August 06, 2015

What are these "aquatic botanicals" of which you speak?

What ARE "aquatic botanicals" that you hear us talk about?

Well, they're natural products (generally leaves, bark, wood, and seed pods) that are used for both decorative and environmental enrichment purposes in our aquariums. "You sell twigs and nuts!" as one of my reef keeping friends profoundly declared! I suppose he wasn't too far off, although I think that was a bit over-generalized, lol.

Many fishes (particularly South American fishes like Tetras, Cichlids and catfishes), as well as numerous African and Southeast Asian species (Gouramis, Bettas, etc.) benefit from the tannic acids and other substances released by these products into the water.

It has long been understood that there are actually some antifungal and possibly even antibacterial benefits to so-called "blackwater", resulting in healthier fishes and more viable spawns. Some animals, such as Plecos and even ornamental shrimp, service supplemental nutrition from grazing on these materials.

And of course, creating areas of "leaf litter" and microhabitats of seed pods, etc. create areas for these fishes to spawn, forage, and shelter- much like in nature. They flat-out look cool!

Tannin was launched because most of these items were extremely difficult to source for aquarium use, and I wanted to offer serious hobbyists, biotope lovers, and breeders the materials they need to practice their craft- all in one place.

Every botanical on the site is something that I have personally tested, used, and worked with in my own tanks. Our site offers detailed preparation and use information for every botanical we offer: http://tanninaquatics.com/pag…/aquatic-botancial-preparation, and we love to see new ways that these products have been incorporated into their aquariums!

Look for more and more cool botanicals to come your way in coming months! If you have any questions about the selection, preparation, or use of any of these items, just contact me!

Thanks for the amazing response to our site so far, and for making Tannin a part of your hobby world!

Scott