September 27, 2018

The "art" of the Enigma!

Okay, I have to admit, occasionally I will write a post that is, well, overtly commercial. You know, those kinds of posts where there is little I could do other than to discuss something that is about our business.

Well, today is one of those days, but I think it's about something that you've really enjoyed, so maybe we get a "pass" for that?

One of the best things about Tannin (if I say so myself) is that we have a variety of botanical materials which we can all combine in an almost unlimited number of combinations for a wide variety of aquatic applications. When we first began, I knew that the almost bewildering variety of stuff necessitated some curated "variety packs", intended to create certain effects, or suited for specific applications; even inspired by types of fish or habitats.

Yet, I realized that it would still be a really good thing to create a way to be a "consultant" and offer fellow aquatic hobbyists a variety of custom-curated botanicals tailored to their specific needs...and thus, the Tannin "Enigma Pack" was born! And of course, a big part of the fun of this pack is that you never know what you're getting until you receive it.

Oh, and you're pretty much assured that you'll receive more stuff than you paid for! One of the best things about the "Enigma Pack!"😆

Everyone loves a good mystery, now and again, right?

One thing that you are guaranteed is that your "Enigma Pack" will contain an assortment of cool stuff selected from our website collection...but you won't know exactly WHAT until you receive it! We get to geek out and "deep dive" into whatever it is that you're into, and select stuff that WE would want for your stated purposes if it was for our own tanks!

Yeah, it's as much fun for us to select your stuff as we think it will be for you to work with it!

And the beauty of it is that we will customize your pack for your specific needs! Looking to keep that cool Apisto from that unique environmental niche? We'll select stuff for that! Trying to develop a 'scape that only features botanicals which can also serve as hiding places for fishes? We can do that! Need a selection of stuff for your Axolotls? We'll select the stuff which works best for them. Want to build a botanical variety around "Savu Pods?"

On it.

Maybe, you are totally into botanicals, and are simply looking for a little "gift" for yourself- a surprise for a new project...Or, maybe a gift for your fish geek buddy or an item for the aquarium club raffle...

So, yeah, we can do THAT. Whatever "that" might be!

Our thinking is that you likely know the overall idea or need that you have, and we're privileged to do some custom curation for you within our extensive botanical collection.

So, what are some things you can do to help us curate the best possible "Enigma Pack" for you? Here's are a few more questions that you might want to consider when advising us about yours:

1) Let us know the size of the aquarium(s) you're working with. Are the botanicals intended to compliment or provide foraging, shelter, or spawning sites for specific fishes?

2) Are you looking for the botanicals to be the "dominant" role in your tank, or just be part of the "supporting cast?"

3) Are your trying to adhere specifically to materials found in a given biotope, or are you okay with a "biotope-inspired" selection? (Remember, while many of our materials have their origin in a specific region, they might not all find their way into aquatic habitats in said region...)

4) Are there items that you DON'T want included in your pack?

5) Are you attempting to create a very "tinted" look, or to influence the water chemistry in your tank, or is your intent simply to have botanicals in the aquarium, with "tint" being a secondary consideration?

6) Do you want larger or smaller botanical items in your pack? Specific colors?

7) Did you want only items from a specific geographical region?

8) Is your intent to use all the materials in the "initial installation", or do you need to have enough materials to replenish those that break down?

9) Are you only looking for botanicals, or would you like us to include some other, non-botanical "stuff" in your pack? (stickers, gear...coffee?)

10) Is this pack a gift for someone else, or just for you?

Obviously, these are merely a few of the many questions that you might want to consider when you order your "Enigma Pack", as it's really all about YOU, er, your fishes... 😆

Just let us know what you need.

It's really as much fun for us to create these packs as we hope it is for you to receive and work with them! It's all about fun, trying something different; inspiring creativity! And we admit, we LOVE seeing your pics and videos on Facebook and Instagram, (we love when you use the hashtags #enigmapack, or #tanninenigmapack , by the way!) showing the "unboxing" and those sexy "arrangements" you do before you utilize them in your tanks! Oh, and no one ever gets tired of those prep pics, and of course, the aquatic displays you create!