The Tint

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow...really!

It’s the year 2040.

Yeah, really…Sounds like a nice even number…Far enough away to be “in the future”, but not so far away as to lost in the realm of intergalactic science fiction, ya know? You’re an aquarist…Yeah, the hobby still exists. The hacks in D.C. and the hapless "pseudo-environmentalist" tools finally realized, back in 2018, that captive propagated corals are viable alternatives to collecting wild specimens from the “watch lists” of years earlier, deserving special consideration and separation from the restrictions of their wild brethren. We have a well-established, viable and sustainable freshwater and marine livestock trade. The aquarium trade has collaborated and cooperated with governments around the world to create guidelines for long-term stewardship of wild lakes, rivers, and reefs, and collection is managed and tempered with a slightly higher percentage of propagated fishes and corals coming into the trade than being collected from the wild.

Fantasy? Perhaps. But it’s MY vision of the future, so indulge me for a bit, okay?

The typical hobbyist is not wearing a jet pack, driving a "Jetson's-style" gravity-modulating vehicle, or walking around with a microchip imbedded in his head. Not that kind of Hollywood-esque, dark future. Unfortunately, the USS Enterprise is still 300 years away, and “getting away” still means climbing on a noisy, high-carbon-footprint subsonic jet to Tahiti.

What else is happening in the hobby in 2040? Let’s take a look at some of my hoped-for predictions. You can give me a wedgie or something in 2040 if they don’t come to pass, but the way I see it, I have like 25 years before you get to call bull@#$% on my predictions! 

Here are a few:

Captive bred fishes are the standard, rather than the exception. Collection pressures on many wild populations has forced the hobby/industry to embrace captive bred fishes once and for all. The “new norm” for reef aquariums is not big, Ocean going Tangs and such- it’s small, colorful Gobies, Dartfishes, Clownfishes, Assessors, Dwarf Angelfishes, Blennies and Wrasses, the majority of which were bred in captivity by boutique breeders and larger commercial operations. In freshwater, it's lots and lots of cool smaller Tetras, Rainbowfishes, and (formerly wild) Betta species! Big fishes ing general have fallen out of favor, with hobbyists finally realizing that they are just not practical for most tanks…Keeping a Naso Tang or Shovelnose Catfish in a 200 gallon tank is now viewed the same way as if you or I chose to live in our living room for the rest of our lives…I mean, you have a couch and Netflix, but you’ll go nuts after a few months, right? The new mantra is “Small Fish- Big Tank.”

Water movement in reef tanks is via ridiculously small, low-power consumption, ultra high-tech internal pumps. It is now possible to generate widely dispersed flow rates of thousands of gallons per hour with electrical consumption in the single digits of watts. Don’t think this will happen? It already is, to some extent.  I was in Hanover, Germany about a year and a half ago, visiting Panta Rei (the guys who make Hydro Wizard pumps), and saw some prototypes of pumps that were ridiculously advanced, super-efficient, and really small, made in a high-tech facility that had us convinced that some kind of deal must have been struck with extraterrestrials to get this technology. We even saw a pump that was the size of an eraser, which put out like 80 GPH..Sheer craziness..and it’s all coming very soon. Woosh!

We’re all trying to give our fishes, plants, and corals the best possible environment; a replication of nature. To that end, the industry and hobby have spent decades of energy, millions of R & D dollars, and lots of brain power trying to develop additives, salt mixes, and other elixirs to try to help accomplish just that. In the very near future, it will be completely possible to replicate natural water chemistry in the aquarium from locations worldwide with relative ease. Thanks to the work of Triton Labs in Germany, a database is being developed of super-detailed ICP-OES water analysis from reefs around the world. This will enable a hobbyists to mimic the exact chemical/trace element composition of water from a specific locality. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing comes to pass at some point for freshwater environments  too!

Picture this: You’re on vacation in Brazil. You see an epic Igarape that you’d love to mimic in your home. you have the tank, you have the lights. You have the water movement. Now, you know EXACTLY what the trace element levels are in that fabulous ecosystem, and have a means to replicate them in your home aquarium. Crazy. Further. imagine if collectors, wholesalers, then retailers had this information all along the chain of custody from river to retail, being able to provide fishes with the exact water conditions they enjoyed in the wild- and then providing that to you! Welcome to “Eco-labeling, v.2.0!”

Since replicating the natural environment is a key to successful husbandry, it only makes sense that linking technology and biology together will propel the hobby/art of fish keeping forward. In 2040, I have no doubt that we will see real-time connectivity between ethnology as diverse as satellites and aquarium controllers. Huh? For example, a storm is a-brewing down in the Peruvian Amazon…Your aquarium is set up to mimic a river down in “those parts”..Your controller is set to monitor the conditions down there via subscription service (Much like DirecTV or Dish Network) to link satellite weather reports and/or NOAA buoy information or INPA monitoring stations from that region to your aquarium controller "monitoring service" (either third party or from the manufacturer- whoa- can you say “niche market opportunity?”). 

Through an algorithm (or whatever you computer-type geeks call it), a set of conditions is developed at the monitoring service, and your water pumps, LED lights, and yeah- even trace element dosing, feeding and whatever other functions are tied to your controller- are adjusted accordingly. To some extent, we have these kinds of things now…However, in the future, you’ll see pumps adjusted to produce crazy water currents, LED-generated “lightning”, “cloud patterns”, water levels, and perhaps even temperature swings that coincide with real time data- occurring right in your aquarium. Of course, these changes would be “stepped down” to not create ridiculous, deadly environmental swings in our aquariums- but there would be changes- just like in nature! If it’s a bit too “Big Brother”-ish for you, I suppose that you’d receive ample warning from a forecast feature on your mobile device, so you could “opt out” of the encroaching storm if it interferes with your next house party..LOL

How many times have you had this argument with a fish-keeping buddy at the club meeting, conference, LFS, or even a friend’s tank? “Dude, that’s a Geophagus dicrozoster.” “No, it’s a Geophagus  abalios.” “Nah, I think it’s a G. steindachneri…” Okay, whatever. Wouldn’t it be cool to know, once and for all if the fish in your possession that you call G. abalios really IS G. abalios“, and what population it REALLY is? Well, think about this: We have the Human Genome Project, and DNA sequencing is used for all kinds of crazy stuff. It’s only a matter of time before someone applies the DNA analysis techniques used in fish-specific research to practical ID for the industry and hobby- kind of like what several companies are already doing with ICP-OES for water analysis. The impact would be dramatic and revolutionary. ID would forever be accurate, and we could develop a body of knowledge on the husbandry of various fish species the likes of which has never been done before- simply because we’d know EXACTLY what species we’re dealing with. The misidentification  garbage would be put to rest once and for all, and true “lineage” could be established for all sorts of fishes. Vendors would be better informed, right along with hobbyists. This ID would be great for enforcing trade restrictions, proving that a fish or coral is from captive-propagated stock, etc. It’s not at all far-fetched- and really has amazing practical implications!

As the technology impacting the hobby continues to evolve, I’d like to think that hobbyist will, too. We’ve already seen it- thanks to the internet, and forums. Communication on a global scale is immediate and far reaching. Ideas that pop up to a fish geek in Battle Creek, Michigan can immediately be relayed to a fish geek in Glasgow, Hokkaido, or Burkina Faso, for that matter…Collaboration, kinship, and the perpetuation of aquarium keeping “culture” will always be possible, thanks to this advanced technology- and even more because of the sprit of the hobbyist…unshakable, grounded in science, yet tempered with passion. A formidable combination for the present, and into the future.

Well- those are a few of my predictions of the future of the hobby…Some are already coming to fruition- others are still a ways off- but I think that they WILL come to pass…along with hundreds of ideas not even postulated here. What sorts of visions do you have for the future of the hobby? Share your insights, theories, and feelings…

As always, keep an eye on your tanks- another one on the future…

And stay wet.


Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

A return to the basics...and beyond.

I've had a great fish geek "career"…I get to speak about geeky fish topics all over the world. It's cool, but you can'st really appreciate the whole thing until you've experienced one of those  “Oh, so you think the life of a fish geek speaker is glamorous?” -type weekends. The kind where you spend 14 hours traveling and 34 hours on the ground. Fun if you like airplanes and airports (which I do), but not really "glamorous!"  I love this stuff!

I recall an event I was at recently, which left a lasting impact on me. The event was awesome, but, like all of them, it was over far too quickly! You realize the value of information sharing in the hobby at these events. I’m always reminded of both the thirst for information that exists in the hobby, as well as the culture that surrounds it. The culture of sharing and teaching. Pretty darned cool. For new hobbyists, there is a lot of support out there if you want it. In forums, local clubs, fish stores...and even, blogs. It always hits home for me when people tell me how much they enjoyed my blog about “______” a few weeks back…people will sometimes even quote lines to me...woah. Causes me to realize the responsibility I have when discussing topics here.

Anyways, I shared the speaking bill on that particular weekend with a local hobbyist, who gave a great talk on the “Fundamentals of the Reef Aquarium.” At first, you’d think that the is the LAST thing you need to talk about to experienced reefers…Nothing could be further from the truth. Both the speaker and I were totally blown away by the total hunger for seemingly "basic" hobby information. After both of our presentations, the amount of questions we fielded on stuff that would be considered “primary” reef keeping- aquarium keeping- technique was overwhelmingly disproportionate to more advanced topics discussed in the talks.

We talked about this for a long time, and tried to get our heads around it all. Why would this be? I mean, we’re in the “Postmodern” era of aquarium keeping, where hobbyists are trying all sorts of advanced techniques and technology, and sharing via the internet. Hobbyists spend a collective fortune on the latest and greatest equipment: lighting technology, controllers, skimmers, pumps, etc. We are bombarded with lots of data on husbandry, fish breeding, coral care, setting up systems, etc. Information is everywhere. 

Well, maybe the information is everywhere, but I get this sneaking feeling that many hobbyists are not taking advantage of it. Why would reefers who have 200 gallon plus reef systems, with thousands of dollars in corals and equipment have detailed questions and even misperceptions about really basic stuff like alkalinity, water quality, and stocking? Stuff that they should have acquired as fledgling reefers, or during their planning phases in the hobby adventure. How could this be?


If we can't grasp this....



...then we'll never grasp this!


Well, I have a couple of thoughts and theories about why (Well, of course I do, right?)

The Internet has changed everything: “Okay, Fellman, sure- go ahead and blame the ‘net. Slap Twitter again while you’re at it…” No, hear me out on this. I think that the internet and all of the information access it provides has been culture-changing. However, some of the change in our hobby may not be for the better. There was a time when a beginner in the hobby went down to the LFS, had a conversation with the staff about starting a tank, and was sent home with some information and perhaps even cracked a book or two…BEFORE he or she even bought a tank. 



With the internet, this information is readily available, along with forums where a fledgling reefer can discuss the hobby with experienced hobbyists. However, there are also hundreds of “build threads”, advertisements, and online vendors (just like me) dangling all sorts of goodies in front of the neophyte. For just a few bucks, you can have all of this cool stuff delivered overnight right to your door! If you do it right, and if you can afford it, you’d be able to go from thinking about starting a tank on December 10th to a full-fledged, high-octane system with all of the latest expensive gear, plants, and fishes by Christmas! Maybe it’s a cultural shift brought about by the era of e-commerce. We have become accustomed to wanting something and getting it…fast. Why research it? I mean, there are products and equipment that can give you “professional results” with virtually "plug and play" setup. You can bypass all of that nonsense, like understanding the nitrogen cycle, or the concept of water quality management. We have live bacteria in a bottle, and electronic controllers to just set things up for us. Easy.




Perhaps even too easy? Have we simply decided, in this fast-paced era, to just bypass the “learning curve?” Are we as a culture and business so eager to get new hobbyists into the game that we are enabling them to bypass the “dues paying” part of the climb to hobby success? Should there be a “dues paying” time, anyways? Who has the right to dictate THAT? On the other hand, are we exposing aquarists to financial ruin, and most important- hapless animals to death- because the newbie wants the deepwater Haplochromis, and “should” be able to keep it because of his crazy filter, advanced  water pumps, and electronic controller monitoring the whole thing can help? This dovetails nicely with my next theory:

Why try to understand what the plants and fishes need? The equipment will take care of it, right? We’ve gotten to the point where no one wants to brew a cup of coffee anymore. We have the “K-Cup” to do that. Maybe we’re too busy? Think I’m overreacting? I don’t think so. I’ve been approached as a vendor numerous times to give “remedial aquarium keeping” lessons to people who have obscene amounts of money invested in tanks that would put mine to shame, equipment-wise. Problem was, they hadn’t a clue about keeping the animals they built their technological shrines for. I know many fellow vendors and LFS people have had the same experiences. Have we as a hobby and industry made the process of actually understanding the life forms that we keep secondary to simply acquiring them? Makes me shudder a bit.

And I'm not trying to take the "You guys have it so easy- I had to walk through 6 feet of snow..." mentality. It's not about "Newbies have to pay their dues! They don't have the RIGHT to success.." No- the point is- we owe it to our animals- and ourselves, to understand this stuff.

This is where the LFS will shine above all. Talking-to people who live, breathe, and sleep aquariums will help. Vendors online- same thing. Forums have a responsibility for perpetuating a responsible, educational culture. Too much is at stake. When the average person is in the hobby for only 18 months before throwing his/her arms up in frustration, something is wrong. Especially when we are selling millions of dollars of expensive equipment and livestock to the very people who are bailing out in droves. This isn’t just a fight to create more understanding and awareness..It’s literally a fight for survival of the hobby and art of aquarium keeping. Yup.

This is a “cultural shift”: Pure and simple…In a world where people are supposedly not able to retain more than 140 characters of information, and where there is a apparently an “algorithm” for pretty much everything, we simply have lost the ability to absorb information on things that are not considered “relevant” to our immediate goal. If the immediate goal is to have a great looking tank, apparently we don’t want to take the time to learn the groundwork that it takes to get there and to sustain a system on a long-term basis. It’s far more interesting- and apparently, immediately gratifying- to learn about what gear can get us where we want, and what fishes are available. We perpetuate this by well- dumbing everything down. We feature the superficial aspects of the hobby- how cool the tanks look, etc., while failing to get people to grasp the basics. You even see this in many of the “build threads” I alluded to previously. In many of these threads, you’ll see a detailed run down of the equipment, shots of the assembly, the “solutions” to the problems encountered along the way (usually more expensive equipment purchases). You’ll see pics of the finished tanks…

All very interesting and helpful, but the “weirdness” starts when, in the middle of the threads, you’ll see the “builder” asking about why he’s experiencing a massive algae outbreak, or why all of the Apistogramma, plants or coral frags he just added are dying in this brand new, state-of-the-art tank. Questions and ensuing discussions that make you wonder why this ill-informed, yet apparently well-healed individual went off on a 5-figure “joyride”, building a dream tank with an apparent complete ignorance of many of the hobby fundamentals. I’m often dumbfounded at the incredible lack of hobby basics many of these people show. Just because you’re a great DIY guy, and have disposable income to buy everything you see advertised on line for your 400 gallon tank, it doesn’t make you a knowledgeable or experienced aquarist. It just doesn’t.

Okay, I’m sounding very cynical. And perhaps I am. But the evidence is out there in abundance…and it’s kind of discouraging at times.

Look, I’m not trying to be the self-appointed guardian of the hobby. I’m not calling us out. I’m asking for us to look at this stuff realistically, however. No one has a right to tell anyone that what they are doing is not the right way, but we do have to instill upon the newbie the importance of understanding the basics.

Like many other vendors, I offer  products to people and don’t educate them on every single aspect of aquatic husbandry. It’s hard to do that. I do write lots of blogs and articles, and lecture all over the world, so I know I’m doing something to reach some people…but not enough. I need to do better. I probably need to write more about basic sort of stuff than I do about whatever the heck is on my mind? Dunno. I do know that we all need to tell hobbyists like it is, without sugar coating everything. There WILL be algae. There WILL be biofilms! LOL

I remember when I started Tannin Aquatics, I was determined to share my passion for using all sorts of botanicals and leaves to create what I feel are a profoundly different type of "natural aquarium" than the sanitized, polished, aquarium-as-a-canvas model that's been preferred to us over the past decade or so. I knew that there would be aquarists who didn't "get it"- aquarists who would focus on the perceived "negatives", like algae issues, maintenance, having to prepare everything before use, etc.

I KNEW that there would be people who might kill their tanks by adding lots of botanicals to their established systems without reading and following the instructions concerning preparation, pacing, and what to expect. I knew there would be people who would criticize the idea, talk negatively about the approach; generally scoff and downplay what they didn't know, understand, or do. It's human nature whenever you give people something a bit different to play with...They want to go from 0-100 in a day.

That's how it goes in the hobby sometimes. When you're trying new things, some people are really eager to get into them...but not all are eager to look before they leap. That's why reef aquariums are so...mysterious- to some people.

 There are dozens of posts and “build threads” on forums that DO provide great information to hobbyists, along with plenty of articles by experienced aquarists discussing any number of arcane and fascinating aquarium-related topics. Yet, for all of this, we see what appears to be a very superficial understanding of the hobby by so many aquarists. I feel sorry for these people, as well as the animals that are exposed to potentially fatal situations out of pure ignorance. These hobbyists also miss the joy that comes with understanding and applying something that they have learned.



We all make mistakes. Part of the hobby and the learning curve. Yet, when I see so many indications that hobbyists are just not grasping the basic information that they need to be successful, I feel a sense of disappointment. I feel like we- all of us who are experienced in this great hobby and industry- are letting down a whole generation of hobbyists. Yikes, I’m giving us a bit of a butt-kicking. Yeah. I think we need to sit down with prospective hobbyist and who them that learning about the basics is actually FUN. It’s actually really cool stuff that will make their hobby experience way more fulfilling and interesting.

How does this get solved?

Well, it starts with mentoring. It starts with getting people excited not only at the end result- owning a “slice of the bottom”- it starts with getting people excited about the journey to get there, and learning about how we can make the animals under our care thrive. It’s not just about the latest gadgets- it’s about the latest information on fundamental care of animals. 

It starts by us once and for all embracing the local fish store and the people who work there. Sure, there are the stories of ignorant personnel and such- but these are truly the exceptions rather than the rule- yet they have somehow seeped into our collective consciousness and contaminated forever our view of the local fish store. Most give invaluable, free hands-on advice. Most attempt to instill a passion that goes beyond just shilling products, as is unfairly leveled upon them. Enough is enough.  We cannot keep tagging the LFS as the primary cause of hobby dissatisfaction and misinformation. The local store, as I’ve written about previously- is the first link to the wonders of the hobby, a cornerstone of hobby “culture”, and the owners and employees deserve our unwavering support. Like all of us- they deserve the occasional kick in the rear when they screw up. But that’s about it. 

It starts by continuing to emphasize basic care...Example: How many aquarists do you know who really embrace a quarantine protocol for any fish, plants and corals added to their tanks? How many aquarists do you know that would bend over backwards to buy a product that promises the benefits of quarantine without actually doing it? A lot, I'll bet...I mean, we'd all be tempted...but how many would really just jump on that because of the seemingly easier course? Human nature? I guess. 

As experienced aquarists, we need to support new hobbyists with not just the generosity that we’re famous for, but the incredible passion that we curate. We need to give them the good and the bad information. We need to impress upon them that running without learning how to walk first is a painful way to learn. Fishes, plants, and corals are not just “merchandise”, and the learning curve should not include exposing them to potentially fatal situations that could have been avoided had the neophyte hobbyist been properly instructed about their requirements from the get go. We need to let beginners know that part of the joy of the hobby is learning about this stuff first hand..by doing it.

In an era of instant gratification, it just seems that the aquarium hobby is a polar opposite. The vast majority of us get it, but there is a discouragingly large portion of the aquarium-keeping hobby that hasn't seemed to have grasped the concept just yet.

Let's do our best to help change that.

Stay enthusiastic. Stay helpful.

And, as always...

Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Telling it like it is...and it isn't always pretty.

It's Monday...start of a new week; time for me to get out any vitriol that I was holding in my head. This may come off a bit negative today, and I promise it will be the only negative blog I do all week. However, it's something that has really been bothering me of late, having dealt with a couple of people who have just shifted my mindset.

Perhaps you can relate. I'm writing this as if the "target market" would actually be the one reading it, which I know is pure fantasy...However, for those of us who may encounter such people in our aquarium lives, just seeing this may provide some comfort or other "therapeutic" benefit (well, it does for me- feels good getting this out!)

What is it about some people that makes it impossible for them to create their own happy outcomes?

Every once in a while, I'll talk to an aquarist, or aspiring aquarist, (or someone who just wants an aquarium), who- for one reason or another- just flat-out refuses to follow the "rules of the game"; refuses to follow common-sense instructions...to do things that will avoid tragedy. Ever deal with one of these people?  It's like they think that the laws of nature, which affect everything in the universe, somehow don't apply to them. After a detailed explanation of what you need to do, a typical response from one of these types of hobbyists will be something like, "Okay, so what do I need to do. Really?"

And you'll just sit there, shaking your head, incredulously. At least, I do!

These are typically the same types of people who, oh, I dunno- park their cars in spaces reserved for emergency vehicles or handicapped people, cut to the front of the que in the supermarket checkout, and ride in the "emergency lane" on the highway as long as possible before merging, changing lanes repeatedly in a short stretch, looking for some "advantage" over everyone else.

Some people will say, "Aw, those are competetive people. They just want to win!" To which I will respond, "Those are stupid people- who, when they lose-which isn't often enough- deserve it."

Frankly, I get disgusted sometimes at the inability of some people to comprehend that they need to follow certain procedures when working with aquariums. They act incredulous when you explain to them that you can't have a fully-stocked tank from day one. Or that you need to acclimate your fishes before placing them in the display. Or that you have to prepare your botanicals for use before adding them to your tank. Or that an ammonia reading in your aquarium means that it's not ready for fishes.

Some people just don't get this stuff. Or, refuse to. At all.

To those of you who come looking for information, assistance, and advice- you'll always receive it from many willing, helpful hobbyists out there. It's just part of our "culture." However, to those of you who ask for advice, and then let it go "in one ear and out the other" because it doesn't fit your needs, who flaunt the fundamental advice given to you to achieve success, and simply proceed your way after having been warned of the consequences...it's your fault.

Own it.

Yup. I don't feel sorry for you. I don't feel bad that you wasted time, money, and effort when you were given a path to success. What do I feel bad for? The innocent life forms that were lost because of your ignorance, arrogance, and...stubbornness. They had no voice. No say in the matter at all. To you, they are a commodity.  Obstacles on the way to creating a piece of "kientic art" in your home that holds little value except to impress people.

You don't deserve to keep helpless beautiful animals, because you have no compassion for them. You have no compassion for them because you refuse to listen to common sense and reason, and do things in accordance with the way nature works. You're used to getting your way with everything...however, nature doesn't care. Nature doesn't work for you- nor comform to your timetables, needs, wants, and opinions. Rather, nature works in the fashion that it has for billions of years- perfectly fine without your agenda.

So, if you come into the hobby and attempt to force your way on it- attempt to flaunt the natural laws and common sense practices that have been developed by generations of true hobbyists, you'll pay a price. Or, rather- your animals will pay a price. To some of you, that's no big deal, because you've already taken the compassion out of the game. I feel sorry for you. And I don't want your money. And neither does any other aquatic vendor with half a brain and a conscience.

For those of you who do care, who have a conscience- who have come to the realization that what you've been doing is not the right way...who come back asking for help and follow advice- you'll always be welcomed with open hearts and open arms by people who truly love this hobby- this world- and the life forms which live in it. You'll receive advice, encouragement, support- more than you could imagine. 

Real fish people are that cool.

It's an easy choice to make: Come on strong, pretend that the world owes you a favor for some reason, and continue to thumb your nose up at the realities involved with keeping tropical fishes- or come seeking help, guidance, suggestions...friendship. You'll get it in abundance if you simply open your heart, lay down your arrogance, and listen to those who know. They'll assist you, advise you, support you, commiserate with you, and celebrate your successes with you.

And guess what? Not only will you be successful, and make a few friends along the way- you might just learn a thing or two...about aquariums, life, and people.

So, make the right choice.

Stay humble. Stay open-minded. Stay compassionate.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

(All better now. Thanks for sticking with me.)

Failure ...IS an option.

For some reason, in our culture, the term "failure" is equivocated with "bad" without exception. 

Now, I'll give you the fact that "failure" has a negative connotation in many instances: structural failure", "catastrophic failure", "bank failure" all carry some pretty negative imagery.

However, "failure", which is defined as, " lack of success" or "the omission of expected or required action" is not in and of itself, horrible, IMHO. For example, "failure" serves as a catalyst for improvement and change. What if the airplane that you rode on yesterday was based off of the "first draft" design, or if the Pacemaker in your friend's mom's heart was derived from a design that, because it worked right the first time, was not revised or perfected? 

Inventor of the electric light bulb, Thomas Edison, is credited with the quote, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Indeed, I've heard it argued that "failure" is the default condition, which makes some sort of sense when viewed in Edison's context. "Success" is the "on" to failure's "off", or so it goes.

In business, "failure" these days is viewed almost as a badge of honor in some circles, particularly in the start-up or entrepreneurial world, where failure is pretty much expected, and used to propel one towards greater success. Rare is the successful business which hasn't experienced some form of failure in its existence.

Which brings us to "failure" in the aquarium context.

If you experience a "failure" at your attempt to raise your first batch of Discus fry, for example- it sucks. It hurts. However, think of it this way: The fact that you even had the opportunity to raise some Discus fry means that you succeeded at spawning them...Yu simply need to perfect and refine your techniques on rearing the fry on the next go around. 

If you fail to get your planted aquarium to thrive, it is simply a lesson to absorb. An indication that you need to improve, refine, or change whatever methods you were utilizing to achieve success.

Failure, although disappointing, expensive, and oft times, tragic, should be viewed as a valuable gift for the aquarist. To take a line from Edison, when you fail at an aquatic venture, it's an education, an example of what not to do. You have information that is invaluable. At the least, after having failed at some aquatic endeavor, you no know that the way you attempted to do it was not the correct one, and that adjustments need to be made.

As a wise man once said, "Nothing is ever wasted. A failure can always serve as an example of what not to do!"

To me, a greater stigma than having failed at something is to have simply aborted and not tried at all.

It would have been super easy for the first aquarist who bred the Neon Tetra to have just quit, or for the hobbyist who first bred marine Clownfish to abort after having the parents eat the clutch of eggs...or whatever. The fact is, failure at these things gave the aquarists a valuable opportunity to "do it over" with the knowledge of what didn't work, to attempt to get it right the next time.

Failure is not pleasant. But it's okay. It happens when you DO stuff. 

Look, I'm not telling you to fill your aquarium with apple juice instead of water and then place fish in it. That's going to fail because it's simply not possible for it to work. However, I AM telling you to play that hunch and conduct that water change with cooler water the day before you attempt to breed that characin, because you noticed spawning behavior the last time the heater failed to keep up with the temperature on that cold nigh. You're trying something that, although unorthodox, show some sign of possible positive result..so play that hunch!

I could go on and on and beat the proverbial dead horse here, but I think you get the message that just because something didn't work out this time for your fish, it doesn't mean that it can't next time with a few tweaks.

So keep trying. Use "failure" as the fuel to propel you to ultimate success, not as a burden to carry around and discourage future attempts at great things.

Something to think about.

Stay calm. Stay determined. Stay focused.

And stay wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

"Getting there" is more than half of the fun...Way more.

Why is it so important to get the aquarium up and running FAST?

I had a customer ask me the other day about ways to "get their aquarium established quickly." You know, getting through the nitrogen cycle, having a full population of fish int the tank, and a lush, dense growth of plants. Speed was very, very important to her.

These conversations inevitably drive me nuts.

They leave me sort of bewildered. I remember addressing this many times when I was with a firm that designed and maintained custom aquariums.

Deadlines. Fast and furious build times. 

Okay, I understand to some extent that we like to start enjoying the fruits of our labor as quickly as possible. That's why we have construction schedules, nonstop airline flights, and microwave entrees.

I blame those TV home renovation shows for some of this. They're a cultural metaphor for our impatience: You know, there is always some crazy deadline to meet. The huge kitchen remodel has to be completed in 4 weeks, or whatever. And of course, the highly scripted, highly edited and compressed presentation, to get it all in to a 50 minute television show subliminal adds to the impression that you can whip through anything quickly and get great results. And if you look carefully, I'll bet that many of those remodels don't look as nice as ones that are done on realistic time tables. 

I read somewhere recently that if page load times on a website are more than like a half second or something, that a good percentage of people will leave the website without continuing. Even if a site is one that interests them. We have "instant messaging" and Twitter to convey information rapidly. If your cat dances to the latest  song, you shoot a quick video on the phone, post it on Twitter, Vine, or Snapchat, and it's gone viral  all over the world in hours.

We can come home from a long day at work and whip out a frozen pizza and gave it ready to eat in minutes. 

We're used to- and expect- speed. From everything.

And we, as the aquarium establishment, apparently don't do a good enough job of explaining this to new hobbyists, or people who simply want a tank in their home.

However, nature isn't a microwave pizza, ready in 20 minutes. And we have to realize that when we are creating an aquarium, we're pulling from several human disciplines, including science, art, construction- among others- each of which is something that cannot be rushed without some form of compromise or penalty.

If you "force" the nitrogen cycle to establish itself more quickly, you place animal lives in jeopardy. If you much the assembly of the filter, you might not tighten the plumbing components enough. If you throw together your aquascape, it may not look as nice as if you took the time to do it exactly how you envisioned it.

The attitude about racing to get the tank "ready" always leaves me scratching my head, because I'm thinking, the goal of the aquarium hobby is, first and foremost, to have fun, while ensuring the health of the life forms under our care. And the goal is to provide a level of care that keeps them healthy and happy for their natural life spans. 

Yet, for some reason, we tend to project our human impatience and desire or instant gratification on living creatures, which, in my opinion, is sort of the opposite of nature's "timetable." She does things in a time and manner that are best suited for the creatures who reside in the natural world. There is no need or reason to conform to our timetable to get the aquarium cycled and stable this weekend.

Besides, if the goal is to keep an aquarium functioning for the longest period of time, what's the rush to get it stabilized?

I'm willing to bet that how long it takes to get an aquarium established has no correlation with how long it will be in existence, or function well.

What about taking the time to savor all parts of the journey? To understand that each phase of starting an aquarium, from selection of the tank itself, to assembling the equipment, to planning and laying down the aquascape, and ultimately, stocking the aquarium- has its own unique set of challenges, fascinations, and pleasures. 

Most real hobbyists do that. I think we're impatient as the next guy, but we understand that not all journeys must to be quick to be enjoyable.

We need to convey this to new members of our "tribe."

We, as experienced hobbyists need to explain that, although we can force things to move faster, the results over the long term are often compromised, requiring painful and expensive "do-overs' down the line to correct mistakes made while rushing to get the aquarium "done" (and what is "done", anyways? Another topic for a mother blog).

This type of lack of understanding of the true nature of the hobby has lead to misconceptions, criticism, and the popularization of the aquarium hobby as wasteful, environmentally insensitive, and unaware, which is farther from the truth than most of the do-gooders who applaud vapid films like "Finding Dory" as "educational"would have the general public believe.

When we encourage people to rush through stuff and think only of some personal "end game", without regard for the consequences to the life forms they intend to keep, we encourage the very thought that fuels the unwarranted criticism of our hobby by the uninformed public.

We need to demonstrate that "getting there" is truly more than half of the fun! That to many, the journey itself is one of the most-if not THE most- enjoyable parts of the hobby.

The goal is to enjoy an aquarium for the longest time possible, so the fact that it takes a few extra weeks to get a new aquarium properly set up, cycled, and stabilized is of no consequence, if you look at it from that perspective. The minute you embark on the journey of setting up a tank, you should be "enjoying" it.

If not, what's the whole point, right?

The journey is ongoing. And enjoyment is what you make of it. A matter of perspective. 

No need rush.

Something to think about this weekend when you're changing water, scraping algae, or just chilling out in from of your aquarium.

Stay engaged. Stay patient.

And Stay Wet (for a long, long time!).

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

A somewhat predictable path towards an exciting future.

When you embark on this new and earthy-looking path of adding leaves, seed pods, and other botanicals into your aquarium, which we've half-jokingly called a "New Botanical"-type of aquarium, you're probably curious as to what to expect as your aquarium progresses from it's startup phase, through its maturity, and ultimately into a stable, established system.

Interestingly, after setting up quite a few tanks in this fashion, I've found that they appear to follow an almost predictable progression as they evolve. I've noticed some definite "phases" that they go through, which provides us a "measuring stick" with which to track the progress and condition of the aquarium.

The progression and phases goes something like this:

Startup- You add your properly-prepared botanicals and leaves gradually, so as not to overwhelm your newly-established bacteria population as they establish the biological filtration for your aquarium.  Depending upon which items you've added to your system (i.e.; really "reactive" botanicals, such as leaves, coco curls, Alder Cones, wood, some of the softer seed pods, etc.) your water may start turning a golden-brown color.  Like any other startup, you're advised to monitor ammonia, nitrite, pH, and eventually, nitrate.

After a couple of weeks, the tank should have completed its initial cycling, and your botanicals have settled in, with some, such as the Catappa and Guava leaves, beginning to soften up a bit. The water will have darkened a bit more, and the tank will have distinctive earthy scent. If all of the parameters are stable, it's time to begin gradually stocking your aquarium with fishes!

"Biofilm Phase"- Typically, after 2-3 weeks, some of your botanicals will "recruit" various fungi and biofilms on their surfaces, which is typical of what happens in nature. These biofilms may be offensive to look at, but they're perfectly natural, and usually a good sign of biological activity in the aquarium! It happens in nature- these are present in natural habitats, such as leaf litter zones, etc. continuously. I've written about this before. It's not fun for a lot of hobbyists to experience this, especially if you've never had a tank with brown water, leaves, and other materials. Oh, and it's easy to want to get discouraged, but you need to remind yourself that this is not like other aquariums you've created in the past. 

Typically, this is a phase, with most systems evolving past the heavy growth of biofilms after a few more weeks. There will always be some present in a botanically-influenced system. It's a mental leap that we as aquarists have to understand accept for this type of aquarium. Sure, you can regularly scrape and siphon these materials way, and they may or may not come back for a while.

I remember when I first started experimenting with "New Botanical"-style tanks, and how I would get discouraged, frustrated, and dissillusioned, until I did some research and realized that this biofilm was not a bad thing, and that many fishes and other animals actually benefitted from it! In fact, Caridina and Neocaridina shrimps, for example, LOVE this stuff, and a healthy population could help to serve as a biological control to keep biofilms in check. The old "Wen life gives you lemons..." mindset. It's true!

Remember to keep up with your regular maintenance, such as water changes, filter media replacement, etc., as these are necessary in any healthy aquarium; particularly so in a system with a bioload of botanical material, especially in the earlier phases of the aquarium's existence, as beneficial bacterial populations are growing to meet the ever-increasing demands of the expanding fish population!

Algal films and stringy algae are also part of this phase. Much has been written about how to deal with them. Some is a function of nutrient availability, export, and control. Much of these algae will dissipate naturally once the aquarium has "sorted itself out", but you will always see some algae in this type of system- just like in nature. It's a beneficial, natural part of the microcosm you've created.

"Maturity Phase"- At this point, a few months in, your aquarium is on a kind of "roll", if you will: A lot of the initial bursts of tannins and organics that may have resulted in massive amounts of biofilms and even algae, are done.The fish population is more stable, with additions of new fishes less frequent (well, for some of you, lol). The aquarium is starting to settle in to a rhythm of sorts, enhanced by your regular attention to maintenance. Remember, many of the leaves will need to be replaced as they decompose, if you want to maintain the leaf litter "aesthetic" that you started with. Some of the seed pods may or may not need to be replaced; do what you feel makes the most sense for you. 

You'll notice things that perhaps you haven't before: Different behaviors by fishes you perhaps have not seen, such as the forging activities they engage in among the leaves and botanicals. I remember seeing my Nannostomus beckfordi Pencilfish "pecking" at the pods and wood in their tank, hunting for microorganisms and such, just like in nature. it was pretty satisfying to see! 

You'll also notice colors and overall health of many of your fishes that are accustomed to blackwater environments is noticeably better. They look robust, calm, relaxed. Part of this is attributable to your good overall husbandry. And I suspect a good part of this is also attributable to the aforementioned benefits of this type of environment. By "staying with it" and understanding what is going on during the initial phases of your aquarium's life cycle, you'll be able to make that "mental shift" to a different kind of aquarium. Study, enjoy...remain calm and objective.

Never make knee-jerk "panic decisions" and take extraordinary measures to "correct" what appear to be "problems" in the system. It pays to reevaluate and analyize just what made these "problems" arise in the first place, so you can decide what, if any- action you SHOULD take.  Don't freak out about biofilms and such that you see from using large quantities of aquatic botanicals in the system from the outset. It's natural, and if your water quality tests indicate everything is okay, accept that! This is not an invitation to employ "relaxed" husbandry. Rather, it's an acknowledgment that you're required to understand what is "normal" for your aquarium.

You may not like it. You may simply tell yourself that decomposing leaves, biofilms, and brown water are too much to look at every day. The aesthetic may not be for you. You may not like the maintenance involved (siphoning debris as necessary, adding new leaves and botanicals regularly to replace decomposed ones, etc.). You may simply yearn for clear water and green plants. 

And that's okay. 

The beauty of this hobby is that there are all types of methodologies. An endless array of aesthetic choices. A huge variety of fishes.

The "New Botanical"-style aquarium is just one. Not the best way. Not the easiest way.

Just a different one.

Enjoy it. 

Stay open-minded. Stay curious. Stay enthusiastic.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

In the long run...thoughts on the long-term management of "New Botanical"-style systems

When we are designing and constructing our aquariums, I sometimes wonder if we consider if we are building them for "the long run" versus "the short run."

In other words, are we creating an aquarium that's designed from the start to be a showpiece, perhaps developed for a competition or temporary display, or is the system being designed, configured, equipped, and stocked with the intention of it being operational for an indefinite period of time?

If you're stocking for the long haul, especially if you're planning on running a tank with leaves and other botanicals, you need to take into account the continuous breakdown of materials within the aquarium, and the need to address both their contribution to the tank's bioload and the need for replacement of these materials on a regular basis. I say "need", because I'm assuming that you want to keep the "stocking level" of natural botanical materials somewhat close to where it was when you started, with the understanding that the individual leaves are transient items, destined to decompose and be replaced by others to maintain a similar "look" in the aquarium.

The key to long term success with a "New Botanical"-style aquarium is "psychology." You need to first have an understanding that you're creating a dynamic environment and aquascape. It's anything but "static"- sort of like a planted aquarium, but in reverse (rather than plants growing, the botanicals are, for want of a better word "diminishing")! At any given time, you'll have things like leaves in various states of decomposition, seed pods, slowly softening and recruiting biofilms and a "patina" of algae (sort of like the "aufwuchs" common to the African Rift Lakes, I suppose). 

The "New Botanical"-style aquarium requires what I'd call "active management" on your part, as we've outlined before. It's not set and forget, because you have a fair amount of natural materials in the system, breaking down. This is a double-edged sword, as they impart beneficial substances, such as humic acids and tannins, and form the basis for a food chain of microorganisms and such, while on the other hand contributing to the accumulation of organics within the system. In a properly managed "New Botanical"-style aquarium, you'll be conducting regular water changes to keep the water chemistry stable, and you'll be conducting regular tests of water parameters, such as pH, alkalinity, nitrate, and phosphate to get a good understanding of what's occurring in your system.

 I consider this practice of water quality management essential to most any style of aquarium, although it's commonly associated with reef aquariums, which are a biological and chemical dance, and in their most simple form still require some monitoring of water quality and environmental parameters to achieve a "baseline" of what is operationally "normal" for a given system. In our "New Botanical" -style tanks, it's important to gather some of this data, so you can spot trends and also to determine what is considered "normal" for your tank.

It's important to maintain good circulation within the system, to avoid accumulations of uneaten food, debris, and other detritus from settling into you botanicals, creating conditions ripe for massive undesirable algal blooms, or even pockets of aerobic activity. In other words, common sense maintenance practices that you've been doing for years! The decision to keep the decomposing leaves in the system is, in my opinion, by and large dictated by your aesthetic preferences, as we've outlined before in this blog. Many fishes will forage among leaf litter and the decomposing botanicals, just as they wood in nature. Fry, in particular, will not only find physical refuge in this niche, they will also derive some sustenance from the microorganisms which develop in the matrix of materials in this style of aquarium.

Despite all of the jokes we make about them "removing the color" and such from a blackwater aquarium, I am a huge proponent of chemical filtration, such as activated carbon, Poly Filter, or resins such as Purigen, etc. These media are extremely effective at removing excess nutrients and dissolved organics from closed systems. Yes, they can remove some of the tannins if you are using significant amounts of any of them...It's a sort of trade-off; one with which you'll have to experiment and find a "comfort zone" that works for you and your tank. I personally would rather lose a bit of the tint while maintaining the water quality and other benefits that these media can help facilitate.

And, as mentioned above, water exchanges are vital to the long-term management of any aquarium system, but play a very important role in a "New Botanical"-style aquarium as well. I don't need to go through all of the classic reasons as to why regular water exchanges are an important part of your husbandry routine, but I will mention that one great "side-benefit" of water exchanges is that they "keep your hands wet", more-or-less "forcing" you to play an active role in monitoring and managing your aquarium. A very healthy habit for any aquarium!

Stocking your aquarium is also another consideration of this style of aquarium. It makes no sense to stock your tank with fishes that will actively and continuously excavate an otherwise disrupt the substrate (I'm thinking of big cichlids like "eartheaters, etc.). Yes, foraging fishes and even fishes such as Plecos, Corydoras, Otocinculus, and Dwarf cichlids are perfect for "New Botanical" style aquariums, as they not only utilize the botanicals for cover and part of their food "sourcing"- they actually will help keep some of the materials in suspension for easy removal from the aquarium. Fishes like characins, Barbs, Anabantoids, etc. are perfect, as are some of the more "oddball" fishes, such as knife fishes and Mormyrids. And of course, various ornamental shrimp, such as Caridina and Neocaridina species, among others, are great additions to the aquarium, grazing on biofilms, algae, and the decomposing botanicals themselves. 

In the end, the key to successful  long-term management of a "New Botanical"-style aquarium is INVOLVEMENT. Active involvement on the part of you- the owner, in terms of  planning, construction, stocking, and husbandry. While none of the principles that are required are groundbreaking, unusual, or particularly onerous, they are all part of the game when you want a successful aquarium of any type. Unsuccessful hobbyists will not be any more likely to succeed with this type of system as they would be with any other. On the other hand, aquarists who have a basic understanding of the processes occurring within the closed aquarium, coupled with the discipline of diligent husbandry, will find the "New Botanical"-style system, refreshing, engaging, and rewarding to own.

We look forward to seeing more and more long-term successful aquariums using aquatic botanicals- the marriage of planning, creativity, aquarium management skills- and passion.

So much to learn- and everyone is able to contribute to our growing body of knowledge of this fascinating approach to aquarium keeping!

Until next time.

Stay excited. Stay disciplined...

And stay wet!

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

"Wood" you? Well, yes, I will!

We receive a fair number of questions here at Tannin, about our products, their usage, and impact on the aquariums they are to be used in. We love this kind of stuff, because it tells us that hobbyists are engaged and interested in what we offer. When you're concerned at how a botanical is going to affect your ____ gallon aquarium with (insert favorite fish here) in it, means that you're engaged and interested...and we love that!

One of the questions we receive quite often is about the aquatic wood that we offer, and how best to prepare it; what the affect is on water, etc. Let's take a quick look at the most popular wood types that we offer, and a few comments on their preparation and aquarium use.

First off, we have the major star of our wood show, Manzanita. We've written about Manzanita's origins before, so I won't bore you with that. However, I will give you a little more on its preparation and use in the aquarium. First off, I'm not exactly certain why, but Manzanita takes a pretty "predictable" amount of time to waterlog and sink..In my experience, it's almost always like 4 days at the most for pieces up to about 20" in length. It's almost uncanny how accurate this is! Sure, some will sink in a day, but most, for me- are 4 days and they're sunk!

Manzanita will not discolor the water all that much, in my experience. A lot of people give it a good rinse and just "plunk it down" into their tank, perhaps securing it so it won't float up, and call it a day. I've done that before, but I prefer to pre-soak it a bit before immersing it in the aquarium. Why? Well, like anything terrestrial and dried out (that's a good chunk of what we offer, huh?), you need to give wood pieces a decent rinse, to rid their surfaces and crevices of debris, dust, etc. The soak helps them: a) continue to rid themselves of any surface dirt, b) allow any sugars remaining in the dermal layer of the wood to leach out a bit, and c) really let the water penetrate into the deeper layers of the wood structure, assuring that it will stay down.

For some reason, and I'm not sure what it is- Manzanita tends to "recruit" a white, cottony fungus on it surface sometimes during the first few weeks. The first thing you need to know is that this stuff is harmless. It just looks like &*&%$. It typically will go away on its own with minimal intervention on your part, but you could always give it a good scrub with a soft-bristle brush (like an old toothbrush), and a rinse in freshwater. Alternatively, you could employ shrimp, Otocinculus catfish, or even your trusty Pleco to help rid the surfaces of this ugly-looking stuff. Of course, you can just wait it out and let it run its course, but I cannot blame you for not wanting to wait and watch your nice piece of wood emerged in "cotton balls" for a few weeks. This wood darkens a bit over time, taking on a dramatic, beautiful "patina" which is, in our opinion, undeniably attractive.

The next popular wood we work with is "Mopani" wood, from Africa. We've also written loads on this beautiful wood in the past, right here in our blog. This is a heavy, beautiful wood which looks amazing. Unlike the more "mild mannered" Manzanita, Mopani apparently has no qualms about releasing a lot of tannins during it's "curing" process, and beyond. This stuff packs a serious wallop, which I personally love (I know you're shocked by that). I've seen a small (roughly 10" long) piece stain the water thoroughly and beautifully brown in a 20 gallon aquarium in just a couple of days, even after a two day soak in fresh water! 

Confession: I love seeing this posts in various aquarium forums where hobbyists freak out about this, and put out desperate requests for help: "My new driftwood is turning my water brown?  What do I do?" Obviously, these are not Tannin Aquatics customers, who understand what's going down, and I've always wanted to chime in and say something like, "Sweet! Don't do anything! Your tank looks awesome!" Other than being a personally satisfying venture, taunting an already traumatized hobbyist on a message board would not endear myself of my company to the public, so I refrain. Of course, the reality is that a good part of the fish keeping world doesn't like golden brown water (or, more precisely, doesn't understand), so we'll have to forgive these heathens while we gently try to change their mindset..I digress...

So, to get rid of the tannin coloration is relatively straightforward, as we've discussed before. Just do a few small water changes and employ some activated carbon, or my personal fave chemical filtration media, Seachem Purigen, and you'll see your water clear up within a few days in most cases. To avoid as much discoloration as possible, you really want to soak the wood for a couple of weeks, and change the water in the sack container every few days. Patience is required with this wood, but it's well worth the effort, and this wood offers few other caveats for its use. That being said, Mopani will occasionally get that surface fungus that we've talked about above, and you can resolve it the exact same way as for Manzanita. 

The final member of our popular wood "triad" is "Spider Wood." This stuff is, as we say here in L.A. "gnarly!" and amazingly useful for 'escaping! It's a pretty light wood and typically will float for a while before eventually settling down. Some pieces sink quickly. Others require a lot of patience on your part. We had this grandiose idea that we'd sell it "ready to use" and try to pre-soak the wood here before we offer it for sale, but the reality is that, once it dries out again, it...floats. Hey, we tried. So purchase this would with the mindset that you'll have to do some soaking. 

Oh, and it leaches some tannins. Yup. Like all woods, Spider wood tends to leach out a fair amount of tannin for a few weeks at least. Again, the key to reducing the amount of tannins being released into your tank is essentially the same as what it takes to sink it: patience, and the passage of time. A few weeks weighted down in a container of water, along with regular changes of the water in the container, and you'll be good.

The good news is that Xylophagic (wood eating) loricariids (your Plecos!) will use this stuff like a "chew toy", and love to rasp at it over time, slightly "modifying" your wood's appearance as it ages. This is a pretty cool phenomenon, and a lot of fun to watch!

So there you have the briefest of rundowns on dealing with our most popular aquascaping wood. As you can tell, they all have some similar "habits", such as being bouyant, leaching tannins, and recruiting biofilms/fungus.

The patient hobbyist understands this, and plays a "long game", taking the time to properly prepare the wood for aquarium use, and embracing and understanding how the wood reacts with its aqueous environment.

No one will ever debate the attractiveness of driftwood in the aquarium (well, some might, but they'll be roundly and deservedly thumped by fellow aquarists!), and the extra understanding, appreciation, and time it takes to get to know what you're dealing with when employing it is well worth the beautiful aesthetic results that it can bring to your aquascape!

Until next time...

Stay creative. Stay patient.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Back to the bottom. The VERY bottom.

How often do you think about the substrate in your aquariums?

I mean, if you're into a planted aquarium, you probably give it a lot more thought and consideration than say, a typical hobbyist. The rest of us tend to not give the substrate much thought after we select the material we're going use...sort of "set it and forget it." However, with the resurgence of interest in biotope aquariums, we see more and more  interest in substrate materials to represent the materials found in natural environments.

If you've perused our site, you've no doubt noticed that we offer a variety of botanical materials and packages to help simulate the natural materials that accumulate at the bottoms of rivers, streams, lakes, and other water courses.

These materials are a very dynamic part of the environment, shifting, accumulating, decomposing, and enriching their surroundings in a most natural way- including helping to foster the "blackwater" that we love so much around here!

However, what about what's underneath? Yeah, the actual BOTTOM of these aquatic environments? While not as variable or ever-changing as the botanical stuff, the sands, gravels, pebbles, and other materials that comprise the "hard bottom" of these environments are interesting, surprisingly dynamic, and can foster an aesthetic that can really make your aquarium come alive!

First off, consider natural waters and the impact of the substrate. In rivers, such as the Amazon, Rio Xingu, or Orinoco, you'll find materials that originate in the mountains and highlands, and gradually work their way downstream, influencing the aquatic environment chemically, physically, and geographically. 

The materials are influenced by the currents and water movement, tend to "sort themselves out", and re-organize over time. To simulate this dynamic, it pays to do a little research on the specific environment that you're looking to replicate. Some parts of the Amazon, for example, are replete with larger particles of material, wit ha covering of fine sand.

Studies have shown that particle sizes tend to decrease the further downstream from the source they are found. Large rivers, such as the Amazon, have beds of shifting sands, slowly transported with the currents. Typically, the larger the item (pebble, rock, or boulder, the longer it tends to stay in one place. So, in a more powerful flow, you're more likely to find larger-sized materials.

The first recorded observations of bed material of the Amazon River were made in 1843 by Lt William Lewis Herndon of the US Navy, when he travelled the river from its headwaters to its mouth, sounding its depths, and noting the nature  of particles caught in a heavy grease smeared to the bottom of his sounding weight. He reported the bed material of the river to be mostly sand and fine gravel. Oltman and Ames took samples at a few locations in 1963 and 1964, and reported the bed material at Óbidos, Brazil, to be fine sands, with median diameters ranging from 0.15 to 0.25 mm.

There is a LOT to the science of naturally "graded" materials, and you'll have to do some research on the subject. In the end, science can tell you a lot; however, creativity and your aesthetic taste are typically the "guidelines" that you'll embrace to assemble your "slice of the bottom."

With an abundance of commercially-available substrate materials on the market, it's easier than ever to replicate cool little segments of the environment. Take a sort of 'holistic" approach to constructing the substrate in your aquarium. Look into the practical and aesthetic aspects of your materials, and how you'd combine the permanent materials (gravels, sands, pebbles, etc.) with the more "transient" materials (i.e.; botanicals and leaves). It's a lot of fun, very engaging, and can almost create a "hobby within a hobby!"

So, we've barely scratched the surface of the very bottom...However, I hope that I've helped click on the lightbulb in your head to consider that what goes on "down there" is every bit as important as any other part of the aquarium! There is plenty of scholarly research out there to draw on for inspiration and information to help you divide a plan.

Get to it!

Stay excited. Share what you've learned. 

And stay wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

The ins and outs of leaves...

As one who is a big fan of incorporating leaf litter in his biotope aquariums, I have learned a few things over time about them. Even though these are natural items, and no two are alike, there are certain predictable "behaviors", if you will, which make incorporating them into your aquaecapes a bit more predictable.

First off, I'm constantly asked how many leaves you need to get a certain degree of "tint" in your aquarium. That's a really tough one, because there are a few variables, such as the composition of yo ur water, the size of the aquarium, water movement, where you incorporate them in your system(i.e., in a filter chamber, canister, reactor, or the display itself), and wether or not you utilize some form of chemical filtration (such as activated carbon, etc.), to name a few.

I can tell you, as a sweeping generality, that it typically takes me at least 5-5 medium-sized Catappa leaves to get a decent level of "tint" in an aquarium of say 30-50 U.S. gallons, when simply placed in the tank. Guava and Loquat leaves tend to impart a less significant tint to the water in my experience- an almost yellowish-gold color, so you can use more of them, especially in conjunction with Catappa, to achieve a great affect!

In my display tank in my office, I use a ratio of roughly 3 Catappa leaves for every 5 Guava leaves, and that gives me a nice color that I like. Other hobbyists will simply go with 100% Catappa, which I've done in the past, achieving a beautiful golden brown color.

This is where it's going to get interesting soon. We're sourcing Catappa and other leaves from a variety of trusted sources, with the eventual goal of being able to "grade" them based on their ability of a single leave to impart tint to a set quantity of RO/DI water. It will hardly be scientific, but it may serve to give our customers and enthusiasts at least some basis for a starting point. The ultimate goal  will be to have  wide variety of "gourmet" leaves, if you will, from a variety of sources, so you will be able to select based on the appearance of the leaves, where they were sourced, their sizes, and their "tint capability", among other factors. We're already well on the way and will be rolling this out in the near future!

Now, I've already touched on the issue of chemical flirtation and it's impact on removing the tint and tannins associated with leaves. It' is entirely possible to minimize or render the ph-lowering and water-tinting capability of tannins released by leaves with activated carbon, Purigen, or other chemical filtration media. Tannins are rather weak acids, yet they can lower the pH of water when their is less "buffer" in the system (i.e.; lower general hardness). Just how much tannins can lower pH in a given system depends upon how much buffering capacity the water has. 

With "harder" water (i.e., water with a greater buffering capacity), you can have the tinted water look from leaves and wood, without the pH reducing effects, particularly if the tannic acids are absorbed by the aforementioned chemical filtration media. So, in other words, you can have the aesthetics of blackwater while running your aquarium at a higher pH if the hardness is sufficient. Once you remove tannins in a lower hardness system, your pH should rise, too, since you're removing the acids.

Woah. Head spin time. 

Bottom line is this: You can use chemical filtration media in "tinted" tanks. However, depending upon the amount of media, quantity of tannin-producing items (leaves, wood, botanicals, etc.) and the capacity of the aquarium, the impact will be variable. I run chemical filtration media (Purigen and activated carbon) in my tanks, and I still have nice tint and pH relatively stable at around 6.8.

How often do you need to replace your leaves? Well, another great question for  which there is no "rule" involved. The reality is that you can simply add new leaves on a regular basis, so you'll always be making up for the ones that have decomposed. Some hobbyists like to remove the decomposed leaves, preferring a more "pristine" look. It boils down to aesthetics, really.

I like the natural affect provided by leaves in various states of decomposition. It looks and function just like a real tropical stream bottom, providing shelter and food for a variety of animals.

How deep, how dark? It's really a matter of aesthetics.

Explore. Create. Evolve.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics