a strange combo that somehow works. Hey, at the end of the day, we get to play with aquarium stuff and actually file a tax return that confirms that this is what we do for a living. Not a bad thing, if we use our position in the aquarium world for good.

Okay, whatever.

Seahorse fanatics: Kind of , um...different. ‘Nuff said. Really. I'll leave it at that. If you know any, you'll know what I mean. 😍

Marine fish breeders: People that deserve our respect and gratitude. Most tirelessly undertake exotic breeding projects costing them a lot of money, spending a lot of time, and creating some water damage in their homes, selflessly trying to unlock the secrets of this challenging new frontier.

They deserve way more credit than we occasionally give them, and are certainly more than just fish geeks with lots of small tanks in their basements. This is difficult stuff. They are on the "bleeding edge" of innovation in the aquarium hobby, and their tireless work may very well offer the key to the future of the marine aquarium hobby. Support these people- they really deserve it. Okay, they are a little bit geeky, however…

General observations: We are all geeks. Don’t believe me? Go to any aquarium conference. It’s basically "Comic-Con" without the costumes. Yeah, we are geeks.

But cool ones. 

Really cool ones.

That’s a stereotype worth perpetuating.

I’m sure you have some of your own observations…Let’s hear ‘em.



Until next time…

Stay geeky. Stay creative. Stay unique. Stay proud...

And stay wet.



Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics

"The hobby's "Golden Age?"

Ahh, time to reflect a bit.

I remember as a kid, growing up in the late seventies/early eighties, I read a lot of aquarium books. My dad, who was also a lifelong fish geek (we had three aquariums in the living room- some of my earliest childhood memories were of pressing my nose against an aquarium!), had a pretty extensive library of fish books. And most of his books were from the late fifties through mid sixties, what many hobby historians would refer to as the hobby's "Golden Age."

Why was this? 

Well, for one thing, there was incredible access to new fishes. With the advent of fast air transport (ie; the "Jet Age"), fishes from remote locales in South America, Asia, and Africa could be sent to North America and Europe in a day, meaning less stress, and more possibilities.

There was an exploding international fish scene, with Europe, Asia, and North America hosting exhibitions, speciality shows, etc. I remember my dad telling me about a big Guppy show in Germany, with entrants from all over the world. This was something that was unthinkable a generation before; it just wasn't practical.

Technology was accelerating, too! The development of under gravel filters, more reliable electronic heaters, frozen and freeze-dried foods heralded new breakthroughs for those interested in keeping and breeding unusual fishes. Though we may laugh at some of the developments now, back in those days, it was pretty hardcore! 

And of course, communication was changing. Although it's really hard to imagine a "pre-internet world", the hobby magazines and books of the day were super-important, as they were the sole means to tie together the globally far-flung hobby, much as the internet does today- albeit a lot more slowly! This was important, because you had areas of the world, and in the U.S.- areas of the country, such as NewYork/New Jersey, which were "hotbeds" of hobby activity and development.

Oh, and fish farms were becoming a viable and important industry in Florida. Mass production of aquarium fishes made them more accessible and less expensive than ever, making it possible for people who had never kept tropical fishes before to easily find them at their local pet shop. It was a huge development.

Yeah, a real "Golden Age!"

So much of what we've been working with; practices we've developed, and fishes we love came from that era. The influence has been huge.

I'm sure a lot of old-timers may argue this one with me, but I think that the freshwater hobby went into a sort of "flattened" period of development in the early seventies, with fewer dynamic breakthroughs and developments occurring. Oh, sure, there were technique changes (many brought about by the newer fishes and technological developments of the late sixties), but the fast pace seemed to have slowed down a bit...

As a child, I remember seeing a lot of aquatic plants starting to show up...Not the crazy-unusual ones we have today; not rare cultivars...just lots of different plants with better quality. I think it was the very late seventies when I noticed that plants were becoming a real "thing", at least in my world of suburban Los Angeles aquarium stores! And cichlids. Lots of cichlids. However, not much else stands out for me during that time...

The eighties brought a lot of changes to our world, and to the hobby. In addition to my bleached hair and cool clothing, I started hearing more about this thing called the "mini-reef..."

Yeah, people in Germany (where all aquarium trends seemed to start!) were now keeping aquariums with "living rock" and some...live corals...

BOOM!

Game on.

We were "off to the races" shortly after that! The saltwater side of the hobby exploded, with a new generation of "filters"- the so-caleld "wet/dry" filters, better protein skimmers, surface overflow weirs, and foods. Oh, and soft corals.

Throughout the rest of the eighties and nineties, the reef world WAS the aquarium hobby, at least to many people. There wasn't a month that went by when you didn't see some new derivation of the wet/dry, or a new pump, filter, lighting, etc. that promised (and in many cases, delivered) amazing results at keeping animals previously not thought possible! 

I remember, for the first time, people were coming into the aquarium hobby- the reef side- without ever having kept freshwater! That was crazy weird to me- a kid who grew up being able to keep Hygrophila as easily as Sinularia. The era of hobby specialization seemed to be in full bloom. Oh, and this thing called the "information superhighway" was real, it was growing, and it made spreading information and ideas insanely fast!

There was no stopping things now.

I jumped headlong into the "ground floor" opportunities that awaited anyone who forked over the cash for a "reef aquarium", Actinic 03 light bulbs,  and some livestock. Every day was a new lesson- a new development. And being able to share your triumphs, tragedies, frustrations, and everyday efforts online made everyone feel so much more connected.

A "Golden Age?" 

Yeah, I think so.

Although I maintained a freshwater tank during that time, I remember the feeling that it was just sort of "there." Like, freshwater was always there. And you didn't really feel the same...I dunno- excitement, maybe- when you thought about freshwater. I mean, African cichlids were cool. All sorts of captive-bred variants of Barbs and Tetras were neat...but...live corals!  Yeah.

And the gap between the freshwater world and the reef world was widening at a very perceptible rate. It seems like not only were new "reef-centric" brands popping up, but the "legacy brands" were pouring R&D money into this exploding world, developing more accessible, "reef-capable" products.

Meanwhile, my perception- and to be honest, many of the crew I ran with in those days, was that the freshwater part of the hobby was...well- just sort of "there." I mean, there were some new fishes showing up. Some amazing spawning occurrences. Some of the reef technology was going into a sort of  "reverse-trickle down" into the freshwater world, such as better pumps, lighting, and in some instances, overflow weirs and sumps.

But, yeah. Freshwater was the aquarium equivalent of the pickup truck. Reliable. Strong. And basically unchanged in format, save a few cosmetic touches and some technological changes, from how it was a generation before.

It seemed to me that every time I met a hardcore freshwater person, not only were they...well "old" (LOL, I laugh now...), but they were just...set in their ways. Like, "This is how we've done it for years. We don't need all that gadgetry and flash to keep and breed our fishes...We like it here." 

And that was cool, I suppose. And, in all fairness, the freshwater world prized technique over "toys"- which I have always- and still do- respect enormously. But I couldn't help but feel a bit sad. I mean, the hobby of my childhood was sort of locked in a "time warp." And highly resistant to the new stuff. And some of this attitude lives on is some parts to this day. It was, and occasionally is- inexplicable to me how people have become so resistant to change or new ideas in the freshwater world. 

I mean, it wasn't all that long ago that you'd see posts of forums asking if LED light really was any good for growing aquatic plants...when we were growing the living shit out of high-light-loving Acropora and other stony Corals on a commercial level with that technology! Customized intensities, special qualities- even weather patterns could be programmed, which you'd think would have hardcore FW people just drooling to jump on them!

Crickets.

We were on like 5th-generation LED in the reef world before you even saw a single FW hobbyist try one over planted tank. It was insane. No one wanted to look over the damn "salinity line!" It was like, "Oh, those trendy reefers and their gear!" or "Reef keeping is too complex!" Or, "Nitrate, phosphate, trace elements, specific gravity...it's a high school science nightmare all over again!"

Ever kept a "high-tech" planted aquarium before? Enough said. 

People seemed to want to take some kind of "stand."  And I think...I beleive- that the freshwater world sort of developed a bit of a chip on its collective shoulder. I honestly don't know why. My theory was that there was a definite "age gap" and you had a lot of older hobbyists not wanting to let go and open up their minds to stuff..And the "tribe" of newer freshwater hobbyists just fell in line...

And that's how it went for a while. The reef hobby was this shiny new object, "Netfilx", if you will-and the freshwater world was like... cable television. Reliable, plugging along, occasionally throwing out a surprise or two.

And then, a funny thing happened on the way to status quo.

This dude in Japan named Takashi Amano started sharing pictures and ideas about what he called the "Nature Aquarium" concept. A new way of looking at growing and arranging plants in aquariums. He was an artist, and brought technique, philosophy, and concept to the game, merging it with design, technology, and a way of looking at the world.

Seemingly overnight, a spark of life was injected into the freshwater world. New approaches. New ideas. And a burgeoning interest in shaking things up! And the internet was there in full maturity, helping to spread these new ideas. Suddenly, everything that may have been old was new again...New approaches to older ideas started cropping up. The era of biotope aquariums, advanced fish breeding, and high concept freshwater tanks was here!

Oh, and LED lighting, too!

Now, you still see some artifacts of the "stubbornness" that I attribute uniquely to the freshwater world: Resistance to some ideas, and insane, almost nagging clinging to a certain style or "trend" that seems to pervade everuything...yeah, I'm calling out you diorama-loving, beach-scene creating, path-through-the-"fairy -forest"- moss-tree-covering competition aquascapers. Enough already. You have such insane skill. Please apply it to break some new ground!

Okay, off my soap box on that one. Can't wait to see the hate mail.

And hey- the reef world can be pretty stubborn. Pretty annoying, and ridiculously trendy, too. I know, because I co-owned what was debatably one of the hottest coral propagator/vendors in the world for a few years...And I got kind of sick of it, myself. The world of trendy, "named" coral frags, selling for trendy, breathtaking prices, the excessive reliance on over-the-top" tank builds, gadgets and lack of fundamental technique that was creeping in, and some of the lame "sameness" that I'm so critical of in the "pro" aquascaping scene.

Although it's not completely true, a lot of "dumb money" has entered some aspects of the reef world, without a thought about developing technique and pushing the frontiers with new ideas. People just want to drop mad coin without bothering to think long-term and in a more "macro" way. You have people entering into the reef hobby, dropping enough on their tanks to buy a new BMW, and then flaming out in months in a haze of hair algae, RTN, and controller-programming nightmares. 

"Champagne problems?" Well, maybe.

When I finally had enough of the commercial side of the reef world and sort of retuned to my roots by launching Tannin Aquatics, my decades-long foray into a crazy-cool biotope-inspired aquatic niche was finally ready to roll out to the world. 

And I admit, there was plenty of resistance from some corners. My ideas were not entirely new. People had been playing with leaves and stuff for a long time. However,  I realized that no one really developed the concept and elevated/obsessed on it like I did. I couldn't wait to share my obsession with the freshwater world.

I was a nobody in the FW world, with little "cred" in serious FW circles; and dropping reef names, conferences that I spoke at, my list of reef superstar friends, or my insane coral warehouse and reef tanks meant nothing. As it should have! I had to scratch, claw, and earn my place in a tiny sector of the freshwater world. Had to demonstrate that I wasn't someone just trying to exploit the hobby with some crazy ideas.

But it's different now. We've evolved. Developed a community. There is far more interest in new stuff. A letting go of old habits. A questioning of long-held beliefs..and an urge to advance the hobby that I hadn't seen before in the freshwater world. I can't tell you how many of my reef keeping friends are jumping in to blackwater aquariums. And how many freshwater friends are building great reef tanks...It's super exciting now!

And, don't get me wrong...There ARE plenty of amazing reef people doing cutting edge work who hate all of the aforementioned stuff. And, along with their new-gen freshwater counterparts, they're creating a new "Golden Age" of the aquarium hobby!

"Crossover technique" is starting to trickle in..and not just in the gear side. We have reefers doing biotope tanks and applying "Iwagumi" rock scapes to their tanks. We have freshwater planted tank enthusiasts trying a out a reef tank with nutritive substrates and lighting manipulations... It's starting to get pretty amazing! 

How fortunate am I to have lived in an age where I have been able to witness, participate in, and play a part in evolving some of the developments in the aquarium hobby over the past few decades!

What was the point of this self-indulgent, semi-biographic romp down a wet and soggy "Memory Lane?"  

I think it was to demonstrate how the hobby has evolved, will continue to evolve, and how it's never been easier to literally change the world. The internet makes it possible to spread new ideas, kill old, outmoded thoughts, collaborate with others, validate ideas, and develop friendships as never before. It's changed everything.

It's still changing.

And each and every one of us bring our lifetime of experience into the game, helping to advance the hobby in directions previously forgotten- or even unimaginable.

It truly is a "Golden Age."

And I'm pretty excited to be a part of it. I'm sure that you are, too.

Stay open-minded. Stay creative. Stay excited. Stay collaborative...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Gathering leaves, fighting ignorance, and fostering a movement...

As a vendor proffering the use of natural materials in our aquariums, it's important now and then that we look at stuff you can do on your own. 

Huh?

Well, yeah, even though I earn my living selling you botanical materials we source from around the world, I'd be totally remiss if I didn't occasionally bring up the fact that you can collect some of your own! (I Know, this isn't the first time we've talked about this...) In fact, I encourage you to do it once in a while!

Really.

This is more about me wanting to foster a botanical-style, blackwater/brackish aquarium movement- helping grow a concept- than it is about me trying to be the worldwide dominating purveyor of "leaves and twigs." 

And inevitably, as happened recently, someone feels compelled to "point out" that you can grab your own sometimes, as if we weren't aware of that. It happened recently, in fact, which prompted me to brush off this topic and roll it out yet again. I had some schmuck make the obvious and asinine comment on a Facebook post that "...all of the stuff you sell can be collected in your backyard. Do you think people are stupid?" 

Um, not really.

In fact, I felt that he was the only stupid one...I mean, the guy really thought that I was in this "ignorance bubble" where he felt that I was sitting in some office laughing at everyone who purchases botanicals from me, and that he was "exposing" me as if I were running some scam...Did this guy ever even bother to visit our site, read one of our blogs, follow our community? 

Nah. Easier to just make some absurd comment than to do any homework.

Yes, I admit that the comment was so lame as to trigger those typical instinctive  "%&^*% you ignorant moron!" responses, which I thankfully withheld. It's never good to explode in public, lol. (says the guy who/s writing about it now!)

I mean, maybe the guy's absurdity was applicable to some people. Maybe some guys who sell botanical materials think that you can sucker people into stuff, and that their leaves are somehow the only ones out there? I don't know, because I don't look at it that way. I'd like to think that most of us who sell botanical materials for aquarium use are (well, I am, anyways) keenly aware that you can collect some of this stuff yourself.. I encourage you to do so when you can. 

I get it, I suppose... Some people like to think that they're playing the role of self-appointed "crusading consumer advocate" or something. And of course, the counter-argument goes like this: You can also grow your own vegetables, hunt your own meat, sew your own clothing, build your own laptop, drive yourself to the airport, breed your own cichlids, make your own fish food, etc...It's a function of convenience as much as it is about anything else. If you want to spend your weekends slogging through forests, jungles, whatever and collect some stuff yourself, go for it! It's actually fun! 

However, if you're in a Nordic climate, big city, or other situation where you don't have easy access to stuff like Mangrove leaves, Kachnar Tree Pods, "Savu Pods", Catappa Bark, etc., we'd hope that you'd consider purchasing from us. I'd like to think that our support of the aquatic community, clubs, events, magazines, and the resources we've created on this page (some 600 or so blogs and growing now) would at least make you think of us before that guy on eBay! 

So, yeah...enough about that. As you know, I like to share "stuff" with you- our community- so I hope you don't belittle me sharing my opinions, lol. And I worry that there are many of you who want to start different kinds of aquatic businesses and are intimidated by the occasional criticisms and attacks you might face from time to time. It's okay, you can handle it.

Back to the point...

TAKEAWAY: You can use leaves and botanicals which you can collect yourself. 

We have a lot of people ask us if they can use "such and such" a leaf or seed pod, or whatever they collected nearby -in their aquarium. And quite frankly, for many items, my thinking is that you should give them a try...conditionally.

"Woah, he's advocating collecting your own stuff? Doesn't he have a business? What? Why would he do that?"

Well, those of you who follow us know that we've been encouraging this from day one. This idea of collecting your own leaves and such is nothing new...people have been collecting various leaves and other botanicals for years. 

Just a few things to do before you hit the woods...your backyard, local park, or wherever...

First off, you should get an identification about the item(s) you're collecting. You can either look 'em up online ("Did you know that there's now this incredible web page on the 'information superhighway' called Google! It can get you answers for lots of stuff quickly! Try it next time you're on the world wide web!") or purchase a nice field guide to plants native to your region.

Sarcasm aside, there is no excuse for not doing your homework here.

The first, and perhaps most important of these aforementioned  "conditions" is that the plant you're thinking of trying is not a known toxic plant to humans or animals. Yeah, I know we're talking about fishes, but this is really a consideration. If something is known to be generally poisonous, I'd steer clear. You'll need to do your homework online, or speak with a botanist or someone well-versed in the native flora of your region if you're not sure.

The other "condition" with a lot of self collected botanical items is that they are not sourced from areas with agricultural pesticides, serious pollution, etc. In other words, if their not subjected to contaminants where they sit. You know, laying on oily highways, or fallen into obviously polluted water, etc.

Many items are easy picking, and have proven to be safe and useful almost year-round.

For example, Alder Cones and Birch Cones, which are found in many parts of North America and Europe, are perfectly safe to use, as long as they are from the aforementioned clean areas, and are properly prepared for use.

And then, of course, the leaves...

Oak trees of various types yield nice leaves that, when dried, have been a mainstay of hobbyists in North America and Europe or years, as have been Beech and even Alder. They work great in aquariums, in my experience, although my biggest personal "complaint" about some of them is that they look...exactly like Oak leaves...not the sort of aesthetic you're looking for in a tropical South American, African, or Southeast Asian aquascape! However, some of the ones we call "Live Oak" are actually amazing...to the point where we began offering them recently (and our community loves 'em!)!

And, this brings us to our third "condition" which applies specifically to leaves. When you collect these leaves, it's important to collect naturally fallen leaves, ones which have depleted their stores of sugar and are already sort of brown and crispy. This being Autumn and all in the Northern Hempishere, the timing couldn't be better for this kind of fun!

Yeah, "dried and crispy" is the call here.

My one exception is for Magnolia leaves.

While you can use them nice and crispy, I personally prefer them when they're recently fallen and not quite dried up. In this particular state, they're not only more attractive, I think they tend to last a bit longer and prepare better...and they recruit biofilms nicely!

And, just like the botanical materials you'd purchase from us or other sources (Really? You'd still do that after all of the free information I offer daily? Arrghhh...😂), you need to employ common sense, an abundance of caution, and take the time to prepare them before utilizing in an aquarium. No different than what we preach daily, right? And of course, test and add things very slowly, knowing that there are always risks associated with adding any botanicals to your aquariums, regardless of source. 

So yeah, it's quite possible to grab some of your own stuff and enjoy it in your aquariums. No mystery here. Just like breeding your own fish or collecting your own Daphnia...there are some guidelines, techniques, and processes to be aware of, but that's about it.

Nothing really new here, right? Put on the boots, grab the insect repellant, set out, and have fun! 

Identify, verify, collect, prepare, test...enjoy.

Stay adventurous. Stay intrigued. Stay cautious. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

The beauty of imperfection and the sadness of transience...

Monday is a bit early in the week to get into one of those deep philosophical discussions, but I couldn't help myself today. I recently had one of those hardcore fish discussions with an old friend who is as much a philosopher as he is an aquarist..Real "Obi-Wan Kenobi"-type.

We all know a hobbyists like him, huh? 

And during our long-winded discussion, we talked about the ideas of aquariums reflecting nature, and how a good segment of the hobby has been chasing a sort of interpretation of nature for the last 15-20 years or so, but somehow falling a bit short. Aesthetic-wise, our systems have never been more beautiful. However, to my friend, he felt something was lacking.

Couldn't quite place it.

I think I know what it is. Really.

It's "Wabi-Sabi" again. Something that's been on my mind a lot lately.

In it's most simplistic and literal form,the Japanese philosophy of "Wabi Sabi" is an acceptance and contemplation of the imperfection, constant flux and impermanence of all things.

This is a very interesting philosophy, one which has been embraced in aquascaping circles by none other than the late, great, Takashi Amano, who proferred that a planted aquarium is in constant flux, and that one needs to contemplate, embrace, and enjoy the sweet sadness of the transience of life.

Many of Amano's greatest works embraced this philosophy, and evolved over time as various plants would alternately thrive, spread and decline, re-working and reconfiguring the aquascape with minimal human intervention. Each phase of the aquascape's existence brought new beauty and joy to those would observe them.

Yet, in today's contest-scape driven, break-down-the-tank-after the show world, this philosophy of appreciating change by nature over time seems to have been tossed aside as we move on to the next 'scape.

Now, when we talk about the use of natural materials in our aquatic hardscape, such as the use of leaves and softer aquatic botanicals, which begin to degrade after a few weeks submerged, one can really understand the practicalities of this philosophy. It could be argued, perhaps, that the use of botanicals in an aquarium are the very essence of what "Wabi Sabi" is about.

I think a slightly different approach is warranted. 

A carefully constructed hardscape, IMHO, should have some more or less "permanent" things, like rocks and driftwood, complemented and enhanced by "degradable" items, such as Catappa, Guava, and other leaves, as well as the "softer" pods and such, which not only offer enhanced aesthetics- they offer enrichment of the aquatic habitat through their release of tannins, humic acids, vitamins, etc. as they decompose- just as they do in nature.

Leaves and such are simply not permanent additions to our 'scapes, and if we wish to enjoy them in their more "intact" forms, we will need to replace them as they start to break down. 

This is not a bad thing.

It is simply how to use them to create a specific aesthetic in a permanent aquarium display. Much like flowers in a garden, leaves will have a period of time where they are in all their glory, followed by the gradual, inevitable encroachment of biological decay. At this phase, you may opt to leave them in the aquarium to enrich the environment further and offer a new aesthetic, or you can remove and replace them with fresh leaves and botanicals. This very much replicates the process which occur in nature, doesn't it?

With the publishing of photos and videos of leave-influenced 'scapes in the past few years, there has been much interest and more questions by hobbyists who have not really considered these items in an aquascape before. This is really cool, because new people with new ideas and approaches are experimenting.  And we're looking at nature as never before. We're celebrating the real diversity and appearance of natural habitats as they really are...

Some hobbyists have commented that, as their leaves and botanicals break down and the scape as initially presented changes significantly over time. They know it or not, they are grasping "Wabi-Sab"i...sort of. One must appreciate the beauty at various phases to really grasp the concept and appreciate it. To find little vignettes- little moments- of fleeting beauty that need not be permanent to enjoy.

Some people just "don't get it", and proffer that this is simply sloppy, not thought-out, and seemingly random. I recall vividly one critic on a Facebook forum, who, observing a recent botanical-inspired aquascape created by another hobbyist, commented that the 'scape looked like "...someone just threw in some pods and leaves in a random fashion.." 

Yeah, this guy actually described the aesthetic to a certain (although unsophisticated) degree...but he couldn't get past the look, and therefore concluded it was, "...haphazard, sloppy, and not thought out."

A shame. I think if he glanced at a natural habitat and then looked at the tank again, he'd gain a new appreciation.

But on the other hand, that was the charm and beauty of such a conceptual work. The seemingly random, transient nature of such an aquascape, with leaves deposited as in nature by currents, tidal flows, etc., settling in unlikely areas within the hardscape.

Not everyone likes this nor appreciates it. And that's perfectly fine. It's not the "best" way to run a tank. Just "a way."

Regardless of how you choose to manage a system with leaves and non-permanent aquatic botanicals, you can enjoy the beauty of their "Wabi Sabi" existence.

The real beauty is that there are no real "rules" when conceiving such a 'scape, other than the biological aspects of decomposition and water chemistry, which are the real factors that dictate just how the aquascape will ultimately evolve. Accepting this inevitable change and imperfection is the very essence- and beauty- of the "Wabi-Sabi" principle, IMHO.

Stay open to new ideas, experiences, and interpretations. Look to nature as a key influence in your designs...Share your revelations with other hobbyists. Enjoy the benefits of such experiments...

Stay enthralled. Stay creative. Stay open-minded. Stay intrigued...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Sands, soils, and supplements...a quick look at the world of "functionally aesthetic substrates..."

I admit...I'm not a horticulturist or aquatic plant specialist. I have a really great terrestrial garden at home, and I admire aquarium plants. So I suppose that may qualify me to talk about aquarium substrates today! 😂

(Worst "stretch" in history, for sure- even for me!)

Specifically, I'm fascinated by alternative substrates in our aquariums.  Not just for plants, mind you, but for creating more realistic representations of what we find in nature...We've talked a lot about the composition of substrates within the waters of the natural habitats we love so much. And I keep coming back to it. I played around with this idea a lot in my brackish water aquarium, and it's fascinating...and fun!

Now, like 90% of the aquarium world, I love many of the substrates offered by commercial manufacturers. I love them a lot. And trust me, if I wasn't hell-bent on my botanical-style aquarium segment, I'd be like 100% substrates. Nothing else. Seriously! Shipping would, of course, kill me, and it would be heavy, back-breaking work, and..

Okay, digressing. A lot. Back to the topic at hand.

SO, gravels and sands are cool; they form the backbone of the aquarium substrate category. There are so many coming out these days it's hard to keep track of. Specifically in the planted tank and shrimp arenas, substrates have been developed with specific needs in mind.

Cool stuff.

What has been lacking, IMHO, is development by manufactures of substrates based on the the materials found  in wild niche habitat, like flooded forests, seasonal streams, rivers, etc.- where so many of our fishes actually come from.  I think it's an area where we as hobbyists can make some real strides! 

Consider natural waters and the impact of the substrate. In rivers, such as the Amazon, Rio Xingu, or Orinoco, you'll find materials that originate in the mountains and highlands, and gradually work their way downstream, influencing the aquatic environment chemically, physically, and geographically. 

The materials are influenced by the currents and water movement, tend to "sort themselves out", and re-organize over time. To simulate this dynamic, it pays to do a little research on the specific environment that you're looking to replicate. Some parts of the Amazon, for example, are replete with larger particles of material, with a covering of fine sand.

The first recorded observations of bed material of the Amazon River were made in 1843 by Lt William Lewis Herndon of the US Navy, when he travelled the river from its headwaters to its mouth, sounding its depths, and noting the nature  of particles caught in a heavy grease smeared to the bottom of his sounding weight. He reported the bed material of the river to be mostly sand and fine gravel. Oltman and Ames took samples at a few locations in 1963 and 1964, and reported the bed material at Óbidos, Brazil, to be fine sands, with median diameters ranging from 0.15 to 0.25 mm.

Interesting history..

If you've seen pictures and videos taken underwater in tropical streams (again, I'm pulling heavily from the Amazonian region), you'll note that there is a lot of loose, soil-like material over a harder mud/sand substrate. Obviously, using an entirely mud-based substrate in an aquarium, although technically possible- will result in a yucky mess whenever you disturb the material during routine maintenance and other tasks. You can, however, mix in some other materials with the more commonly found sand.

That was the whole thinking behind "Substrato Fino" and "Fundo Tropical", and "Pedacos de Fruta", three of our most popular substrate "enrichment" materials. They are perfect for helping to more realistically replicate both the look and function of the substrates found in some of these natural habitats. 

They are diverse harbors of life, ranging from fungal and biofilm mats, to algae, to epiphytic plants. Decomposing leaves, seed pods, and tree branches compose the substrate for a complex web of life which helps the fishes we're so fascinated by flourish. And, if you look at them objectively and carefully, they are beautiful.

I encourage you to study the natural environment, particularly niche habitats or areas of the streams, rivers, and lakes- and draw inspiration from the functionality of these zones. The aesthetic component will come together virtually by itself. And accepting the varied, diverse, not-quite-so-pritinh look of the "real thing" will give you a greater appreciation for the wonders of nature, and unlock new creative possibilities.

In regards to the substrate materials themselves, I'm fascinated by the different types of soils or substrate materials which occur in blackwater systems and their clearwater counterparts, and how they influence the aquatic environment. Keep in mind that many of the habitats we obsess over, like Amazonian "igapos" and "igarapes" are seasonally-inundated forest-floor features, so it goes without saying that the terrestrial soil composition and associated biomass have significant influence on the aquatic environments that emerge during the wet season.

In general, blackwaters originate from sandy soils. High concentrations of humic acids in the water are thought to occur in drainages with what scientists call "podzol" sandy soils. "Podzol" is a soil classification which describes  an infertile acidic soil having an "ashlike" subsurface layer from which minerals have been leached. That last part is interesting, and helps explain in part the absence of minerals in blackwater. And more than one hobbyist I know has played with the concept of "dirted" planted tanks, using terrestrial soils...hmmm.

Also interesting to note is that fact that soluble humic acids are adsorbed by clay minerals in what are known as "oxisol" soils, resulting in clear waters."Oxisol" soils are often classified as "laterite" soils, which some who grow plants are familiar with, known for their richness in iron and aluminum oxides. I'm no chemist, or even a planted tank geek..but aren't those important elements for aquatic plants? 

Yeah.

Interesting.

We have the terrestrial environment influencing the aquatic environment, and fishes that live in the aquatic environment influencing the terrestrial environment! This is really complicated stuff- and interesting! And the idea that terrestrial environments and materials influence aquatic ones- and vice-versa- is compelling and could be an interesting area to contemplate for us hobbyists! 

It already is, to some extent, as the whole idea of utilizing botanicals (from terrestrial sources) in our aquariums encompasses these processes. 

It's fascinating to contemplate the things that happen where soil, water, and fishes meet...

Damn, this shit's cool!

Lots to learn. Lots to think about. A lot to experiment with! More to play with! 

Stay open minded. Stay curious. Stay creative. Stay engaged. Stay excited...

And Stay Wet. 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics