The Tint

"You really can't do that."

Have you ever done something with your aquarium that everyone said was "nuts?" More important, did you get away with it, or did you "crash and burn?" Did you at least try something that the “hobby establishment” said could not be done, or SHOULD NOT be done? Wasn’t it fun? Expensive. Embarrassing, perhaps… 

 But fun, right?

 

Did you try something “different” than what “they” say is the way to go? Something that provoked those kind of "If man were meant to fly..."-type comments?

I mean, something ill-advised, sort of crazy, off-the-wall, or just downright kooky? Or, did you act on one of those ridiculous ideas that someone threw out when tossing back a couple of brews with the gang after the fish auction or club meeting? Something totally wild?

Relax. You're among friends.

 

As one who has been known to take a few chances, go against prevailing “hobby wisdom”, and generally push the outside of the envelope a bit (as well as encouraging others to indulge in similar foolhardy adventures), I have even developed an unofficial “classification system” for such free thinking.

Of course I’m going to share it with you, because it’s important for me to continue to nurture disruptive behavior! That’s what makes the hobby great, right? So, here we go, with the “Fellman Scale of Innovative Thought”, which consists of "categories" of ideas:

 

Ill-Advised Ideas- I’m probably most guilty of this one, along with the majority of hobbyists who dare ask the “establishment”, WHY? Examples of this would be things like the time I was convinced that I could keep 4 different types of Knifefishes and Mormyrids together in a 255-gallon system without calamity or bloodshed. It was exacerbated, of course, because I went with mature (yeah, no juveniles for me) fish. After the days (yeah, DAYS, not weeks or months) went by, in addition to relentless territorial battles reminiscent of the tribal areas of Afghanistan, the rest of my prized fish collection was showing signs of, as one of my friends eloquently put it, “wear and tear…” 

You can imagine how fun it was to break down the aquascape (“Multiple driftwood ‘stumps’, so that each fish has it’s own territory”, I reminded myself before I embarked on this foolish escapade.) after I came to my senses and decided to end the grand “experiment.” Hey, this one was a product of my own arrogance, and I was really convinced at the outset of the experiment that I was to be THE ONE who could pull this off. Did I admit defeat? Nope. I just concluded that it could work better with "a larger tank..."

Arrogance. Simple arrogance. But it was an interesting concept on paper.

 

Sort of Crazy Ideas- You DIY-types are usually more “guilty” of this one…You know, stuff like top-off systems that involve dosing additives, surge devices in your living room, 4 chambered recirculating carbon reactors, homemade refrigeration systems for cold-water fish, automatic live food dosers, etc. "Improvements", you call them. The "better mousetrap" is your thing. I mean, these ideas are usually pretty nice, and represent many of the great values that we have in the hobby (the independent spirit, adventure, the pursuit for knowledge..the desire to save a few bucks…). Yours is a world of duct tape, twist ties, and hardware store runs. Ideas haunt you at night...Some of these ideas are just a little too advanced for our skills, or perhaps there is really no inexpensive way to make an all-in-one-surge/autofeeding system for under $1,500. Well, maybe there is…It’s just that kind of thinking that keeps the creative (well, you can call them “sort of crazy”) ideas flowing…

 

Off-The-Wall Ideas- This is typically the realm of newbies..or even experienced hobbyists- who, because of their genuine innocence, love of the hobby, and/or “Why CAN’T it be done?” mindset, come up with some of the craziest ideas of all- and often execute them, albeit with mixed results. I think we should really consider them “outside the box” ideas, however. Ideas like Tubifex “farms” for nutrient export,  Java Moss “reactors”, multi-level gradient leaf litter cryptic zone filtration systems, etc., which have a great theoretical effectiveness, yet may be "challenging" to apply in reality. Nonetheless, it’s at this “level” that real hobby innovations often occur…Stuff like electronic monitors/controllers for aquarium functions, controllable internal pumps, breeding setups for fishes like Plecos and Rays. Many great companies, both in and out of the aquarium hobby sector at large, were founded on just such a mindset. And, you’ll recall, it wasn’t that many years ago that the idea of cutting up frags of coral to grow out on ceramic plugs for sale worldwide seemed pretty “off-the-wall”, right?

 

Downright Kooky Ideas- This is the type of stuff that gives our hobby the appearance of being a bit, well- eccentric- to outsiders. Stuff like converting indoor swimming pools to Mbuna communities, building aquariums that look like telephone booths and Ford Pintos (heh, heh, couldn’t resist), 10 ml ultra-pico reef tanks, trying to grow gamefish in a home aquarium, selling dried seed pods, etc. etc. Look, I’ll be the first to tip my hat to the dreamers, free thinkers, and even the "eccentrics" among us. However, I’ve always been a bit of a realist…I mean, counterproductive, hurtful, and idiotic thinking is never in vogue. Yet, where would we be without the truly absurd stuff to give us some a) comic relief, b) measure of how serious we take this stuff, and c) ability to let our passions (and our checkbooks, all to often) run wild from time to time. Brainstorming is great…Bringing down the ideas from the ”Downright Kooky” region into the “Off-The-Wall” territory results- many times- in some of the best innovations that we have ever seen.

So, dear fishy friends, don’t be put off or led astray by “conventional” reef thinking, if there even is such a thing…Rather, allow your mind to wander, your passions to soar, your visions to take flight- and your dreams to come true. Don’t put them out with the “wet towel of negativity…” Rather, temper them and nurture them with the spirit of innovation. Keep those ideas flowing, visualize a way to make them become practical realities, and think about the greater good your developed dream will unleash upon the hobby. Disregard the spills, glued fingers, frayed nerves, short circuits, cracked aquariums, and occasional insurance claims. Think of the bigger picture: The conquering of new worlds, the sharing of new ideas, and innovations as yet undreamed of, which will forever change the hobby for the better.

I close with a classic quote, often attributed to the great author Mark Twain, which holds much relevance to this diatribe:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

 

Don’t shoot down that wacky, sleep-deprived, alcohol-induced idea that you and your buddies concocted at 3:30 AM at last year’s ACA Convention…even if it IS “Downright Kooky!”

Let’s hear of your triumphs, tragedies, absurd ideas, and amazing innovations. Be open, be honest…Be aware. And most of all…

Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Guest Blog: Humic substances in freshwater aquariums By Vince Dollar

Editor's note- I was contacted by today's guest author, Vince Dollar, some weeks ago, after he stumbled on the Tannin Aquatics website. Intrigued by our offerings and ideas, he proferred that there is way more to the concept of "aquatic botanicals" than just great-looking aquariums!  A very enthusiastic, experienced aquarist, Vince is as into the "tinted" aquarium concept as I am.

However, his intellectual curiosity led him even further, beyond the simple aesthetics, to research the more "practical" aspects of botanical-influenced aquariums- specifically, their production of humic substances and the benefits they offer aquarium fishes. His research and personal experiments have led to some remarkable findings and conclusions that, in our opinion, will change the way we think of our aquarium water composition and its impact on our fishes' health and well being. Enjoy! 

 

Humic Substances in Freshwater Aquariums 

By Vince Dollar  (aka Kmuda)

All natural bodies of water contain dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with 40% to 80% of DOC being comprised of Humic Substances. Humic substances are, in turn, comprised of humic and fluvic acids, both of which are produced by the biodegradation of dead organic matter. 

Humic substances are introduced into lakes, rivers, and streams by leaves and wood falling into these bodies of water, forming the “leaf litter” substrate that all Apisto enthusiasts are familiar with, and by rain runoff flowing across the forest/jungle floor, where dead leaves and wood are plentiful. As the water runs across the forest floor, dead and decaying organic matter release tannins. These tannins, which stain the water a tea color, contain humic substances.

A tannin-laden South American Jungle Stream

Up until the last decade, science considered any influence of humic substances on aquatic life as “anecdotal”. Research conducted within the last 10 years has proven that humic substances have an important direct physiological influence on aquatic life. In extreme blackwater conditions, they are what make it possible for fish to survive in pH as low as 3.9.

In less extreme conditions, we are just now beginning to understand the role they play. However, they have been documented to play a major role in the functionality of a fish’s immune system, influence growth, improve lifespan, prevention of oxidative DNA damage, detoxification of heavy metals and organic pollutants, suppression of cyanobacteria, regulation of gill function, protection of fish from environmental physiological stress (low oxygen levels, temperature swings, pH shifts, TDS changes, Ammonia, Nitrite, etc…) and faster recovery from these environmental stressors. Humic substances have also proven to possess antifungal, antiparastic, and antibacterial properties, inhibiting the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila, A. sobria, Edwardsiella iclaluri, E. tarda, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Escherichia coli.

It is important to understand that all natural bodies of water contain humic substances. From Ocean water, to the Mississippi river, to the Amazon River, to ice covered lakes in Antartica. This should be a lesson to everyone. Life has a way of producing what is needed to prolong life. If humic substances are found in lakes covered by hundreds of feet of ice in Antarctica, there is a reason they are there. It's because they are a foundational necessity. In some environments, such as Blackwater environments, they make life possible. Fish could not exist in these conditions without them. In other environments, such as Central American aquifer fed streams or African Rift Lakes, they make life better. This is perhaps best stated in a March 2008 Study conducted by Humboldt University at Berlin, Institute of Biology, Freshwater and Stress Ecology, Germany, in which they came to the conclusion that “It appears that dissolved HS have to be considered abiotic ecological driving forces, somewhat less obvious than temperature, nutrients, or light.”

There you go: Humic substances, once considered a "fringe" aspect of the aquarium hobby- products previously employed only by blackwater enthusiasts- should instead be considered an essential component of every aquarium, almost as important as temperature and food.

Many will think it does not matter; perhaps thinking, “..Surely my tap water contains enough of this stuff.” The issue is that Humic Substances interact with chemicals used during drinking water purification, resulting in the release of other chemicals (byproducts) determined to be harmful for consumption (check your tap water for Haloacetic Acids and Trihalomethanes, these are the byproducts resulting from the interaction of humic substances with chlorine). As a result, our water companies attempt to remove humic substances from our drinking water prior to the introduction of purification chemicals. This means that our aquarium water is basically void of the compounds millions of years of evolution has enabled fish to utilize, even depend on.

So, what are we to do? All natural humic substances have been removed from our tap water, and here is this nut claiming our fish require them, although no one has worried about these things since the beginning of aquarium keeping (which is not actually true)! Asian and SE Asian breeders have long known about the beneficial properties of Peat, Indian Almond (Cattapa) leaves, tree bark, and alder cones, employing them in the breeding of everything from Betas to Tilapia. While they may not have been aware of the physical interactions tannins released from these products had with the fish in their care, they were well aware of the end results, as are Apisto enthusiasts, for whom tannin leaching botanical tanks are common.  And while people may have experienced long term success with fish, there is a reason fish such as Astronotus ocellatus (Oscars) develop diseases such as HITH, which is only experienced by fish in captivity, and have an average captive lifespan of 8 years, when it should be closer to 15. I claim this is partially because of an absence of humic substances in our tank water.

Oscar. (Photo by Jón Helgi Jónsson, used under CC BY SA 3.0)

What needs to change is that all aquarium enthusiasts need to understand the influence these substances have on our fish and to take actions to ensure there is a replenished supply. While we don’t have the ability to collect rain water from the jungle floor, we can simulate the end result, either by the manufacture of “tank tea”, via the maintenance of a “botanical aquarium”, or via the use of commercial conditioners.

Tank Tea

“Tank Tea” involves the manufacture of tannin laden water using various materials such as Peat, Indian Almond Catappa Leaves, Alder Cones, Oak Leaves, Maple Leaves, and any number of leaf/wood products determined to be “aquarium safe” (check out tanninaquatics.com/). 

I manufacture “tank tea” in a 20 gallon aquarium, although you can use anything from a 5 gallon bucket to a large (clean) Rubbermaid trashbin. Or you can make it as needed by boiling (and cooling) the same products in a pot on the stove. However, one important aspect I’ve discovered is that as long as the “tea” is under aeration, it is fine but when sealed up in a jar or milk jug, it changes from a clean earthy smell to something more sinister, a bit funky.

My "tea" is the color of coffee (using Peat, Catappa, alder cones, roiboss tea bags, green tea bags). Water is constantly run through 3 to 4 cups of Peat (in a media bag) in a AC70 filter hung on a 20 gallon tank. The Peat is on the bottom of the filter, with the stock AC sponge on top of the peat. The sponge will need to be rinsed whenever you see bypass coming from the intake tube section of the filter. Catappa leaves are left free floating, alder cones are in a media bag, and used roiboss/green tea bags are just tossed into the tank. Old media bags of peat removed from the filter are dropped into the tank to further soak.

 

The Peat in the filter is replaced every couple of months. Each week, following water changes, I'll add 2 Catappa Leaves to the tank. Each month, I'll add a handful of Alder cones to the media bag.

An important concept that needs to be understood is that no two humic substances are alike. Humic substances, for instance, from the Rio Negro will be the result of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different source materials, compiled up into a consolidated mixture of “humic substances”. In addition, Rio Negro humic substances will be completely different than those found in Rio Inirida water, for example. To provide an optimal simulation of these substances, it is of utmost importance to provide as varied a source of humic substances as possible, to include using multiple types of peat from different locations, various types of leaf material, different woods, etc... While any source of humic substance is better than no source, multiple sources are better than a single source. 

In addition to the AC 70, I have a small AC 20 running, stuffed with generic filter floss. This is to help remove the big particles of loose peat and broken down catappa from the water column.

The filters are not absolutely necessary. If using a 5 gallon bucket, a trashbin, or even another aquarium, the only absolute requirement is aeration (and water movement), which can be accomplished with nothing more than air pumps and air stones, although I would recommend a heater.

You can use any brand of Peat, even garden store peat (provided it has no other additives). My favorite Peat to use is the Sera Brand, because I like the small condensed pellets (makes less mess, last longer) but I also use the Laguna Pond brand extensively, because of cost. I don't like using garden brands of peat because they are very dusty (and twiggy), although this is absolutely the least expensive route.

For those of you who are afraid of "tinting" your water. Here is my 65 gallon Discus tank. I add 2 gallons of the above tea to this water each water change (3x70% water changes per week) AND I add two catappa leaves directly to the tank each week. The "tinting" is hardly noticeable unless you drain water into a white bucket.

 

The TDS in my tanks generally runs at 100 or below. Excluding the Discus tank, where I am intentionally altering the water chemistry, I notice no difference in the tanks where I am using Peat tea and the tanks where I am not.

My KH is very low straight from the tap (somewhere between 0 and 1 degrees German Hardness..... changes color on first drop) so it should be (is) very easy to completely crash the KH resulting in a sharp pH decline. I know, because I do this, intentionally, for the Discus tank (and a few other tanks). 

 

Can I add enough Peat tea to result in a dropped pH? Absolutely. But I am adding 1 gallon of my "Tank Tea" to my 120 gallon Oscar tank, with each water change, along with 3 catappa leaves every other week, and 1 cup of peat in an Aquaclear filter (monthly), and it's not influencing pH. So If I can do all of this to 120 gallons of my water, which has virtually no existing carbonate buffer, without dropping pH, then others with much harder water should have no issues at all, even adding much more.

“Tank Tea” will not soften water or influence pH other than via dilution.  As an exercise, let’s pretend we have “Tank Tea” with pH of 4 that has zero hardness (chances of your tank tea reaching this level is very slim, only if you start with extremely soft water). If you add 1 gallon of this tea to a 20 gallon tank, you will reduce hardness by 1/20^th (or 5%) - negligible. The pH of the tea itself is basically irrelevant because the impact to carbonate hardness is negligible (decreased by 5%), so while there may be a momentary slight decrease in pH (again resulting from only from dilution), it will soon return to normal as the carbonate buffer reestablishes. Yes, peat softens water by exchanging humic acids for magnesium and calcium but this requires active peat filtration (the water running over the peat itself). The resulting “tea” itself has no such properties.

The first question everyone will ask is “how much “Tank Tea” should I add? I wish I could provide a mathematical answer to that question but the real answer is “as much as you can”. There are two factors at play here. The most important factor is how much “Tank Tea” can you add without harmfully influencing water chemistry? Start with a small amount (a cup or so), test the pH, and keep adding until you see a change (of course, you can also monitor KH and GH). If there is a change, you added too much, go back to however many cups you added before it changed, and that should be set as your max. You will likely be surprised at how much can be added, especially if you have hard water. 

The second factor is aquarist preference. How much tint can you stand? Personally, I have come to prefer a dark tint to my tanks.

 

Tinted tanks are, after all, the most natural and healthiest environment, in my opinion, but I understand those who want the crystal clear, pristine, “swimming-in-air-tanks”. For these environments, you add as much “Tank Tea” as you can stand. As you can see from my photo of my Discus tank, I get two gallons of tea in a 65 gallon aquarium without significantly altering water color or clarity. Even if you are just adding a cup or two per 55 gallons of water, you are introducing a higher level of humic substances than existed before. An important side note, the brighter the lighting, the less noticeable the tinting.

Here's a link to a lively discussion on the topic on the oscarfish.com forum

 

The Botanical Aquarium

A botanical aquarium is best described as a Natural Aquarium, an aquarium in which we attempt to duplicate actual conditions of our fish in the wild. Botanical Aquariums may include driftwood, a leaf litter substrate, along with various “twigs and nuts”. Unlike the typical crystal clear “swimming-in-air” type tanks that so many seek to achieve, botanical aquariums tend to be tannin stained because of the “botanicals” in use, although botanical aquariums are not limited only to tannin stained water (more on this later). For details on the preparation and actual setup of a botanical aquarium, I recommend the following article. http://tanninaquatics.com/blogs/news/52807553-woah-slow-down-there-theres-no-rush

Of the three mentioned options to provide humic substances to our fish, a botanical aquarium can be considered the best option, while also being the most involved. It’s not a simple matter of dropping a bunch of leafs, twigs, and nuts into an aquarium. It takes planning, preparation, and an understanding of pH, KH, and (to a lesser extent) GH. You’ll need to identify the affect individual botanicals have on these parameters of your tap water.

Below are three photographs, one is an underwater photo from a South American stream, the other a botanical aquarium simulating a South American stream, and the third, your stereotypical aquarium. Which would you rather have? Which do you think provides the healthiest environment?

 

Underwater Photo South American Stream

 

  Botanical aquarium representing a South American Stream by Tai Strietman

 

( Photo by Nevit Dilmen Used under CC BY-SA 3.0)

While many who build a botanical aquarium will first attempt to boil out the tannins (again, trying to maintain that crystal clear water) before adding the wood, leaves, and other “twigs and nuts” to the actual tank, I would encourage not doing so. Soak the products long enough to get them to sink, then add them directly to the tank, or even add them to tank to soak, until they sink. Allow those tannins to leach into the water. It’s what we want. It’s what our South American Cichlids have evolved to live in.

 

There is a perception that in such a tank, you cannot maintain a stable pH. I could not disagree more. While the pH of your tap will almost certainly be different than the tank water, with regular water changes, the pH will not continually decline. In essence, you cannot decrease the pH of orange juice by adding more orange juice and while there may be an initial influence on the pH, it will eventually stabilize. 

There are many variables that define what our final water parameters may be, these include the botanicals in use (some will leach more acids than others), the chemistry of our source water (KH, GH, pH), and stocking levels. With very hard water, it will be difficult to achieve any long term success in modifying the pH because the leached acids must first erode the carbonate buffer (KH) in order to drop the pH. However,  when you really get down to it, unless I am trying to keep Altum Angels or breed blackwater fish (in which case, you probably need to be starting with R/O water), I’m not worried about pH, although it is imperative that we are aware of it.

The only rule that needs to be clearly understood is that you make the chemistry of the replacement water match, as closely as possible, the tank water. This cannot be stated with enough importance. Chances are, because of the influence of botanicals on the water, there will be a significant difference between tank water and tap water chemistry. It is essential we get our water change replacement water near the chemistry of our tank water otherwise we run the risk of a water change killing our fish by osmotic shock. By far, the easiest way to accomplish this is to “double up”. If building a 20 gallon botanical aquarium, don’t stand up one aquarium, stand up two. I utilize Titan "EZ stands", placing my primary tank on top, the water aging tank on the bottom.

If you adopt this setup, when purchasing botanicals, purchase two of everything. For instance, if you are going to add 5 catappa leaves to the top tank, add five to the bottom as well. If you are going to add 5 pieces of cholla wood to the top tank, add 5 to the bottom as well. If you are adding a couple of monkey pots to the top tank, add a couple to the bottom tank as well.

The bottom tank is used to age water for water changes. If you are including the same botanicals in this tank as the top, then the water chemistry between the two tanks should be close enough. Certainly much safer than attempting to refill with unmodified water directly from the tap. After using water from the aging tank for the water change, refill the aging tank with unmodified water directly from the tap.  Monitor the pH, KH, and GH between the two tanks.

If the bottom tank starts to fall a bit behind, add a catappa leaf or two to get it caught back up. With a little testing and experience, before long, you’ll know exactly what to add and when, to keep chemistry between the two tanks aligned. As the botanicals deteriorate and are replaced, just continue adding and replacing both the top and bottom tanks. For quick adjustments, SeaChem Acid Regulator and SeaChem Alkaline Regulator can work wonders. Do not confuse these products with Neutral Regulator and Discus Buffer, which should not be used for this application.

If the added expense of a second tank (which would also require a filter for water flow and a heater) is not to your liking, any container that holds the same volume of water as your primary tank will suffice. I’ve used Rubbermaid trashbins extensively for this purpose. A Rubbermaid trashbin with a strong airpump or powerhead, gets the job done. However, being a firm believer in always being prepared, a second tank can also become an emergency home for your livestock should a leak develop in the main tank!

Understanding your end resulting pH is essential. If the pH of your tank drops to below 6.5 degrees (German Hardness), you are limiting yourself to South American blackwater type fish (which I happen to think are some of the most fascinating of all fish).  At a pH of 6.5 to 8.0, the door is wide open as to the types of fish (although you would not want African Cichlids at the lower end of that pH range). Your end resulting pH depends completely on the chemistry of your tap water. In other words, there are no guarantees a botanical aquarium will achieve a low pH. The end resulting pH can be anywhere from 4.0 to 8.0, depending on the hardness and buffering capacity of your tap water. But again, this article is not about achieving a “blackwater” tank. It’s about introducing humic substances as a foundational necessity of our aquariums. For the purpose of this discussion, we are after the tannins, not creating a low pH blackwater tank.

The "Botanical" aquarium without the "tinting..."

For those who just cannot stand the idea of their water being a tea color, but would like the natural appearance of a botanical aquarium, achieving this result may be easier than you think. The simplest method, in my opinion, is a combination of processes. Setup a water aging container to be utilized for the manufacture of “Tank Tea”, placing all “Botanicals” to be used in the main tank into the aging container. Those items that need to be boiled can be boiled, with the resulting “brew” dumped into the water aging container (we don’t want to waste those valuable tannins).

You use the water aging container to allow the botanicals to leach out tannins (and to lose buoyancy), moving the botanicals over to your main tank once this is achieved. Subsequently, the resulting “tea” in the aging tank can be added to the main tank as described in the “Tank Tea” section.

Using this concept, you should be able to maintain a botanical aquarium without significantly altering the water chemistry, clarity, or color, while introducing the humic substances we are looking for.

 

Commercial Conditioners

I am often asked, “Will commercially available Blackwater Extracts work?” My short answer is “I don’t know”. I have no clue what is actually in these products. You can kind-of read between the lines to determine if they are acceptable products but fact of the matter is, if I honestly thought what they were producing was as good as the Tank Tea I am making on my own, I would be using their products instead! The advantage of the "Tank Tea" is that I am able to add things I know provide medicinal benefits, such as Catappa, Alder Cones, Roibos Tea, and other plants with medicinal uses. I control it. That's my preference. Homemade “Tank Tea” is certainly much more cost effective.

As for individual products, there are some that are better than others, in my opinion. I would not trust certain products, and others might not provide exactly what I'm looking for. The Sera product claims it will not alter pH, which means it does not contain the substances we are looking for, it just tints the water. Remember, Humic Substances are comprised of Humic and Fluvic acids, and if the Sera product contained these acids, it could not claim it will not alter pH.

(fulvic acid)

Two other products I'm familiar with are Marc Weiss's "Instant Amazon", which is made from Catappa Leaves, Carob Tree beans, and the Karaya Gum tree, each viable and desirable products with known medicinal properties, and Kent Blackwater Extract, a product for which ingredients are not clear. So, in my mind, as a commercial extract, the Marc Weiss product would be preferred, although at $22 for 16-Ounces, with a dosage of 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons, you will spend several hundred dollars per year vs. making your own tank tea, and your own tank tea will be a superior product, in my opinion.

If a commercial extract is all you are willing to do, then by all means, utilize that option. The introduction of humic substances from these products would be preferred over a continued total absence.

Scientific Resources:

Humic substances. Part 2: Interactions with organisms. Meinelt T1, Schreckenbach K, Pietrock M, Heidrich S, Steinberg CE.

• zleibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany

Humic substances. Part 1: Dissolved humic substances (HS) in aquaculture and ornamental fish breeding Meinelt T1, Schreckenbach K, Pietrock M, Heidrich S, Steinberg CE.

• leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany

Humic acid and moderate hypoxia alter oxidative and physiological parameters in different tissues of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) Riffel, Ana P; K; Saccol, Etiane M; H; Finamor, Isabela A; Ourique, Giovana M; Gressler, Luciane T

• Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology184.4 (May 2014): 469-82.

Dissolved organic carbon from the upper Rio Negro protects zebrafish (Danio rerio) against ionoregulatory disturbances caused by low pH exposure; Rafael M. Duarte, D. Scott Smith, Adalberto L. Val & Chris M. Wood

• Scientific Reports 6, Article number: 20377 (2016) doi:10.1038/srep20377 Published online: 08 February 2016

Can dissolved aquatic humic substances reduce the toxicity of ammonia and nitrite in recirculating aquaculture systems?; Thomas Meinelta, , , Hana Kroupovab, , Angelika Stübera, Bernhard Rennerta, , Andreas Wienkec, , Christian E.W. Steinbergd

• Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Medical Faculty, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Magdeburger Straße 8, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany

The Use of Aqueous Humic Substances for in-situ Remediation of Contaminated Aquifers; D.R. van Stempvoort, S. Lesage, J. Molson

• National Water Research Institute

Role of Humic Substances in the Complexation and Detoxification of Heavy Metals: Case Study of the Dnieper Reservoirs; P.N. Linnik, T.A. Vasilchuk

• Department of Hydrochemistry, Institute of Hydrobiology, National Academy of Sciences

Use of Humic Substances to Remediate Polluted Environments: From Theory to Practice; Irina V. Perminova, Kirk Hatfield, Norbert Hertkorn

• Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Use of Humates to Remediate Polluted Environments: From Theory to Practice Zvenigorod, Russia 23–29 September 2002

Mitigating Activity of Humic Substances: Direct Influence on Biota; N.A. Kulikova, E.V. Stepanova, O.V. Koroleva

• Department of Soil Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Cytotoxic and Radical Scavenging Potential of Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) Leaf Extracts; D. R. Behera, Sunita Bhatnagar* and A.K.Mahapatra

• Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Division, Regional Plant Resource Centre, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar-751015, India.

Antiparasitic, Antibacterial, and Antifungal Activities Derived from a Terminalia catappa Solution against Some Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Pathogens; C. Chitmanat, K. Tongdonmuan, P. Khanom, P. Pachontis and W. Nunsong

• Department of Fisheries Technology College of Agricultural Production Maejo University, Chiang Mai, 50290 Thailand

Humic substances affect physiological condition and sex ratio of swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri Heckel) Thomas Meinelt, Kurt Schreckenbach, Klaus Knopf, Andreas Wienke, Angelika Stüber, Christian E. W. Steinberg

• Meinelt, T., Schreckenbach, K., Knopf, K. et al. Aquat. Sci. (2004) 66: 239. doi:10.1007/s00027-004-0706-9

The effect of some tannins on trout erythrocytes exposed to oxidative stress; Donatella Fedelia, Marco Berrettinia, Teresa Gabryelakb, Giancarlo Falcionia

Department of General Biophysics, University of Lodz, Banacha, 12/16, Lodz 90-237, Poland Received 15 July 2003, Revised 28 January 2004, Accepted 10 June 2004, Available online 23 August 2004

Antibacterial Properties of Tannic Acid and Related Compounds against the Fish Pathogen Cytophaga columnaris; Guojing Zhao , King-Thom Chung , Kimberly Milow , Wenxian Wang & S. Edward Stevens Jr.

• Published online: 09 Jan 2011 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Sciences, University of Memphis

Growth Inhibition of Selected Aquatic Bacteria by Tannic Acid and Related Compounds: King-Thom Chung , Guojing Zhao , Edward Stevens Jr. , Bill A. Simco & C. I. Wei

• Published online: 09 Jan 2011 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Sciences, University of Memphis

Antileishmanial activity and immune modulatory effects of tannins and related compounds on Leishmania parasitised RAW 264.7 cells; Herbert Kolodzieja, Albrecht F. Kiderlenb

• Robert Koch-Institut, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nordufer 20, D-13353 Berlin, Germany Revised 14 December 2004, Available online 12 February 2005

Antibacterial action of several tannins against Staphylococcus aureus; Hisanori Akiyama*, Kazuyasu Fujii, Osamu Yamasaki, Takashi Oono and Keiji Iwatsuki

• Department of Dermatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Shikata-cho 2-5-1, Okayama 700-8558, Japan

Humic substances affect physiological condition and sex ratio of swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri Heckel) Meinelt, T., Schreckenbach, K., Knopf, K. et al. Aquat. Sci. (2004) 66: 239. doi:10.1007/s00027-004-0706-9

• Aquatic Sciences June 2004, Volume 66, Issue 2, pp 239–245

DISSOLVED HUMIC SUBSTANCES FACILITATE FISH LIFE IN EXTREME AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EXTEND THE LIFESPAN OF CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS. Steinberg, Christian E. W.; Saul, Nadine; Pietsch, Kerstin; Meinelt, Thomas; Rienau, Stefanie; Menzel, Ralph

•  Annals of Environmental Science . Feb2007, p81-90. 10p. 

Physiological effects of humic substances on higher plants: Serenella Nardia, , , Diego Pizzeghelloa, Adele Muscolob, Angelo Vianelloc Received 16 July 2001, Revised 15 July 2002, Accepted 19 August 2002, Available online 28 October 2002

• Dipartimento di Biologia ed Economia Agro-industriale, Sezione di Biologia Vegetale, Università di Udine, Via Cotonificio 108, 33100 Udine, Italy

Tackling items on your fish room "to do" list..Yaay. Thanks, Scott...

Hey, it's me, your local pain in the_____ . Time to remind you to do some stuff you've been putting off...

Okay, so this isn’t exactly the time of year when we start thinking about cleaning our tanks up- you know - the whole “Spring Cleaning” mentality…I mean, it’s not even Christmas yet…Nonetheless, I’ve been talking  with a lot of hobbyist lately whom, for whatever reason, are looking to do overhauls on their tanks. I’m not sure what that’s all about. “Aquarium Season” is in full swing, weather is cooling down in the temperate regions of the world, and we're spending more time with our aquariums, all of these cool new fishes are coming in, new gear is available...Yeah.

 

Ah, maybe that’s it? We are realizing that we can’t afford all of the new toys, having just spent big bucks on the summer vacations, major household purchases and all, so we figure it’s better to improve what we have! Could be, right? So anyways, it got me thinking of the things that we all need to do once in a while to freshen up our systems…some of these can not only help you create a better system, they can help you enjoy your hobby more...or with less of that "I really need to do this" guilt trip-thing...

 

So, here's just a few of the nagging things on the list that  you should consider "checking off" before winter.

 

 

1) Clean up the plumbing. Huh? You mean, re-work the plumbing? No! I mean, literally clean it! When mineral deposits, tube worms, etc. build up on the inside of plumbing, you get a diminished water flow; so much so that you will really notice the difference when you get around to cleaning it. How do you do this? You need to obtain a nice cleaning brush made just for this purpose, and carefully push it into you plumbing, taking care to “wipe” the sidewalls of the pipes as thoroughly as possible. 

 

2) Get rid of the old food. Yeah, the upcoming Holiday Season is all about leftovers; However, your fish are not so fortunate. Some of that fish food (frozen, dried, or “fresh”) tends to dry out, collect “freezer burn”, or otherwise degrade in both quality and nutritional value over time. Do your fishy friends a favor and replace some of that old food with a fresh supply. Yeah, it sometimes is economical to stock up, but if you are keeping months and months of food on reserve, I never really saw the advantage…I have always found it more practical to keep a smaller supply on hand- say a month, or maybe 6 weeks worth.

 

3) Take inventory of your gadgets…Okay, if you’re like me, you’ll save like EVERYTHING you’ve ever used in your aquarium…What hardcore aquarium hobbyist doesn’t have a supply of old air pumps, heaters, plumbing parts, etc. accumulating in a box somewhere? And it’s hard to get rid of these things as you ponder all sorts of scenarios where you might need them or repurpose them one day…That’s me. Granted, you never know when you might need a spare ball valve. However, do you really think that you’ll need the diaphragm repair kit from that air driven pump that you haven’t used since 1987? I know that you’re holding out for the return of air-driven protein skimmers, but maybe it’s time to let go. On the other hand, I had a serious discussion with a fellow fish geek the other day about utilizing an under gravel filter in a setup I'm pondering...

 

4) How about re-assessing your need for essentials, like towels? Yeah, mundane, but one of the best things to have in your “go bag” for emergency spills, etc. Yeah, you need a healthy supply, so you can always create a need in the household to get new towels just so that you have an emergency towel supply on hand! I mean, I NEVER spill…but you just might…:)

 

5) Clean out your water mixing containers. Yeah, it seems like a no-brainer, but we never seem to get around to this. Use some RO water and an algae scrub pad to thoroughly clean your water storage and saltwater mixing containers on a regular basis. The scale of calcium, algae, biofilm, etc. that builds up in these containers in a relatively short period of time is quite impressive, and can have some impact on water chemistry, so cleaning these containers out regularly is a rational necessity, IMHO.

 

6) Tame your stand. Huh? Yeah, you know what I’m getting at. Almost every fish geek has all sorts of stuff hidden inside the stand- old cups, paper towels, test kits, plumbing parts, etc. Stuff that just sort of "accumulates" over time. Stuff that you may have put down "for a second" while doing other activities...and 3 months later, the "stuff" is still there. These things are just getting in the way. While you’re at it, you might as well scrub or shop vac out the area- it will remove dust, salt creep, mineral deposits, spider webs, etc, and keep the area around your important  equipment clean. What’s that you’re saying- you have all of your equipment down in the basement? Lucky, but you still need to keep the area around it clean. I have seen more than one basement sump area that was, well- shall we say- in need of “freshening up….”

7) Clean up filters. Yeah, external filters tend to accumulate dirt, dust, and salt creep, all of which can ultimately affect their life expectency and performance. So it’s a good idea to regularly inspect and wipe down the fan area, couplings, and base of the filter and pump to keep them free from this stuff. Use the time to check the condition of the electrical cords as well, as these things sometimes need replacing.

 8) Check plumbing connections. The flex tubing tends to lose its flex over time, and this could prove, well.."problematic" if connections start loosening as a result. This should actually be a weekly thing, but for many of us who "set and forget" our tanks, it's somewhat -umm- "less frequent." And if you have an RO/DI system, this "advisory" extends to it, too. The tubing on those things seems to be designed to just croak after a year or two, huh? No duct tape...just replace it. Don't wait for trouble. Just take a quick look, okay?

 

9) Re-consider those electrical connections. You know, the "jury-rigged", "daisy-chained" aggregations of power strips, multi-outlet connectors, precariously-placed plugs, and other electrical nightmares that would make your local fire department- or insurance company- freak out. If you've been telling yourself that "one of these days" you're gonna tackle this project..please do- BEFORE it becomes a really dangerous, possibly tragic issue.

 

10) Re-assess your need for more tanks...or (gasp) less fishes! Can't end on a downer like a fire hazard warning, can we? Nope. So here's an idea: Might be time to "vote someone off the island", as they say. You heard me...If you're like  every fish geek on the planet, you're always finding "one more" fish, plant, coral, etc...and with it, you're forced to find a little extra room somewhere! This is always weird, but that's why you see so many fish rooms with tanks housing, say, Endler's livebearers, Blind Cave Tetras, and Threadfin Rainbowfishes together- you know, strange combos, brought together by an obsession for collecting more fish and a lack of available space! Unless you can add some more tanks, I say you need to make the tough call and possibly give some early holiday gifts of fish to your fellow hobbyists! Damn, I could write an entire piece on this topic...

Okay, enough. I started you off with 10 ideas on a list that probably contains 2,346 or more...But you get the idea. There literally is "no time like the present" to tackle the stuff on your "to-do" list that you've been putting off. It sucks to contemplate it now, when the sun is out and the dying days of summer are lingering, but you'll thank yourself one dreary, snow-bound winter weekend when you're encamped in your revamped, refreshed fish room!

Okay, okay, enough of this practical, decidedly "typical" blog stuff...I've dispatched my twice yearly obligation to write about something "normal." Back to the esoteric, the obscure, the provocative tomorrow.

Yeah, I feel so..."dirty"- time tow write about leaf litter or something more weird.

Until next time. Stay busy. Stay on guard. Stay engaged.

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things your aquatics vendor would like you to know- a brief guide to online purchasing…

 

Oh man, it’s been a while since I’ve mouthed off and attempted to foist my limited world view on the aquatics community, and acted as a wannabe spokesperson on behalf of the greater industry- maybe 24 hours; something like that?

Whatever.

 

In dealing with customers in the aquatics biz, you discover a few "truisms" about business, the hobby and the culture that surrounds it all. Some of these things are good, some are not so pretty, but most of them are things that sort of fall in to definable patterns. I was chatting with a fellow vendor the other day, and our discussion got me thinking ( a dangerous proposition, you know…).

I don’t really act as a spokesperson for the industry, so I’m speaking mainly from my experience, and experiences of some of the other awesome vendors in this industry, who have shared with me their thoughts on stuff from time to time, but I felt there would be some value in letting you know what some vendors think about topics related to the aquatics business. Having owned both a well-regarded aquatic livestock business (Unique Corals) and a “dry goods” vendor (tannin Aquatics), I have accumulated both some experience and opinions that might be of interest to you, so I figured I’d share it here!

I’m calling this “Things that your aquatics vendor would like to tell you”, and I think the title alone says a lot. I think it could maybe “clear the air” a bit on the way e-commerce works in our industry. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, nor do I intend to use this as a place to “bitch and moan” about our business. Rather, it’s about opening a dialogue. So, without further intro, let’s delve into some things that the good guys and gals who market aquarium stuff on line would like you to know (from my point of view, of course…spank me if I’m off base):

“We really make the effort to take accurate pictures that show the color, shape, and size of the stuff that you’ll be purchasing from us.”- There are generally no malevolent intentions among the quality vendors out there. Typically, they’re just stoked, honest fish geeks who turned their passion into career and try to do their best every day. Some people are great photographers, others are not. Look, we understand that it’s important to get an accurate pic of the item you’re forking out your money for, and everyone wants to see the fish, coral, plant, botanical, gear, etc. at its best. Sometimes, the photographer may take a lousy pic and attempt to bring back the washed out colors caused by too tight a focus, external sources, etc.- and that’s where trouble happens…this is really prevalent in the livestock trade- I saw it a lot on the coral side of things.

Legitimate livestock vendors don’t take liberty with editing. Why? Because it only takes one time to lose a consumer’s confidence. If you receive a fish, plant or coral who's colors vary significantly from what you saw on the vendor’s website, it sucks. However, I implore you to refrain and not unleash a “scorched-earth” social media tirade trashing the guy…pick up the phone and ask what happened. Knowing my fellow vendors like I do, I’ll wager that 99% of the time, it was just an honest mistake- a human error- and that they’ll bend over backwards to work out an equitable solution. But you’ll never know if you open the dialogue by lashing out at the vendor in a public forum before giving them an opportunity to make things right. I’ve seen these train wrecks play out on vendor feedback forums before, and it’s not entertaining when an honest guy is getting whacked because an angry customer didin’t try to contact them first.

“Even though we inspect every fish, plant, or coral we sell thoroughly before shipping, we highly recommend some sort of prophylactic dipping, inspection, and yes- quarantine procedure after you receive the livestock.”-  Yeah, believe it or not, even an experienced aquatics vendor occasionally misses something, and a sick fish, a snail on a plant, flatworm, red bug, nudibranch, or other nasty hitchhiker will get through. This is every legitimate livestock vendor’s nightmare, believe me. NO ONE in this industry wants to send you aquatic life with disease or pestilence on it. Nonetheless, stuff gets through on rare occasions. There is a certain responsibility that we as customers need to take for the animals we purchase. 

It is absolutely not unreasonable to expect a perfectly healthy animal, or plant, but that doesn’t relieve us of the responsibilities of being a conscientious aquarist. Inspection, acclimation, and quarantine of EVERY fish, plant, coral, or invert we purchase is the ONLY way to assure that you are adding a healthy animal to your system. The initial responsibility lies with the vendor to sell you a healthy animal-no getting around that. The ultimate responsibility lies with the customer, who needs to exercise basic aquarium-keeping protocols for newly received animals. This is not unreasonable either. In our business (Tannin), it extends towards the customer reading our website information on prep and taking the time to properly prepare and use our botanicals in their aquatic features. Not using something the way it was intended or recommended can often lead towards unhappy outcomes…

Bad analogy- When you buy a car, you can expect a safe, well-engineered vehicle. But it’s not BMW’s responsibility to fasten your seat belts when you drive off. Same for aquatic livestock. 

 

“We package your order as carefully as possible. Sometimes, circumstances beyond our control conspire to damage the packaging or items within it.”- Believe it or not, Fed Ex, UPS, and USPS really couldn’t care less that the box says “Live Tropical Fish- Keep Warm” on the side. Oh sure, that may keep them from leaving the package on the porch during the next “Polar Vortex” incident, but that’s about it. To these people, it’s a package, and they handle thousands per day, so to think that occasionally a shipper doesn’t just toss the box containing your Rilli Shrimp, Betta albimarginata, coral, or Bucephalandra  into a cargo container along with packages of cosmetics, juicing machines, and car parts is fantasy. As much as we’d like to think that our boxes are handled lovingly by the shippers with care by skilled personnel with lab coats, that’s typically not true. Not to say anything negative on the thousands of hardworking people in the shipping industry, but it’s unreasonable to think that our packages are always treated perfectly. 

Expect that the box will get beaten up a bit. Expect for a botanical to get a bit “worn” on occasion. Expect a piece of SPS coral to occasionally have branch knocked off. Except fishes to not be in “show coloration” when you unbox it. It sucks, and it is no fun, but it happens…And it’s not you vendor’s fault, really. Most make tremendous efforts to pack your stuff as carefully as possible. Nonetheless, things get damaged. Again, if you receive a damaged shipment, take a few minutes to asses the situation, acclimate the fishes, corals, or other products, and call your vendor to discuss. Believe it or not, many fishes do remarkably well after a rough ride. Plants typically recover fine. Botanicals can still impart tannins into the water if they’re a bit misshapen. And corals take this “fragging by shipper” thing pretty well, and can recover nicely. You should definitely discuss with your vendor, of course- and many will offer credit or replacement for damaged stuff with little hesitation. But please, please- don’t just toss the box in the trash and call your vendor for replacement. Make the effort- and the call.

 

 

We appreciate your PM, email, or phone call when there is a question or a problem, but we can’t always grab the message or return the email immediately, or pick up the call on the first try, or even the second. It doesn’t mean we won’t help you.”- I hear about this and read about this all the time. Believe it or not, much as we’d like to believe, most aquatics vendors are pretty small guys, with one or two employees- or maybe even none. When you call, you’re not gonna get Zappos, with banks of CSR’s in a call center, with scripted responses to every question. More likely, you’re going to get the owner of the company, who will apologize for the delay in getting back to you because he’s busy trying to ship out 14 orders. And dealing with customers worldwide in different time zones has an impact, too. Yeah, you could make the argument that “she should be staffed up properly if he wants my money”, but understand that most of these guys are pretty darned good at what they do, and are doing the best they can to take care of all of their customers. 

 

As you may realize, growing a business is a tough proposition, and it’s hard to find good people, so a lot of smaller vendors do it all themselves as long as they can. Obviously, service should not suffer- not one bit.  It’s part of running a business, and everyone who builds one has to face it- “if you can’t stand the heat”, etc. However, please understand that most of these guys are fish geeks just like you, and will typically bend over backwards to help you- as soon as humanly possible. The key take-aways here- “..fish geeks just like you” and “…as soon as humanly possible.”  They truly care- at least, the good ones that I know do. It’s a bit different than dealing with your cable company, for example.  So please cut some of these people a little slack before you go out and whack ‘em on Twitter and such. #myaquaticsvendordoesntloveme. 

“XYZ Aquarium Company wouldn’t take take the WYSIWY Cyprichromis microlepidotus  off his website and hold it for me until next week when I get paid. And I’ve ordered from him once before last year..What a jerk.”- Honestly, I’ve heard people tell me this about other vendors, and I cringe. Let;’s be real. Even though the aquarium livestock biz isn’t like every other business- it’s still a business. You can’t just expect someone who earns their livelihood by selling things to remove items from inventory on your promise that you’re going to buy the fish or coral “next week”, or whenever. You can’t believe how many times he’s probably done this before, only to have the person making the offer disappear on him. 

The lifeblood of a sales business is- you guessed it- sales! So, when you ask a vendor to take a fish, plant, or piece of coral off of his site to hold it without paying for it, you’re really asking him to hold off earning an income until you’re ready to pay for the item. The reality is, he’d love to be the nice guy and do that for you, but this isn’t “Its a Wonderful Life”, with George Bailey behind the counter of the Building and Loan (IMBD the movie if you can’t get the reference). It’s a guy who needs to cover his overhead, pay his employees, and earn money to take care of his family. He’s not your  personal aquarium consignment shop. It’s just not reasonable to expect that of any business. Don’t believe me? Try asking most airlines to hold an airfare for you for a week without paying something now days! At the very least, if you want to ask this, make an offer to put down a deposit and see if that is something the vendor would entertain.

Oh sure, I can go on and on, and probably sound a bit whiny in the process. I hope I’m not sounding that way, but it might be unavoidable! This was certainly not the intent of this piece today. Really, what I was trying to do is convey to you the things that concern the people on the other side of the  “electronic counter” when you purchase your livestock and other fish stuff, and how they think. I’m not speaking for everyone in the industry. I am conveying things that are discussed when fellow vendors sit around at conferences and “talk shop”, as they say.

I thought that perhaps it might be a bit interesting to you…

 

Most everyone I know in this industry has good intentions, are very nice people, and decent business practices. However, there are definitely slimy, low-down, rotten vendors out there who’s sole purpose is profit without any conscience. Yeah, they exist. Most aquatics industry vendors will bend over backwards for their clients, because they are what you and I are- fish geeks. If there are some solid takeaways from this piece, it’s that you should  a)always voice any concerns you have with a vendor, b)offer him or her a reasonable amount of time to respond, c)attempt to work with him or her to resolve your problem before publicly attacking them, and d)remember that the aquarium hobby involves a certain amount of personal responsibility. 

And, I think that you’ll find most everyone who is in this game takes it very personally, and will go out of their way to create great experiences and offer the best stuff they can for you. No matter how large the business. If the “core values” are good, you’re almost always guaranteed to have a good outcome, despite the challenges or issues that arise.

If we look at the aquatics vendor/aquarist relationship as more of a “partnership”, I think we can all work together to create an even more  responsible, sustainable, consumer-based industry that makes everyone happy.

If you're a vendor or a customer, I’d like to hear more of your thoughts on both the topics mentioned, and on others that were not covered. Getting this stuff out and discussing it will only foster better understanding between vendors and customers, build more solid relationships, and a better industry to serve the aquarium keeping community!

As always, stay engaged, keep learning and sharing…

Stay positive. Stay communicative. Stay vigilant. Stay open-minded.

And stay wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

The endless evolution...

 

One of the coolest things about our hobby is the amazing progression over the years in both the state of the art and the technology that we embrace.  Improvements that have enabled us to do things previously thought incredibly difficult or even, impossible, unfold daily here on social media and elsewhere. Thanks to Facebook, Instagram, etc., ideas can spread like fire all over the planet with rapidity that would amaze the hobbyists of just a couple of decades ago!  And the progression in technology and technique seems to be accelerating constantly.  

What an amazing time to be a hobbyist!

It’s interesting, however, to watch some hobbyist’s reactions to new products, techniques, etc.  After reading about some new product or evolved technique, you’ll often see comments like “That’s nothing new, really. ___________ had something like that a few years ago.” or “All that guy did was add______. It’s not really new.”

Well, yeah...but...

Comments and attitudes like this seem to overlook a few simple facts, so let’s look at this a bit closer.  Did you ever think about how the technology and practices we routinely utilize in the hobby came into being?  Much of it is built upon achievements and developments from the past.  I mean, it all started with a goldfish bowl, right?

After a few hundred years of playing with bowls, Victorian-era hobbyists had about enough of that. It was time to fashion a more dedicated vessel for mission-specific hobby work. This, the aquarium evolved out of the humble (or not-so-humble) goldfish bowl, complete with the accoutrements of the time.

This is the way hobby progression has occurred over much of the last century. Incremental improvements, punctuated with a few "game changers", like the under gravel filter, frozen foods, canister filters, powerheads, etc. 

An this is how it happens today, too, isn't it?

Sure, there are brand new technologies that trickle into the hobby all the time, yet many of the hottest new products and techniques of today arose as a result of someone looking at something that was already in existence and saying, “I can do better than that.” It’s the “better mousetrap” theory.

Things evolve over time, often borrowing from existing technology or technique need not look to far back into the hobby’s past to see a prime example of this evolution:

Remember the trickle filter? Derived from a hybridization of old-time Japanese koi pond filtration and modern sewage treatment technology, this venerable invention powered the reef systems of the mid eighties, placing the promise of the “miniature reef” into the grasp of almost every marine hobbyist. George Smit’s landmark series of articles in FAMA magazine in 1986, extolling this technology, helped launch the modern reef craze as we know it. By 1988, it seemed like the marine sector of the hobby exploded in popularity, with dozens of new filter manufacturers arriving on the scene almost monthly. Even the filter media itself underwent numerous iterations during this time period, with the promise of increased performance and efficiency.

As the decade wore on, however, hobbyists and manufacturers saw fit to improve the trickle filters that were available at the time, creating new models with greater media capacity, more baffles to break up flow, and compartments to hold equipment like skimmers and reactors. Little improvements that provided increased performance. Nothing revolutionary, mind you- just “tweaks” to a platform that at one time was, itself "revolutionary." 

Eventually, it was determined that trickle filters were great at removing ammonia and nitrite, yet tended to allow nitrate to accumulate rapidly.  In the nineties, many embraced the belief that accumulating nitrate could be a potential detriment to coral growth and long-term fish health, and almost overnight,“conventional” trickle filtration began to fall out of favor.  Hobbyists everywhere began yanking the plastic filter media (bioballs, etc.) from their trickle filters. Or, they were utilized on planted freshwater aquariums, African Cichlid and Discus tanks, etc...technology re-applied.

And the trickle filter itself evolved with the prevailing techniques embraced by the reef hobby at the time.

The “filter” became the “sump”, and was primarily the nexus for water treatment (mechanical and chemical) for the aquarium.  With no use for biological “towers”, within this new school of thought, this feature began to disappear from filters. Kalkwasser dosing was utilized to increase alkalinity and calcium and to precipitate phosphates…  The “Berlin Method” of reef keeping had arrived, and a variation of this method has been the state of the art ever since.  Once again, existing technology had “morphed” to accommodate the prevailing school of thought.  The hobby "state of the art" evolved, and so did the equipment.  An idea from the past improved upon to accommodate the needs of the present.

And so it continues to this day...

In my opinion, thanks to the "equality" and anonymity of the online world, we are often too quick to chide such evolutionary steps as “copying” or “ripping off” existing ideas, when in reality, they are simply improving and building upon what was already there.  This is the necessary progression of things in many cases. We didn’t make the leap from undergravel filters to high-capacity sumps and hyper-efficient protein skimmers, or from N.O. fluorescent to highly-controllable LED lighting overnight.

Hobbyists, manufacturers, and product designers looked at the prevailing technology of the day, assessed the needs of the hobby, and attempted to improve upon these existing technologies. Remember, many of  these improvements are done to gain a market advantage over one’s competitors.  For example, if I make an easier-to maintain canister filter, or cleaner, more specialized, more efficient food, for example- hobbyists are more likely to purchase my product. Further refinements take place all the time.  This is how the hobby progresses.

It’s not just limited to the aquarium hobby, of course! Think about everyday technologies, such as telephones.  When the cord on the phone was cut, it changed the way we communicate.  Improvements in technology revolutionized the way we could quickly interact with others and gave us the “smart phones” that almost everyone on earth carries in their pockets.  The evolution of “smart phones” allowed us to talk, write, text, send photos, video and now video conference effortlessly and instantaneously with others, creating true global communication once though impossible. A cultural shift.

Need more proof that change and progression in our hobby are often the result of evolution?  Look no further than our fave topic of aquascaping!  Those of you familiar with my rants know that I am no lover of the ever pervasive “wall of rock” in the reef aquarium world, which is essentially a large quantity of  live rock, more or less stacked end-to-end in the aquarium, it’s been utilized as the  “default” aquascaping configuration since the beginning of the reef aquarium hobby.  In my opinion, it’s outdated, uninspired, and essentially unnecessary.  I feel so strongly about this because, among other reasons, I understand its history.

Back in the 80’s, “live rock” was a breakthrough in aquarium management. Biological “filtration” and diversity of life were considered revolutionary concepts in aquaria. It was widely believed that you needed “x” number of pound per gallon of aquarium capacity to achieve these results, so when we set up our tanks, we dutifully dumped tons (literally, in some cases) of rock into them!  Even though water capacity, swimming area, and flow were often compromised with this configuration, it was a widely held that the benefits were far greater than any potential downside.

Over the years, however, it was discovered that we really don’t need all that rock for biological filtration, and that you could utilize other techniques (use of refugia, protein skimming, macroalgae) to help efficiently process nutrients in our aquaria. Hobbyists began to experiment by creating systems with less rock.  With the better understanding of biological processes and their affect on husbandry that we developed over the years, water volume and movement have taken on greater significance, and hobbyists began to utilize far less rock in their aquascapes, unless their design called for it.  The “rock wall” was no longer considered the “only way” to run a reef system, and the concept of reef aquascaping has evolved dramatically, experiencing a real renaissance of sorts.

We have slowly seen this in freshwater, too. The concept of a "natural"-style aquarium is expanding slowly from it's formerly rigid definition...

... towards something that looks- well, more natural.

Inspiration is an “open source”, and innovation is for anyone to embrace. It can come from anywhere, at any time.  Some aquarium technologies, such as lighting, borrow from other industries or fields of endeavor, whereas others, such as the development of new food products, arise out of  knowledge and experience gained within the fields of marine science and aquaculture-and good old hobbyist experience as well. Ideas, technologies, and technique “cross-pollinate” between fields, and the changes benefit us all.

(James Sheen...pushing it!)

There is no great “hobby hegemony” that seeks to keep ideas and progression in the hands of some chosen few.  These days, anyone with an idea and determination can forge a new path for the hobby.  Think about this for a while: As a  "Tint" reader, you’re actually a participant in the progression in the hobby. You’ve got a front row seat to a small part of the evolution, and your work, your ideas, comments and questions do not go unnoticed by manufacturers, fellow hobbyists, and industry people who frequent this column.

However, the next time you might be tempted to criticize someone’s new hobby idea or product because it seemingly ”borrows” from something already in existence, realize that you’re merely seeing the evolution of the hobby at its flash point. Don’t just chide the development because part of it seems derived from something familiar.  

Embrace it, enjoy it, and utilize it…. improve it.

Till next time…

Push the limits. Stay progressive. Stay open-minded. Stay excited.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

A message of hope from the "watering hole" that is the LFS...

Today, I felt a little more uplifted by some experiences so far this weekend, so I’m putting my usual grumpy, cynical, sarcastic self on the back burner for the day to give us a little lift. That’s right- I’m praising us for a change. Don’t worry, I haven’t gone “soft”…By tomorrow, I’ll have something to rail about, trust me. :)

I had occasion to go to one of my local fish stores this weekend (Hey, I’m a fish geek, right? It’s still fun!), and, amid the usual hustle, bustle, and hobbyist banter, I made a social observation:

When you think about it, we as hardcore fish geeks (Okay, aquarium hobbyists in general, but hardcore fish geeks in particular, really) have an incredible amount of knowledge about some very arcane facts, don’t we? ( So says the guy who is obsessed with decomposing leaves in his aquariums…)

“Phosphate”, “dirted tanks”, “aufwuchs”, “ferric aluminum oxide”, “Laetacara thayeri” , “zeolites”, “reverse osmosis”, “magnesium levels”, and “ORP” were some of the words I heard in discussions upon entering the shop. You know, those little discussions that take place between fish geeks in odd corners of the LFS, when contemplating which fish to buy, etc…One of the best parts of fish-geek culture and an advantage of hanging out at the metaphorical “watering hole” that is the LFS.

It was sort of like like attending a fish club meeting or convention. And in a way, it was. Yeah. Absolutely.

The LFS is to our culture what the "watering hole" is to animals in the African Savannah ..A place to gather, refresh...and in our case, exchange information! )In a typically "predator-free" environment, if you don't count the guy trying to hawk "LE" coral frags from his tank...)

In one 15 minute stretch, I heard an outwardly scary looking, biker-type guy giving a very detailed, lucid, and informative dissertation to a couple of other customers on the topic of phosphate in the reef aquairum, and its good and bad effects on corals, complete with personal experience references and admission that some of his theories might be anecdotal…And “Q and A!” I mean, really impressive!

I also listened in on a rather vigorous discussion on the merits of water changes conducted by a “Scary cat lady” kind of person (sorry for the cruel stereotype, but I’m being serious here! And then there was the “Emo”girl with the fuscia hair and tats, talking about how she grows Paramecium for the Boraras she’s spawning….It all goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover, like the old adage goes- and that there is no information like that which you receive from those who are actually working on the things they’re talking about!

More important, it shows that, as hobbyists, we are an incredibly well-studied, intellectually curious bunch, regardless of our educational backgrounds, ethnicity, appearance, gender, etc. As it should be. And most important of all- we share our knowledge with others quite readily, and a lot of the knowledge is NOT “regurgitated” stuff-you know, the stuff that gets me all worked up on these pages. Rather, it’s hard-earned, real world information, typically  gleaned by years of actual practice in our own aquariums, making it the most valuable kind of information available, IMHO.

What I find truly fascinating about our hobby is the level on which the average hobbyist is operating. Many of us run systems with tight control and understanding of many, many aspects of the environment, with tremendous insight on just why each of the perimeters we obsess over is so important. That’s really cool, because we are not just following some kind of “orders” from some anonymous “hobby force” up there that tells us to keep our nitrates at 0-10ppm, or our photoperiod at “X” hours per day…Rather, we’re arriving at some of these “hobby norms” because we’re observing and tweaking our systems based on what works best for our fishes and plants…crazy concept, huh?

 

What’s more, is that we have a bunch of you out there who “dare” fly in the face of convention, asking why we have to do things a certain way, when your real world results prove that success can be achieved in a completely different manner. Hobbyists who are willing to risk their reputation, animals, and money because they think that they might have a better way. This is how hobby breakthroughs are achieved. At a very grass-roots level, by those who dare. Very cool stuff. 

 

Another observation: It seams like a lot of hobbyists got their start by…whoa…picking up a book, or reading information on the internet, then perusing forums and getting feedback and guidance from fellow hobbyist who took the time to act as “mentors.” We have a really great “hobby cultural” thing going here, don’t we? It’s not just hobbyists receiving advice from people who are trying to sell them stuff. Rather, we’re getting advice from others who’ve walked in our shoes…Clubs, conferences, and online forums and Facebook groups have completely transformed the hobby.

I’m kind of curious how many of you have a “mentor”, or did you slug it out alone? Seems like these days, there are fewer and fewer hobbyists who got their start figuring out stuff without at least some input from others. What a cool thing!

So, in conclusion, I’m not sure exactly how we arrived at the state we’re in as a hobby right now, but on the whole, it’s pretty darned good!

Okay, we could do without “Parrot Cichlids”, Photoshopped pics, “check out my rare Discus collection” threads, obscenely expensive “microchip-sized” coral frags, blah,blah, blah…

And long live the LFS!

Until next time, keep sharing, keep learning, and…

 

Stay wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

 

On deaf ears....

It happened again...

I was chatting with a brand spankin’ new aquarist at a couple of days ago on a random fish forum...I mean- brand new, “untainted-by-the-message-boards-and-super-trendy-fish-gossip” new. Like, “didn’t-have-any-opinion-on-which-LED-lighting-system-is-the-best-new”... 

Yeah. That new.

And I’m being generous when I use “aquarist” to describer her, ‘cause she wasn’t!

She was asking me for some advice on what botanicals and fish she should be keeping in her new tank. Uh-oh...advice. That made me think a bit...Well, a lot, actually. In my hobby and professional career, I have given lots of advice to new hobbyist as many of you have, I'm sure,…

But not to someone this new and well- "detached", I guess you could call it.. 

I mean, what a responsibility! She had absolutely no clue on a lot of stuff, not a single clue. Never kept fish before. She just wanted a great-looking tank and kind of thought it was like throwing together a scrapbook: You just toss a few things together and it’s ready to impress everyone. 

Most discouraging to me was her desire to “impress” her friends and visitors to her home with how cool her aquarium would look. She wanted one like the office aquarium I show in my writing so often. Wanted it, but didn't really want to learn about how to go about it. This of course, raise the “red flag” for me, a hardcore hobbyist...Was she in it for the wrong reasons? Did she even give a darn about the animals that would be under her care?  And, is it my place to judge? 

I thought that she would be an ideal candidate for an aquarium maintenance company, so at least her animals could be looked after by someone who knew what he/she was doing...Yet she would have NONE of that! SHE wanted to be in charge of the tank. She bristled at the thought...I mean, she wanted to be the boss.

 Well, I could at least relate to that.

However, when she  showed me pics of random fishes that in no way belonged together, I formulated my response:

“I think before you start this project, you should arm yourself with a good book, visit the aquarium of an experienced reefer, and educate yourself on the fundamentals of aquatic husbandry..Your chances for success are much greater with some education and fundamentals”

You know, the responsible response.

Oh, that didn’t go over well at ALL:  “Do you think that I am stupid?” (well, yes, now that you mention it...).  She literally said that. She was very insulted that I would suggest anything other than a bunch of random specimens, a bunch of leaves and pods, and a nod of approval for the “stocking plan” she proposed for her tank. She gave no indications whatsoever of having even the remotest amount of interest in actually caring for the fish that she wanted, and quite frankly, I was annoyed at her attitude that she could just ignore the realities of owning an aquarium, skip over the learning process, and get whatever she wanted because she had money to spend.

 

In the end, we parted ways with me reiterating my advice to get some background before proceeding. I know that fell on deaf ears...

Happily, this lady belonged to a very small minority of persons (lets just call them idiots) who enter into the aquarium world with nothing more than arrogance and lots of cash, and no regard for the lives of the animals under their care. Look, I’m not saying that you have to be a hardcore, super-glue-loving, multiple cichlid-breeding, central-filtration-system-fishroom-owning, skimmer-cleaning fish geek to keep an aquarium.

What I AM saying is that you should at least have some fundamental knowledge of aquatic biology and the needs of reef animals, and even a dose of compassion. You certainly wouldn’t buy a puppy or kitten without knowing how to feed it and keep it healthy, so why are fishes such an easy target for people like this? 

I have no idea. 

Ok, I’m preaching to the choir here, but we’re a community, so this has some therapeutic value for me…LOL

And perhaps you encounter this attitude yourselves- so we in the hobby have a sort of “duty” to spread the right messages, IMHO.

What I do know is that if someone doesn’t want to take our good advice, there is little we can do except to discourage them from keeping an aquarium. That was my best advice to her...

My other best advice for anyone is to not take anyone’s advice as the last word on the subject. Take any and all advice on aquariums with a grain of salt, regardless of who it comes from. Be skeptical. Read. Discuss. Listen. Ask questions. Most important, make up your own mind...think things through so that you have a clear understanding.

However, even if you know you are right, never, ever be arrogant. And if you are not right, admit it freely and move on. Others can learn from your mistakes just as easily as your successes...no big deal.

What would your best advice be to a new aquarist? Is there one solid, fundamental piece of advice that you could offer to someone just starting out? Someone with genuine interest in aquarium keeping? 

Stay supportive. Stay engaged. Stay optimistic.

And Stay Wet,

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

 

The value of those "subtle questions..."

Ever noticed how the non-aquarium people in your life, especially those you reside with, seem to have an incredible knack for asking the perfect "rhetorical question”, often at the "perfect" time? (like, right when the spill is about to occur, or when the fish is acting weird, or when the filter is making that loud noise that it's never made before?

In our case, were talking about stuff beyond the almost-obligatory, "Why is your water so brown?" (asked by aquarists and non-aquarists alike!) That's more of an "opening" to enlighten someone...I see that as an awesome chance to preach about "The Tint!"

Yeah, it seems like the skeptical, or perhaps mildly amused non-fishy residents of your home are usually the main source of many of these gems. Perhaps, if we look at a few of them more closely, we can see exactly what the core point is, and leverage the concerns expressed in the "question" to create a more harmonious home life. 

Right?

Yeah. Think about that for a minute!

Here are a few classic rhetorical questions the hardcore fish geek is bound to encounter now and again:

 

(Pointing to a dead fish that you've either not yet discovered, or were about to net out) "Wow, these fish are kind of delicate, huh? They don't live so long in this tank?" 

Hmm- perhaps there is a grain of truth here. I mean, it could be simply that the random Tetra croaked. The new Cryptocoryne "melted." Or...in the case of say, a more delicate fish, a Chocolate Gourami, rare Apistogramma, or Altum Angel, that the environment or husbandry techniques you're applying to the aquarium need some review and tweaking. The casual observer noticing frequent or regular fish losses should not be ignored.

"I'm trying to remember...Was the tank making this much noise last week?”

Another classic that can tip you off to some potential issues. I've experienced this one before. Believe me, non-fish people (particularly spouses or other residents) notice every hum, whir, and pop your aquariums make, and if something changes...or if it's just kind of "mad-scientist-lab"-sounding to begin with, they'll be the first to let you know. To you, it might be "acceptable." To them, it's like a jet engine revving for takeoff! Check those plumbing connections, air and water pumps, impellers, etc. Perhaps something just needs a minor adjustment. The fact that others recognized this is a big "tip off!"

 

"Does the tank always have that weird smell? I'm trying to remember…"

Check substrate. Check floor. Check filter. Check protein skimmer (in saltwater tanks)...Check everything! Something is definitely amiss! This is an absolute "red flag" you need to jump on immediately!

 

"Those catfish don't work very hard, do they?”

Oh. We know what this means. Your tank flat-out has too much nuisance algae. When even a non-fish person notices this, you have to finally accept and deal with this. Non-fish people are usually at least semi-excited about everything they see in an aquarium, so when they are pointing out something that is affecting the aesthetic, you need to take note of their subtle hints and attack the problem head on- and immediately.

 

"Is that big one supposed to chase the skinny one all over the tank?”

Yeah, you may have noticed that you have a problem fish in there, and chose to "wait and see" how things go before taking action. When the non-fish person notices "bullying", it's time to take action. Where is that net?

 

“Wow, you have lots of little tadpole thingies in there by your Kribs. Are they normal?”

OMG, your non-fish roommate noticed that your Kribs have spawned before you did! That's kinda cool- and ironclad proof that we should value the observations of a non-fish person just as much as we do another fish geek!

 

"Wouldn't it be easier if you had a towel there?”

Let's face it. You've been a bit messy, and you're on notice now. So, why not take the less-than-subtle hint that you should put a drop cloth or towel down on the hardwood floor surrounding the aquarium. Talk about preserving domestic tranquility! A simple, small gesture that will reap great dividends down the line, trust me!

“Wow! Those little snails are so cool! You must be doing something right, ‘cause you have hundreds of them!”

Uh-oh, your little snail “issue” is now becoming a full-blown headache. There are so many of ‘em, that casual observers are thinking you’re deliberately trying to grow them. Time to get to the root of this problem once and for all

 

"I don't remember seeing that fish in there. Have you always had that one?”

Busted. 

 

"It's cool the way the fish really eat those little  shrimp. If you didn't use them as feeders, I think they'd make cool pets!"

Uh-oh.

So, in summary- the next time a “non-aquarium” person (especially a resident of the household) makes that seemingly "innocuous" comment about_________, don’t get annoyed or flustered. Instead, be sure to take heed, because more often than not, there is some good, actionable information- or even wisdom- contained in the "rhetorical question!" 

I am 100% certain that many of you can add to this list, right?

And by taking action on the "observation", you might not only benefit your aquarium and your hobby- you might just gain an ally in the process!

Something to think about.

So, keep listening. Don't get flustered by “suggestions."

Have fun.

And stay wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

The amazing power of you. And the immense value of "imperfection."

The other day, one of my favorite people in the fish world, Johnny Ciotti came by the office to pick up some stuff for a new project, check out our office aquarium, and just chat a bit. In addition to being incredibly talented, he's one of those aquarists who just "gets" it- he has a complete and thorough understanding of the philosophy of aesthetic, and an appreciation for keeping stuff simple.

His photography and marketing work has been utilized by a number of major aquarium product manufacturers, many of which you have probably seen over the years.

Although he's created some rather iconic 'scapes in his career, and is highly regarded in the freshwater and marine aquascaping arena, he'll be the first to tell you that you should 'scape for yourself.

 

As as typical when we get together, we chatted a bit about the state of the hobby, ideas, trends, technique, etc. After spending a good long time staring at our office aquarium, I could tell it touched him on some visceral level. John's a guy who doesn't just heap praise out for no reason, but he really was going on and on about our aquarium. It really touched him.

During our discussion, he said something that we both paused upon. "Your tank...this type of tank, is like...'easy'- if you let it be. It's not forced"

That was a big thing.

We both sort of built on that comment during our discussion. This is a theme that has been repeated by quite a few of our customers who have created "Botanical-Style" aquariums: Unlike a lot of highly stylized "Nature Aquariums", with very carefully laid out plants, definitive substrate borders, and precise ratios, the "Botanical-Style" aquarium is far more "free form", very relaxed. Not "forced" in any way. The idea being that to create a natural-looking aquarium, you start with a basic concept and let nature run its course.

In other words, you create a layout that appeals to you. Fill the aquarium with botanicals, wood, and plants as you see fit...and then let it "evolve." over time. You let the leaves soften and decompose. You allow the water to darken, the pods to start to crumble a bit, perhaps being moved in the current. Embrace the biofilms, the decomposition...the natural processes You replace decomposing leaves with new ones as you see fit. Let the plants "do their thing." It's the antithesis of the (IMHO) excessively "thought-out" styles that are so prevalent in today's aquascaping world. 

Botanical-Style aquariums are the absolute embodiment of the Japanese philosophy of "wabi-sabi", which  Takashi Amano used to cite rather often in his works. This philosophy accepts transience and imperfection, rather than fights it. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."

This philosophy embraces natural process, doesn't attempt to overly manipulate or stylize it...and cherishes what could be seen as "imperfections" to many of those who seek precision and perfection. The idea of leaves and botanicals breaking down in our aquariums as in nature is that they become more interesting as they exhibit changes that can be observed over time. "Wabi-sabi" accepts that being surrounded by natural, changing, unique objects helps us connect to our real world and escape potentially stressful distractions. Imperfection has greater meditative value in this light.

We all start with a glass or acrylic box, hopes, ideas, and excitement. What we end up with depends largely upon our ability to "articulate" our visions. Some hobbyists are better at this than others, seemingly effortlessly creating beautiful aquariums each and every time.

Some of us (present company included) are a bit less talented in that department, and have to really push ourselves, wrack our brains to create an aquarium that satisfies our tastes and vision. To others, things come much more easily. Some of us are really, really good at picking the healthiest, most colorful fishes; the healthiest plants with great growth potential. Whatever. The "Botanical Style" aquarium levels the playing field, allowing us all to relax, let our guard down, and let things just "be."

It's not easy to accept or even grasp, especially to those of us raised in a very "Western" value system. It's downright "alien" to some. And yet, the idea of letting your aquascape evolve with minimal intervention after its initial setting is very appealing to many.

I'm always blown away by how some people just "get" this immediately after looking at  an aquarium created in this fashion. They just sort of fall into this state of relaxed, almost meditative reflection. Others tend to look at one of these aquariums and think to themselves, "What a dirty, disorganized, undisciplined tank." 

And that's kind of the beauty of aquascaping. There are styles for every taste. No "right" or "wrong." In my humble opinion, we've spent a lot of the last few decades creating "rules" and guidelines and "best practices" for seemingly every aspect of aquascaping.

For example, rather than simply following our aesthetic and letting materials "talk to us" when selecting them for use in an aquascape, enormous amounts of time and energy are spent trying to find a rock or piece of wood that will create that perfect ratio or composition that is consistent with some pre-judged "style" of aquarium.

And the result, IMHO, has been aquascaping contests filled with beautiful aquariums, 85% of which look nearly identical at first glance. I actually get a little sad when I see the entries in many of these global contests, because each one tries so hard to conform to some (IMHO) perverted interpretation of aquascaping "rules." I can't help but think that  the hugely talented scapers who enter these contests (and thus influence popular aquascaping "culture" in the process) would be far better served to simply follow their own style, their own unique interpretation. 

I think this is what Mr. Amano was proferring, but I can't help but wonder if just perhaps, somehow, his words, concepts, and ideas were misinterpreted somewhere along the line?

Perhaps embracing the "wabi-sabi" philosophy a bit more would create more effortless, evolving, and truly unique aquariums. And along with it, an aesthetic that truly taps into some deeper appreciation that we have for the natural world and all of its variation, texture, and imperfection.

We all have the power within ourselves to create beautiful aquariums...if we allow ourselves to simply relax and just be.

Today's somewhat deep, rather esoteric- and yet (I think) very important musings.

Stay bold. Stay creative. Sty true to yourself. Stay independent.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Guess what's coming to dinner...?

Do you ever wonder what many of our favorite non-herbivorous aquarium fish species eat in the wild? I mean, what they tend to graze on all day? 

Well, interestingly, a lot of what they eat are insects. Yeah, lots and lots of 'em. And a few other things, like fish eggs and Daphnids.

A partial excerpt from rom Walker, in his paper "The Food Spectrum of The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi, Charicidae) In Its Natural Habitat" gives us a look at what was found in the gut content analysis of a number of specimens collected in Amazonia:

"...Most Cladocera appeared to be of the small, almost spherical type Moinidae(?), however, larger daphnids and some macrothricids also appeared. The Copepoda were mostly the benthonic Harpacticidae. Other insects include mostly Ephemeroptera nymphs, Ceratopogonidae and other Diptera larvae, smallest adult flies or pupae with already pigmented eyes (Dolichopodidae?), small Coleoptera larvae, Hemiptera nymphs (Naucoridae?) and chewed-up adult ants.

This last item indicates that prey is also taken from the water surface, such as emerging adults (small flies) and insects that fell on– or were swept into – the water. Doubtless, some of unrecognizable insect fragments were the remains of ingested chironomid pupae or adults. 

Other prey are small oligochaetes and mites (Oribatidae?). Uncertain is the suggestion of newly hatched shrimps on three occasions, and of a fish larva. Mesofauna  includes Rotifera, usually several individuals per stomach, and of Thecamoebae ( including Difflugiidae, Nebeliidae and Arcellidae). Eggs appeared generally to be of invertebrate origin, probably of Microcrustacea, but on two occasions vertebrate eggs (probably fish) were found."

So, why do we tend to feed our fishes stuff like brine shrimp, pellets, and other substitutes? Wouldn't it make more sense to feed more of stuff like bloodworms, Daphnia, wingless fruitflies, glassworms (midge fly larvae), copepods, fish eggs, mosquito larvae and even ants- as these are far, far more "realistic foods" than brine shrimp? I love brine shrimp, feed it a lot, and have absolutely nothing against it. And I get it in part, because these foods are easy to procure, manage, etc. Convenience is huge in our busy lives. I totally get that.

However, one can't help but wonder if fishes would be healthier, develop more quickly, and just overall do better when fed foods more similar to what they would consume in nature. Right? 

I'm thinking it makes more sense.

I mean, we go to such great lengths to meet the needs of our fishes and plants, culturing more "appropriate" live foods couldn't be that much more of a pain in the ass than say, following a fertilization regimen in a planted tank, or managing mouth brooding cichlid eggs, or...Well, you get it.

Another bad analogy- Wouldn't it be better eating a serving of fresh fruits, nuts, etc. than you would a candy bar that has flavorings or precursors derived from these foods in it? I mean, the whole "fresh food" versus "processed" food thing, right?

Now, I realize that some of these foods are harder to procure (like glassworms), potentially problematic/scary to collect/culture (mosquito larvae...hello, Zika scare!), and expensive (the cost of live copepod cultures can add up). However, when I think about what it would be like for captive fishes to be fed foods with a nutritional profile, taste, and attractiveness extremely similar to what they are "genetically programmed" for, it makes me curious...

Might they do just that much better if provided truly natural foods? Or at the very least, more realistic "surrogates?" 

A century on in the modern aquarium hobby, I'm sure we can do a bit better than just brine shrimp, right?

More realistic "surrogates" would be stuff like little winged insects and flies...I know you're thinking about how impractical it would be to go around the house swatting at gnats and fleas and stuff to feed your fishes. No argument. However, would culturing say, wingless fruitflies be that bad of an idea? And feeding more frozen bloodworms? Notice I said "frozen" bloodworms?

(Ok, I'm not personally sold on freeze dried anything. And I am no expert on this at all, so it's purely based on emotion. It's one thing if these items are included in say, a pellet. Quite another if you're literally freeze drying the food item and feeding it. I could be totally wrong, of course- but I'm digressing here. We're talking about the idea of "fresh" foods...)

It's something to think about yet again. Feeding our fishes. Or should I say, what we feed our fishes. Although it's seemingly a well-trodden topic, I think there is more there. Just think about the marine side of the hobby for a second.

Although many factors contributed, we really started to see some success with spawning and maintaining more "finicky"marine fishes over the long haul when we were able to come up with more natural, species-appropriate foods for them.  Oh, and I didn't even mention the success garnered when we started feeding corals correctly...yeah. Obviously, we're much further along in the freshwater game, yet perhaps it's time to re-think this topic just a bit more; look at it with fresh eyes? Something for hobbyists and enterprising startup fish food manufacturers to contemplate, IMHO. 

Oh, and to leave you blackwater fans with one more bit of unrelated "food for thought", I offer this little tidbit from a friend who has done some intense research into the health benefits to fishes of humic substances in aquariums ( yeah, blackwater...).

He's poured over scholarly work during the last few years and came up with a lot of interesting stuff. This conclusion that he forwarded to me from a study on the affect of these substances on the health of fishes, however, is really cool:

"It appears that dissolved Humic Substances have to be considered abiotic ecological driving forces, somewhat less obvious than temperature, nutrients, or light."

As my friend has been claiming, humic substances are to fish, "...a foundational necessity, ranking up their with temperature and food."

BOOM! Chew on that one for a while.

Perhaps while you contemplate more leaves for your next blackwater aquarium?

So much happening in our little "tinted" world as we head into Fall. That time of year I like to call "aquarium season" is just getting underway!

So, contemplate these little tidbits I foisted on you today. Consider if they would make any difference in say, that one pesky fish that's resisting your spawning efforts. Or that tough-to-acclimate wild fish...Or simply, your school of Cardinal Tetras!

Stay curious. Stay inquisitive. Stay innovative. Stay creative.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics