July 19, 2023

Recently, I've been fielding a lot of questions from new hobbyists.

Not just new to the botanical method aquarium world- new to the aquarium hobby altogether!

On first thought, my answer is, "Fuck, no! You have to understand the basics of the hobby first."

Ouch. A bit quick and decisive, right? And perhaps a bit contrary to the realities of what we do and experience with botanical method aquariums.

I mean, I've often touted how I feel that, once these systems are established, they are remarkably stable, relatively easy-to-maintain aquariums., right?

Of course, there are some real qualifiers here.

The first being, "After the system is established."

Establishing a botanical-method aquarium, blackwater, brackish, or otherwise- certainly requires some basic understanding of the principles of aquarium management. Specifically, the nitrogen cycle, an understanding of water quality assessment and management, and stocking.

You need to understand a little about the ecology of natural aquatic systems; how they function, evolve, and why the look the way that they do.

Yet, you CAN learn all of these things. You can google and study and even listen to our podcast and read our blog.

Facts. Processes. Techniques.

And then, there are some things you can't really "teach"- like patience. You need, well- a shitload of it...in the aquarium hobby in general, yet especially in the natural, botanical-method aquarium sector. And the "patience" part? I feel that it's seminal. Foundational.

Essential.

I don't think you can "teach" that.

I mean, perhaps you can be taught about why patience is so important.

We can provide some expectations and explanations of how these systems establish, appear, and operate over time. We can offer guidelines about "best practices" and procedures.

However, the best teacher, as with so many things- is experience. You have to dive in and do it. Beginner, intermediate, advanced- you have to DO.

Perhaps some things might be easier to an outright beginner; someone who has no preconceived notions about how an aquarium is "supposed to look", or what is considered "natural", "beautiful", etc. There is a beautiful, almost innocent objectivity that we bring to the game when we are flat-out beginners, right? We have little basis for comparison, other than our own observations and personal tastes.

And that's actually an advantage, in some respects, IMHO.

In my opinion, the hobby has been- for better or worse- influenced by schools of thought which seem to dogmatically dictate what is "good", "bad", and "correct." And, in a strange sort of way, hobbyists who stray off of the generally accepted, well-trodden paths established by our hobby forefathers are often greeted with skepticism, cynicism, and sometimes, outright disdain!

That blows, IMHO.

And then there is the other end of the spectrum: The splashy, often vapid, sometimes downright bizarre presentation of the aquarium hobby found on social media.

One trend I've noticed that's fueled by social media is an almost fetishization of showing only the "finished product" of gorgeous, pristine aquascaped tanks, with maybe just a little sampling of "construction" pics (usually just staged shots of products or "unboxing" stuff- read that, "shilling" for manufacturers, btw), but little mention of the actual process; the challenges, the "ugly" parts- the work- of establishing one of these aquariums.

The result of this superficial ("dumbed down") presentation of aquariums conveys the message that it's just all about buying stuff, artfully arranging some materials, and POW! Finished awesome tank. Shit, it's so easy- why isn't YOUR tank this cool and sexy?

It often results in frustration for the everyday hobbyist, who can't seem to figure out why his or her tank isn't exactly like the one on the 'gram.

Sure, the fundamentals of aquarium keeping and the mindset behind establishing successful systems isn't as "sexy" or 'gram-ready as pics of the finished product, but to operate from the position that everyone who sees these tanks has that underlying knowledge already is at best "glossing over" the realities, and at worst, downright irresponsible.

We've gotta talk more anbout process. About how these tanks work, the philosophy and methodology behind them, and about how to establish and maintain them. The beginner needs to see this stuff.

To jump into any aquarium- botanical-filled or otherwise- without having basic knowledge about stuff like the nitrogen cycle, fish stocking protocols, and husbandry techniques- is flat-out stupid, IMHO.

Now, I realize not everyone wants to- and can- produce content about aquarium keeping fundamentals, but maybe just touching on a few basics now and then would be cool.

I challenge all of my fellow hobbyists who are influential in this social-media-powered world to commit to touching on some of these underlying themes, challenges, and expectations on occasion when featuring your amazing work. Just taking a few seconds to explain this stuff; even posting just one pic in your feed showing a tank cycling, or with the plants not looking perfect, or the water not crystal clear- can go a long, long way to gently give a dose of reality and expectation management in the splashy world of aquascaped aquariums.

Now, I realize that there is plenty of material out there on "how to start an aquarium" or whatever- but I think it needs refreshing, updating, FEATURING- for a new generation of hobbyists who are getting the bulk of their information from Facebook forums, Instagram feeds, and YouTube shorts. It's important for the future of the hobby. It will assure more people get in- and STAY in the hobby. We need to evolve how we present the concepts as much as we need to evolve the concepts themselves.

Sadly, it has to be reinforced constantly.

I can't tell you how many times a week I answer questions like, "I just received my Enigma Pack! Can I just add this stuff to my 5-gallon tank? What do I need to do..?" And I have a freakin' website with gigabytes of stuff on this very topic and other related topics, accumulated over years! And we're evolving this too. I had to check my ego a bit, and accept that not everyone likes to read a daily blog. So I started this podcast in 2019.

Getting some of the fundamental messages across required us to adapt.

We all need to evolve. More succinctly, we need to preach the underlying fundamental stuff...but in an evolved way.

Part of the reason we've spent so much time over the past few years in this blog/podcast chatting about the processes, the pitfalls, and the expectations you should have when establishing the systems we advocate is to give everyone a very clear picture of what's actually involved.

Makes sense. We are literally asking you to dump dead plant materials into your aquarium and let them decompose. To NOT touch on all of this fundamental stuff and discuss the potential issues would have been irresponsible at every level.

So, yeah- getting back to the initial point of this whole thing- I believe that you certainly CAN start with a botanical-style natural aquarium for your first project, but you absolutely need to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of aquarium practice. And you CAN be successful.

Of course, you just can't delude yourself into thinking that it's a simple matter of tossing leaves and twigs into a tank, filling it up, and BAM! "Instant Borneo" or whatever. Like, the nitrogen cycle, formation of biofilms, environmental stability, etc. don't apply to you... Yeah, there are a LOT of neophyte hobbyists- end experienced ones, for that matter-who harbor such beliefs! I've talked to quite a few over the years. And, based on 'gram reality, apparently, there IS no "nitrogen cycle"- just cool finished tanks, so...

As those of us in this game already know, it's a process.

A journey. A learning curve.

One that acknowledges that success is entirely achievable for those who make the effort to study, familiarize themselves with the basics; one that is almost guaranteed to kick the shit out of you if you leap without learning.

It doesn't matter if you're an innocent neophyte, unfamiliar with this stuff - or even a seasoned hobbyist with decades of experience. You CAN be a "beginner"- and one who's quite successful. We, as a community just need to continue to do some of the "heavy lifting" to help everyone along!

Expectations need to be set.

As we all know, leaves and botanicals simply don't last indefinitely; they begin to soften and decompose shortly after they're added to the aquarium. Depending upon the particular botanical in question, they can last from a few weeks (as in the case of Catappa leaves, for example) to many months (the "harder" pods, like Carinaina or Sterculia pods.).

And of course, that means that we need to accept the idea that most botanicals are "consumables" for all intents and purposes, much like activated carbon, filter pads, etc.- and need periodic replacement.

Leaves, for example, should be "topped off" regularly to continue to contribute to the ecological function of the aquarium. Just like in a real tropical stream or other body of water, as materials decompose or wash downstream, the physical appearance" and other characteristics, like water movement, etc. will change over time. And the fishes will adapt, too- finding new "territories", spawning sites, and feeding locations. These are very natural behaviors which you just won't see in a more traditional "static" aquascape.

Expectations. Evolutions. Changes.

Part of the game that beginners and advanced hobbyists alone need to accept.

By regularly replacing the botanical materials in your aquarium, you're constantly "evolving" or "editing" the habitat, creating a truly dynamic display for your fishes. And if you look at your botanical method aquarium over several months or longer, for example, you'll see this clearly. Now, Nature does a certain percentage of this for us, because, as mentioned above- stuff decomposes, softens, breaks down, etc. And this results in subtle (or not-so-subtle) changes over time, wether we intervene or not.

Sure, the basic "structure" of the aquascape will likely be the same- but the smaller-scale "niches" within the tank, as well as the colors, textures and "negative space" within the habitat will vary and "evolve." Similar, in some respects to a planted aquarium, a botanical system can be "pruned" to keep a rough "form", yet it will evolve in subtle ways on it's own, despite our interventions.

This fascinates me.

And there is that concept of when the aquarium is "finished."

Over the years, I've found that the thrill of starting up a new aquarium never faces. However, one of the things that I'm realizing is that I've never been in any particular hurry to get my tank "finished."

I mean, I don't think a tank is ever really "finished"- it's more like the system reaches some level of function and appearance that you may have envisioned before your started the project, and you tell yourself, "yeah- this is what I wanted..."

My aquarium hobby "philosophy" is predicated on one simple idea:

"Radical patience!"

What's "radical" about patience?

Is there some special meaning to this? Well, not really. It's as much about common sense as anything, actually. Yeah, common sense. However, in today's "insta"- world, the concept of taking the time to establish an aquarium is sort of...radical- as is the patience required to go slowly and steadily.

That is- not jumping right into something...taking a bit of time- or even a long time- to allow your aquariums to "run in" and develop before pushing them along.

I mean, why are we always in such a hurry to get fishes in?

Having set up more than a few systems in my time, I never seem to be surprised at my own true hobbyist-style impatience!

Let’s face it—once we get the plumbing done, the lighting tweaked, leaks sealed, and aquascaping set, we’re all seemingly hell-bent on getting some fishes in there! I mean—we’ve waited so long for “first water” in the tank that it’s time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

It's like we need to get the fishes in there right away…even just a few, right?

Can’t really blame us, huh?

However, there may be some compelling reasons to wait just a bit longer…

Would you like to move into a house which didn’t have a refrigerator full of food? I wouldn’t, for sure. Unlike humans, fishes seem to have not lost their "genetic programming" for grazing and hunting for food. Let’s face it—most of the waking hours of aquatic animals are devoted to acquiring food and reproducing. They need to have some food sources available to "hunt and graze" for.

That’s reality.

So, unleashing a group of fishes into an almost "sterile" aquarium seems decidedly at odds with this evolutionary adaptation which our fishes have. Yet, from a strictly human perspective, most of us would rather have parts of our vital organs snipped off before we'd wait several weeks or more to add fishes to our new aquariums...

As a reefer, my patience has really evolved over the years. My friends have finally learned to stop asking me "How's the tank looking?" after it has been set up for a few weeks, because they know damn well by now that my tank looks essentially the same as it did the day I set it up..at least, from an animal stocking perspective! I simply don't start adding tons of animals until the system has evolved to the point where it's "ready" IMHO.

This approach actually has its origin in my youth.

Like now, I was really into fish. However, with limited funds, I often had to do things in stages...It could literally take months to get a tank set up as I accumulated the funds. SO, sometimes, the then would be filled, "scared", and just...sit. And this was after taking a few months to get to that stage! it actually was such a regular process to me that it kind of became a habit. I mean, I was (and still am) pretty adverse to getting a tank up and running and populated in just a few days.

I feel like I'm rushing things too much.

Interestingly, Nature sort of supports this approach! With reef tanks, or the natural, botanical method aquariums we play with here, this "latency period" when the tank is "running in" gives the ecology of the tank a chance to establish itself. The microfauna which make up the foundation of our closed ecosystems will colonize and multiply, umolested and unhurried, during this time.

I believe that it gives an aquarium a greater degree of long term success.

And there is a lot to be said for simply doing nothing when you're experiencing something like cloudy water, for example. Yes, your aquarist instinct is screaming at you to do something, but the reality is that it's SOOOO much better to simply "wait it out" and let Nature sort things.

Remember: THERE IS NO RUSH!! THERE IS NO "FINISH LINE!"

It all starts with an idea...and a little bit of a "waiting game..." and a belief in Nature; a trust in allowing the natural processes which have guided our planet and its life forms for eons to develop to the extent that they can in our aquariums.

Rituals we engage in, and stages that we go through with our aquariums are remarkably analogous to the processes which occur in Nature...

Yeah, think about it for a second:

A tree falls in the (dry) forest.

Wind and gravity determine it's initial resting place (you play around with positioning your wood pieces until you get 'em where you want, and in a position that holds!). Next, other materials, such as leaves and perhaps a few rocks become entrapped around the fallen tree or its branches (we set a few "anchor" pieces of hardscaping material into the tank).

Then, the rain come; streams overflow, and the once-dry forest floor becomes inundated (we fill the aquarium with water).

It starts to evolve. To come alive in a new way.

The action of water and rain help set the final position of the tree/branches, and wash more materials into the area influenced by the tree (we place more pieces of botanicals, rocks, leaves, etc. into place). The area settles a bit, with occasional influxes of new water from the initial rainfall (we make water chemistry tweaks as needed).

Fungi, bacteria, and insects begin to act upon the wood and botanicals which have collected in the water (kind of like what happens in our tanks, huh? Biofilms are beautiful...).

Gradually, the first fishes begin to "follow the food" and populate the area (we add our first fish selections based on our stocking plan...).

The aquatic habitat is enriched by the decomposition of leaves, wood, and botanical materials, creating new food supplies, spawning locales, and biological stability.

It continues from there. Get the picture? Sure, I could go on and on drawing parallels to every little nuance of tank startup, but I think you know where I'm going with this stuff...

Yet, when we think about our aquariums this way, the parallels are striking, aren't they?

And the thing we must deploy at all times in this process is patience. And an appreciation for each and every step in the process, and how it will influence the overall "tempo" and ultimate success of the aquarium we are creating.

When we take the view that we are not just creating an aquatic display, but a habitat for a variety of aquatic life forms, we tend to look at it as much more of an evolving process than a step-by-step "procedure" for getting somewhere.

Taking the time to consider, study, and savor each phase is such an amazing thing, and I'd like to think- that as students of this most compelling aquarium hobby niche, that we can appreciate the evolution as much as the "finished product" (if there ever is such a thing in the aquarium world).

It all starts with an idea...and a little bit of a "waiting game..." and a belief in nature; a trust in the natural processes which have guided our planet and its life forms for eons.

Fools rush in. Smart hobbyists enjoy the process.

The appreciation of this process is a victory, in and of itself, isn't it? The journey- the process- is every bit as enjoyable as the destination, I should think.

Stay excited. Stay enthralled. Stay observant. Stay appreciative...Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics