The Tint

October 30, 2015

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Woah! Slow down there! There's no rush.

As fish geeks, we are a patient lot in some respects, and perhaps, just a bit impatient in others. I'm realizing this a bit when it comes to preparation of our aquatic botanicals. A lot of aquarists are excited to use them, and I can't blame them! Unique, natural materials like the botanicals really add a special "something" to any aquascape, and we want to see them in our tanks asap!

The reality, however, is that any type of natural material that you put in the water will have some impact on the chemistry and visual clarity. This is why we admonish you to "go slow" when adding these botanicals to an established aquarium with a population of fishes and plants. You want to add your botanicals over the course of several days, or even weeks if you're the really patient type. 

Patience is super important when using these materials.

Adding them slowly will give you a chance to gauge the effects on your water, bot aesthetically and chemically. Remember, these materials will start to break down after boiling and soaking, and gradually leach some tannins and other humic substances into the water. Also, decomposing plant matter will create a "propagation substrate" for bacteria and other microbial life forms.

This is very beneficial for shrimp and other creatures that graze on the biofilms that occur on these materials. However, if you have a large amount of denying material all at once added to an established system, you could see a significant bloom, which could, among other things, result in a drop in oxygen levels as a result of this bloom- something that could jeopardize your fishes. It's especially profound in a smaller system, or one that contains a significant number of fishes already.

Obviously, I'm not forecasting "doom and gloom" here- just preaching a little patience.

We've tested these materials with all sorts of fishes in our own systems, under circumstances that you would never think of subjecting yours to (like dumping them right into established tanks without any prep at all). Fortunately, we have not lost any fishes or other animals as a result- but we steal recommend that you be patience and highly cautious when you use these materials in your own systems!

Putting our botanicals through these paces was the responsible thing to do when offering materials like this which have never been sold in the hobby before, and it's an ongoing thing with us. Our concerns aren't just "making stuff sink", and how brown the water gets- we are also keenly aware of the possible chemical and biological impacts that botanicals can have on the inhabitants of our aquariums.

So, in summary- just continue to be patient when using our botanicals- or for that matter, any botanical materials, including wood and leaves- in your aquariums. Take the time to prepare the materials by steeping or boiling- and be sure to let them soak in a bucket of  fresh water with a bag of activated carbon for several days afterwards, to help remove some of the initial tannins and handle some of the early burst of decomposition. When you're satisfied stuff looks good- give 'em a final rinse, then place them in your tank.

Like some many things we do in fish keeping, using aquatic botanicals requires thought, patience, and the willingness to observe and evaluate what's happening in YOUR specific tank. The extra effort you take in this area will help assure you of a great experience using these wonderful natural materials in your aquatic displays!

So, stay patient!

And stay wet!

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

October 28, 2015

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How adopting a simple husbandry philosophy can have a profound impact on your aquarium!

Recently, I gave a talk at a reef hobby club meeting in, and the topic was "Nutrient Control and Export." I've given versions of this talk at some other clubs aound the nation before, as well as at a major conference a few years back, and I'm frequently surprised by how much hobbyists like it. You'd think that this topic is kind of, I dunno..dull. We know this stuff cold, right? I mean, the reality is that we are all working with this stuff daily as hobbyists...The topic is surprisingly dynamic, really. I mean, taking care of reef tanks isn't as dull as, say, brushing your teeth, is it? No- It's interesting and challenging, really. 

During this talk, we touch upon such seemingly basic aquarium husbandry issues, and doing this talk for the "x-hundredth time" (along with ensuing dynamic discussion that followed) made me once again realize that there is a definitive, unwritten, yet super simple "philosophy" to aquarium husbandry that seems to be shared among the most successful aquarists that I know:

"Good things done in small measures, with frequency."

We probably don't even give it any thought as we apply this philosophy regularly. Incredibly simple words, but what do they mean to the successful aquarist? 

A whole LOT, actually. 

 

The key to ultimate long term success in the hobby is not just having the rarest hyped corals and a five-figure investment in the hottest equipment- it's the repetitive (some would even say, "dull") effort that you put in as a hobbyist to provide your animals with the best possible care. And the common thread among successful aquarists seems to be that they share that basic philosophy. Instead of knee-jerk reactions to problems like fish dying or water quality declining, they proactively avoid many of these issues by following some sort of regular husbandry regimen. Typically, this consists of modest (like 5%-10%) weekly or slightly larger (20%) monthly water changes, daily observation of major life support systems, frequent cleaning/exchanges of chemical and mechanical filtration media, and regular, but not obsessive water chemistry tests to monitor trends. 

Nothing obsessive here. Right?

This stuff is really basic, but I am frequently surprised, when brought in to troubleshoot an "anomalous" tank crash or other issue, by the seemingly complete lack of regular husbandry procedures in place in the affected system. As the aquarium keeping aphorism goes, "Nothing good happens quickly in an aquarium." More often than not, in my experience- neither do BAD things! They happen (in a lot of cases) over time, and the cumulative effect is what causes the ultimate decline in many cases. Algae problems, for example, often have their roots in something simple, like bad feeding habits- just dumping heaps of frozen food (packing juices and all) right into the tank in large quantities, failure to execute water changes with any degree of frequency, allowing filter socks and other mechanical media to become saturated with detritus or organics, or the hobbyist just flat-out forgetting to change the membranes and cartridges on his/her RO unit (I can't tell you how many times this has been the cause of gradual declines in water quality). 

If your source water that you use to make saltwater with sucks, well...you get the picture. Can't build a solid house with a shaky foundation, right?

 

And let's face it...it's time to think more about the trace elements and other compounds that comprise our water. Stuff gets used up, some is unnecessary, and some is even toxic over time. THAT is something to think about. Replenishment via direct dosing and/or water exchanges is pretty darned important.

Sure, sometimes there is a rare and very real case of a  chemical poisoning incident, heater failure, etc.- but typically, most water quality (and therefore environmental quality) issues result from lack of consistency in our husbandry practices, and a certain lack of information about what exactly is happening in the aquarium. My point of this rant is not to beat you over the head with the basics, but it is to point out that a simple, consistent effort on your part will lead to greater system stabilty, animal health, and ultimately greater success as a hobbyist. Force yourself to adopt good practices-most of us already do, but apply them in manageable tasks (many of us don't- for example the "big 4 month water change" or "spring cleaning"of the tank). And do them often! 

 

Easy...right?

A 2% twice weekly, or 5% weekly water change can make a huge difference in long term stability of your system. If you don't believe me, give it a shot for a month and see if you notice a difference in your system. l'll bet that you will. Use every means available to get a handle on what's going on in your system, and what is considered a "baseline" for it. If you know what the parameters are like when your tank is really kicking butt, you'll definitely get a better picture when something is wrong.

So get up, look yourself in the mirror, and then look at your system. Ask yourself if you are making the hobby easier for yourself by following a sporadic husbandry program, or making it harder. I'll bet that, after adopting a more regular, frequent maintenance schedule, you'll be asking yourself more "unusual" questions, like "Why did my Angelfish spawn again?", or "Dang, I have to prune that Crypt AGAIN?"

Good "problems" to have, huh? 

"Good things done in small measures, with frequency."

Think about it. Stay focused, stay sharp, and most important...


Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

October 26, 2015

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"Someday, I'm gonna..."

As aquarists, we pretty much all have that “bucket list” of things we want to do with our hobby. Some of us have less lofty goals…you know, stuff we’ve intended to do but just haven’t gotten around to it.

I know I certainly have. In a lifetime of aquarium keeping, I still have dozens of things that I want to do…when I get around to it. In fact, the scary thing is that there is this sort of “inverse” law going on…The longer I’ve been in the hobby, the larger my list of things I want to do but haven’t yet grows! Please tell me that I’m not the only one who this has happened to?

Yeah, okay, whatever…I’m still trying to get to that list…I mean, I have like hundreds of diverse things I want to do, some dating back to my teenage years, or even earlier! That’s one of the cool things about spending a lifetime in the hobby- you get to be exposed to lots of ideas over a very long time span…good for the imagination- a you-know-what on the budget and your free time! 

And the list is really extensive, running the gamut from freshwater to saltwater dream tanks, experimental systems, biotopes, breeding schemes, plumbing setups, etc. The expansiveness of the list is only matched by the amount of fish-related crap I’ve accumulated over the decades…We all have “that closet” or place in the garage dedicated to THAT stuff, so don’t get me started…

So, I figured that if I’d come clean and list a bunch of stuff from my lifetime aquarium keeping “to-do” list, it might inspire some of y’all (where did I get the Texas drawl thing from…?).

Anyways, here are a few doozies from my list, which I actually keep in a little notebook I’ve had since high school…sort of geeky, I know, but still.. In no particular order:

*Large Amazon River biotope aquarium, with Tetras, Knifefish, Discus, and Altum Angels (okay, so what if the Tetras would be menu items for everyone else? Apparently I failed to think that one through)

*Black sand monospecific reef aquarium covered with contrasting bright Pink Pocillopora damicornus (that’s not such a bad one, huh?)

*Super shallow look down tank with a bottom comprised only of fine gravel and botanicals with Anubias nana "Petite" (I think it would take most of my annual allotment of patience to complete this project, however)

*Brackish water biotope, with Scats, Monos, Puffers, and Pipefish (I mean, who HASN’T had this fantasy before, right? LOL)



*Marine Paludarium (look up this term if you don’t know what it is…I can’t feed you everything!) designed to replicate a Palau “Coral Island”, complete with terrestrial tropical plants topside and lush corals underneath. (If you know me, you know I’ve been talking about this stupid idea for years- I should just do it already!). Perhaps the Aqua Verdi Riparium Planters could work with this concept!

*Shallow wide aquarium dedicated to only blennies and gobies (for saltwater), or loaches and small Rasbora or Danios for freshwater!

*Saltwater bare bottom “hardscape” with only Tonga branch rock and 20 assorted Damselfish (okay, so it’s really just an ill-fated FOWLR tank, right? Let a guy dream a bit, okay? I actually did something like this in the 1990’s, starting out with two dozen assorted damsels and ended up with just one big ugly Domino- ironically the ONLY Domino I had- as the “survivor.” What an awful “Lord of The Flies” type of experiment, right? Perhaps next time with Chromis?)

*Seahorse and Pipefish Seagrass Biotope- Yeah, I actually started this one…Got the seagrass part going. Just never got around to getting the Seahorses. Did get some Pipefish…It was probably just a bit too ambitious for my 40x40x22 cube aquarium…I KNOW I could have completed it if I tried it with a smaller aquarium. Yup!

*Fancy guppy breeding system- Uh ha- the full-blown FW dream scheme, complete with like 10 tanks, water sprite, and the ambition to show up the stodgy, arrogant old school breeders who dominated the show circuit back in the 1980’s. (Alas, I was a teenager, with bigger dreams than budget- and there were only so many tanks I could stuff in that bedroom of mine…Sigh. One day. One day.)

*Royal Gramma tank- So, how many reefers actually dream about this stuff? I do. Ever since a dive trip that took me to Belize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman, were I saw whole harems of these fishes living together in caves, I’ve had the urge to recreate something like that…Like 20 specimens, a rock overhang, Halimeda..maybe some gorgonians and a Hamlet, Blackcap Basslett or two as well..Complete with a colorful palette of maroalgae…(Maybe someday)



Well, there you have like 1/25th of my “Things I’m gonna do but haven’t yet” list. Every reefer has one- or should have one, IMHO. Because without dreams, goals, and “one day I’m gonnas,” life can get kind of dull. Yes, live in the moment, but keep your dreams in front of you…There is so much out there to tackle in the aquarium hobby. Some of it is still the stuff of fantasy (yah, the swim-through Eagle Ray touch tank is a bit…ambitious), yet many of our dreams are easily attainable. Some are downright practical (“Someday I’m going to rearrange my sump so that I can actually change the reactor media without tearing apart the entire sump…’)

So, to coin the phrase, “Just do it.” Or, just “try to do it..” Whatever. Have dreams. Build fantasy reefs, if only in your head…But don’t ever fail to write them down..take notes…discuss them with other hobbyists. The hard truth is that you may never actually get to some of them…Or, you may get to all of them! Regardless, just having ideas and working them into your current reality is pretty satisfying. It can benefit your current aquarium, your animals, the hobby- and your spirit!

Let's hear some of your "gonna get to's...! Inspire others- or yourself!

So, dream the dream, live the reality, and make things happen. Stay ambitious. Stay creative.

And stay wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

 

October 24, 2015

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Looks like a Starfruit- sinks like a rock!

As you know, we offer a lot of materials for substrate enrichment and building cool leaf litter zones. A lot of these materials are really lightweight, and take a bit of effort to sink. Most of the lightweight ones decompose relatively quickly in the aquarium (which is not a bad thing- it's what they do in nature), further enriching the environment.

Our newest botanical, "Carambola Lixo", is really lightweight, and when I first saw them, I was convinced that not only wouldn't they sink easily, but that they would decompose very rapidly. 

Boy, was I wrong!

They did sink after easy, minimal preparation. But the big surprise came after long-term immersion in water. The darned things not only held up, keeping their cool shape- they actually got a bit more "firm" underwater. Perhaps it was the saturation..not sure. 

The bottom line is that they hold up VERY nicely, and will add a nice note of beauty and interest to any leaf litter biotope. They have such a cool shape, add minimal tint to he water, and are just great to look at!

They looked so good after prolonged immersion, that we're thinking of making them a "Tannin Now!" product, ready to go! I've seed them up in the same packaging I'd use for "Tannin Now!" botanicals, and we'll try immersing them again in a few days, to simulate their being shipped to you!

Fingers crossed.

Man, they really look good, wouldn't you agree?

I mean, I certainly wouldn't look that good after more than a month in water!

Stay Wet!

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

October 23, 2015

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"Move fast and break things"...a possible mantra for the hobby?

I’m waxing philosophical this morning…which generally gets me into trouble with my readers. Oh well, I was in one of those moods, thinking about how we evolve as hobbyists, and I drew some parallels to some philosophies discussed in the business world…I thought it might make for an interesting (if somewhat controversial) discussion today.

“Move fast and break things…”

It’s a great quote, attributed to Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and adapted by many tech startups all over the world as a philosophy of rapid growth, improvement, and innovation. A lot of business people will tell you that this philosophy is great when you’re starting out, but eventually has to evolve to a more stable mantra as a business endeavour “matures.”

Well, that’s all good, but I can't seem to get that expression out of my head of late, especially when I think about how it applies to the aquarium world. Sure, in business, it’s a great idea to evolve rapidly and make quick changes and iterations if something doesn’t work…and being small and nimble allows you to do that relatively easily. I know I’ve adapted at least part of that in my work with Tannin Aquatics- we may have embraced the concept unknowingly as we evolved, but there has always been always a plan somewhere…

Ahh..the plan. or rather, how to achieve the goals stated in “the plan.” This is how I think that, if implemented with some thought, the “move fast and break things” philosophy can be adapted into our  aquarium keeping efforts. 

Hear me out on this. 

Okay, we’re always preaching patience with aquarium-keeping- a key ingredient- and I’m the first one to tell you that it’s the major component of successful aquariums. However, when you’re first starting out, is it always necessary to follow a detailed plan to the ‘nth” degree? I mean, isn't it okay to adapt, to change, to scrap an idea and move on if t’s not working? Cut your losses?

I think it might be!

For example, let’s say you’ve designed your tank to follow the “Wabi Kusa”  You’re committed to creating an aquascape that adheres rigidly to this minimalist design philosophy.  A great goal, in theory- but is it a practical way to operate an aquarium system for you? Maybe. Maybe not. If your rocks are placed "not quite right", and if your Glostostigma are declining rapidly (ok, starving), do you exercise patience and “stay the course”, or do you take decisive steps to address the issue; modify the process- iterate, as they say? 

Yeah, maybe you evolve it a bit, because it wasn’t working.

Now, I’m not advocating 360 degree changes in your aquarium management approach every time something doesn’t give you desired results in 3 days. Chaos. I’ve worked in environments like that and it’s maddening No- not preaching that.

What I am thinking about is the mental ability to get yourself easily out of a situation that is simply not working for you- for the benefit of your animals, budget, time- and sanity. It’s a hobby, for goodness sake, so if you’re not enjoying it, what’s the point?

So, maybe it’s not “move fast and break things” for you…perhaps it’s “move at a nice rate of speed and change moderately quickly when things don’t work out.”

What are the benefits of adopting the “move fast” philosophy- or at least the gist of it- for you as an aquarist?

First, you can test a lot of ideas and concepts on your tank relatively quickly, in “real time”, rather than just reading about them on the forums. If you have a general idea of where you want to go with your tank, but are interested in a few approaches, this is not a bad way to go. You can 

work in multiple ideas to see if they work, and throw out the ones that don’t relatively quickly. Now, again, I’m not talking about major hardware shuffles (“Yeah, the 350 was too small, so three weeks later, I broke it down and ordered a 700.” That’s insanity.). I’m talking about “tweaks”, like deciding to feed your predatory fishes only at night- or a few days a week…or, perhaps dosing fertilizers only when the display is dark. Changing flow patterns, feeding times, light combinations. Tweaking. Not full-scale overhauls. 

Second, you can certainly learn stuff at a more rapid clip, right? If you’re giving yourself the opportunity to “audition” a practice, philosophy, procedure, etc., you can find out if something makes sense a whole lot more than if you commit 1,000 percent to a rigid philosophy of “I’m simply going to do it this way.”  Even if you don’t get the whole picture of what’s happening in your tank, attempting quick little experiments can give you an indication of the general direction or trend- an answer to a little piece of the puzzle that you can incorporate to evolve more successfully in the long term.

Finally, this philosophy actually can force you to look at things more honestly. In other words, if you decided to do something that maybe you thought might not work- by committing yourself to a “nothing is sacred” attitude at the start of your project, you can evaluate things in a more direct light and change things up as necessary to assure overall success of the tank and the health of its inhabitants. If you throw the “fun” part back into the equation, and share your trials and tribulations with other hobbyists, it certainly makes it more enjoyable to stop being stubborn and try to make things work, right? 

Of course, for every action, there’s an equal (?) and opposite reaction, right ( I think that’s all I remember from physics)..? So, what are the downsides to a rapid-iteration, “move fast and break things” philosophy?

To  begin with, you will probably build some “mental debt.” In other words, as you rapidly make changes and move things along, you may tend to overlook other things. Human nature, right? You tend to look at every change or iteration as a big experiment, and that you can “fix stuff later”- a kind of dangerous trap to fall into, especially when you think of the potential impact on living organisms. It’s one thing to make intelligent, measured changes, but to take shortcuts, non-sustainable work-arounds, and “band aids” harbors potential hidden dangers. Be alert to this. Your “relentless pursuit of perfection” (to coin the Lexus tagline) could result, ironically, in you never quite getting it right?

In addition, you might find yourself “burnt out” rather quickly. I mean, if you’re chaotically trying every new idea, every new gadget that’s out there in trying to find quick solutions, you will not likely enjoy this hobby for very long. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, right? I mean, it’s a “hobby” at the end of the day. Yet, each day I read forum posts from dozens of hobbyists who flail helplessly in multiple directions, trying every little thing to change up their tank, solve a relatively simple problem. Algae issues are notorious for soliciting this kind of behavior- the desire to get the problem “solved” has resulted in many disasters (like using all sorts of chemicals and medications to eradicate algae, when the reality is that it could have been eradicated or managed with husbandry tweaks to begin with…). Think before you “iterate!”

 

In the end, I think there is nothing inherently wrong with the “move fast and break things” philosophy vis a vis aquarium keeping. However, I think that you can take it to an extreme. If you’re “breaking” too many things along the way, and not learning- and more important- not ENJOYING- this hobby, then what’s the point? Remember, responsible, thoughtful experimentation is always a good thing…as long as the knowledge and benefits gained from such experiments justify the “costs.”

I’m certain that there will be many different opinions on this, so I’d love to hear yours. There are many pros and cons to this thought process, and all have merit.

So, remember- stay focused. Stay engaged.

And stay wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 22, 2015

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(Almost) Everything I needed to know about life, I learned from my aquariums...

I woke up in a philosophical mode today, which, as you know, is often dangerous, as it means I'll either write about something insanely esoteric ("How the health of your Cryptocoryne can affect your wife's clothes-buying decisions") or rather direct ("How to get superglue off of your fingers"), or downright devisive ("Why every other aquatics vendor besides Tannin Aquatics is stupid and unprofessional...")... I mean, no one else in the aquatics world writes about the kind of nonsense I do, huh? Weird.

Fortunately, I did get a decent night's sleep, and I'm sitting on my Yoga mat ready to proffer my two cents worth on your life as a fish geek...

Cue relaxing New Age sitar music...

Today, Grasshopper, we're going to talk about how your aquarium experience can teach you about life.

 

Ok, that sounds kind of insane, actually. 

Yet when you think about it, an aquarium CAN teach you a lot about life. Those little pearls of wisdom that we acquire as we play with our tanks can have real impact on the rest of our life.

Let's look at these "lessons" a bit closer, and if you don't agree- then you can tell me that I'm crazy!

Lesson One - Stay Focused - When building and managing your aquarium, you'll come to the realization that it's hard to balance what you need to be doing with what you have the time, energy, and resources to actually do. Sure, you should be changing water every week, but you have that little distraction called life that may get in the way. And that's okay. Your family and relationships are more important than your fish. Yup. I just said it. Don't lose focus on what's really important. 

Focus on quality, not quantity in your aquarium management. Better to do a few things great than many things poorly. Seriously. Prioritize what needs attention more at certain times. Filtration? Algae scraping. Plant trimming? Things will ebb and flow and you can tackle every single one of your fish keeping dreams and ambitions. You just don't need to do them all at the same time!

Lesson Two- Practice Patience- I know that in my personal life, I'd hardly be given the moniker of "patient", but in my fishkeeping work, it's my mantra! It can take me months to go from having a tank in my home to having a tank in my home with plumbing, and months more to having a tank in my home with plumbing and water. Sure, like everyone else, I want a lush, colorful aquarium as quickly as possible. However, I found out the hard way through many years of aquarium keeping that the old cliche about not rushing things holds true. An aquarium is a biological system, and it follows eons-old natural patterns of function and process. 

You can't rush it. Oh, sure, you can "seed" your aquarium with biological material to speed up the cycling process, and you can grow your fishes a bit faster with frequent water changes, feeding, and trace element replenishment...But it can only go so fast. Why not follow those good practices, but expect- and enjoy- a slower, more measured pace of growth in your aquarium? Patience is about understanding what steps it's going to take to get you where you want to be, and measuring and evaluating your progress along the way. Editing is a beautiful thing (although, by the way I write, you'd never know that, huh?). Eventually, you'll get there. And you'll probably find the journey every bit as enjoyable as the destination. Trust me.



Lesson Three- Be an Authentic Aquarist - Huh? What I'm getting at here is that you should love being who you are as a fish geek! Sounds like "psychobabble", but it's true! Your greatest aquarium-keeping successes will come when you practice being the type of hobbyist you are. Just because everyone is infatuated with Mbuna and you love Anableps does not mean that you're not a "cool" aquarist. There are so many angles to this hobby it isn't even funny. Love what you specialize in, and share what you know with fellow fish geeks. 

If you have no interest- or worse yet- no clue- about annual killifish breeding, for example- then don't get on the message boards and start preaching the merits of wet incubation to fellow hobbyists. What I call "regurgitation"- the act of ranting authoritatively about stuff you may have heard of but have not practiced- is really unhelpful to the rest of the fishkeeping world. Be proud of your aquarium, your experience, and the type of aquarist you are. Share selflessly, and play to your strengths. Push yourself, evolve, adapt, flow. But above all, be yourself. 


Lesson Four- Count on Your "Peeps" - It's crucial to have other hobbyists to turn to when things get tough. Sure, you can be a free thinking aquarist, but don't go it alone. You're not an island. A bommie, maybe. But not an island. Err..nevermind. Reach out on the message boards and consult other hobbyists. Not only will you learn more and have a good time with your hobby- you might just end up making lifelong friends! Build relationships, and seek out friends, experts and "cheerleaders" when you need them. It's a smarter, more effective way to succeed in the hobby. And, I must admit, it's kind of fun.


Join the local aquarium club, or start one if there isn't one in your area. Hang out at your local fish store. It's the literal "watering hole" for your local hobby experience. Not only will you be supporting a good cause (your local brick and mortar store), you'll be making valuable fishkeeping connections that will provide great pleasure. Of course, you can join one of the many friendly aquarium hobby communities on line, and connect with fellow fish geeks all over the planet. Cultivating friendships is a great little investment in your aquarium-and your life- that will pay huge dividends down the line.

(Yeah- everyone could use a "cheerleader" now and again!)

Lesson Five- Learn to Stop - Apparently, Im not alone: Many hobbyists just never learned how to say "no" gracefully! This is evidenced by the many 55 gallon aquariums containing every conceivable type of fish and plant known to the hobby! This is a real problem, as it can lead to an overcrowded, biologically mismatched aquatic population at best, and total disaster at the worst! For that matter, more than one domestic relationship has been impacted by what my reef-keeping pal Tony Vargas aptly calls "The Spouse Factor." The solution is to excercise restraint. Just say "NO!" sometimes!

It works with developing an aquarium in your home, and it works with stocking the aquarium, too...You can always get another aquarium at some point (the whole "Multiple Tank Syndrome" experience) if you want to try keeping widely divergent animals together without bloodshed. You just don't want to go down this path, adding every conceivable animal to your aquarium. If you're so busy saying "yes" to all of the wrong animals, when are you going to have the space for the right ones when they come along?

 

Lesson Six- Face Your Fears - Good heavens, get out of your comfort zone once in a while! I'm not saying to try to set up a 400 gallon aquarium just to prove that you're a badass...What I am saying is that you should try something different from the tried-and true sometime. Keep that slightly-less-than-super-hardy Gourami if you have the hunch that you can do it. Great things can happen when you push through the fear. Put your experience, intuition, and observational powers to the test. You might be the first person to breed that weird Knifefish that you have a secret fetish about. You may be the one person that figured out how to keep that uber-delicate catfish alive and thriving.

I'm not advising you to gamble with the life of a helpless animal in order to vanquish your fears. What I am suggesting is that you should play the occasional hunch and push yourself a bit. If it weren't for the pioneering brave folks like you, we would probably just now be realizing a viable market for rare, commercially-propagated fishes. If someone like Matt Wittenrich didn't take a chance trying to breed dozens of varieties of marine fish, we might be stuck with Clownfish as our only captive-bred marine fish option. When you feel you are capable - take a chance. The benefits to you- and to the hobby- might be incalculable.

 

Lesson Seven- Lighten Up! - You heard me! Have some fun! This hobby is not supposed to be a peer-pressure-ridden pressure cooker with impossible-to-meet challenges and goals. You aren't required to have a perfect aquascape that some self appointed "aquascape demigods" would approve of. You don't need to be doing all of the same things that the guy in Holland with a 29,000 liter aquarium is doing. You don't, and you probably can't - so why sweat it? Jumping on the bandwagon just because "all of the kids are doing it" isn't really that cool, anyways. Trust me. Enjoy your aquarium, no matter what size, what type of animals you keep, and how it looks. Laugh at the fact that you get all worked up about little snails on your Anubias, or that you keep stinky frozen foods in your freezer, right next to the Haagen-Dazs. Take pride in the fact that you are one of a select group of people that keep some of nature's most amazing creatures alive outside of their natural habitat. Not only alive- but thriving! Craziness.

When you screw up- and you will - accept the consequences with grace and humor. Laugh about it. Share the mistakes and foibles with fellow fishgeeks. You're probably not the only one who nuked his or her aquarium with Ph buffer, or placed a colony of Java Moss two inches from your prized Madagascar Lace Plant, or who used the wrong-sized tubing and flooded his/her carpet.. so smile...That which doesn't kill our enthusiasm for the hobby makes us a better aquarist. Perhaps less financially solvent- but better for the journey!

My hope here is that you realize that an aquarium is not just a pleasant diversion; a fun hobby- it can be a lifelong passion, a teaching tool for the entire family. And perhaps, most underrated of all - an aquarium can serve as a beautiful classroom for some of the larger mysteries of life. It sounds almost bizzare, but I believe it to be true when I say that everything I needed to know about life, I learned from my aquarium. Ok, almost everything. I still haven't figured out exactly what makes women tick. Or how to do those little Chinese finger puzzles work, or how to use SEO, or how to flip pizza dough, or...

So, until next time. Stay focused. Lighten up.

And Stay Wet.


Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

October 21, 2015

0 comments

Time for a fresh look at the biotope aquarium?

When was the last time you looked at your aquarium and thought “This looks like a section of real river/lake/stream?”

I mean, the goal of aquarium keeping is to make your fishes and plants react and grow as if they are in their natural waters, right? The proverbial “slice of the bottom” that many aquatic authors, such as Paul Loiselle and Ned Coletti, have proferred over the years- about replicating in their aquariums a section of a natural biotope is pretty darned cool.

 

We are seemingly fanatical about recreating optimum environmental parameters for our aquarium inhabitants, and spend enormous amounts of time, money, and energy attempting to replicate ideal lighting conditions, water chemistry, and flow for our inhabitants. However, it seems to me like the aquascaping in our tanks often seems more about creating an aesthetic that we like than it is at truly replicating a given environmental or geographic niche, such as a leaf litter zone, cave, or stream.

We see more of these types than ever before, but I still would like to see more of 'em!

I encourage every reefer to set up at least one aquarium like this at some point (Ahh, always a call to feed your “Multiple Tank Syndrome”, huh?)! It’s a great educational tool, and it’s downright fun to challenge yourself. You’ll be surprised how far you can take the biotope concept, especially if you strive to be completely true to the niche you’re modeling and aspire to only keep animals found in that niche!

Most important, it’s fun…

This is, after all, a hobby, and hobbies are a vehicle by which we express ourselves. That being said, let’s see how you express yourselves! Who has created a biotope type marine aquarium? Let’s see some pics, hear about what you did to get there. Even if you don’t have one- tell everyone what you’re thinking of doing!

I have this fantasy about creating one of those rock islands in Palau in my aquarium, but I’ve always been a bit goofy…

Until next time…

Stay Wet- or to borrow a line from the great biotope nerd, Ned Coletti, “Replicate…Appreciate!”

Scott Fellman

October 20, 2015

0 comments

The concept of "the score"- revisited...

We’ve all heard this before: The  “Aquarium Urban Myth.” You know, the guy that spotted a Protomelas taeniolatus “Namalenje Island” at Petco, mismarked as a “Misc. African Cichlid” for $13.00, or the the guy who scored the Synodontis angelicus ''White Spot’' at the LFS for $10, mislabeled “Synodontis lucipinnis"- or something like that.

Stuff like that keeps the hobby moving, talking, and inspired us in strange ways. Much like the elusive winning lottery ticket bought at the local liquor store, such tales have motivated countless hobbyists over the years to keep looking, keep digging in the LFS and pet  shops around the world, looking for that elusive, as yet-un-named rarity that is staring us right in the face.

 

You know how it feels to score something like that, too, right? After your discovery, you compose yourself, then nonchalantly ask the LFS employee to grab it from the tank and bag it up for you, all the while pretending to stifle a yawn, while inside, all that your thinking is “Please don’t let my buddies from the local club show up right now!” You know that they’ll be the first to say, “WOW! How much are you paying for that Paretroplus menarambo? That’s like a $50 fish. You didn’t get it from the ‘All cichlids $7’ tank, did you? That must have been a mistake!”

No, no no!

You rush home with your new found acquisition, all the while praying that you’re not being followed by the LFS employee, who suddenly realized his/her mistake! You even vary the route home, just in case there is someone tailing you! Yeah, you’ve watched all of the Bourne movies..You race online, and confirm what you already knew: That was a SCORE!

A mixture of guilt and contentment, right?

We’ve all had this guilty pleasure before; this moral quandary: The exhilaration, dashed with a tinge of guilt at having “beaten the system.” Of course, you rationalize that it’s better that the fish end up in the hands of the person best suited for its care: YOU!

As both a hobbyist and a business owner having been on both sides of the fence before. On one hand, you "should know better" if you're in this game- it's your livelihood. On the other hand, we're only human. Mistakes happen, especially at shows or during sales, when there is lots of chaos and people and distraction. You could have put something back in the wrong place, right next to the less expensive, almost look-alike (when the rare coral is not under optimum conditions) species, or simply not caught it when you were shuffling stuff, unpacking a shipment...whatever. Or maybe, you simply couldn't ID the “boring” cichlid  anyways...Human error. 

Now, there are just a few "hobbyists" who live for this kind of stuff. Want to "burn" the LFS to "get back at them for spending all that money over the years"...or to "teach them" some kind of "business lesson." Whatever. They're probably the same kind of guys that hope someone calls in a bomb threat to their work, so they get the day off. Yeah. Few and far in between, mercifully...but out there, nonetheless.

 A lot of fish geeks score cool stuff because they simply see something no one else can see in an otherwise "ordinary" animal. They have a "gut feeling" or hunch about something, and it turns out to be correct beyond their wildest dreams. Nothing really wrong there. Sometimes an ugly duckling simply turns out to be a swan. No more quandary there.

On the other hand, as a hobbyist, do you have a moral obligation to tell the LFS person they screwed up when you KNOW they mislabeled that incredibly rare specimen, or when the new guy nets the wrong one in a crowded tank? I've actually had the good fortune to have had people point out stuff like that to me before...usually happens on day 3 of a conference, when you're sleep deprived, hungry, and thinking about catching your afternoon flight home. And it's appreciated, believe me.

On the other hand, it sometimes happens when a coral or fish just doesn't show well, and is misclassified or otherwise gives a nondescript appearance that would throw just about ANYONE off. So, you played a hunch and it turned out to be right. Or maybe, just maybe, you like dull fish...or your significant other felt sorry for it and you bought it to appease him/her, especially after that incident last week, when the calcium reactor overflowed onto the new hardwood floor...Perhaps no one at the LFS would have believed you anyways, because they paid $2 for that unnamed wild Betta species, and probably gave their jobber or employee a hard time about throwing in some "box filler" like that. 

Sigh...so, that's the way that "scores" happen. Good, bad, right or wrong...they happen. And some hobbyists win...Perhaps even the LFS feels they got the best part of the deal, because they finally got rid of that grey fish or coral that always looks closed up- good riddance, in their opinion. Kharma, or just a confluence of random stuff?

So, time for confessions. Who has had such a score? What did you score? And how did things work out?

Pics and stories encouraged!

Take it from here¦

 

And as always...

Stay Wet.

 

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

October 16, 2015

0 comments

Ready to use? Custom selected? Would you like that?

At Tannin, we're all about doing stuff a bit differently- from the selection of things we offer, to the information we provide- right up to the way we pack our stuff for shipment...And we're always looking to do things better and more beneficial for you- our valued customers!

We've kicked around a few ideas of late...here are a couple that people seem interested in:

Would the idea of "cooked" botanical collections appeal to you? You know, botanicals that we've done the prep work on? So all you would most likely have to do is a brief soak and then you can drop 'em in your tank with a better-than average chance that they'll sink right off the bat? We'd call this the "Tannin Now!" collection!

Of course, we'd have to charge more for the time and labor that goes into this- but would it be worth it to you?

The other idea we're kicking around- "Custom picks." In other words, you could pay a set price and mix and match botanical collections of your own choosing...Will take a bit of programming on our end, but we're entertaining the idea if it is something you'd  like to see!

Let us know if you like these or other ideas- or have a thought on a better way! We're always listening on our Facebook Page or by email: tannin aquatics@gmail.com

We'll keep trying to improve your experience- to make great changes that will make the whole Tannin thing that much more fun for everyone! Thanks for your support!

Stay Wet!

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

October 15, 2015

0 comments

It's a great time to be a fish geek, right?

I was talking with a few “old timers” in the aquarium hobby recently- guys that have been in this game for decades, like myself. We were doing the typical old-guy talk about how “hobbyists today have it better than ever…” It occurred to me that we actually DO! I mean, there have been so many positive advances that have made the hobby easier, more engaging, and more enjoyable than ever before. Many of these advances have been in just the last 3-5 years. It’s light years beyond what we had in the hobby even a decade ago.

It’s a great time to be a hobbyist!


We have the best technology that we’ve ever had: Yeah! Even the “greenest” beginner can go to the LFS or go online and select from some of the most advanced lighting systems, water pumps, and protein skimmers (for SW) ever created. Technology has trickled down from various other industries to create aquarium products far beyond anything that we had just a decade or so ago. Much like computers, aquarium technology has evolved to the point where there is a cost-effective high tech solution for just about everything! Sure, there may be a few gadgets that come around that are just not necessary, or at the very least, somewhat esoteric- but for the most part, there is a reasonably affordable, highly reliable piece of technology available to assist us with many aspects of managing our aquariums. And what’s more- the manufacturers finally understand that we are FISH PEOPLE, not engineers, audiophiles, or computer geeks. These things are easier to use than ever before. Awesome.



Lighting options are better and more varied than ever: I don’t know, quite honestly, what ‘generation” you could say that we’re on in the LED technology evolution, but the lighting options we have now are nothing short of remarkable. You need only look on e-tailer’s websites and equipment blogs like Reef Builders to see that there are literally dozens upon dozens of amazing LED lighting systems from which to choose. Manufacturers are busting their rears to come up with high quality, high-tech optics and other features, like customization, compatible control with many mainstream aquarium controllers, and now- finally- aesthetic options, like truly attractive enclosures, colors, and mounting options. Now we can select lighting that doesn’t only impact the aquarium and it’s occupants- it creates an attractive overall display in the room that the aquarium is located. Bravo!


Feeding your animals has never been easier: Foods are being specifically formulated for fishes with specific health issues in mind, such as growth, color, and reproduction. Unlike in generations past, foods developed for these issues are the result of some pretty serious research and development on the part of manufacturers. And the delivery options are better than ever, including super-clean, nutrient dense frozen foods, ultra high quality dry foods, and some of the best "fresh" feeds ever from multiple manufacturers. These "fresh" feeds, in particular, bring previously difficult-to-obtain food sources, such as fish eggs, to the everyday hobbyist. The hobbyist in rural America can have food that puts him or her on par with any fish breeding operation in the world, and it can be sent to him/her overnight! Not only that- there are dietary and nutritional supplements (“food soaks”) that have been proven to enhance the nutrition of dried and frozen foods. Bon apetit, mes poisons!



 Additives that really work: With a few exceptions, long gone are the days of “brand x” aquarium additives, claiming to do everything from bringing back guppies form the dead to improving your marriage. Today’s hobbyist can select from dozens of laboratory-quality water conditioners, additives, and supplements that are direct “trickle-down” technology from University-level research, or even privately funded, highly-focused research. Water conditioners are more stable, easier to mix, and more concentrated than ever before, making it easier for the novice hobbyist to create “fish-ready” water for his/her animals with a minimum of fuss and effort. Ultra pure grade supplements for vitamins, alkalinity, trace elements, etc. give every hobbyist the ability to manage the composition of his or her aquarium with great ease and precision. Additives like micronutrients for plants offer amazing results for  health, growth and color, placing success within reach of just about everyone if used correctly.



Captive-propagated animals are more available than ever: Those fish breeder people have been busy! In fact, as a retailer, there are so many choices of captive-bred Mbuna available now that it’s actually a chore to select fishes to sell! There are color varieties of new varieties, different fins, and even albinos! And, the good news for impatient fish geeks  is that there are more species being bred at commercial levels. 



High quality plants is easier than ever to obtain: Thanks to great work by collectors, propagators at both the commercial and hobbyist level, and aquatic horticulture facilities throughout the world, we have more options and better quality than at any other time in the hobby. Choices abound. And not only at the wholesale and the LFS or online retail level. Customer service is elevated to an all-time high by many stores and online vendors  You can find a huge variety of great stuff from hobbyists at swaps, shows, and club meetings. And many of these plants are available from parent specimens that have never been in the wild before. The availability of high quality plantsl has been key to the emergence of some of the most successful, sustainably-minded, and beautiful aquarium systems of all time. 

Communications and hobby “culture” are highly evolved and more pervasive than ever: Thanks to the internet in general and forums in specific, information and the emergence of clubs, events, and conferences worldwide, we’ve developed a tremendous global community of reefers, sharing new information, commiserating on problems, demonstrating techniques, and generally inspiring each other. Gone are the days of toiling in isolation or relying on monthly magazines to communicate hobby developments. Its a whole new, Facebook-fueled, forum-driven, Twitter-enabled world! Hashtag: AWESOME! Events like the big conferences and the dozens of regional events that take place throughout the country each year draw fish geeks from all over the world, united by our love of this crazy hobby/lifestyle. And these events get bigger each year!


There are literally dozens and dozens more developments that contribute to my theory that this is the best time ever to be a hobbyist; these are just a few that come to my mind immediately. I didn’t even touch on improved and advanced technique…that’s a whole different area to comment on! What do YOU think are the developments that have contributed the most to this being the best time ever to be a hobbyist? What things do you see in the future contributing to the expansion and improvement of the hobby?

As long as technology, entrepreneurship, fellowship, and practice keep improving and expanding, our hobby is not only in a position to thrive- it’s in a position to expand, providing greater enjoyment for us, our children, and the children yet unborn. And even more important, a greater understanding than ever before of the animals and plants that we treasure.

This IS a great time to be a hobbyist.

Until next time…

Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics



 
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