The Tint

Streams- in form and function.

As aquarists, it seems to me like little time is spent attempting to understand how and why the natural habitats evolve and function, and how we can utilize this information in our aquariums. I think it's a really interesting way to craft and maintain fantastic aquariums. Rather than looking to Nature just for the "look", we can actually model our aquariums after the way these systems function. 

There are almost unlimited aquatic habitats to gain inspiration from!

If we focus on streams, which are one my personal areas of interest, there are some interesting takeaways for us as aquarists that we can gain by studying how they form and function. And, as with virtually all aquatic systems, the relationship between land and water is always impactful.

Much of how streams form and flow revolves around how sediments and other bottom materials arrive in them. It's important to note that the volume of water entering the stream helps, in part, to determine the amount and size of sediment particles that can be carried along, and thus comprise the substrate and its contours.

The composition of bottom materials and the depth of the channel are always changing in response to the flow in a given stream, affecting the composition and ecology in many ways. I'll probably state this idea more than once in this piece, because it's really important:

Every stream is unique. Although there are standard structural or functional elements common to many streams, each stream is essentially a "custom response" to local ecological, topographical, meteorological, and biological factors.

Permanent streams will often have different volume and material composition (usually finely-packed sands and gravels, with lots of smooth stones) than more intermittent streams, which are the result of inundation caused by rain, etc., or even  so-called "ephemeral" streams, often packed with leaves and lighter sediments, which typically occur only immediately after rain events (which means they usually don't have fish in them unless they are washed into them from more permanent watercourses).

The latter two stream types are typically more affected by leaves, botanical debris, branches, and other materials. Like the igarapes ("canoe ways") of Brazil...little channels and rivulets which come and go with the seasonal rains. And then, there's those flooded Igapo forests we obsess over.

In the overall Amazon region (you knew I was sort of headed back that way, right?), it sort of works both ways, with the rivers influencing the surrounding land...and then the land "giving" some of the materials back to the rivers...the extensive lowland areas bordering the river and its tributaries, known as varzeas (“floodplains”), are subject to annual flooding, which helps foster enrichment of the aquatic environment.

Much of them come from trees.

Yeah, trees.

The materials that comprise the tree are known in ecology as "allochthonous material"-  something imported into an ecosystem from outside of it.  (extra points if you can pronounce the word on the first try...) And of course, in the case of trees, this also includes includes leaves, fruits and seed pods that fall or are washed into the water along with the branches and trunks that topple into the stream.  

You know, the stuff we obsess over around here!

Although many streams derive their food base from leaves and organic matter, there is a lot of other material present that contributes to its structure. Think along those lines when scheming your next aquarium. Ask yourself what factors would contribute to the bottom composition of the area you're taking inspiration from.

Stream and river bottom composition is affected by things like regional weather, current, geology, the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem, and a host of other factors- all of which could make planning your next aquarium even more interesting if you take them into consideration! 

And there is the whole dynamic of water movement. Like, what role does the flow of water determine the ecology of a given stream, and how it will "recruit" life forms to reside in it?

You'll see a variety of bottom compositions in Amazonian and other streams, ranging from the aforementioned leaves and detritus in stream margins, to sand and silt over "cobbles", to boulders covered in algae, to fine patch gravels, and even just silt.

You might even say that rivers and streams act like nature's "sediment sorting machines", as they move debris, geologic materials, and botanicals along their courses. And along the way, varying ecological communities are assembled, with all sorts of different fishes being attracted to different niches.

Interestingly, in streams, the primary producers of the food webs that attract our fishes are algae and diatoms, which are typically found on rocks and wood wherever light and nutrients create optimum conditions for their growth. Organic material that enters streams via leaf fall is acted upon by fungi and small organisms, which help break it down.

It is probably no surprise, then, that bacteria (especially in biofilms!) and fungi are the initial consumers of the organic materials that accumulate on the bottom. Like, the stuff many of us loathe. These, in turn, are extremely vital to fishes as a food source. Hence, one of the things I love so much about utilizing a leaf litter bed as a big part of your substrate composition in an aquarium! Of course, we talk about that all the time, right?

Streams which flow over stony, open bottoms, free from natural obstacles like tree trunks and such, tend to develop a rich algal turf on their surfaces.

While not something a lot of hobbyists like to see in their tanks (with the exception of Mbuna guys and weirdos like me), algae-covered stones and rocks are entirely natural and appropriate for the bottom of many aquariums! (enter a tank with THAT in the next international aquascaping contest and watch the ensuing judge "freak-out" it causes! )

Grazing fishes, of course, will feed extensively on or among these algal films, and would be logical choices for a stony-bottom-themed aquarium. When we think about the way natural fish communities are assembled in rivers and streams, it's almost always as a result of adaptations to the physical environment and food sources.

Now, not everyone wants to have algae-covered stones or a mass of decomposing leaves on the bottom of their aquarium.  I totally get THAT! However, I think that considering the role that these materials play in the composition of streams and the lives of the fishes which inhabit them is important, and entirely consistent  with our goal of creating the most natural, effective aquariums for the animals which we keep.

As a hobbyist, you can employ elements of these natural systems in a variety of aquariums, using any number of readily-available materials to do the job. And, let's face it; pretty much no matter how we 'scape a tank- no matter how much- or how little- thought and effort we put into it, our fishes will ultimately adapt to it.

They'll find the places they are comfortable hiding in. The places they like to forage, sleep and spawn. It doesn't matter if your 'scape consists of carefully selected roots, seed pods, rocks, plants, and driftwood, or simply a couple of clay flower pots and a few pieces of egg crate- your fishes will "make it work."

It's what fishes do. It's what they've done for eons.

Fishes tend to live in areas where the food and protection is, as we've talked about previously. Places that provide protection from stronger current, and above-and below-water predators. Places where they can create territories, interact, spawn and defend themselves.

Reduction of stress. Indeed, survival. That's pretty important in the wild...so I'd imagine it's equally as important in the aquarium.

In the end, design and build the aquascape that makes you happy.

However, if you're trying to create something a bit different and perhaps a bit more true to nature, you might want to take a little "field trip" to a nearby stream, river, creek, lake, etc., where fishes and other aquatic animals reside, and observe things from the perspective of how they interact with the features of the environment. 

So, to recap, we go back to the streams of the tropical world.

They are amazing habitats for aquatic organisms to live in.

There is a reason why these environments are successful, why life exists- and indeed- thrives- in them. And there are reasons why we're starting to see incredible results when replicating some of the functional aspects of these environments in a more faithful manner than may have been attempted before.

Numerous questions remain to be answered. Tons of data to be accumulated. Setbacks to recover from. Triumphs to savor.  Invaluable knowledge yet to be gained. Fun to be had.

And you're right in the thick of the hunt! 

Stay bold. Stay firm. Stay focused. Stay open-minded. Stay resourceful. Stay creative...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Letting go, intentionally?

One of the cool things about being in the aquarium hobby for most of your life is that you can look back at periods of time and consider the relative merits of some of the stuff you've done over the years.

As a lifelong hobbyist, I've personally been through periods of time when I couldn't devote as much time  to my beloved fish tanks...Yet I always had one- fresh, salt, or otherwise. It's just not "home" unless you hear the reassuring popping of bubbles, whirring of pumps, and see the beautiful reflections caused by the interplay of light and moving water.

Of course, there were a number of times that, for one reason or another, I simply let the tanks "run themselves", save an occasional water change or filter media cleaning, and of course, regular feeding (that consisted of tossing in a few flakes or pellets, or whatever was on hand at the time).

You know, Mother Nature in control!

A particularly fond memory of this type of  "practice" comes from my high school years, when I was seriously into breeding killies (in addition to keeping saltwater, cichlids, tetras, and of course, the usual high school pursuits of girls, sports, and socializing). As a junior AKA member, I obtained a group of the classic "beginner's killie", Epiplatys dageti Monroviae, and was determined to breed them. (Not that this was a "difficult" task, but hey, I was like 15...)

Of course, killies in general have a reputation for being just a bit of a challenge, requiring careful care, feeding, and a fair measure of patience. As a busy kid, I had little patience (although more than the average high school guy- after all, I was a fish geek!), so I was delighted to learn that these fishes were thought to fare better in "permanent" and "natural" setups (fish geek code for "set and forget", IMHO).

So of course, I thought that this species was a perfect fish for my busy lifestyle at the time!

I ultimately ended up with a pretty stable population of around 12-15 individuals, in a tank I "maintained" for around 3-4 years. Ironically, the difficulties started when I had the time to really get into "taking care" of the fishes, and took more initiative and control of the breeding. Of course, that's when I was never quite as successful, lol. (More of an indictment of my lack of skill, rather than any inherent issues with the fish!😂)

It's that age-old argument that hobbyists have about hands on vs. hands off approaches.

With our heavy emphasis on utilizing natural botanical materials in our aquairums, I can't help but think about the long-term of their function and health. Specifically, the changes that they go through as they evolve into little microcosms.

Now, we're all about diligent, thoughtful maintenance of our aquariums, right? I mean, we spend a lot of time, money, and energy equipping our tanks with suitable gear, embracing excellent husbandry practices, and just stay on top of everything, in general.

That's part of being an engaged, responsible fish geek, right?

So, what happens to our tanks if we sort of "let them go" a bit? Especially, a botanical-style blackwater aquarium with a "deep leaf litter bed" or lots of botanicals? Let's say that we stop doing weekly water exchanges and slip to say, once a month. Let's say all we're doing is topping off for evaporation during that time period, feeding fishes; that's about it.

What will happen?

Now, think about it...There really is no "right" or "wrong" answer here. It's all about how much you enjoy what happens in Nature versus what you can control in your tank.

Will all of the botanical material continue to break down, keeping the water "tinted?" Will biofilms continue to colonize open surfaces? Will water chemistry swing wildly?  Will phosphate and nitrate accumulate rapidly? Will the aquarium descend into chaos?

How much more will things change by simply delaying water exchanges for several weeks? By not siphoning detritus at all? Will this really become some sort of problem? Or, will the bacteria, fungal growths, and other microorganisms and crustacean life living in our botanical substrates continue to do what they do- break down organic waste and reproduce?

Remember, we talk so much about the idea a botanical-style aquarium acting like a small ecosystem

I can't help but wonder if a botanical-style blackwater aquarium can better handle a period of "benign neglect" than many typical systems...Not that I'd want to do this, mind you... I'm a fairly diligent maintenance guy. I like my weekly water exchanges. But I can't help but share how...nominally these systems act when we let "Nature take it's course" for a while.

Yeah, really. 

In test systems where I intentionally "neglected" them by conducting sporadic water exchanges, once I hit my preferred "population" of botanicals (by building them up gradually), I have never noticed significant phosphate or nitrate increases that could be attributed to their presence. Those biological "yardsticks" for water quality are pretty significant, IMHO.

It's also important to consider that the breakdown of botanical materials, if left in your system, can be utilized by animals and plants. Yep, this is particularly important in the context of planted botanical-style/blackwater aquariums! 

Allowing plants, fishes, shrimp, and bacteria the chance to utilize the decomposing botanicals in their life cycle is an important part of the game, IMHO. Being overly fastidious about siphoning out every speck of dirt or botanical material as it breaks down is "overkill", in my opinion, and can be just as detrimental as under-doing things. 

Nature strikes a balance. Nature thrives on efficiency. When you're adding botanicals to a tank, you're not just doing "aquascaping"- you're laying down the groundwork for the "biological operating system" of your aquarium. As such, you need to think "big picture" here. (That "functional aesthetics" thing again!)

If you think about it, these materials also function as a substrate- a "fuel", of sorts, for the growth of beneficial bacteria, biofilms, and other microorganisms within the aquarium. In my opinion and experience, when added gradually and methodically, you can look at all of this stuff as the biological "power station" for your tank, supporting a population of organisms which serve to break down more toxic compounds and substances via the nitrogen cycle.

I personally think it's sort of analogous to the use of live rock in a reef aquarium. Live rock is considered an essential component of a reef aquarium, because it serves as that aforementioned "biological filtration substrate" for the colonization of billions of nitrifying bacteria. This is something I'd like to see some more serious research on, because I think that there's "something" there.

I have no idea what put me on this course, but I'm still pre-occupied with the idea of tanks run amok...sort of..

I think it's a matter of how you look at it.

To "let things go" to some extent is simply considered "bad technique" or "laziness" on the part of the owner by most hobbyists.

Laziness? In what way? A  plant did so well that it grew to massive proportions, and took over a tank because it was- well, happy. And we call it laziness? Someone did something-provided some means-for the life forms to grow like they did.

I'd say that's doing something right!

Really, I kind of think it's symbolic of success, in some fashion. I mean, you've got a plant- or groups of 'em- that are so happy that they are literally growing into...a "jungle."

Why is this a bad thing? Is it because it's not healthy for the life forms residing in it? Is it bad because we didn't apply some sort of manicuring or "control" to it? Or, is it because we somehow feel it represents a "rejection" of the accepted notion of "how to do things?"

Planted aquariums and botanical-style aquariums have a lot in common, I think. I believe that both types of aquariums are quite capable of "operating themselves" for periods of time. I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

Again, I don't offer up this idea as an invitation to neglect your aquairums. Rather, I share this as a sort of testament to the remarkable elegance and durability of well-thought-out aquariums to function adeptly as miniature closed ecosystems. It's part of my larger philosophy of planning and constructing our aquariums to facilitate natural biological functions...I don't usually say this, but I think taking that mindset is THE best approach to aquarium keeping.

There are many ways to set up an aquarium to operate successfully as a miniature ecosystem. Many planted aquarium hobbyists have knowingly or perhaps unknowingly been doing this for a long time. 

With botanical-style systems, I believe that we can replicate, at least on a basic level, the natural process of the creation of "food webs."

Much like in Nature, if properly conceived and populated with an initial population of live food sources, or set up to facilitate the proliferation of these natural food resources, I believe that an aquarium can be configured to create a productive, biologically-sustainable system, requiring little to no supplemental food input on the part of the aquarist to function successfully for extended periods of time.

Of course, it is significantly different than a natural, fully-open system in many ways. And this is not a "revolutionary" statement or pronunciation, or some "breakthrough" in the art of aquarium keeping.

No.

It is just an idea that- like so many we encourage here- replicates some aspects of natural aquatic systems.

The real the key here is that pace- and an understanding that the materials that we add need to be added-and replaced- at a pace that makes sense for your specific system. An understanding that you'll have a front row seat to the natural processes of decomposition, transformation, decay...and accepting that they are part of the beauty of this style of aquarium, just like they are in Nature.

 

The natural, botanical-style aquarium is so interesting to me because it offers enormous opportunity to execute aquariums based on the function of natural habitats- functions which, although they may look different than anything we've ever done before, may just unlock the keys to many new aquarium discoveries.

And it just takes a little bit of "letting go." Letting go of rigid preconceptions. Letting go of fears about "what if?" scenarios. Letting go of control of every aspect of operating our aquariums...

 

Incorporating and embracing all of these elements into our botanical-style aquarium "practice" is foundational, IMHO. Yeah, it's indicative of another "mental shift" we have to make, I suppose...one which many of you have already made, no doubt.

Let go. A little.

Stay bold. Stay observant. Stay creative. Stay engaged. Stay relaxed...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Getting to know "old friends..."

Think back to the beginnings of your hobby experience...

Remember how excited you were just to KEEP tropical fishes- regardless of what type? Remember the magic of just seeing those colorful fishes- the ones which the hobby has, for better or for worse, anointed as "beginner's fishes" for their adaptability and resilience- swimming actively in your tank filled with plastic plants, colored gravel, and maybe an ornament or two? 

Pure magic, right?

Now, think about what you could do with those old friends...Those "beginner's fishes"- the so-called "common" fishes- with your evolved skill set, mental shift-optimized attitude, and experience!

Consider featuring one of these species in an aquarium which recreates- to the best extent possible, many of the environmental, chemical, and physical aspects of their natural habitat.

Can you imagine what you could accomplish?

The mind boggles. 

Want a personal example of a beloved, "beginner's fish" I've almost forgotten about over the decades? One that I think could benefit from a little more TLC, and a new approach?

(I was just thinking...How would YOU like to be called a "beginner's fish", or "common fish", anyways? And, what the fuck does that mean?)

As a kid, I think one of the most memorable sights in my first 10-gallon aquarium (complete with "regulation issue" blue gravel and plastic plants) was my group of 8 Zebra Danios  (Danio rerio) racing at high speed around the tank in a furious fashion, as if they had to get somewhere in a big freaking hurry...only to reverse course, and do it all again. I've never forgotten how much I liked the Zebras- or almost every other Danio species kept in the aquarium. 

And the amazing thing about this fish is that it's probably THE most bulletproof species you can keep. In fact, I recall reading somewhere that it's "tolerated temperature range" based on wild type localities is from 76.2 – 101.5°F (24.6 – 38.6°C). I mean, if THAT isn't a broad range, nothing is! And it tolerates water with a pH from 6.0-8.0.

Yeah, these guys are hardly what you'd call "fussy" fish!

They come from widely varying aquatic habitats in their natural range, too. Which means a lot of interesting possibilities for replicating them.

And you know me- once I hear that, I get these weird ideas like, "What if we mimic the conditions of the natural habitat of the fish? Would they do better? IS there an 'advantage' to doing this? What could you expect to achieve?"  I think like this for so many fishes...As if to shun the fact that 90% of what we keep in the aquarium these days has never seen a stream, pond, or river...

That being said, it's just..I don't know..irresistible to me to think about this kind of stuff! Taking the most common of common aquarium fishes and giving them "throwback" conditions; seeing if it somehow "awakens" something locked into their genetic code over eons...something...

I mean, it's kind of silly, I suppose...there are so many other things to do in the hobby...Especailly when one considers that many of the fishes I'm musing about here (like the Danios) have been kept and bred in aquariums for generations...Yet, I can't help but wonder if we can learn something from replicating some aspects of their long-forgotten wild habitats...

And, in regards to our friend, the Zebra Danio, what's interesting to me is the habitats in which these fish are found. I know that must shock you, right?

Typically, these fishes are found in Northern India, and this area is subjected to seasonal rainfall between the months of June and September due to the summer Monsoon, and the water levels and characteristics vary considerably at different times of the year. They are often found in inundated rice paddies and marginal pools, with silty, kind of turbid water with very little movement.

Oh, I know a little bit about working with silty water, right?😆

Now, during the dry times of the year, the Zebras spend their time in calm, shaded areas of streams, with rocky, sandy substrates. They move into different habitats with significantly different ecology different tines of the year, based on prevailing weather conditions...

This is interesting, because it reminds me a bit of the Amazon igarape, although instead of rain forest, you've got rice paddies...

And, as you know, I HAVE been playing with rice seeds, silted substrates, and turbid water lately! Hmmm...

So, my simple thought is...this fish seems to hang out in what we as hobbyists would think of us "less desirable" conditions for much of the year- the silty rice paddies...And only spends the dry season in the more permanent, less turbid streams. Why would this be? Is there some advantage? Like food, better substrates for breeding, protection? Why the turbid water? What does it bring to the fishes?

Would there be an advantage to keeping a fish like the Zebra in different conditions different times of the year, moving them into these conditions in a manner and timing similar to what happens in Nature? Or would it be just as interesting to simply maintain them in a tank representing one of the two habitats it's found in.

Of course, I find the idea of "transitioning" these fishes to these different environmental conditions at different times of the year fascinating. Now, I"m not saying that this would be easy, or even practical for many hobbyists to execute. However, "actively managing" these types of environmental simulations we're collectively gaining more experience with in our "Urban Igapo" experiments, right?

Would you WANT or NEED to do this? it's something which certainly doesn't have to be done in order to achieve success with breeding this fish. I mean, the fish has been a captive-bred staple of the hobby for almost a century...but I can't help but wonder why these fishes live the way they do in the wild. What advantages do these habitats hold for the fish?

Would you get different social structures, colors, health, spawning behaviors, etc. out of the fish by doing this "seasonal transition"..? Using a very fine sand substrate, maybe mixed in with some mud or something similar to replicate the rice paddies, with pump returns very gently angled at the bottom to simulate turbidity?

It's not hard to search online and find out about the geology of areas in which this, or many other fishes are found. And as we know, geology, weather,  and topography DO have significant influence on the live of fishes.

There's a lot we can do with this stuff!It's just waiting to be done.

Again, why, you ask?

My answer? Because I just think it could be kind of cool.

Weird, sure- but cool.

Am I the only one who imagines weird stuff like this? Maybe?

On second thought- don't answer that!

I know, the fish is bred by the billion in fish farms all over the world, as are many much sexier, "domesticated" strains of its relatives...Yet, wouldn't it be kind of  interesting to see what happens when you "repatriate" these "common" fishes to conditions similar to what they have evolved under in their natural habitats? 

Yet, the idea entices me. 

I've been playing a lot lately with more realistic, functional interpretations of the Brazilian igapo habitats which I'm so obsessed with, and am wondering if, by nuancing the executions of the physical environments we provide even "common" fishes, that there will be some "unlocks."

I've seen some spawning events in fishes like Neon Tetras and "Green Neon Tetras" in these types of simulations, so that's been a plus!

And to me, there is something just plain interesting about simulating and "actively managing" these functional representations of habitats and their seasonal variations in the aquarium.

I think it goes beyond the traditional "biotope" approach, which seems to replicate more of the look and perhaps some basic environmental characteristics, and encouraging us to examine the function of our fishes habitats and their influence on them.

Getting to know old friends in a new light is kind of exciting! A so-called "common" fish in an "uncommon" context is...well, uncommon!

And tantalizing, wouldn't you say?

Stay creative. Stay resourceful. Stay innovative. Stay observant. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

 Tannin Aquatics 

Beyond the microbiome...

Many of us are even moving beyond just the pretty look of the botanical-style aquarium, and moving into a deeper stage of understanding how our aquariums function as miniature ecosystems.

Part of the whole "game" of the botanical-style aquarium is understanding how, why and what happens to terrestrial materials when they're placed in water.

Nature has been working with terrestrial materials in aquatic habitats for eons.

And Nature works with just about everything you throw at her!

She'll take that seemingly "unsexy" piece of wood or rock or bunch of dried leaves, and, given the passage of time, the action of gravity and water movement, and the work of bacteria, fungi, and algae- will mold, shape, evolve them into unique and compelling pieces, as amazing as anything we could ever hope to do...

Yeah, one thing that's very unique about the botanical-style approach is that we tend to accept the idea of decomposing materials accumulating in our systems. We understand that they act, to a certain extent, as "fuel" for the micro and macrofauna which reside in the aquarium, and that they perform this function as long as they are present I the system.

I have long been one the belief that if you decide to let the botanicals remain in your aquarium to break down and decompose completely, that you shouldn't change course by suddenly removing the material all at once. 

The point is, our aquariums, much like the wild habitats we strive to replicate, are constantly evolving, accumulating new materials, and creating new physical habitats for fishes to forage among. New food sources and chemical/energy inputs are important to the biological diversity and continuity of the flooded forests and streams of the tropics, and they play a similar role in our aquariums.

We add leaves and botanicals periodically, not just for an aesthetic "refresh", but for a "re-charge" of the biome within our tanks. This is a fascinating spect of the botanical style aquarium. It facilitates the cycle of growth, nutrient accumulation, and decomposition. It becomes not only part of our practice, but it's part of the "system" we are trying to facilitate.

I'm fascinated by the "mental adjustments" that we need to make to accept the aesthetic and the processes of natural decay, fungal growth, the appearance of biofilms, and how these affect what's occurring in the aquarium. It's all a complex synergy of life and aesthetic.

And we have to accept nature's input here.

Nature dictates the speed by which this decomposition process occurs. We set the stage for it- but  Nature is in full control.

And that's perfectly okay! 

Nature can control. Nature can stabilize. Nature can admonish us...However, Nature can also provide.

We've talked a lot about allochthonous input- food which comes from outside the aquatic environment- such as insects, fruit, seeds, etc. You know, stuff which literally falls from the trees! However, there is also a significant amount of food which our fishes can obtain which occurs within the aquatic habitat itself. 

This is something that we, as lovers of the botanical-style aquarium, are well-suited to embrace. And of course, I"m utterly fascinated by the concept of food production within our botanical-style aquariums! Yes, food production. If you really observe your tank closely- and I'm sure that you do- you'll see your fishes foraging on the botanicals...picking off something.

I've noticed, during times when I've traveled extensively and haven't been around to feed my fishes, that they're not even slightly slimmer upon my return, despite not being fed for days sometimes... 

What are they eating in my absence?

Well, there are a number of interesting possibilities.

Perhaps most interesting to us blackwater/botanical-style aquarium people are epiphytes. These are organisms which grow on the surface of wood, botanicals, plants or other substrates, and derive their nutrients from the surrounding environment. They are important in the nutrient cycling and uptake in both nature and the aquarium, adding to the biodiversity, and serving as an important food source for many species of fishes.

In the case of our fave aquatic habitats, like streams, ponds, and inundated forests, epiphytes are abundant, and many fishes will spend large amounts of time foraging the "biocover" on tree trunks, branches, leaves, and other botanical materials.

The biocover consists of stuff like algae, biofilms, and fungi. Although most animals use leaves and tree branches for shelter and not directly as a food item, grazing on this epiphytic growth is which occurs on them is very important.

I am of the opinion that a botanical-style aquarium, complete with its decomposing leaves and seed pods, can serve as a sort of "buffet" for many fishes- even those who's primary food sources are known to be things like insects and worms and such. Detritus and the organisms within it can provide an excellent supplemental food source for our fishes!

It's well known that in many habitats, like inundated forests, etc., fishes will adjust their feeding strategies to utilize the available food sources at different times of the year, such as the "dry season", etc. And it's also known that many fish fry feed actively on bacteria and fungi in these habitats...so I suggest one again that a blackwater/botanical-style aquarium could be an excellent sort of "nursery" for many fish and shrimp species! 

And of course, it goes beyond even that...

Because of the very "operating system" of our tanks, which features decomposing leaves, botanicals, soils, roots, etc., we are able to create a remarkably rich and complex population of creatures within them.

This is one of the most interesting aspects of a botanical-style aquarium: We have the opportunity to create an aquatic microcosm which provides not only unique aesthetics- it provides soem supplemental nutritional value for our fishes, and perhaps most important- nutrient processing- a self-generating population of creatures that compliment, indeed, create the biodiversity in our systems on a more-or-less continuous basis.

True "functional aesthetics", indeed!

Another important part of our aquarium microcosms are fungi.

Yeah, you heard me. Fungi.

Fungi have evolved to use a lot of different items for food. Some are decomposers living on dead organic material like leaves. These are the guys we typically encounter in our botanical-style aquariums' leaf litter/botanical beds!

Fungi reproduce by releasing tiny spores that then germinate on new and hospitable surfaces (ie, pretty much anywhere they damn well please!). These aquatic fungi are involved in the decay of wood and leafy material. And of course, when you submerge terrestrial materials in water, growths of fungi tend to arise.

Anyone who's ever "cured" a piece of aquatic wood of almost any type for your aquarium can attest to this!

Fungi tend to colonize wood because it offers them a lot of surface area to thrive and live out their life cycle. And cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin- the major components of wood and botanical materials- are degraded by fungi which posses enzymes that can digest these materials! Fungi are regarded by biologists to be the dominant organisms associated with decaying leaves in streams, so this gives you some idea as to why we see them in our aquariums, right?

And of course, fishes and invertebrates which live amongst and feed directly upon the fungi and decomposing leaves and botanicals contribute to the breakdown of these materials as well! Aquatic fungi can break down the leaf matrix and make the energy available to feeding animals in these habitats.

If there is one aspect of our botanical-style aquariums which fascinates me, it's the way they facilitate the natural processes of life- specifically, decomposition.

We use this term a lot around here...What, precisely does it mean?

Decomposition of plant matter-leaves and botanicals- occurs in several stages.

It starts with leaching -soluble carbon compounds are liberated during this process. Another early process is physical breakup or fragmentation of the plant material into smaller pieces, which have greater surface area for colonization by microbes. 

Does the liberation of carbons, sugars, etc. in our systems impact the water quality of our aquariums? Of course it does! And yeah- you need to monitor water quality in your aquariums regularly, to establish what's "baseline" for your system.

It's just common sense.

It's important to remember that leaves and such are simply not permanent additions to our 'scapes, and if we wish to enjoy them in their more "intact" forms, we will need to replace them as they start to break down. 

This is not a bad thing.

The real added "bonus" for leaving the leaves and botanicals "in situ" until they completely break down is that they will help facilitate the production of supplemental food resources within the aquarium.

I have personally experienced this time and time again, by setting up botanical-style systems for the expressed purpose of providing supplemental food for the resident fishes. I've done this with adult fishes, and I've actually "reared" (well, Nature dod the work) many fish fry to maturity by setting them up in heavy botanical-stocked systems with little to no supplemental feeding. The fishes feed on the fungal growths and biofilms, as well as the organisms which are associated with them...just like in Nature.

This, to me, is extremely exciting.

And it's really as much of a mental shift as it is anything else- like so much of what we do with botanical-style aquarium systems. The willingness of us to really look to Nature as more than just an inspiration for making cool-looking aquariums. Rather, an approach which understands that our botanical-style aquariums require  us to step back and observe what happens in wild aquatic habitats, and realizing that the same processes occur in our aquariums.

Natural materials, submerged in water, processed by a huge diversity of organisms, working together. A microbiome. All of these things are beautiful, natural, and incredibly important in our closed systems if we give them a chance.

It seems that we spend so much time resisting the appearance of some of this stuff and focusing on it's removal, that it's not given a chance to present its "good side" -which there most definitely is. And, the fact is that these life forms and processes appear in wild environments for a reason.

The botanical-style aquarium that we play with is perhaps the first of it's kind in the hobby to really say, "Hey, this is just like nature! It's not that bad!" And to make us think, "Perhaps there is a benefit to all of this."

Think beyond the look. Think beyond the basic "function." Think beyond the microbiome.

Stay bold. Stay progressive. Stay studious. Stray thoughtful. Stay curious. Stay educated...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

The legacy of leaves.

Among botanical-style aquarium enthusiasts, the idea of adding leaves to our aquariums is just "what you do." The idea has come out of the shadows as some sort of weird and risky thing, and become more of a "standard", complete with considerations, techniques, and "best practices."

Probably the biggest consideration when you work with leaves is to utilize those which have naturally fallen and dried up.

Dead, dried leaves such as those we favor don’t have nearly the impact on water quality, in terms of nitrate, as fresh leaves would, when added carefully and slowly. I’ve routinely seen undetectable nitrate and phosphate levels in well-managed aquariums loaded with leaves. This is largely because dead, dried leaves have depleted the vast majority of stored sugars and other compounds which lead to the production of nitrogenous substances in the confines of the aquarium.

To understand this more fully, let’s look at what happens when a leaf dies and falls into the water in the first place.

At some point, the leaves of deciduous trees (trees which shed leaves annually) stop photosynthesizing in their structures, and other metabolic processes within the leaves themselves begin to shut down, which triggers a process in which the leaves essentially “pass off” valuable nitrogen and other compounds to storage tissues throughout the tree for utilization. Ultimately, the dying leaves “seal” themselves off from the tree with a layer of spongy tissue at the base of the stalk, and the dry skeleton falls off the tree. 

The fact that they have depleted the majority of their "onboard" sugars and other compounds is something that we as hobbyists should take away directly when we consider adding them to our aquariums. 

As we know by now, in Nature, when these leaves fall into the water, or are immersed following the seasonal rains, they form a valuable substrate for fungi to break down the remaining intact leaf structures. And the fungi population helps contribute to the bacterial population, which creates the now-famous biofilms, which consist of sugars, vitamins, and various proteins which many fishes in both their juvenile and adult phases utilize for supplemental nutrition.

And of course, as the fishes eliminate their waste in metabolic products, this feeds these lower life forms, and contributes further to the aquatic food chain. And yeah, it all starts with a dried-up leaf!

A pretty amazing "legacy" for a humble leaf, wouldn't you say?

Hence, leaving leaves in to fully decay in your aquarium likely reaches a point when the detritus that is produced is essentially inert, consisting of the skeletonized sections of leaf tissue which can decay no further. Dead leaves contain largely inert forms of polysaccharides, and are rich in structures like lignin and cellulose, all of which are utilized by various microorganisms and fungi within the "food chain."

Utilizing leaf litter in our aquariums opens up all sorts of possibilities for interesting experiments.

And of course you can grab leaves! Why this is even debated on forums and such is beyond me. Like, the ONLY leaves you can use in your aquarium must be purchased from us or some other online vendor.

That's just fucking stupid.

Which leaves can you collect yourself and use?

Magnolia is an obvious one for many people in North America. There are plenty of references for identifying the specific species you have in your area. We've personally tried a few varieties, and have determined that no one variety is substantially better than another.

The important thing is that you collect them as naturally fallen, not "green", and that you rinse them and take the time to wipe them off and dry them a bit more before use. While you can use Magnolia when they're nice and crispy, I personally prefer them when they're recently fallen and not quite dried up.

In this particular state, they're not only more attractive, I think they tend to last a bit longer and prepare better...and they recruit biofilms nicely. Anecdotally, then tend to impart more color into the water when they're in this more "freshly fallen" state.

Their waxy "dermal" layer retains moisture, and they can get moldy if packed away too soon after they've fallen. The mold is not necessarily harmful, and can typically be wiped away and eliminated via boiling during the prep process, but it is unpleasant!

Oak, Beech, Ash, and many other leaves are commonly used by aquarists.

At the risk of over-generalizing, numerous species of naturally fallen, dried leaves are perfectly safe for use in aquariums. Personally, other than some obviously-known toxic species, or species which are known to contain oils and other dangerous compounds, I'd try just about any leaf. Again, I said "personally"- because no one can guarantee the suitability of "any old leaf"- this is just my "comfort zone."

There are literally hundreds of possibilities here- but I can't give you the pros and cons on each one. Some may have toxins or oils in their tissues which can be problematic, even deadly. The reality is that you'll need to research, collect, prepare, and experiment with them on your fishes carefully. When I receive those DM's and emails asking me, "Are ________ leaves are okay to use?" -this is the exact answer I give.

Don't like the idea of experimenting with your fishes like that? Well, we know this place online where you can get leaves that are "fish safe!" 😆 (Oh, shit- Included a blatant commercial pitch...Now you can't trust ANY of the information in this blog! Right? Sorry. 😞)

So, the next obvious question, besides which leaves to use, would be to ask, "Why would you want to do this?"

Well, it starts by looking at our biggest source of inspiration: Nature.

In Nature, as we've discussed many times-leaf litter zones comprise one of the richest and most diverse biotopes in the tropical aquatic ecosystem, yet until recently, they have seldom been replicated in the aquarium. I think this has been due, in large part- to the lack of continuous availability of products for the hobbyist to work with, and a lack of real understanding about what this biotope is all about- not to mention, the understanding of the practicality of creating one in the aquarium.

Long-held fears and concerns, such as overwhelming our systems with biological materials, and the overall "look" of decomposing leaves and botanicals in our tanks, have understandably led to this idea being relegated to "sideshow status" for many years. It's only been recently that we've started looking at them more objectively as ecological niches worth replicating in aquariums.

And man, they are!

In the tropical species of trees, the phenomenon of "leaf drop" is hugely important to the surrounding forest environment. Vital nutrients are typically bound up in the leaves, so a regular release of leaves by the trees helps replenish the minerals and nutrients in the soils which are typically depleted from eons of leaching into the surrounding forests.

Quite literally, leaf litter beds occur when leaves from surrounding forest trees fall into streams and rivers below, or submerged following seasonal inundation of the forest floors. These accumulations of leaves become. literal "oases of life." Organisms of all types are "recruited" by these aggregations, and fishes are drawn to leaf litter beds to shelter, feed, snd spawn.

Over time, many of these leaf litter beds continue to accumulate more leaves, and grow in size, essentially becoming semi-permanent topographical features in the regions in which they accumulate, often lasting for many years.

They're compelling.

In my research, I stumbled upon an interesting except from an academic paper on Amazonian Blackwater leaf-litter communities by biologist Peter Alan Henderson, one that is useful for those of us attempting to replicate these communities in our aquaria:

"..life within the litter is not a crowded, chaotic scramble for space and food. Each species occupies a sub-region defined by physical variables such as flow and oxygen content, water depth, litter depth and particle size…

...this subtle subdivision of space is the key to understanding the maintenance of diversity. While subdivision of time is also evident with, for example, gymnotids hunting by night and cichlids hunting by day, this is only possible when each species has its space within which to hide.”

In other words, there is an orderly world contained within leaf litter beds, almost like coral reefs. Different species fishes inhabit different sections of the leaf litter bed, and we should consider this when creating and stocking our biotope systems...

The implication for aquariums is that we could literally create a diverse fish community by embracing a deep leaf litter bed as the "theme" of the aquarium. This is really neat stuff, and we're just scratching the surface here!

So, beyond just creating an aggregation of material which imparts tannins and humic substances into the water in our tanks, and adds some color to the water, we're creating a little habitat, every bit as interesting, diverse, and complex as any other we attempt to replicate. In the aquarium, you need to consider both practicality AND aesthetics when replicating this ecological niche. 

Suffice it to say, the leaf litter bed is a surprisingly dynamic, and one might even say "rich" little benthic biotope, contained within the otherwise "impoverished" waters. And, as we've discussed before on these pages, it should come as no surprise that a large and surprisingly diverse assemblage of fishes make their homes within and closely adjacent to, these litter beds. These are little "food oasis" in areas otherwise relatively devoid of food.

Nature and aquarium both benefit from these aggregations of leaves aquatic habitats.

As we’ve discussed repeatedly over the past couple of years, there are so many benefits to painting leaf litter in the aquarium in some capacity. Wether it’s for water conditioning, producing  supplemental food, providing a home for speciality fishes, or simply to create a cool-looking display, the possibilities are endless.

The many benefits of leaf litter in both the natural environment and in our aquariums make them invaluable educational tools, helping us learn more about the form and function of the wonders of Nature.

Could all of this playing around with leaves be more of a "technique" than  the aquarium hobby has previously considered?

I'm thinking so!

This spirit of experimentation, evolving technique, and understanding is just a part of the wonderful legacy of leaves.

Stay creative. Stay thoughtful. Stay bold. Stay diligent. Stay experimental. Stay curious...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Beyond the tint: Working with water in the botanical-style aquarium.

With a burgeoning interest in the botanical-style/blackwater aquarium, and its characteristics, concepts, and functions, we're still seeing a tremendous amount of misunderstanding and misinterpretation when it comes to how to achieve more "realistic" water conditions.

The problem, as I've stated many times, is that the perception which has been picked up by the hobby is that these types of aquariums are a sort of "aesthetic alternative"- a way to 'scape tanks and create an interesting look, and maybe some "water conditions"- but the perception seems to end there. 

The deeply tinted water in many of the fantastic aquariums we see shared on social media seems to imply to many that these "tinted" aquariums feature "soft, acidic" water conditions as a matter of course- something that we erroneously assume. 

And a fair number of hobbyists, upon embarking on their first adventure with botanical materials, express frustration, confusion, and dismay that their hard, alkaline tap water is still, hard and alkaline! This type of confusion in likely cause by a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of aquarium water chemistry, and what exactly "blackwater" is. 

Understand that, as we've said many times here, botanicals (AKA "expensive botanicals" as one armchair expert referred to them recently) will not create soft, acidic "blackwater conditions" without other measures being taken by the hobbyist. 

As you likely know by now, there are a number of factors which contribute to the color of the water in your blackwater aquariums; specifically tannins released by the leaves, wood, and other botanicals you have in your tank. As we have discussed now like, 327 times (okay, maybe less...)- in many situations, leaves and other botanicals will have little to no influence on pH (unless your utilizing a water source, such as reverse osmosis, which yields  product water with extremely low mineral content and is more "amicable" to pH reduction...).

However, they will affect the color and in some instances the visual clarity of the water. 

And color generally has absolutely nothing to do with the pH of the water, really.

I really want to see less of those, "I added a bunch of catappa leaves and seed pods from that vendor on eBay, and my water is a dark brown color, but the pH is still 7.6! What gives?" sort of questions that populate online forums worldwide.

"Soft, acidic 'blackwater' conditions" seem to be the goal of many who play with botanicals. Yet, there is so much bad information out there- even after more than 5 years of us sharing everything we have learned about this unique style of aquarium with our global community.

So, I thought it would be helpful to create a series of periodic pieces here to discuss how we can facilitate the creation of such conditions in our tanks. Now, I'm not going to be giving you a "recipe" to achieve 5.2ph and 0 dkh, or something like that. No. Rather, we'll touch on some of the things that you as a hobbyist can do to help set up your aquarium to achieve such conditions.

First off, it all starts with your water.

If your goal is to manipulate the pH of your tap water to bring it from neutral or alkaline conditions to the acidic range, you need to make it "malleable." The easiest, most cost-effective way is to utilize water which has been deionized. This is based achieved with a reverse osmosis/deionization ("RO/DI") unit. The idea of deionization (AKA "demineralization") simply means that the removal of ions from the water has occurred.  Ions are electrically charged atoms or molecules found in water that have either a net negative or positive charge.

Ions which have a positive charge are called "cations" and ions with a negative charge are known as "anions". Materials known as ion exchange resins are used to exchange unwanted cations and anions with hydrogen and hydroxyl, which form pure water (H20), which is not an ion.

Okay, head spinning yet? Some of the ions commonly found in tap water include stuff like Calcium (Ca++), Magnesium (Mg++), Iron (Fe+++), Manganese (Mn++), Sodium (Na+), and Hydrogen (H+). These are removed with cation resins. Substances which we classify as anions include compounds like Chlorides (Cl-), Carbonates (CO3--), Nitrates (NO3-), Sulfates (SO4--), and Silica (SiO2-), which-wait for it- are removed with anion resins.

Deionization is a precess in which source water (from your tap) is forced through a  series of "ion exchange resins", which are small plastic beads that are composed of organic polymer chains which have charged "functional groups" formulated into the resin bead. Each "functional group" has either a fixed positive or negative charge. Different ions are attached to these types of resins with differing strengths. It's a fascinating process which I'm probably not doing the best job of explaining. 

Of course, that's not the whole story behind water treatment for our aquairums. Deionization is usually combined with reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis is a process which removes contaminants from tap water when pressure forces it through a semipermeable membrane. Typically, a prefilter removes sediment and chlorine from water before it forces water through a semipermeable membrane to remove dissolved solids.Water flows from the more concentrated side (which has more contaminants) of the RO membrane to the less concentrated side (which has fewer contaminants) to provide "product" water. 

One your tap water has been treated in this manner, it's much easier to manipulate the pH through variety of means, including utilizing leaves, seed pods, and other botanical materials. It's the important first step towards creating "blackwater" in your aquarium.

Okay, whew! That's a lot of stuff to take on, right? And, me not being a chemist, I'm probably not doing the best job of explaining this stuff...

Suffice it to say, a combination reverse osmosis/deionization unit is a fundamental piece of equipment and great investment for your hobby. If you're serious about creating optimum conditions for your fishes, the first step is to incorporate RO/DI into your aquarium practice.

And that brings us back to...Nature.

Blackwater differed significantly from white waters in their ionic composition, and are typically more acidic pH, with low concentrations of calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. They typically have low electrical conductivity as well. 

In general, blackwaters originate from sandy soils. High concentrations of humic acids in the water are thought to occur in drainages with what scientists call "podzol" sandy soils. "Podzol" is a soil classification which describes  an infertile acidic soil having an "ashlike" subsurface layer from which minerals have been leached. 

Soil geology is one of the most- if not THE MOST- profound influences on blackwater in natural aquatic systems. It plays a fundamental role in creating the chemical characteristics which are common to these ecosystems.

Also interesting to note is that fact that soluble humic acids are adsorbed by clay minerals in what are known as "oxisol" soils, resulting in clear waters."Oxisol" soils are often classified as "laterite" soils, which some who grow plants are familiar with, known for their richness in iron and aluminum oxides. I'm no chemist, or even a planted tank geek..but aren't those important elements for aquatic plants? 

Yeah.

Interesting.

In studies of Amazonian blackwater environments, it was discovered that the pH in some areas was as low as 3.5...or less...and that these habitats had significant and rich populations of fishes. Now, the fishes have obviously evolved to thrive in these environments, so it's interesting to think about what makes 'em tick, as they say.

It's thought by some scientists that the humic acids from soils and botanical materials (like leaves) that are abundant in these waters can only bring down pH so far. A current theory postulates that about 85% of the "work" in lowering pH in these waters is accomplished by the organic acids, and the remaining 15%...by CO2 fermentation taking place in deep leaf litter/botanical beds, perhaps producing stronger acids, like acetic acid. Further, the dominant decomposers in these extremely low pH environments (pH 2.8-3.5) are fungi, as opposed to bacteria.

Interesting.

Now, I am absolutely not suggesting that we attempt to achieve ph of 3.5 by packing a 20 gallon aquarium with 18 inches of leaf litter and letting it "ferment" in our tank...I can see the fucking drama that would create now! What I am suggesting is that we consider the fact that what we consider "low pH" for aquarium environments is not all that "radical."

And further, that it's not terribly difficult to use RO/DI water to keep the low pH in a reasonably tight range in the aquarium. We need to understand the dynamics of the system...Reminds me a lot of saltwater or African Rift Lake cichlid systems...Understanding the "operating system" of the environment and working with it to keep stability and consistency.

We have a lot more stuff we can and will talk about- even in regards to water. 

And other topics, of course. Little sneak preview of a future installment in this series:

Without getting really into the weeds here, suffice it to say that if your goal is to create and maintain an aquarium with a low pH, you probably want to avoid substrates which are high in calcium. In addition to our own substrates, we utilize materials which have little to know buffering capacity or influence on pH, such as silica sand, and several commercially-available substrates which don't impact pH.

Again, creating a "blackwater aquarium" is far more complex than simply throwing in some botanicals, watching the water change color, and telling yourself that you did it! It requires a fundamental understanding of basic stuff, like water chemistry biology, and ecology- and the basics of aquarium keeping. Stuff which, I'm sad to say, still seems to mystify or elude many hobbyists, who'd much rather look at cool pics of blackwater tanks on instagram, or consult a very simple infographic.

We can do better. And we should want to...It's not that hard! And in fact, you'll find that the pretty pics of tanks we all love some much will take on so much more meaning when we understand the function and some of the science behind them.

Stay informed. Stay curious. Stay diligent. Stay bold...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Thought leadership and the responsibility that accompanies it.

As you know by now, I love to share my opinions on "stuff", and to "bring you along" for the ride when we are working on stuff or thinking of new approaches, etc.

Recently, I was following some discussion on Instagram that arose when someone decided to create a sort of "information resource" for blackwater/botanical-style aquariums. A commendable, really cool idea, of course..although, hasn't this blog/podcast sort of been that for the past 5 plus years? The curious implication that there is no clear source of good information on this stuff made me kind of sad!

Interestingly, a lot of people associated with vendors jumped on this and offered both praise and criticism for this guy's idea. Some people loved that he was a "non-commercial source" for information on this topic (as if EVERY blog or podcast from someone who happens to be a vendor has a sales pitch in it...I mean, "The Tint" is just FULL of them, right? One big "ad" right? 😆...NEWS FLASH: Not everyone who has a business and a blog is a douchebag...). Some people were offended that someone was trying to "appropriate" the "thought leadership" in our sector, and a few actually called "B.S." and implied something to the effect that, "Well, that's what Tannin's blog 'The Tint' is all about."  🤓 Cool.

Now, initially, I was a little ticked off at the assertions by one guy who seemed to assert that we at Tannin, along with other vendors, have somehow implied that using our "costly botanicals" as one person stated does little more than color the water... I hate being heaped into general characterizations with other people who I know haven't does a responsible job educating the hobby.

I can't speak for other vendors. I can speak for us. What mede me perhaps most upset about this whole weird thing was that somebody implied that we are telling people that if you just "dump our stuff into your water", you have a "blackwater aquarium!" EASY!  The guy further implied that you can only have "real" "blackwater" conditions in a "biotope aquarium"- an absurd and off-base assertion, IMHO.

I mean, that's a completely bizzare assertion- downright bullishit, really, from someone who no doubt ever read a single one of our blogs or listened to one of our podcasts.

I mean, if there is one thing you can take away from over 5 years of this blog, it's that we have NEVER made such claims. In fact, in dozens of posts, magazine articles, podcasts, club talks, and interviews, it's that adding botanicals to your tank DOES NOT create a 'backwater aquarium." In fact, just last week we published yet another podcast/blog about this very topic, revisiting the definition of blackwater, and the chemical and ecological parameters which define it.

It's frankly bizarre how some people automatically assume that anyone who is taking a position on something, particularly when he/she owns a business, is a "charlatan" of sorts. It's exacerbated when the "accuser" has not done their homework. "Blanket accusations" suck. 

While we appreciate people jumping to our defense, I think it was quite unecessary. Our body of work speaks for itself. And personally, I think we've been doing a great job over the last 5 years calling bullshit on, well- bullshit in this hobby sector, too! I guess seeing this stuff sort of left me with one of those really "bad tastes", because it was such an inaccurate assertion.

And inaccurate assertions about the aquariums we play with are rampant.

In our world, that means people seeing the cool look and unique benefits of botanical-style aquariums, without making the effort to study the functions, occurrences, and processes which we need to expect and embrace when creating these aquariums.

A lot of hobbyists (and I KNOW this, because I talk to a lot of them...) simply don't feel the need to learn all of the good, bad, and ugly of this stuff before jumping in. I mean, these aquariums LOOK so cool, and there are so many out there- they can't be that hard, right? Botanicals must stay pristine and clean and perfect forever, like an aquarium ornament or something...Because it's all about the LOOK, right? I mean, "..the guy's tank on Instagram looked so cool..."

That's the disconnect, IMHO. It's a real "pet peeve" of mine, too- as you probably know.

Botanical-style aquariums are not a "style of aquascaping."

They are a methodology- an approach- to keeping aquairums, and with the approach come unique functions AND aesthetics. The aesthetics being a small (but important and alluring) part of the whole thing, really.

And I think that maybe some of this is a failing of me, the vendor and so-called "hobby authority"- because I need to find even better ways to get more of the information into the ultimate consumer's hands. Not just pretty pics and videos. My blogs, podcasts, and articles need to be MORE available. I'll work on it.

In general, it's also a failing of many vendors in the aquarium industry for trying to do all that they can to get people to simply purchase stuff without offering education in equal quantities. I say "many", because there are a lot of vendors that do a fantastic job of educating, too. Yet, there is ALWAYS room for improvement.

Everywhere.

And finally- and perhaps most important- it's every bit as much about the individual hobbyist, who often jumps into something without making more than the most cursory, most superficial effort to learn more about what they are interested in doing in the hobby before jumping in. A lack of personal responsibility to educate oneself. This isn't a new phenomenon- it's been around for decades. I remember reading Tropical Fish Hobbyist when I was a kid, and a reader would write in about a tiny fish they purchased on impulse at the LFS, without knowing what it was, only to be just schooled by the magazine's editors because they bought a baby Gar, or something insane like that. 

I understand that, sometimes, it's okay to "learn on the fly"- that's fun for a lot of people...I know quite a few hobbyists like that. The kind who throw away the instructions for the new gadget they just purchased and jump right in and start "flipping switches and pressing buttons." And that's okay...I suppose. However, if you're going to leap before you look, shouldn't you at least consider what is supposed to be occurring?

I think so. 

So, yeah, I DO call BS on some of this.

I encourage every hobbyist to at least make SOME effort to understand what they're getting into before they go full speed ahead. In this age of Google and Facebook and tons of forums- there is simply no excuse for doing something in the hobby and being unpleasantly surprised when things go exactly as they're supposed to, because you didn't bother to do your homework.

Although I put out what I felt is a ton of accessible information- I obviously didn't make enough of it -or make it more easily accessible-to reach every person on every occasion. There are still a lot of people who aren't seeing it, or who have such skepticism of anything put out out by a vendor that it's somehow automatically tainted, I suppose.

Well, I can keep fighting the good fight. Sharing more; winning over skeptics. Asking the tough questions.

It's something I can work on. And I will. THAT is my obligation and responsibility.

And to my fellow hobbyists? Well we should all get off our asses and read. That's my metaphorical "spanking." I mean, just because you might have to do a little search here or elsewhere to learn about something in the hobby that you're about to embark on, it doesn't mean that you're somehow a "victim" of marketing manipulation or something. There is no excuse for ignorance in today's world.

You need to educate yourself. You need to go beyond simply looking at pictures. You need to put in the work. And you need to know that- even if you study and go carefully- stuff can still go wrong. And you need to know that there is no one person who knows ALL of this stuff.

We're dealing with Nature, and SHE controls the game. She dictates the process. She creates the aesthetics, and she determines the outcomes. Anyone who has kept aquariums for any length of time knows that you can do everything "by the book" and still fail. It's part of the wonder of Nature and the awesomeness of the Universe. Anyone who thinks otherwise is full of shit.

So what we can do- what we ALL can do- hobbyists, vendors, and lovers of aquariums- is to observe, learn, and SHARE our experiences. For the benefit of everyone.

Because nothing sucks more in the hobby than finding out after the fact that, if you knew all of the details, you may NOT have taken the leap quite so quickly. 

Now, getting back to the guy who wants to create a "non-commercial learning house" for information on blackwater/botanical-style aquairums...I say, go for it. It's good to have a lot of sources of information on this stuff It's bigger than just one company, one author, or one opinion on stuff. I hope you succeed- if your heart is in the right place, and I pray that it is.

However, understand that acquiring and gaining "thought leadership" and "authority" is  not just a "thing" you do. I suppose being one IS really sexy to some people. Yet, it isn't just about getting  a "Facebook like" or an IG or Twitter "follow"- it's about responsibility and sharing from personal experience- good and bad. It's not about bloviating like you know everything, or even simply sharing other people's work and using it to enhance your own credibility. Nope. It's about putting yourself out there every day and taking sometimes unpopular or controversial positions because it's what you believe. It's hard work. and a big responsibility.

It's an awesome hobby. A lifetime hobby. Please treat it as such, rather than a quick, easy thing to do on a weekend. Please take the time to read, study, execute, and share. Call out incorrect information and outright B.S. when you see it, and offer a contrary, helpful position when you do.

Educate yourself. Make use of the abundant resources out there. Even if you have to dig just a bit. Make Google your friend.Talk to fellow hobbyists. Reach out if you're not sure. Don't assume stuff. Don't let ignorance be your companion on the journey. Don't just rely on what you skimmed over or "heard..."-even if it's from me. Put in the work. You should want to- because just about anything that is cool and desirable requires some effort.

It's hard.

And yeah- we told ya' so.

Stay educated. Stay observant. Stay smart. Stay open-minded. Stay skeptical. Stay engaged...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Green.

It's almost inevitable that your interests within the aquarium hobby will change, or evolve over time. Perhaps it's because you're exposed to more and more ideas the longer you're active in the hobby. Maybe, you're just tired of the stuff you[ve been doing. Perhaps, you're interested in a new challenge. Or maybe, it's because injecting some new ideas into your existing work seems pretty exciting.

I'm not sure exactly why, but over the past few months, Ive started to develop a tiny, yet burgeoning interest in aquatic plants. Or should I say, utilizing aquatic plants in my aquariums. I'm not entirely certain what has triggered this change off heart. Perhaps it's as simple as the amazing aesthetic contrast which crisp green plants bring to the deep brown water I love so much?

I don't know, really.

The bottom line is that to me, the whole beautify of the natural, botanical-style aquarium is how it serves to facilitate interactions and relationships between a wide variety of life forms, ranging from bacteria to plants, to insects, and of course, our fishes. The relationship between the terrestrial elements and the aquatic habitats we love is utterly fascinating.

I suppose that including plants is becoming more interesting to me simply because it's another example of these interrelationships that makes this type of aquarium so compelling. Now, don't get me wrong here. Although plants look amazing, and there is sheer brilliance that you can achieve from an aesthetic standpoint by utilizing them in your tank, that's not my main focus.

Rather, I'm confident that it's the function part which fascinates me. I spent a little down time over the holidays watching some old videos of Takashi Amano at work, and it sort of "unlocked" some things in my mind. Sure, the man was a brilliant artist and a thought leader in utilizing aquatic plants to spread the message about embracing aspects of Nature in our homes. However, somewhere along the line, I think that the aquarium community got it twisted bit.

The emphasis has been so much on the aesthetics and art that little attention seems to be paid- other than the occasional mentions about how adore Nature- to the function of plants in an aquatic ecosystem, and the benefits they bring...supporting an entire community of organisms of all types. Stuff that Amano  wrote about extensively. Rather, it seems to this outsider that it's mostly about the aesthetics and art, and that the term "Nature" has simply been used to describe the interpretation of his style.

When I listen to his words and at his earlier works from a standpoint of creating an aquatic microcosm in the aquarium, facilitating the growth of microorganisms, small crustaceans, and fishes- the whole thing changes...I believe this is what Amano was talking about when he said, "To know Mother Nature is to love her smallest creations..."

Amazing.

However, here's where I piss off a lot of die-hard "Nature Aquarium" fans, but I think I'm right:

I think that, on some level, we as a community have totally misinterpreted the above quote, and have turned his concepts and philosophies into a sort of "cargo cult", just elevating his words without really thinking about what they meant, based more on style and "rules" and aesthetics than on the substance. Celebrating the art, without really considering the "microcosm" aspect that's so much bigger. A lot of people love the quote I just shared, but they simply don't seem to reflect or discuss the importance of this idea in their work.

Now, not everyone takes this shallow interpretation, of course. However, when you look at what is so widely discussed online and elsewhere, it becomes pretty obvious that the "wholistic" philosophy he advocated seems to have gotten a lot less attention.

I think Im sort of with Amano on this one. It's about building a natural system. Nurturing microbial populations to foster a miniature closed ecosystem.

Roundabout approach, but I think that's where I'm at with aquatic plants. I believe that including them in some aquariums can help foster these populations to create such ecosystems. There are many who are true wizards when it comes to their care and husbandry, which is amazing. Again, I can't help but wonder what would happen if we place greater emphasis on the role of aquatic plants in this context.

For those who are offended...Don't be. Simply think about this concept and practice it.

I mean, it's weird, and probably way over-reactionary, I know. And I think that it's partially because we as a hobby have for years tried to "sanitize" Nature, and place a huge emphasis on "form" over function.

There really IS beauty in the silty, decomposing, earthy world of the Amazonian igarape, the Asian peat swamp, Malaysian mangal, African forest stream, etc. There is something graceful about the broken branches, accumulating leaves, and scattered seed pods on the floor of a tropical river.

It's a different mindset, for sure. It's not what we have typically appreciated because of our exposure to a more "artistically interpretive" version of Nature in the aquarium world.

Rather, I think we've spent so much effort distilling, editing, and otherwise  sanitizing Nature that we might have actually lost sight of it's true beauty, and about how and why natural systems look and function the way they do. Blasphemy to some, no doubt...However, I think I might be at least partially correct here. Notice that I'm actually also a bit ambivalent to the "legit" biotope aquariums, as I think that some of the classification strategies and rules created in that world are a bit unrealistic and perhaps overreach habit and discourage some.

Amano understood natural aquatic habitats.

He appreciated them for what they were. Now, he loved the use of aquatic plants to represent them. They were sort of his "media" in creating his works.  However, he also understood that there are other natural materials which can be utilized for this purpose, and which may be utilized in different ways to express Nature in the aquarium. He understood the importance of facilitating the growth of bacterial populations.

What would Amano think of the "cargo cult"-like reverence which the aquascaping world has bestowed upon him, without evolving his works in any real new direction, or making any attempts to understand his original philosophies about Nature? Oh, sure, he'd appreciate the amazing talent, the beauty, and the effort that we see displayed by hobbyists worldwide. Yet, I can't help but wonder if, in his own way, he'd ask, "Really? Is that all?"

He GOT it. He understood the relationship between Nature and art absolutely. It's there. He saw beauty in all forms of Nature and encouraged us to express these details in our aquariums. In many different ways. However, he also understood the importance of supporting aside variety of organisms in his aquarium systems, despite the heavy emphasis on their appearance,

Please seek it out in his work.

I'm simply and even humbly (really!) asking for us to look at things in a more open, less nuanced way. I'd love to see us aquarists -at least once in a while-  venture way outside of our comfort zones and try something a bit different. To not get caught up in names and titles above comprehending the bigger picture. To look long and hard at the aquatic habitats found in Nature. And to see the true beauty that's there before we see fit to "edit."

Ask yourself why things look the way they do in Nature, and observe how the fishes which live there interact with their environment. Consider how these habitats formed, how they function biologically, and how fishes have adapted to their habitat..Think about esoteric stuff, like why the fishes are shaped or colored they way they are. What kinds of foods they might find there. And why aquatic plants grow where they do.

Yeah, let's get back to the "plants" thing again.

I greatly admire those of you who DO understand and work with aquatic plants. I've had more and more contact with fellow vendors who specialize in the plant side of aquascaping, and I'm impressed by their ability to know exactly what type of plant to use in a specific situation.

Now, a lot of the questions I receive are stuff like, "What plants can I use in my blackwater aquarium?"

And of course, I can give you some "textbook-type" answers about which ones have worked for me.

That being said, there ARE some species which are known to come from the habitats and niches that we play with. And again, if you know me, you're also keenly aware by now that I have an annnoying tendency to scan various scientific papers in a sometimes future attempt to glean little kernels of knowledge about the natural world that we can utilize in our aquarium work...

Here's one for you: 

Junk and Piedade (1993) identified 388 herbaceous species in the igapós of Rio Negro, notably species of Echinodorus, Nymphea, Cabomba, Utricularia, and Polygonum! 

That's significant, because we're talking about plants found in blackwater habitats in the wild. Some are aquatics which we have regular access to in the hobby! In fact, some of which many of us have kept at one time or another, right? If you recall from our past discussions, a couple of years ago I very successfully kept a significant population of Polygonum in my office blackwater, botanical-style "leaf litter" tank!

IAs more and more hobbyists from diverse areas of specialization get into the blackwater/botanical-style aquarium game, we're seeing more and more experimentation with plants.

And I have a sort of theory that, while a lot of plants aren't found in blackwater habitats, many, many species are adaptable to this environment in the aquarium, especially if their lighting and nutrition requirements are met.

In general, there are a few issues we should consider when it comes to aquatic plants in blackwater aquariums..the primary one being that theme we've touched on before:

It's a known fact that light doesn't penetrate as effectively in the tinted water of blackwater environments.That's ONE of the reasons you typically don't see a lot of algae in many blackwater systems. And floating plants, of course, tend to do well-because you don't really have the "light penetration factor" influencing them as much as say, rooted plants. Light penetration is a limiting factor, other things being "more-or-less" equal, right? 

Well, yeah...you can compensate with brighter light...the beauty of LEDs, right? And of course, just having light in our tanks isn't enough.

The other big issue to consider when keeping aquatic plants in blackwater aquariums is that, to some extent, the well-trodden opinion that blackwater may be described as more "nutrient poor", and having much lower ionic concentrations of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium than clearwater environments.

So how do you overcome this?

You fertilize your tank- just like you do in a "clearwater" system. You'll probably have to adjust your doses to compensate for the near lack of the above-referenced major ions, but it's pretty much that simple, in my experience. You'll use more fertilizers. And if you're growing plants that rely on rich substrates, like Cryptocoryne, I've found that you really don't have to do all that much differently than you do in a "clearwater" tank.

Like, use rich substrates and fertilize supplementally as required.

Easy.

Well, in theory, right?

I recently listened to my fave aquatic podcast, "The George Farmer Podcast" (you have to listen to his podcast if you have the slightest interest in aquatic plants and aquascaping. George does a fantastic job at discussing all of the associated concepts. The episode I found most interesting was about substrates. Specifically, how to utilize various substrate materials for healthy aquatic plant growth.

One of the classics that has sort of went this route is a planted aquarium approach called "The Walstad Method." Many of you have already heard of it, so I'll give about the most rudimentary summation of the concept, and you can rely on your fave search engine or whatever to "fill in the blanks" if you need a refresher.

The idea is to provide a closed ecosystem where the plants and fishes work together to provide for each other's needs. Unlike a traditional planted aquarium, this approach utilizes a substrate comprised of rich soil, capped with sand, to keep the plants growing rapidly, and outcompeting nuisance algae, while providing nutrient export and nitrogen cycling via their lush growth.

I immediately found this to be fascinating. As a reef person, you become really attuned to "taking care of the ecosystem" of your aquarium in order for everything else to thrive. Well, either you learn to look at your reef as a little "microcosm"and care for the bacteria and other "lower" life  forms in the tank as an important component, or you simply suck as a reefer- and your tank will, too.

I'm being serious...As many of you know, reef tanks are absolutely dependent upon you understanding this concept. Nature will "hand you your ass on a platter" in the form of nuisance algae, dead corals, and sick fishes if you can't figure it out. Period. Full stop.

So, yeah- everything is interrelated.

The things I like best about this method are that you need to really wait a couple of months or so before adding fishes, until the nitrogen cycle stabilizes, and the fact that the technique relies far more on Nature than it does on CO2 systems, additives, and all sorts of other gear. So, yeah- it espouses/requires patience, the learning and embracing of natural processes and "rules", and eschews "gear reliance" in favor of "brain reliance"- how could I NOT love this?

And that "ethos" sounds oddly familiar to our work with botanical-style natural aquariums (blackwater, brackish, and otherwise)- doesn't it? I'll even forgive the awful and insulting moniker of "low tech" that the planted world ascribes to this approach...I mean, is Nature "low tech?" Have you ever read a scholarly article about the nitrogen cycle?

Absorb THAT and try to use the term "low tech" to describe this stuff. Talk to the guys at NASA who have spent decades studying natural nutrient processing to figure out how to build systems for waste management on future spaceships, and get back to me with that thought...

Okay, so, wow...going on an on an on here. Bottom line:

I'm more interested in aquatic plants than ever before. And I think that part of it is because there are so many exciting interactions which occur between plants and organisms in these systems. 

You might actually see more snd more aquatic plants in my systems this year.

Crazy.

Good times. Much learning and experimenting ahead.

Are you into this, too?

Let's get after it. Do the work. Execute the experiments. Make the mistakes. Learn the process. Apply patience. Rinse and repeat.

Stay educated. Stay focused. Stay diligent. Stay open-minded...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

"Reasonable facsimiles?"

One of the latest obsessions I have with flooded Amazonian forest floors is to find out the plants which are commonly found there and survive and even grow during the period of inundation. 

One of my goals is to find either the seeds or some sprouting versions of some of these plants. It's not easy, although I might of found a few sources for seeds of one of the fruit-bearing plants of the region, Jaboticaba,  Myrciaria sp.

In one study I found about the plants which grow in the inundated igapo habitats, the most common species are Eugenia inundata, Sphinctanthus stmflorus and Securidaca longifoliaare. These are found most frequently in the water during the inundation. 

Now, obviously, many of these plants are (in no particular order) too large, too slow to grow, and too damn hard to find... It might be a matter of finding substitutes of plants which function as "reasonable facsimiles" in both form and adaptability.

Sure, we've all played with Philodendron and such, which root in water without substrate, and many hobbyists incorporate them into their aquariums.

Cool, but not really I'm looking for. I'm trying to get terrestrial plants growing out of the soil, partially submerged, as opposed to a plant simply "rooting" in water.

Make sense?

See the palm in the igapo pic by Mike Tuccinardi above? I don't know the species. However, I have  sort of similar-appearing potted "Cat Palm", Chamaeodorea cataractarum in our home, which I've taken cuttings from at various time for this type of experimentation. It's from Mexico, and never is found as far south as Brazil, but it kinda looks the part! 

A reasonable facsimile, IMHO.

It throws of little plants now and again, and seems to have even rooted in water without substrate in tests I've done. Most palms don't typically root in water- they need substrate, so this was truly an anomaly. Oh, and they don't "root" from "cuttings"- you need to actually utilize either a small specimen that already has established some roots.

So, of course, I had to include the little "water-rooted" cutting that I had going in one of my recent experiments tanks...Let's see if it survives, let alone grows! So far so good at about 4 and a half weeks...

The other plants, along with some grasses which have North American analogs, are fascinating, and are ones I'll have to source at some point. Grasses are really something I've been playing with a lot lately; I've been experimenting with a bunch of different types to replicate the flooded forests I obsess over...

My "Urban Igapo" experiments have yielded a lot of good data on sporting grasses, and I think these are going to be a lot of fun to play with in the future!

It will be fun to try some different plants to see what gives me the look and function I'm trying to achieve! I think one of the first issues will be to simply provide a deeper substrate! 

I am a huge fan of Acorus to simulate many of the heavier-bodied grasses in these habitats; there are numerous other candidates to play with, too. 

We'll be continuing to document the evolution of these simple, yet remarkably engaging experiments. Many of you who are into aquatic and houseplants have the real upper hand on the knowledge of this stuff, and can "lead the charge" to create amazing shallow "fusion" tanks. I've seen a few amazing examples already from around the world!

The idea of utilizing plants and grasses that are "reasonable facsimiles" to those found in the habitats we love so much is very exciting starting point towards creating unique aquariums which look and function like their wild counterparts in many ways!

My fondest wish is that we as a community continue to try some similar experiments, which will make a huge impact on the body of collective knowledge in our speciality as we enter 2021!

Stay excited. Stay engaged. Stay bold. Stay creative. Stay engaged...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Chasing numbers.

We talk about the idea of replicating the natural habitats of our fishes as almost a religious thing. We understand that fishes have evolved over eons to reside in specific environmental conditions and ecological niches.

And of course, sometimes, when we attempt to replicate some of these environmental conditions, they create outcomes that we might not have expected. Hoped for perhaps, but not expected.

It happened yet again...a breathless phone call from a customer who recently switched over to a botanical-style, blackwater aquarium, only to have her little Boraras, which she'd had for over a year, suddenly start spawning!

Cool!

Now sure, it could just have been that they finally were of spawning age, or that the temperature in her tank changed one night, or... number of a dozen possible factors. She felt it was "something in the water" released by the botanicals that she added not too long ago (in her case, Selatan Catappa Bark and a few other items...). I can't say with any high degree of certainty that this was, indeed, the catalyst for the results she is enjoying.

However, I hear these kinds of stories from hobbyists fairly often...In fact, likely too often to think that it's merely a complete coincidence, or a set of unrelated events and random factors.

Yeah, we hear this stuff a lot.

Actually, all the time. Like, regularly.

What we're seeing more and more in botanical-stye, blackwater aquariums are reports of "spontaneous" spawnings and "pering up" of all sorts of different fishes associated with these types of conditions. 

The "common denominator" in all of the reports we receive are that the fishes are displaying better color, vigor, and overall health after being recently exposed to the more "physiologically appropriate" conditions of a blackwater aquarium. Now, this is by no means us stating that blackwater, botanical-style tanks are somehow "magical", and possess the ability to make every fish spontaneously thrive and spawn.

That's just complete B.S., and I won't ever make or support those kinds of assertions.

However, it's more of an affirmation that fishes from some specialized environments- even those which might be several generations captive-bred, can always benefit from being "repatriated" to some of the conditions under which they have evolved for eons.

But, here's the thing.

We just can't replicate every single environmental parameter of our fishes' natural habitats in our aquariums. 

We can, however, replicate many aspects of their natural habitats- chemical, ecological, and physical.  

We can.

Now, I have no illusions about what we do here. One of the things that we can do is analyze some of the ecological parameters of the natural habitats from which our fishes come, and figure out how replicate, to the best of our capabilities, the ones that we can.

And, it's not always advisable to do so, even if you DO have the means.

We as hobbyists have for many years felt compelled to "chase numbers" in our attempts to recreate the water chemistry of our fishes natural habitats as faithfully as possible. Now, this is a pursuit which I can understand; I do have enormous respect for those hobbyists who endeavor to do this.

As a side note- I remember several hobbyists from the reef aquarium world who were scientists, and who DID try this sort of stuff, and their tanks were among the most "average" I'd seen! That being said, I did see some tanks from hobbyist/scientists who had access to incredible analytical equipment and chemicals, and they DID have amazing tanks...it balances out, I suppose.

I think that the other "problem" is that we aren't exactly certain what some of these trace elements and such actually do, in terms of benefits for our fishes...We just know that they are present in the natural waters from which many of our fishes come. So, where does that leave us?

I guess I've often taken the rather sheepish response of saying that it's better to replicate some of the aspects of our fishes' natural habitats than none whatsoever. Of course, I realize that some things are important, like pH and alkalinity. Some species simply cannot spawn, have eggs develop, etc. under anything but some very tight parameters, or with the presence of specific trace elements.