The Tint

The botanical buffet...

If you follow this blog over the past few years, you've probably noticed that we cover pretty much every aspect of the use of botanicals in our aquariums...Like, probably more than anyone ever has or cared too, lol. However, once as aspect of botanicals that we haven't really given much attention to is discussing them in the context of food.

Yup, eating them! Or, perhaps more specifically, serving some substenance either from them directly, or from the living materials they recruit while underwater.

It's long been known that many species of fishes, particularly Panaque/Panaqolus and some Hypostomus/Cochliodon love the stuff. These species are equipped with teeth specifically 'designed' to gouge wood. And there's probably another odd one or two that consume it as well. Now, you should be aware that wood 'eaters' don't eat the wood per se, they consume it as by product of their overall feeding strategy.

(The "business end" of Panaque nigrolineatus by Neale Monks, used under CC BY-SA 3.0)

In fact, some recent scientific studies have corroborated digestive enzyme activity profiles and gastrointestinal fermentation levels in the fishes’ GI tracts, suggesting that the "wood-eating catfishes" are not true xylivores such as beavers and termites, but rather, are detritivores like so many other fishes from the family Loricariidae.

In fact, the conclusion of one study indicated that "..the fishes’ whole digestive strategy ranging from intake, to passage rate, digestive enzyme activities, gastrointestinal fermentation, and decreasing surface area in the distal intestine suggests that these fishes are geared for the digestion and assimilation of soluble components of their detrital diet. However, the wood-eating catfishes do take macroscopic detritus (i.e., woody debris) and reduce it to <1 mm in diameter, which likely has significant consequences for carbon cycling in their environment. Given that much of the Amazonian basin is unstudied, and much of it is under threat of deforestation (leading to more wood in waterways), the wood-eating catfishes may play a crucial role in the dynamics of the Amazonian ecosystem, and certainly in the reduction of coarse woody debris."

(German DP. Inside the guts of wood-eating catfishes: can they digest wood? Journal of Comparative Physiology B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology. 2009;179(8):1011-1023. doi:10.1007/s00360-009-0381-1.)

Interesting, right?

And it has some implication for how we keep these fishes in our botanical-style aquariums, right? I mean, we have no shortage of pics of your Plecos tearing into various botanicals, ranging from leaves to seed pods, like the "Teardrop Pods", "Savu Pods", etc. So, based on the study above, it would suggest that at least part of the pods do form a part of the diet of these fishes, and in the process of consuming them, the fishes are helping enrich the aquarium habitat. 

Now, the botanicals themselves may not be "the whole meal" for many fishes, but the biofilms, algal threads, and other biocover which grow on them do provide foraging for many fishes. A number of us have noticed a wide-ranging variety of fishes, from Barbs to characin to cichlids, feeding actively on the materials on the materials which are "recruited" by submerged botanicals.

This type of activity has led me to postulate that the use of botanicals can perform a definite "feeding support function" for a wide variety of fishes. 

further, I have this hunch that it might be an interesting experiment to utilize botanicals as part of a more "natural" fry rearing system for a number of different types of fishes. The fact that they seem to "actively recruit" biocover and microfauna as they break down indicates to me that they might be a nice way to provide some supplemental natural foraging for fry. Now, I'd be cautious about utilizing large number of botanicals in unfiltered or minimally-filtered rearing containers, as the possibility of the CO2 levels rising (or conversely, oxygen levels being depleted) as the botanicals break down en masse exists.

Rather, I see utilizing a "field" of botanicals in a more established, well-filtered natural system, containing a fine, shallow bed of sand or other substrate; perhaps even some floating plants as well. Based on some of the observations I've made, as well as some of yours- of fry foraging and seemingly actively feeding off of the life forms in the botanicals- I think this could be a legitimate and very efficient way to supplement the feeding of a variety of fish fry, particularly those which would benefit from a continuous source of food.

And of course, there's shrimp.

I almost don't need to touch on what has been known for decades- that many of the ornamental shrimp hobbyists know and love tend to consume leaves and other botanical items. Again, it's probably a function of them utilizing materials attached to or contained within the structures of the botanicals, but they seem to do a great job at breaking down botanicals in our aquariums, don't they?

I feel that one of the most incredible benefits of utilizing natural materials in our aquariums is that they truly bring out the natural behaviors of our fishes- whether it's rasping at a piece of driftwood, eating biofilms off of the surfaces of a few seed pods, sheltering in plants, or sifting through a field of decomposing cattapa leaves for crustaceans. Even if the foraging activities yield relatively minimal nutritional benefit for our "wood eating" (or more appropriately, "wood-processing) fishes and fry, I think just having some of these materials available to perform their natural functions is invaluable to them.

And functional 'scaping is a large part of what we're all about, isn't it?

Stay creative. Stay thoughtful. Stay focused. Stay excited.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

The Very Greatest One...A "Luft" Story

Greatness comes in many packages, many forms. In sports, boxer Mohammed Ali earned the title, "The Greatest" from sports fans worldwide. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion easily earned his nickname. In the aquarium hobby, it’s tough to earn the rating of “good”, let alone, “great”. However, I think that I own a product that has safely earned the title of “The Very Greatest One”.

The year was 1981, and this teenage fish geek needed to make what was then a major purchase for my hobby- a strong, reliable air pump to power my Necktonics undergravel filter in my 20 gallon marine tank, complete with two Blue Damselfish, a Percula Clown, and an H. crispa anemone, which “thrived” under my DIY triple Vita Lite fluorescent fixture. (Actually, I think it did thrive- had it for over 7 years before I gave it to a friend.). I was sick of unreliable, cheap pumps, so in scanning my well-worn copies of FAMA magazine, I saw an ad for mail order firm Aqua Engineers (Remember them? They were the “Live Aquaria ” of their day.No "Prime" shipping, either, lol).  They had a lot of air pumps-but they also had THE pump. The one every fish geek at the time loved.

After much research, and a lot of saving, I decided to make a big investment (I think it was like $19.95) in a Tetra “Luft” pump. This was a huge move for the time- the Luft was the Ecotech Marien Vortech of its day, the European high-tech answer to the American “Silent Giant” air pump (remember that one?).  The little brown Teutonic wunderkind delivered large quantities of air in near silence- a huge plus when your aquarium was in your bedroom! With a simple twist of a rheostat, the mighty Luft could be cranked up to deliver precise volumes of air effortlessly up to 7 psi. I had the “Porsche of air pumps”- and I was still in high school!

The GREATEST one.

The little German workhorse powered tank after tank, delivering air to everything from my killifish breeding setup to brine shrimp hatcheries, even going to work on my quarantine tank (thanks to fancy air management with sexy plastic gang valves). 

And yes- I had a QT even back then!

The dawn of MTV, “Reaganomics”, New Wave, college, the fall of the Berlin Wall, The Gulf War, the “Grunge” movement, the “dot.com” boom and bust, two major earthquakes, several relationships, 4 different houses, the new millennium, 9/11, 6 U.S. Presidents, and literally thousands upon thousands of hours of operation. My little brown Luft has seen all of these things, faithfully and silently cranking out air.

Right now, it’s doing duty once again on a quarantine setup. For 5 years prior, it was working on a small tank full of Hawaiian Red Volcano Shrimp (Halocardina rubra).

A workhorse!

 In fact, this small wonder has worked continuously in one capacity or another for 34 years, a longevity/reliability record few products in any industry could match! Short of rinsing the little air filter that slips on to the bottom of the pump every so many years (or when I remember to do it), I have not had to do any maintenance.

Unfortunately, the pump is no longer marketed under the Tetra name, but the design has apparently been repackaged by Coralife-but it’s still called the “Luft” pump- still brown, and still amazing. It operates under a wide variety of conditions, and represents-to me- the pinnacle of air pump design and engineering.  I swear, this thing will outlive me. Talk about value for the dollar!  It’s been worth every cent- although the price tag, when I Iast checked- was a dizzying  $52.99!

Greatness has always come at a price, I suppose.  

And then again, I haven’t had to purchase an air pump for 36 years, so what do I know?

We all have our favorite product, be it a protein skimmer, high-tech powerhead, light bulb, etc. Mine is just a humble air pump.  Well, not just an air pump. It’s a noble and reliable little device that has powered my aquatic hopes and dreams for over three decades. A family heirloom. It’s not just a piece of aquarium equipment- it’s a part of my family! Live long and prosper, my little brown friend.

To me, you are truly The VERY Greatest one!

Till next time….

Stay devoted. Stay passionate. Stay Undefeated!

And Stay wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

It happens in the "mangal"

With interest starting to increase in the brackish-water, botanical-style aquarium, we're seeing a lot more questions about the habitats and ecological niches where our fishes come from. In particular, a lot of you are curious about the mangrove communities known as "mangals." First off, a "mangal" is a term for "mangrove swamp", derived from Arabic. It's the name most commonly associated with these unique communities.

As we've discussed before, one of the defining characteristics of these mangrove communities is that they are located where fine sediments (often with high organic content) collect. They are host to a variety of organisms, ranging from algae to oysters, and continue to attract sediments in their matrix of roots. Fine, anoxic sediments under the mangroves act as "sinks" for a range of compounds, including heavy metals, and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, deposited into estuarine waters from terrestrial sources.

Because many of the mangals are intertidal- connected to the ocean and subject to tidal fluctuations, Mangroves are, by necessity, hardy plants, and can tolerate a significant, fluctuating range of salinity, temperature, and moisture, as well as a number of other varying environmental  conditions. This adaptability has made them extremely successful ecologically.

And most interesting to us as fish geeks, many fish species spend their juvenile stages in the mangals, deriving food and protection from the vast mangrove root systems. And of course, there are a variety of fishes which spend their entire lives in these unique habitats. Some, such as species of killifish and mollies, are familiar to us, while others, such as many gobies, Rainbowfishes, and even cichlids, may be somewhat less familiar. I the coming months, we'll spend more time looking at some of the aquarium-suitable fishes which occur in the mangrove habitats.

One of the defining "ingredients" of a mangrove habitat is the sediment and mud which comprise the substrate. There are a number of ways to replicate this in the aquarium, which include utilizing combinations of commercially-available sands, muds, and sediment mixes specifically intended for aquarium use. You can also experiment with terrestrial soils, such as those used by "dirted" planted aquarium enthusiasts. 

Now, to clarify our "Estuary" vision of the botanical-style brackish aquarium for a second, it should be noted that we support the use of both living and non-living materials to create both a functional and aesthetically-unique display.

We like to use dried mangrove branch wood and root sections to create the "foundational hardscape" of the aquarium, and then, enhance this by securing live mangrove propagules into the matrix. As they put down their famously long and complex roots, they will eventually "find " the substrate.Or, if you prefer, you can plant them in a fine, rich substrate from the start. They simply need to be partially submerged, and provided with bright illumination from a variety of sources.

Once they start growing leaves, you will need to spray them with fresh water from time to time to keep them from drying out and becoming caked with salt, which they release through the leaf tissues. As part of their growth, they will drop leaves from time to time, which, in our book- is a pretty cool thing, as this contributes to the biological "richness" of the aquarium as the leaves decompose! And of course, we recommend using dried mangrove leaves on the substrate, as you would in a blackwater aquarium, to further enhance this "richness!" Now, the rich substrate we advocate will also be beneficial to a variety of aquatic plants, so using specimens like Cryptocoryne ciliata and others will take advantage of this richness. 

With all of this wood and sediment, it seems like we're advocating a pretty rich, higher nutrient environment, and that's correct! Your water will likely take on a tinted appearance, of course, and  this is likely contrary to your previous experience with brackish-water systems, where the aesthetic was clear water, white sand, and rocks. We're advocating what we feel is a more realistic, functional, and more productive system for a wide variety of organisms. And, like it's blackwater counterpart, the brackish water, botanical-style system will require some monitoring of the water parameters and regular husbandry (i.e.; water exchanges, etc.) to help maintain a stable, healthy environment. 

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the mangal can be recreated by vertically-orienting mangrove branches and roots in a deep substrate. And you have many options. If you're using a tall, narrow aquarium or a cube, you can simulate the dense matrix of the root system and the accompanying life which inhabits it.

Or, if you like, you could employ a standard rectangular, or wide aquarium and a single mangrove root aggregation on one side, to represent the area at the "margin" of the mangroves, or you could do a riparium-style tank, with a "shoreline" built up, and the mangrove roots and the planet themselves positioned accordingly. Lots and lots of possibilities for different approaches. We're excited about the ability to use traditionally more "annoying" cube-type tanks for unique applications!

Since we're talking about brackish (1.003-1.005 is our target specific gravity), you have options to adapt a lot of different fishes to this habitat. Now, if you're really adventurous, you could gradually "evolve" your aquarium to a full-strength marine environment (like 1.021-1.025) and add some interesting marine fishes, like Pipefishes, Dragonets, Seahorses, and various gobies and Damselfishes into the mix. And of course, you could begin adding some hardy corals, like Xenia, Ricordea, Pocillopora, etc., and ultimately, some "LPS" corals like Goniopora and Trachyphyllia. Oh, and Seagrasses and/or macro algae! This would be an interesting way to start a most atypical marine aquarium!  

The idea of a botanical-style brackish aquarium is to create a "platform" for all sorts of life, with the option to go in a variety of directions. In my opinion, the formerly sort of "drab" and one-dimensional brackish tanks of the past can give way to a more flexible, adaptable, and highly dynamic aquatic microcosm that can evolve into what might be one of the most diverse and amazing ecosystems you could imagine! The potential to unlock some secrets on "both sides of the salinity line" is irresistible, and the opportunity for experimentation is wide open to the intrepid hobbyist!

As more and more of our community begin working with this "methodology", the "state of the art" will definitely evolve, with techniques, ideas, and even aesthetic "styles" changing regularly. It all starts with the "mangal", and wolves from there!

We encourage you to come along for the ride!

Stay excited. Stay enthusiastic. Stay creative.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Lost in the details? Or obsessed with the mission?

I think I might be like a lot of fish geeks…I tend to dwell on really obscure minutiae. In fact, I'm kind of certain about that, based on my obsessive love for rather unusual aquatic environmental niches. I'm not sure what it is about some of these habitats that I find so compelling. Perhaps it's because no one really made the effort to do much with them, and many hobbyists were actually a bit frightened by them. In the case of blackwater, it was like, "Yeah, throw some leaves in there, the water turns brown and dirty-looking. Maybe the pH drops. It's full of unknowns and the potential for disaster..."

It was love at first sight. Sign me up! I knew that just because "everyone" said it was a bit "challenging" or "full of unknowns", that there might be a lot more to it. I mean, why were some of the most fish-rich habitats on earth comprised of blackwater? Why was everyone convinced that blackwater aquariums were a recipe for disaster? I had to play with this for myself; to research it, to act on it. Hell, I decided to build a company based on this! It was different. It was unpopular. It was unfamiliar. Perfect! It might be part of my "makeup" as a fish geek- not really sure. Maybe it's a common thing with fish geeks?

On the other hand, it's not part of my overall personality...I don't think.

I recall back in college, I was fortunate enough to land an internship in one of the hottest advertising agencies in Los Angeles- or the world, for that matter, at the time. It was so cool! As an intern, I spent time in a few different departments, even though I was “hired” for my alleged copywriting skills.

One of the departments I was relegated to was called the “Traffic” department (yeah, even the name sounded boring..), where all of the media buying, scheduling of work, and seemingly mundane (to a wannabe young copywriter, anyways) and intricately-detailed stuff was done. Translation- “boring” stuff. I remember “serving my time" in that department (yeah, that’s what my fellow interns and I called it) under a pretty crochety old advertising exec, who sort of loved and hated me at once. She’d dispense the occasional nugget of "ad-biz wisdom", followed by a verbal “bitch slap” for failing to follow her byzantine record-keeping system. Once of the best pieces of advice she ever gave me was, “Don’t ever work in this department..you tend to get lost in the details…"

I never forgot that, BTW. And it was a true summation of me as an aquarist, too! Now, "lost in the detials" can be a good and a bad thing. I think in her assessment, this was NOT a good thing! However, when you're a fish geek, operating in the obscure niches of the aquarium world, getting lost in the minutae- even obsessed with it- is really important! And perhaps beneficial, even! Who would have known? Although at the heart of it all, I'm a very simple guy who abhors needlessly complicated stuff...

Yet, I tend to fall into that wonderful hobby tradition of not only obsessing about obscure and mostly arcane stuff, I tend to take the easy stuff and make it more complicated sometimes. And I think this is a pretty common thing among fish geeks, really. It's like this "mission" that I challenge myself to take on and complete. My hobby history is filled with examples of this. The most recent was the 50-gallon aquarium set up in my office.  For a lot of reasons, I opted for the relative simplicity of an "all-in-one" system for this tank, something in the past I simply abhorred ('cause real aquarists hate stuff being done FOR them, right? Yeah.). Yet, this aquarium is a great, open-top “AIO” system. Simple. Beautiful. Easy. 

Of course, literally right out of the box, my strange compulsion with second-guessing the designers and looking for incremental improvements kicked in! Not wanting to keep it totally “stock”, and possessing the ridiculous reefer “pedigree” that I do, I decided to change out the (shitty) stock main system pump on this all-in-one tank for a sexy, high-tech DC pump..Yeah, when you have insane "DIY-expert" reefer friends in your “inner circle” prodding you, you’re simply enabled to tweak stuff…It's like, expected.

And naturally, the connections on the tank return were completely different than those on the outlet to this pump, and I don’t want to start drilling out bulkheads and such, so I needed to get some more plumbing parts to adapt this "square peg into a round hole…" So a mere $40.00 later, there we were- a monument to aquarium absurdity! And of course..after all of that maneuvering, it wasn’t a "perfect" fit, and I noticed that the pump didn't fit well into the rear compartment, and the little rubber feet on the DC pump transmitted a little noise, so I had to line the bottom of the “sump” with some mousepad material…Another step in the process. Another layer of complication brought about by...the desire to "improve" stuff...

And the damn thing still made too much noise. The pump kicked ass, but gave me a headache in the process with that constant "hum" that every hobbyist knows is the sign of an ill-fitting pump...Something else had to give.

The best part? I ended up ultimately ditching the “sexy” pump for a tried and true Ehiem hobby pump, which is whisper quiet, as reliable as an old dog, and just- well- perfect for the application!

Simple solution. Arrived at in the most convoluted (and really f - - -ing expensive) way.

That's how serious fish geeks do it, right? We tend not to accept the solution that's been laid out in front of us. We have to modify, alter, and otherwise change stuff to meet some obscure "requirements" we have floating around in our heads. No matter what detour it might take us on.

I suppose that, for some aquarists, it’s a big part of what they love in the hobby: Setting up aquarium automation, designing and building complex auto top-off systems, wavemakers, etc. Yeah, a lot of people just love that stuff…And part of me totally gets that. I mean, yeah, I’m a lot more interested in watching my fishes and seeing them thrive and grow than I am in setting up 43 different lighting settings from my iPhone, but I really can’t fault those who do. And I respect it. I mean, where would we be in the hobby without these bold experimental types? Someone has to be the pioneer and taste the wild berries. Hopefully, they're not poisonous, right?

Me, I’m almost operating at capacity when just setting up my lighting (don’t even get me started- that’s a whole different topic for another day..).

Regardless of my challenges, I’ll occasionally come up with an idea just absurd enough to be considered rather intelligent (notice I didn’t use the word “brilliant” in any way, shape, or form..?). Some solution to a "problem" that might not be a "problem"- except maybe to ME.

You know how it goes.

I just find that, as fish geeks, we tend to get really into intricate detail on like…well, EVERYTHING!

Like, we can’t just feed our fishes…We have to utilize automatic feeding and dosing systems. We can’t just put a siphon hose in the tank like our grandparents did..Nope- we need to develop an "automated water changing system", which makes an easy task more complicated by adding  the risk of technical failure (you think that spilling a little water on your feet with a siphon hose sucks, imagine draining your whole tank..into your garage or basement…I know at least two people who managed to accomplish this with their fancy systems…Amazing insurance claims!).

On the other hand, I get a great joy out of my “old school” water change technique…something about a bucket and hose that keeps me in touch with my aquarium “roots.” Despite the temptations of technology, there are some things to me that are just sacred!

Like the "get-your-hands-wet" water change ritual. It never gets old. Even when I spill on the hardwood floor. Which, by the way, is pretty much every time.

And, as for the need to "modify" and "tweak" and make simple stuff complex than perhaps it needs to be?

It’s an affliction, maybe? Or the repressed need to gain control over our uncertain world. Maybe we just can't relax, knowing that we could "do better?" Or perhaps- it’s just part of the game, and we cannot control ourselves?

Regardless, I love every bit of it. And I know that you do, too.

And love is the basis for this whole thing. 

Spread the love. Share the ideas.

Stay inspired. Stay creative. Stay innovative. Stay complicated...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Oh, what a tasty web...

If you read "The Tint" often, you know that we're really obsessed with creating really realistically functioning aquatic systems. Yes, we love natural-looking aquarium habitats, but we're equally as fascinated by replicated, or at least embracing, some of the functions which take place in the natural habitats from which our fishes come.

One of the things that we're fascinated by are what are known as "food webs."

A good description of an aquatic food web is: "...complex groups of organisms that perform different functions in the ecosystem. Phytoplankton are small primary producers suspended in water. They use nutrients along with carbon dioxide to harness sunlight energy and create biomass through the process of photosynthesis." (Source- Wikipedia)

In freshwater and many brackish ecosystems, one of the sources of "fuel" for aquatic ecosystems is leaves. As leaves drop into the water, they become food for a wide range of aquatic organisms, such as bacteria, fungi,  crustaceans, and other microorganisms which act upon them to decompose them.

And in turn, fishes feed on many of these organisms.  In fact, fungi are the key to the food chain in many tropical stream ecosystems. The relatively abundant detritus produced by the leaf litter is a very important part of the tropical stream food web.

Interestingly, some research has suggested that the decomposition of leaf litter in igapo forests is facilitated by terrestrial insects during the "dry phase", and that the periodic flooding of this habitat actually slows down the decomposition of the leaf litter (relatively speaking) because of the periodic elimination of these insects during the inundation. And, many of the organisms which survive the inundation feed off of the detritus and use the leaf substratum for shelter instead of directly feeding on it, further slowing down the decomposition.

As touched on above, much of the important input of nutrients into these habitats consists of the leaf litter and of the fungi that decompose this litter, so the bulk of the fauna found there is concentrated in accumulations of submerged litter.  And the nutrients that are released into the water as a result of the decomposition of this leaf litter do not "go into solution" in the water, but are tied up throughout in the food web of the aquatic organisms which reside in these habitats.

In some streams, there is very little internal production of food sources for their resident fishes. Rather the food sources come from materials such as plants, fruits, leaves, and pieces of wood which come from the surrounding environment. Oh, and insects. Lots of insects from the surrounding trees and bank, which fall into the water. These are known as "allochthonous inputs" in ecology- materials imported into an ecosystem from outside of it. We've touched on this idea in a recent post.

As we touched on briefly, materials such as detritus comprise a very important part of the diet of many fishes in regions such as the Amazon. Yes, detritus, the oft-vilified "enemy" of the "clean" aquarium, in many aquarists' eyes, is pretty important stuff. Think about that the next time you reach for the siphon hose! 

Now, how does all of this come together in the closed environment of the aquarium? Well, for one thing, the fungal and microbial communities which arise in our systems are likely far less dense than those in the wild habitats, where the resources are substantially greater. That being said, relative to a typical aquarium which doesn't have materials like leaves and botanicals to provide sustenance for these organisms, the botanical-style blackwater aquarium is a rich system!

With an abundance of leaves, would it not make sense that you'd see some emergence of microbial and fungal populations, functioning to some extent as they do in nature? The allochthonous inputs from our fish-feeding activities would certainly contribute to this "web", wouldn't they? And since we have the capability to impact the "productivity" of our systems based on external food inputs and the addition (or removal) of botanical materials, it seems to me that we could at least partially recreate the "food webs" associated with the systems we are trying to replicate. 

Now, my plea to the industry yet again would be to develop pure cultures of some of the organisms found in these habitats, which would not only function as food for the fishes, but, if added to the aquarium well in advance of the fishes which might prey upon them, would be able to function as they do in nature, processing fungal and microbial growth and even detritus which occur among the leaf litter.  We have bottled cultures of many saltwater copepods and such. They have become "staples" of the reef aquarium hobby for years.

(Some marine copepod products from Essential Live Feeds- one of my fave brands)

Would it not make sense for some enterprising manufacturer to develop and market these organisms for analogous purposes in the vastly larger freshwater market? I suppose it's like many other things- we need to get hobbyists to understand why they would want this stuff in their tanks! Hmm, that reminds me of what we had to do for a while when we established Tannin...!

Obscure and self-centered request notwithstanding, I really do think we'd be well-served to introduce some of the organisms (such as Gammarus, Daphnia, Bloodworms, even "Black Worms" or Tubifex) into our tanks for the sole purpose of attempting to develop at least part of a "food web." I mean, sure, it's not that simple, but to at least attempt this is a quantum leap over what has been done in this area in the past in freshwater systems (read that- essentially NOTHING!), and may at least give us some firsthand experience and insight into how these organisms can benefit our aquariums over the long term.

Now, in order to establish these organisms, you'd have to engage in the ridiculously patience-challenging practice of adding them to your tank months in advance of the fishes, to give them a chance to establish more stable populations that can resist the predation caused by the introduction of a large number of fishes. Think of the potential rewards for your patience, however!

Or, there is always the alternative of creating a "refugium" of sorts, with resident populations of these organisms safely tucked away from the main display tank, performing their leaf litter breakdown processes undeterred by the presence of hungry predators!  This is something we've done in the reef aquarium world for decades, and to my considerable dismay, the idea never seemed to catch on in the freshwater world to any great extent. And of course, one of the thought processes behind the refugium idea is that an occasional careless organism will get sucked into an intake and be deposited into the display, providing a tasty treat for the resident fishes! 

(My friend Marc maintains a pretty cool macroalgae-based 'fuge on his amazing reef aquarium...)

I firmly believe that the idea of embracing the construction (or nurturing) of a "food web" within our aquariums goes hand-in-hand with the concept of the botanical-style, blackwater (and brackish!) aquarium. With the abundance of leaves and other botanical materials to "fuel" the fungal and microbial growth, and the diligent husbandry and intellectual curiosity of the typical "tinter", the practical execution of such a concept is not too difficult to create. We are truly positioned well to explore and further develop the concept of a "food web" in our own systems, and the potential benefits are enticing! 

I hope that I've at least whetted your appetite (ewww!) for the idea with this rather cursory and choppy introduction into the concept of food webs in the aquarium! 

Stay intrigued. Stay engaged. Stay inspired. Stay on this!

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Filling in some 'blank spaces" in the blackwater aquarium game...

"Don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to..." -from "Waterfalls" by TLC

Okay, I have no idea why the hook from a throwaway 1990's hip-hop song enters my head every time I contemplate writing something that displays my meager understanding of science, but this is where we are at today...I felt it oddly appropriate, actually.

So, I've had this idea for a while...

And a very brief conversation the other day with James Sheen of BlackwaterUK brought this to the forefront of my mind yet again, so I'll blame him for inspiring me to make this blatant display of my ignorance possible! :)

And, on a Monday, no less...I place my head on the proverbial chopping block in the interest of spurring more discussion and research on a topic that I think needs it!

Hello, scientists....

We talk a lot about creating and extremely rich, biodiverse habitat for our fishes, using various substrate mixes, wood, and combinations of leaf litter and aquatic botanicals. Now, we've reviewed extensively the impacts, good and bad- of building up such litter beds in our existing aquariums in this column. We've oft-repeated our plea to go slowly and judge the impact of the additions of the new materials on the water chemistry and other parameters of the aquarium and it's inhabitants. 

What we haven't discussed much is the potential utility and impact of starting a new system with  a significant amount of botanical materials from "day zero." I mean, with a lot of decomposing material which essentially function as bioload in the system, would this create a more rapid or prolonged initial break-in period? Would the tank cycle more quickly, slower, or not at all? 

It's something that we discussed briefly before, and it's kind of interesting, really. Especially in the lower pH arena in which we tend to play. I think that the occasional bad outcomes we have are a result of misunderstanding or miscalculating the effects of identification and such in our lower pH, botanical-style blackwater aquariums.

I think it starts with pushing it too hard when it comes to denitrification.

In lower pH systems, an entirely different class of organisms, known as Archea, perform the role of denitrification more traditionally associated with Nitrosomanas and Nitrobacter. Archaeans include inhabitants of some of the most extreme environments on the planet. Some live near  vents in the deep ocean at temperatures well over 100 degrees Centigrade! Others reside in hot springs, or in extremely alkaline or acid waters. They have even been found thriving inside the digestive tracts of cows, termites, and marine life where they produce methane (no comment here)  They live in the anoxic muds of marshes (ohhh!!), and even thrive in petroleum deposits deep underground.

Yeah, these are pretty crazy-adaptable organisms...The old sayings that "If these were six feet tall, they'd be ruling the world..." sort of comes to mind, huh?

With their incredible adaptive nature, Archea can cycle a low-pH aquarium, and reach significant population densities once they get going. The whole idea is for them to have sufficient time to build up a population which can tackle the ammonia produced by the bioload of the aquarium. And ammonia, the nastiest byproduct of the cycle, can be in two forms. Toxic (to the fish) ammonia ( NH3)  occurs when the ph is greater than 7.0.  Ammonia occurs as "non-toxic" (okay, maybe "less toxic" is a more responsible descriptor?) ammonium when the ph is below 7.0. And we certainly have to consider the impact of ammonia on our systems, right?

With the traditional nitrification cycle, there are a couple of important requirements: An anoxic environment-  It is only when the dissolved oxygen is depleted that denitrifiers begin using nitrate for respiration, which begins the denitrification reaction. The other requirement is for a sufficient amount of organic carbon to be present, and this is typically found in abundance in a new aquarium filled with stuff like botanicals, etc.

What a lot of aquarists who run very low pH systems report is that the "cycling process" takes longer to complete. This definitely correlates with my personal findings, although I've personally never managed a system with a pH much below 5.5 pH; this is where the "outer limits" of low pH aquariums starts for most, and this is the realm of Archaea, as the Nitrosomanas and Nitrobacter barely function at that point. And once again, the key ingredient to managing a low pH system (like any system) is our old friend, patience! It takes longer.

At very low (aquarium-context here) pH, water quality management is essential. This consists largely of water changes, use of chemical filtration media as required, and very slow additions of animals- and botanicals- to the system. Things like biological oxygen demand (BOD) and the ability of a biological filtration system to tackle increases in bioload are far more critical at these lower pH levels. Small, consistent moves are important.

So, this admittedly spotty look at the nitrogen cycle sort of takes us full-circle back to my thoughts about a brand new tank and botanicals. I'm thinking that if you're the the who wants to go with a large amount of botanical materials (leaves, pods, etc.) from the start- from "day zero"- that you should do this without any preconceived notion about adding fishes for a while. I'm thinking that a true "fishes cycle" IS possible with a heavily-laden botanical aquarium, as these materials most definitely constitute a "carbon source!" And I suppose that "hyper-loading" all of this stuff (if you're doing it that way) in a fishless tank from "day zero" is the responsible way to go about it.

Of course, I base this purely on "experiments" I've done with tanks set up in this fashion, and with the positive results I've seen by being patient. Oh, and a fair amount of good-old speculation. See, I told you I'm opening myself up for mass criticism from scientifically-minded hobbyists today. Well, someone has to at least get the discussion started, right? I have no properly-constructed experiment done, with controls and such, to prove anything beyond the shadow of a doubt, so it's all theoretical at this point. However, I think that, for those who are not afraid of this kind of stuff, some properly constructed experiments could prove very beneficial!

I suppose, however, for most of us, we'd start a new tank or an existing one with a reasonable amount of botanicals and gradually add/replace as necessary. This certainly gives the bacterial populations more time to adjust to the increase in bioload, and for the dissolved oxygen levels to stabilize in response to the addition of the materials added-especially in an existing aquarium. Going slowly when adding are botanicals to ANY aquarium is always the right move, IMHO.

"OMG, Fellman! Patience. We get it!"

That's a lot to digest, but very, very interesting, right? Now the pH level in this stream is well below anything a sane aquarist would attempt to recreate in his/her tank, yet the implications and ideas expressed in the passage are tantalizing, aren't they? Fermentation! Woah. Further, he speculates that "...given the pH of the water, it is likely that fungi and not bacteria are the dominant decomposers..."

So, yeah- we really are breaking new ground in our blackwater/botanical-style aquarium "practice", aren't we? Some of us push it really hard, and are dancing on a razor's edge between success and disaster. Others are more conservative, and still other aquarists playing in this realm fall somewhere in between. With so many real unknowns, and very little in the way of solid, aquarium-derived experimentation and information on the serious management of lower pH blackwater, botanical-driven systems, everyone's experiences- good and bad- are very important to the art and science of aquarium keeping. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: This stuff isn't for everyone. The aesthetics and functions of these types of systems require real mindset shifts, careful observation, and control of our typical "aquarist compulsions" in order to be successful! Yes, patience. And yes, there is plenty of room for stuff to go wrong if we push too hard. Just like in the early days of reef keeping, or even the "high tech" planted tank specialty- we simply need to keep moving forward and experimenting; going with our "gut" in some areas, or relying on specific data in others. There will be heartbreaking failures with favorite fishes being lost. There will be spectacular successes and incremental knowledge "wins" along the way, too. This is the reality of "ground floor" operations in the aquarium world. High risk. High reward.

It's exciting. It's scary. And yes, it IS incredibly rewarding.

Glad ot have you along for the ride as we fill in a LOT of "blank spaces" in the body of work that is the blackwater, botanical-style aquarium game.

Stay brave. Stay curious. Stay patient. Stay observant. Stay undeterred.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Something old- Something new...Reflecting upon the "aging" aquarium...what exactly is that?

As you surmise, I do get a lot of email and PM’s from readers of my ramblings here in "The Tint" and elsewhere, and I get some pretty interesting requests and questions, as well as suggestions about topics people would like to hear about. Today, we’re going to touch on a topic suggested by a reader. The request posed was to discuss the maturing process of a tank- specifically, thoughts on what the difference is between an aquarium that is just “cycled”, and one that is defined as “mature.” 

What an interesting topic! Of course, I’ll throw my two cents worth out there, and then we can all add to it and discuss..

I guess the logical place to start such a discussion would be…at the beginning. Well, the beginning phases of your tank, that is. You know what I mean: You’ve designed the perfect system. You spent a ton of money on the best filter you can afford, an insanely powerful LED lighting system, and you even settled on sexy schedule 80 PVC for your hard plumbing…This tank is gonna rock!

Of course, before all of the killer fish are swimming about peacefully and the plants settled into their new home, you need to “cycle” the system, and get it suitable for life forms to reside in. It’s one thing to have a nicely-equipped system, quite another to have a suitable system for aquatic life. It’s still another when it earns the lofty  hobby moniker of “mature.”

I am operating on the assumption (gulp) that most of us have a basic understanding of the nitrogen cycle and how it impacts our aquariums. However, maybe we don’t all have that understanding. My ramblings have been labeled as “moronic” by at least one fanboy- er, um, “critic”, however, so it’s no biggie for me as said “moron” to give a very over-simplified review of the “cycling” process in an aquarium, so let’s touch on that for a moment! 

Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate…arghhh!

During the cycling process, ammonia levels will build and then suddenly decline as the nitrite-forming bacteria multiply in the system. Because nitrate-forming bacteria don't appear until nitrite is available in sufficient quantities to sustain them, nitrite levels climb dramatically as the ammonia is converted, and keep rising as the constantly-available ammonia is converted to nitrite. Once the nitrate-forming bacteria multiply in sufficient numbers, nitrite levels decrease dramatically, nitrate levels rise, and the tank is considered “fully cycled.”

So, in summary, you could correctly label your system “fully cycled” as soon as nitrates are detectible, and when ammonia and nitrite levels are undetectable. This usually takes anywhere from 10 days to as many as 4-6 weeks, depending on a number of factors. In my experience, there are certainly some “cheats” you can use to speed up the process, such as the addition of some filter media or substrate from a healthy, “mature” aquarium, or even utilizing one of the many commercially available “bacteria in a bottle” products to help build populations of beneficial bacterial populations.

So we have at least, for purposes of this discussion, established what we mean in aquarium hobby vernacular by the term “fully cycled.” However, what does “mature” mean? Well, here is where we lose some of the hard facts and get into judgment calls and opinion…and that’s okay. I’ll give you my thoughts on the topic, and I expect to hear yours!

In my opinion, a “mature” aquarium is a system in which the nitrogen cycle is fully functioning, and nitrate is regularly produced as the “end product” of the biological filtration process. However, it goes further than that. I believe that truly “mature” systems have several distinct traits that set them apart from newly-cycled systems, specifically:

*Significant populations of microfauna, algae, and fishes are in the system, with very few anomalous “crashes” or fish deaths occurring. Ammonia and nitrite are undetectable in the aquarium. Stability exists in terms of populations and environmental fluctuations.

*Rock and wood has some algae and other macro life in and on it. Stable populations of amphipods, copepods, and/or other small crustaceans are present.

*Fish population has been stable, healthy and consistent, with few losses with any frequency.

*Plants are actively growing and increasing in size as well as improving in health and color. 

What’s more, there is a certain “Something” to a mature  aquarium…A smell, a look, a lack of excess in either “good” or “bad” animals. In my opinion, a “mature” aquarium is one in which you don’t have to freak out every time you miss a water change, forget to feed, fall behind on algae scraping, top-offs, etc. Aquariums that are environmentally stable allow the aquarist a certain degree of latitude in maintenance and overall husbandry. But that doesn’t mean you can kick back, of course.

Mature tanks also can fall into what author/reef aquarium great/friend Mike Paletta referred to as “Old Tank Syndrome” back in 2006. Mike asserts (correctly, IMHO) that a (reef) system (and by association, ANY aquarium) is NOT a “slice of the ocean (pond/lake/river)”; rather, that it is a closed system, and is subject to accumulations of nutrients (specifically nitrogenous waste and phosphates) over time, many of which can reach a detrimental concentration unless maintenance is stepped up to combat their accumulation.

Regular, though not obsessive- water parameter monitoring is always advisable to ascertain just what is going on in the aquarium. We’ve talked previously about establishing “baseline” operating parameters for your tank, and trying to stay within that baseline for the life of the aquarium.

In other words, even with regular maintenance practices and monitoring in place, you can’t truly set the aquarium “on autopilot” and let it run itself. There is a constant “war” between good and bad chemical concentrations going on in your system, and you need to be on top of things in order to assure that the “bad” doesn’t outweigh the “good.” 

What this might mean in practice is that stepped-up water changes and other maintenance may be employed as necessary to combat excesses. How do you know that you have excesses of organic nutrients building up in your long-established aquarium?

Well, when you start noticing outbreaks of algae where none existed previously, that’s a tip off- as is the failure of previously thriving fishes or plants to display the growth and vigor they once did. Sure, a planted aquarium is a lot like a garden, and you’ll need to “prune” regularly to assure that plants  aren’t growing all over each other, disrupting water flow patterns with their growth, and smothering other plants. This “competition” is even more pronounced in a well established tank, where real estate is at a premium, and each plant is “looking for the edge” over it’s neighbors for space, nutrients, light, etc.

 The bottom line is that an aquarium, being a closed system, will demonstrate some characteristics that are easily identifiable when it’s “mature”, but that you still need to address all aspects of husbandry and maintenance throughout its existence. Much like a garden, an aquarium could “run wild” if left to its own devices, and the outcome for many plants and fishes in residence could be negative.

No one said the hobby is easy, but it’s not difficult, either- as long as you have a basic understanding of the environmental processes and conditions within your aquarium. 

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic. If you can offer personal opinions, examples, and experiences, this would be particularly interesting. I know it’s a topic that’s been kicked around before, but let’s bring it up again and share.

Thanks as always for your feedback!

And..

Stay wet.


Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Document the journey...

We are so excited to see more and more hobbyists starting new aquarium adventures daily with our aquatic botanicals. And we are equally excited that many of you are taking the time to document the journey in photos, videos, and social media posts!

It's not only fun to see what you're doing- it's a very important and, well- crucial -part of the evolution of the "New Botanical" approach to blackwater aquariums. With each new aquarium that is built, our "state of the art" changes and advances. New hobbyists are inspired. Old preconceptions are put to rest. New challenges arise. And the growing portfolio of work done by you- our global community, is literally helping shape technique, aesthetics, mental approaches, and "best practices" for our craft.

As I've mentioned previously, since we're really sort of at the launching point for a new approach to the blackwater aquarium game, it's so very important to document- as publicly as you're comfortable- the journey from start to maturity (notice that I didn't say "finish?") of your aquatic feature. It doesn't always have to be beautiful, or perfect, or even exciting. Sure, we get all fired up when we see a cool tank, and it's totally inspiring. However, I think an even more valuable asset would be for you to document the mundane- perhaps even rather tedious- progression of your system from start to maturity...

Doesn't have to be a lot of sexy set of shots or anything, just some progress (a pic or two every couple of days or once a week or whatever), along with some basic water parameter results (pH, KH, nitrate, etc.) to see if we can spot any trends or issues. Observations about how fast the botanicals break down, how dark the water gets, any unusual behaviors (or DEATHS!) of animals are important to note. It would be important to document what materials were added, how they were prepared, and in what quantities (and when!). Seems like a lot of stuff, but you're probably already keeping some mental notes on it already, right?

I'm wondering if we should, at some point, establish a special page on our site where we can share our observations, pics, videos, and other data with "Tint Nation?" An ongoing, growing, open-source "Tint-i-pedia" of sorts! What do you think about that idea? Would you contribute? Would you find it valuable?

Documenting the process. The journey. The craft.

This may be among the most valuable stuff we do in the area of blackwater, botanical-style aquariums. When you're literally forging into new territory, every bit of documentation- every observation, every experience -counts! Something seemingly inconsequential to you might be a sign of something noteworthy, particularly if other hobbyists are making the same observations in their own tanks! It might be the "Eureka!" moment for some other hobbyist halfway around the world. This is how we can continue to develop and refine a set of expectations, "best practices", and key indicators of what happens in one of these aquariums. 

One area that is of particular interest is documenting the spawnings of some of your fishes (such as cichlids, Betta, catfishes, and characins) which occur shortly after the introduction of botanicals to your system. As previously discussed here in "The Tint",  I was thinking that much of this was just coincidence; however, it's happening often enough that it warrants more investigation and documentation! 

The other area of interest- and an area I know many of you are working on already- is to establish some datapoint on which aquatic plants seem to do well in blackwater, botanical-style systems. Obviously, there will be many, many variables, such as lighting, fertilization regimens, CO2 injection, etc. However, with enough data, I'm thinking that we might be able to establish some good recommendations as to which plants seem to fare best under the most commonly-provided blackwater conditions. This could be a big help to many hobbyists who wish to do more work with plants in a blackwater setting.

After more than two years of operation and a very large number of customers trying out this approach, we already have a pretty good "feel" for everything, but it can never hurt to have some good, solid information. And for those trying out some really esoteric, but important stuff- such as managing very low pH systems or other specialized approaches within the blackwater/botanical realm, this documentation and sharing is crucial, and may very well lead to some greater understanding- if not breakthroughs- in these interesting subspecialties!

Our "mission statement": "De tenibrus, lucem" ( Latin for "From Darkness, light.") . Kind of sums it up, right?

So that's it for today...a quick, concise request for....MORE!

"Tint-i-pedia." Hmm, I kind of like the name, lol.

Stay diligent. Stay Focused. Stay curious. Stay observant...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

If you like...

If you've noticed, in the 500-odd posts we've done here in "The Tint", very few of them are actually Tannin-product related, or about products and stuff we offer specifically. However, today we're going to break a bit from that protocol to start, and write this little piece in response to a reader question...and then, we'll broaden it out a bit! One of our community asked if we could recommend botanicals that sort of "go together." 

Now, I thought this was an interesting question, because, at least in theory, everything kind of "goes together" to some extent. Almost all of our botanicals could be used in the same aquarium and look pretty good. However, I think that the spirit of the question was like, "If I like________, will I also like_____________?

And of course, that got me thinking. We actually get these kinds of questions constantly. Now, everyone's taste is different (thankfully); however, for the most part, after having shipped to thousands of different customers, I can make some (gulp) generalized statements and be correct a fair percentage of the time! So, here goes...

If you like "Savu Pods"...

...You'll absolutely like "Jungle Pods." Yup. it's kind of a given. Although these two botanicals have radically different shapes, they have a similar "woody" exterior texture and coloration, and seem to "play off each other" pretty well in many different situations. Oh, and fishes like Apistos, wild Betta, etc. seem to love to hide in them!

If you like "Manta Pods", you'll definitely like "Teardrop Pods." Both of these have a sort of hard exterior, with a soft interior portion that breaks down pretty quickly. Slight edge to the "Mantas" as their softer, fleshier interior isn't as significant. Overall, though, shrimp, especially seem to go crazy on these pods, grazing on their soft interiors. Other than leaves, I feel that these botanicals need replacement more frequently than most others.

If you like "Coco Curls", you'll like "Coco Pedacos". Absolutely, because they are both based on the Coconut! And of course, if you like these guys, you're fairly certain to love "Fundo Tropical." All three of these guys can provide a very nice "tint" to the water, and the "Coco Curls", in my opinion, are one of the most versatile botanicals we offer. Oh, and they last a long time, too!

If you like Magnolia leaves...

...You'll most certainly like Jackfruit leaves. Although they have different "aesthetics, they both have similar "durability", impart of good amount of color into the water, and both seem to recruit biofilms on their surfaces in a similar manner. Oh, and they both last a good long time, with the slight edge to Magnolia.

Now, we can turn this "if you like" thing a bit less "commercial", and discuss stuff like technique, fishes, and aquascaping, too....

For example-

If you like "dirted" tanks, I think you'll really like the idea of a planted blackwater, botanical-style aquarium with a "deep botanical bed." Both utilize terrestrial materials (i.e.; soil versus botanicals) to "enrich" the substrate to encourage the growth of aquatic plants. And of course, the botanical-style tank offers "the tint" we geek out about so much here!

If you like a "Dutch Style" planted aquarium...

...It's a sure bet that, when the time is right, you'll love a soft coral aquarium. Both require understanding of the needs of the inhabitants, specific layout to accommodate future growth and allopathic competition. Both require diligence to maintain the  aquatic environment. Both require frequent trimming. And both are highly addictive!

And if you like aquatic plants...

We're going to go "out on a limb" and assume that you'll like marine macro algae, too!

If you like the more esoteric Gouaramis...

...You're really going to like wild Betta species. While both are similar in many respects (gee, must be that Anabantid thing, right?), each offers unique color patterns, morphological differences, and behavioral patterns that are endearing, interesting, and highly enjoyable. Both require an understanding of their specific environmental niche in order to thrive and breed successfully. And each hails from wild habitats which need our understanding and protection.

And of course, if you like Apisotgramma...

...It's a virtual guarantee that you'll like Mikrogeophagus, too! I mean, they come from similar habitats, have amazing colors, ranging from subtle to outlandish...and are incredibly endearing! 

And if you like Corydoras...

...We can't think of  any reason why you wouldn't like Brochis! I mean, they are so similar in behavior and charm, yet different enough in appearance to make them totally unique! 

And of course,  if you love Rasbora,

there's no reason in the world not to love Pristella, right?

And of course, the "if you like" game extends into equipment choices, too. For example- if you like canister filters...

You'll most definitely LOVE sumps!

And of course, if you are a fan of blackwater, botanical-style aquariums...

...Then you'll certainly adore brackish water, botanical-style aquariums! ( we think...lol)

We do know one thing...

If you love what you do...

...Almost anything is possible!

We're betting you'll be able to come up with a few dozen of your own "if you like..." statements! Let's hear 'em! 

Until next time...

Stay excited. Stay creative. Stay adventurous. Stay curious...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

The fine art of "leaving well enough...alone"

We talk a lot about patience here, especially in the context of working with our botanical-style blackwater aquariums. We've pretty much force-fed you the philosophy of not rushing the evolution of your aquarium, of hanging on during the initial breakdown of the botanicals, enjoying the random nature of leaves...not freaking out when the biofilms appear...you know- patience.

Embracing the process.

What goes hand-in-hand with patience in aquarium keeping is the concept of...well, how do I put it eloquently...leaving "well enough alone"- not messing with stuff. 

Yeah, just not intervening in your aquarium when no intervention is really necessary. I mean, sure, it's important to take action in your aquarium when something looks like it's about to "go South", as they say- but the reality is that good things in an aquarium happen slowly, and if things seem to be moving on positive arc, you need not "prod" them any further. 

I think this is one of the most underrated mindsets we can take as aquarium hobbyists. Now, mind you- I'm not telling you to take a laissez-faire attitude about managing your aquariums. However, what I am suggesting is that pausing to contemplate what will happen if you intervene is sometimes more beneficial than just "jumping in" and taking some action without considering the long-term implications of it. It's one thing to be "decisive"- quite another to be "overreactive!"

When that fish starts hiding in the corner, one of the first words out of our mouths is "disease!" Well, IS that what's happening, or is the fish merely "chilling out", or perhaps startled, or even- guarding a clutch of eggs? Your first action shouldn't be to net the fish out, tearing up the aquascape and generally freaking out every fish in the process, right? I mean, consider what could have precipitated the behavior before springing into an action that might have worse consequences for your aquarium and the inhabitants. Maybe it's literally just a "passing behavior" for the fish. Like any living creature, fishes will occasionally engage in unexpected behaviors, which are not necessarily indicative of an illness or problem.

How do you know what to do- or if you should do something? You observe. It's what you already do a lot of anyways, right? Observe your tank constantly, which will give you a sort of "baseline" for it's normal function, for the fishes' behaviors, the operational "norms" of the equipment, the environmental parameters, etc. Just because a blog or a book or a friend tells you that "x" is "not right" doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't in your aquarium. Sure, if you have ammonia, something is not right. Duh. However, if the otherwise healthy Cryptocoryne is growing more slowly in your tank than what "the books" say, it may not be a "problem", right? There could be a lot of different reasons- many of which are not remotely associated with "problems." The key to understanding when stuff is going wrong is to know what it's like when things are going right in your tank. Observe. Constantly.

Document your tank and it's operation. Keep a notebook, take pics, whatever it takes. One of the things we love to see are the tank "progression pics" that you share with us on Facebook. You can see how the botanicals begin to break down, how the water "tints", how the fish color up, etc. It's part of the observation process, which is part of the understanding process, which is part of how you determine if you need to leave stuff alone, or spring into decisive action to circumvent a potential disaster!

It's that simple. You probably already do this to some extent. However, it's easy to forget when its "your babies", right? Online aquarium forums are filled with frantic questions from members about any number of "problems" happening in their aquariums, a good percentage of which are nothing to worry about. You see many of these hobbyists describe "adding 100 mg of _______ the next day, but nothing changed..." (probably because nothing was wrong in the first place!). Now, sure, sometimes there ARE significant problems that we freak out about, and should jump on-but we have to "pick our battles", don't we? Otherwise, every time we see something slightly different in our tank we'd be reaching for the medication, the net, adding another gadget (a total reefer move, BTW), etc.

Let nature take its course on some things.

Yup.

For example, you have biofilms appearing on your botanicals. Understand what they actually are, and why they appear, and that they are normal- and suddenly, those yucky-looking strands of goo don't seem quite so menacing. When you see pics from the Amazon showing biofilms and algae growth all over the place, you start to understand that, just like the brown water and decomposing leaves, they're an important, integral, and totally normal part of the habitat we replicate. Learn what "normal" is. 

Realize that nature will plot a course with minimal intervention on your part. Sure, when long-term health or even the enjoyment of your system is tarnished by some of these things, intervention is necessary. Excessive algae, for example, is indicative of a an excess nutrient issue, and can be managed with simple adjustments. However, for so many things, the best "course of action" is to let nature do as she's done for eons...

Embrace nature. Understand how our closed systems are still little "microcosms", subject to the rules laid down by the Universe. Realize that sometimes- more often than you might think- it's a good idea to "leave well enough alone!"

Stay kind to yourself. Stay thoughtful. Stay observant. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics