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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.
Such a case came to my attention when I was visiting a killifish forum on Facebook not long ago. One of the participants was discussing some new fishes he obtained, and one was from a rare genus called Episemion. Weird, because it is a fish that falls genetically halfway between Epiplatys and Aphyosemion.
Even more interesting to me was the discussion that it's notoriously difficult to spawn, and that it is only found in a couple of places in The Congo. In fact, the type description of E. krystallinoron, one of just a handful of identified Episemion species, is described as, "...a large river (~ 5 - 6 m) up to 1 m deep. The river near Medouneu at locality G 02 / 156 (= BBS 99 / 22) is also large (~ 4 - 5 m) and about 80 cm deep. At both localities the water is fast flowing, with sandy bottom and no aquatic vegetation. Episemion specimens were found amongst overhanging terrestrial vegetation..."
Good stuff...As an aside, reading through these type papers often gives you some good info on the ecology of the ecosystems from which our fishes come from! It's really interesting stuff!
And even more interesting to me was that it is in a region known for high levels of selenium (Se) in the soil...And that's VERY interesting. Selenium is known to be nutritionally beneficial to animals and humans at a concentration of 0.05-0.10ppm. It's an essential component of many enzymes and proteins, and deficiencies are known to cause diseases. One of it's known health benefits for animals is that it plays a key role in immunity and reproductive functions!
Boom! 💥
Okay, that helps with the "difficult to breed" part, right?
Selenium occurs in soil associated with sulfide minerals. And it's found in plants at varying concentrations which are dictated by the pH, moisture content, and other factors. As you might guess, higher concentrations of selenium are found in in the plants which occur in these regions.
Interesting...
So, I"m doubtful that we know the specific concentrations of selenium in many of the planted aquarium substrates out on the market, and most hobbyists aren't just throwing in that "readily available tropical Congo soil" - the one that you can pick up at any LFS- into their tanks, right? 😜
Oh, there isn't one...that's right.
So, how would we get more selenium into our tanks for our killies?
Botanicals could be one way.
Like, The Brazil nut...
And the Brazil nut is kind of known to us, isn't it? The "Monkey Pot" has something to do with this, right?
And, yes- it's technically a fruit capsule, produced from the abundant tree, Lecythis pisonis, native to South America -most notably, the Amazonian region. Okay, not native to Africa, but it's possibly something we could use as an experiment to help increase Selenium in our tanks, right? Maybe? I mean, just because this fruit capsule might have traces of Selenium, does that mean that if you submerge it, some will leach out? How much?
The "Monkey Pot/Killie" mental exercise above simply demonstrates the difficulty of actually determining what, if anything actually gets into the water from botanical materials, and if it can actually have some sort of impact. So much we don't know. And yeah, these kinds of "exercises" have lead to many assumptions- you know, like the shit I read on various vendor sites about the "nutritional value" of various leaves and such and how they can benefit shrimp because they have "such-and-such" vitamins and other compounds- which are known to do _____ in humans, therefore, they MUST impart these substances into the water for the benefit of our shrimp, right?
Urghh. Pure assumptions are rough.
Yet, some things may be potentially verifiable with our experimentation, right?
Killifish are particularly fascinating subjects for this work, because, as we've mentioned already, they are so intimately tied to their environments, unlike so many other fishes are. And the connections between them and their environments- and the things we can learn from these relationships- are compelling and potentially game-changing in some instances.
We need to experiment.
And of course, there are those water tests.
Like any good reef aquarist, I am really into water testing. Not only because it's good to know what exactly is going on in my aquariums, but because I can compare the water quality in my tanks to that on the reefs (this information. is readily available). In my botanical-style aquariums, the water testing to me has always been to help me learn the "baselines" at which these systems operate. I mean, seeing that our more focused practice of using lots of leaves and other botanical materials in our tanks is relatively new, it's not like there is a huge database in the aquarium hobby to see what's "normal" for these types of systems.
Just like in the reef world, if you look long and hard enough, you can find all sorts of scientific papers documenting all sorts of water chemistry parameters in some of the wild habitats we obsess over. Being able to know what is "normal" for the wild habitats is a valuable asset. Of course, we can't expect to target and achieve every single parameter that we see in one of these studies of natural systems in our aquariums, However, we can use these as a sort of "point of comparison" to see what kinds of "commonalities" we can achieve between the natural habitats and our aquariums.
Of course, you can get really crazy, and just "chase numbers" to the point of actually being detrimental to your livestock. There are some parameters that you can work with that can yield interesting results. Of course, the key is not to go overboard chasing specific numbers in the process.
Redox is a great example of this.
One good aquarium source I found online defines redox (aka "ORP" or "oxidation-reduction potential") "... a measure, in millivolts, of the tendency of a chemical substance to oxidize or reduce another chemical substance."
In aquarium practice, Redox potentials are closely related to the stability of the aquarium and is often used as a 'barometer' of water quality.
Things which decrease the oxygen content of the water, such as decomposing food, fish poop, etc., can rapidly break down into more toxic compounds like ammonia and nitrite, are known as "reductive agents." These reductive agents can decrease the redox potential, which indicates deteriorating water quality.
I remember my first measurements of redox in one of my botanical-style aquariums, I FREAKED THE FUCK OUT because I was getting a reading of 202mv, when, in the reef world, I'd been "brought up" to looking at target numbers like 350-400mv as "acceptable!" That reading was like "sewer water" in reef tank land!
Now, some hobbyists would use ozonizers to achieve these high redox levels, and end up essentially burning off the fins of some of their fishes in the process! It was a classic example of chasing numbers to the point of not taking into account the actual damage that we were doing to our livestock in pursuit of some target number!
The reality is that my botanical-style/blackwater aquariums were gorgeous and simply thriving with ORP reading of around 200-240mv or so. Of course, if I were chasing what "the books" said about ORP and freshwater, I'd be trying to hit higher numbers, like 250-300mv, because...well, because...um, why? Because "they" said so?
Yeah, I think.
I mean, thinking about numbers as absolutes is really a problem that we as hobbyists seem to get into. A real "hamster wheel" that many get stuck in. The reality, we'd do far better to fall into some sort of range for some of these parameters, and to just look at our own aquariums and see how the organisms under our care are doing.
And further, when you research the parameters of the wild habitats from which our fishes come from, some of the numbers you see reported seem to be well below what "the books" suggest that you target in the aquarium!
Again, the idea of simply chasing numbers and using that as a rationalization that you're doing everything correctly is a fool's errand, IMHO. Rather, I think it useful to study the environments and ecology of the environments from which our fishes come from, and see which ones you can replicate as accurately as possible. Or at least, which ranges, factors, or conditions you can replicate as accurately as possible.
You'll find that it's extremely difficult to replicate them exactly in most cases, because of numerous factors related to the environments surrounding the aquatic habitats we love so much. Factors like soil geology, rainfall, flood influx from surrounding streams, seasonal temperature shifts, periodic sediment and nutrient influxes, etc. are among the many variables which factor into the way these habitats evolve and function.
One of the reasons I spent about two years of my life playing with all sorts of materials to develop the NatureBase sedimented substrates was to attempt to replicate- on some level, the influence of soil geology has on wild aquatic habitats in our closed aquariums.
The results are interesting and have been quite encouraging, but they're far from "exact." We can at least introduce some of the factors which natural soils and sediments have on aquatic habitats in our aquarium versions, and attempt to replicate some of their physical and aesthetic characteristics. I personally feel that they're more "biotopically "accurate" than most of the substrates out there, but they are certainly not the best substrates ever made.
And their very composition- silts, clays, and sediments- ensures initially cloudy conditions that would discourage all but the most hardcore hobbyists from going "all in" with them as the sole substrate in a large display tank! They're largely experimental.
Again, the joy (and frustration) of "chasing numbers", or attempting to replicate the characteristics and function of wild aquatic habitats is that it's damn hard to do it with 100% accuracy! The reality is that you can recreate a "reasonable facsimile" in many cases- which is pretty incredible, really. However, because of the enormous number of factors and influences on aquatic habitats, I personally feel that this might be as close as we can get for the foreseeable future.
Yet, I'd hardly think of that as a reason NOT to strive to try to recreate every possible parameter of Nature in our tanks. The "wins" we rack up on the way towards the impossible-to-achieve goal of 100% accuracy will only benefit our fishes and advance the state of the art of the aquarium hobby for many years to come!
So, the parting shot here is that, if you're excited like I am about the idea of replicating some of the functions and characteristics of your fave wild aquatic habitats- go for it.
However, keep one leg firmly grounded in practicality, and understand and accept that "perfection" is an unlikely outcome. Rather, it's about a process of learning, understanding, and experimentation- all done in an effort to get us closer to creating more optimum conditions for the fishes which we love so much.
Stay experimental. Stay curious. Stay bold. Stay studious. Stay diligent...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
What do we do?
It's been over 5 years since we've started Tannin Aquatics, and the global movement with botanical-style aquariums is really starting to take off! I've been very proud to have played a small role in the growth of this movement!
People often ask me about the kinds of aquariums that we create and play with. They ask a lot about blackwater aquariums- which are incredibly cool. However, the term "blackwater aquarium" to me seems so limiting and somewhat restrictive when used to describe what we do.
And perhaps even misleading, really.
I tell people that I play with "natural, botanical-style aquariums."
So, here's the thing: When we talk about "botanical-style aquariums", we're not just talking about blackwater aquariums, or even aquariums with deeply tinted water. Now, sure, I love them- a lot of us do; however, what we proffer is not just a way to "make your water dark." Rather, it's about the idea of utilizing botanical materials to impact the physical, chemical, and ecological aspects of our closed aquarium ecosystems.
To state that the botanical-style aquarium movement is just about blackwater is to sell it short. There are so many hobbyists who enjoy the look and benefits of using leaves and other botanical materials in their tanks without the tinted water. They simply admire the look and the benefits these types of aquariums offer. So, it's important for us to mention this now and again, so that we don't get confused or feel that there is some "underlying rule" or something about how to do this stuff "correctly."
Now, think about this.
You can have a perfectly crystal-clear aquarium with blue/white water and tons of leaves and botanicals. For some reason, the popular perception in the "mainstream" aquarium world is that you can only have a botanical-style aquarium if you have tinted water.
Not true. A little carbon and a lot of pre-soaking of your leaves and botanicals, and a "crystal clear botanical-style aquarium" is yours.
The other misconception which has hung around forever is that, "ANY time you have tinted water, it's soft and acidic..." It seems to be that we have this mental equivocation that "brown water=soft, acidic water"- and the reality is that this is simply not true. It's part of the reason why we receive lots of emails from hobbyists wondering why their highly alkaline, extremely hard water is still just that- even after adding a bunch of leaves and seed pods to their tank.
In my opinion, we as a hobby often have expectations field by a fundamental lack of understanding about the habitats we seek to represent. We rely on stuff like, "I heard that..." or "This guy on YouTube said...", rather than taking the time to do some homework for ourselves.
A shame, really.
And as a result, we fall back on generalizations and characterizations that aren't entirely consistent with the facts- which leads to confusion, the propagation of misinformation, and even disappointment among hobbyists.
It is absolutely possible to have a deeply tinted aquarium with 8.4pH and a GH of like 10 or more. The color simply indicates the presence of tannins and humic substances in the water, both of which will have surprisingly little impact on the characteristics of hard, alkaline water.
I've seen this "look" in Nature many times. In fact, in many hard, alkaline bodies of water, the water is still stained brownish because of the presence of soils and leaves and other plant materials.
Is it "blackwater?"
Well, not in the strict ecological definition.
Ecologists will tell you that blackwater has a different ionic composition than "whitewater"- as it is very low in sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium and has an acidic pH because of the lack of buffering capacity, low dissolved solids, and the high concentration of tannins and fulvic acids present in the water.
That's science, and you can nuance it all you want, but facts are facts. When I see these arguments on hobbyist forums about what the definition a "blackwater aquarium" is, and I'm tapped to give my two cents, I typically will chime in with something like, "It's an aquarium in which the water characteristics are (insert descriptor above!)"
Color isn't everything.
The color is only a partial indicator of "blackwater" in the literal sense. Not all dark water rivers and streams are "blackwater" in that technical sense.
I have kept several successful "tinted" brackish water systems that loo for all the world like what you'd expect to see I the Orinoco or somewhere like that, except that they were hard, alkaline, and had a specific gravity of 1.010! Would you call it a "blackwater" system?
You could, but you'd be wrong.
Nature offers lots of other examples.
I haven't really done a ton of research into the habitats of wild livebearers, but I've seen a few pics of their natural habitats from underwater, and the water was anything but crystal clear and blue/white! Rather, it was turbid, slightly brownish, and decidedly hard and alkaline!
And, as we've discussed many times before, even the clarity of the water often has no bearing on its "quality."
It's a distinction that neophytes to our world should make note of. The "rap" on blackwater aquariums for some time was that they look "dirty"- and this was largely based on our bias towards what we are familiar with. And, of course, in the wild, there might be some turbidity because of the runoff of soils from the surrounding forests, incompletely decomposed leaves, current, rain, etc. etc.
None of the possible causes of turbidity mentioned above in these natural watercourses represent a threat to the "quality", per se. Rather, they are the visual sign of an influx of dissolved materials that contribute to the "richness" of the environment. It's what's "normal" for this habitat. It's the arena in which we play in our blackwater, botanical-style aquariums, as well.
My obsession with brackish water habitats has, over the years, gotten me far, far away from the hobby-supported mindset that these environments are supposed to be crystal clear and contain white sand and grey rocks. The reality of Nature is completely different. Mangrove habitats are another great example of "you can't tell a book by its cover." The water is not exactly crystal-clear, and often colored.
Muddy, nutrient- rich, filled with mangrove leaves, and stained a bit from tannins. Beautiful in a very different, yet oddly compelling way.
And of course, turbidity caused by sedimentation and the dissolution of soils into the water creates an entirely different class of natural aquatic system.
With our recent obsession with substrates, we've been able to replicate many of the characteristics of these unique, heavily terrestrial-influenced systems by using materials which replicate the composition of the soils surrounding these aquatic habitats.
Obviously, in the closed environment that is an aquarium, "stuff" dissolving into the water may have significant impact on the overall quality. Even though it may be "normal" in a blackwater or brackish environment to have all of those dissolved leaves and botanicals, this could be problematic in the aquarium if nitrate, phosphate, and other DOC's contribute to a higher bioload, bacteria count, etc.
It's why testing and monitoring, coupled with regular maintenance practices, are of paramount importance in botanical-style aquariums of any kind.
Again, though, I think we need to contemplate the difference between water "quality" as expressed by the measure of compounds like nitrate and phosphate, and visual clarity. As you might surmise, it is absolutely possible to have turbid, tinted water and fantastic water quality!
In my home aquariums, and in many of the really great natural-looking blackwater aquariums I see the water is dark, almost turbid or "soupy" as one of my fellow blackwater/botanical-style aquarium geeks refers to it. You might see the faintest hint of "stuff" in the water...perhaps a bit of fines from leaves breaking down, some dislodged biofilms, pieces of leaves, etc. Just like in nature. Chemically, it has undetectable nitrate and phosphate..."clean" by aquarium standards.
Sure, by municipal drinking water standards, color and clarity are important, and can indicate a number of potential issues...But we're not talking about drinking water here, are we?
So, the whole thing of water color and the practice of utilizing botanical materials and substrates to influence the look, characteristics, and ecology of an aquarium is a dynamic, constantly-evolving art. The moniker "natural, botanical-style aquarium" is so much more descriptive of the type of work that we do as a community, rather than just falling back on the "default" to "blackwater aquariums" because the water has a sort of "tint" too it.
To "pigeonhole" the many different approaches we all take into one category like "blackwater" is to overlook the diverse, dynamic, utterly compelling variety of aquatic habitats that the world has to offer.
Let's concentrate more on the practices than the "quantification" and descriptions. Those will sort themselves out over time as we refine our practices, ideas, and executions. We need not limit what we do to overly-specific categories for the sake of convenience.
Rather, let's celebrate the art and sicken of natural, botanical-style aquariums, and see where our imagination, ideas, and Nature take us!
Stay creative. Stay inspired. Stay curious. Stay studios. Stay unbounded by convention...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
The "Most wonderful time of the year?"
Well, another Holiday Season nears, and maybe this is the year you'll receive the gift that you always wanted! Now, this IS a year like no other, and our attention should be focused on family, safety, and the joy of having important people in our lives.
Nonetheless, it IS the holiday season, and for many, that still means the upholding of holiday traditions. Case in point, the gifts! Yes, it's important to be grateful and thankful for the generosity of others. However, if we can't look at things a bit more whimsically once in a while, life could get kind of..boring.
So, yeah, the tradition of giving and receiving gifts is pretty cool.
Well, maybe not always.
Huh? What do you mean?
Think about it for a second. For the popular fish geek, the Holiday Season is actually a virtual "minefield" fought with danger! Seriously! The most wonderful- and potentially problematic- time of year, huh?
Examples?
Maybe, just maybe, someone you know decided to get you a fish for the Holiday. On the surface, this is a really nice gesture- a thoughtful idea for the fish geek in the household. Only problem is, usually the person buying the gift is NOT a fish geek, and typically has no clue about what's involved in stocking and maintaining a fish tank.
"Your Uncle and I know you love the fishes, and this one reminded us of the ones you see when you swim in the ocean!"
What this means to you is that , despite the fact that your collection consists entirely of rare Apistos, is that you're now the proud owner of a young Asian Arowanna, a potentially huge knife fish, or worse! Or, your docile Pencilfish species tank now has to host a baby Tiger Datnoid ("The guy at the store said he was super chill...")! Or, the off-brand, "imported" combination lighted electric siphon hose/algae scrubber device (that's not UL-approved, of course) will now forever be a part of your equipment collection...Or maybe you received a pair of Albino Oscars for a "gift" (yeah, it happened to me once)!
You get the picture. I think most hobbyists will agree that, with very few notable exceptions, a "gift" of a fish is like the ultimate "nightmare scenario!"
"He's so cute, and he's eating pellets!" (image by H, Zell, used under CC BY-SA 3.0)
Goofy socks and sweaters are starting to look way more attractive now, huh?
The issue of "appropriateness" of a gift can really come into play in our highly specific hobby, can't it?
"That plant would look so nice in your African Cichlid tank, so we just had to get it for you!"
Much like the fruitcake of holiday legend, there must have been that one fish-related gift you received- a fish, plant, coral, or piece of "equipment"- that totally came from left field, and, despite the best intentions of the giver, turned into a pretty serious headache for you.
I mean, you have to balance gratitude with practicality, huh?
"I got it on e-Bay for you...It's gonna really help you do that stuff you do with your tank- and it works in European and Asian electrical outlets, too!"
That's why a lot of hobbyists are very specific in their 'wish lists"- not our of a lack of gratitude, but out of rational necessity! Yet, "stuff" still happens at holiday time, doesn't it. What did you do the last time one of these "gifts" graced your holiday?
Did you end up keeping the "fishy fruitcake", or did you somehow manage to trade it back for some Green Neons and 4 packs of frozen food? And, if you did- how did you manage that feat? The fish world needs to know!
Or, did this gift somehow work out and turn into something that you actually kept and enjoyed?
I'd love to hear your "...gift that keeps on giving" stories!
Happy Holidays!
Stay healthy. Stay safe. Stay good-natured. Stay grateful. Stay generous. Stay excited. Stay merry...
And Stay Wet!
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
The pace
If there is one thing that we bring up over and over and over again with our community regarding botanical-style aquariums, it's the need to go slowly. Like so many things that we do in the aquarium world, it's so important to make cautious, measured moves.
Pretty much every week, we receive a few emails from customers and members of our community asking about how much and how quickly they should add botanical materials to their aquariums.
I am also frequently approached by hobbyists who, in their zeal to get a cool blackwater, botanical-style tank up and running, are always looking for some "shortcut" that will help them get a more "finished look" and tint more quickly.
This always makes me cringe just a bit, because I hate fucking shortcuts! I think it's a direct by-product of our 24/7/365 social media cycle of sharing all of the cool stuff we're doing. We seem to only share the finished products.
We see those shots of natural habitats, and we want so badly to replicate them in our own tanks.
To achieve a stable, long-lasting display, you need to give the botanicals time to break down, soften, and decompose. All botanical items do this at a pace that is unique to them and their composition and structure, and sure, we can hasten the process a bit by boiling, but the real "magic" is done by Nature- over time.
With zero exceptions, you should never simply drop any of our botanicals right into your aquarium without any sort of preparation process. Yeah, "preparation" in our parlance means cleaning with a light rinse, followed by either boiling them in freshwater, followed by a prolonged "soak" in clean fresh water, or just the prolonged soak. The reasons for the soaking and boiling process are many, far beyond the simple fact that boiling breaks down the structures of many botanicals to the point where they can absorb water and sink easily.
Common sense and patience are hugely important when adding these materials to you established aquarium!
A large quantity of botanicals added to a stable, established aquarium can potentially affect the general water chemistry of your tank in a rapid manner, including the pH- driving it down quickly in some instances, profoundly affect the fishes and even plants, which may not cope well with rapid environmental changes.
Just be cautious and use common sense here. I mean, yeah, to a certain extent, this is "Aquatics 101"- you simply don't want to do anything to your aquarium that results in rapid, significant environmental changes, and using aquatic botanicals is no exception.
BONUS EXTRA STEP: Soaking your botanicals overnight in cool fresh water after boiling is super advantageous, because- let's face it- the minute you add botanicals to water, they'll start to break down! Soaking helps leach out a little of the organic materials from the tissues of the botanicals which were released during boiling into an external holding vessel- instead of your aquarium-this is never a bad thing!
Many hobbyists and self-appointed "experts" will call such an extra step "unecessary"; good for them. However, for the most conservative approach, we can't recommend this enough. I've been working with botanical materials in my aquariums for almost 3 decades, and I've never had an issue by embracing this process. Waiting the extra period of time before placing them in your tank is well worth it, IMHO.
Materials like leaves will break down over the course of 3-4 weeks or so, whereas many of the more "durable" botanicals, like seed pods, etc., will break down over many months. Some of the harder pods, like Sterculia Pods and "Monkey Pots", have lasted for several years for me! Depending on your water chemistry and the degree to which your fishes and inverts (I'm referring to guys like Plecos and ornamental shrimp) "graze" upon the botanicals will directly impact how long they last.
Go slowly. Establish a regular pace, adding materials gradually, assessing along the way the impact of your additions. Sure, you might see the water tint up after the first 24 hours...or not. This is only one indicator that things are "happening." And you should really evaluate and assess on say, a weekly basis, to see how you system is doing. Check basic water parameters and note deviations of changes.
"Trend spotting", in this instance, is potentially life saving.
And don't lock yourself into some sort of timetable for achieving a certain "look" or environmental conditions. I mean, I get it, you might be gunning for a contest deadline, a club event, etc., but as we've said so many times before, Nature doesn't give a shit about your damn timetable. Sorry, it's true! She dictates the pace. Rather than be frustrated that your tank is not at some arbitrary "benchmark" by a specific date, enjoy it for where it's at. Savor the changes, the aesthetics, the function.
Enjoy the process.
If you look at an aquarium as you would a garden- an organic, living, evolving, growingentity- then the need to see the thing "finished" becomes much less important. Suddenly, much like a "road trip", the destination becomes less important than the journey. It's about the experiences gleaned along the way. Enjoyment of the developments, the process. In the botanical-style aquarium, it's truly about a dynamic and ever-changing system. Every stage holds fascination.
You're not only making rapid changes to the aquatic environment, but you're releasing significant quantities of organic materials into a stable environment that may not have the biological "capacity" to handle it...In theory, setting up the possibility for actually polluting your tank as the beneficial bacteria race to multiply fast enough to assimilate all of the influx of organics caused by a big load of botanicals! This is one of the reason why we developed "Culture", our Purple Non-Sulphur (PNS) bacteria additive. Having a developing microbiome helps your aquarium to handle the increase in organics more efficiently.
Again, common sense is the key. Botanicals are dynamic, because they're releasing substances into the water, as well as providing forage for micro and microfauna, all of which contribute to the bioload of your system. These materials are not "tank decoration" and should never be viewed as such.
And, as every experienced hobbyist knows, nothing good ever happens quickly in an aquarium- only the bad stuff! So, we urge you yet again to go slowly in an existing tank, letting your animals, plants and microfauna make the adjustment to a new and beneficial environment.
The two key ingredients- patience and common sense- will help any aquarist safely appreciate the joys of using botanicals in the aquarium.
Nature sets the pace. We simply need to listen to Her, and follow Her lead.
Stay disciplined. Stay chill. Stay focused. Stay observant. Stay diligent. Stay patient...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
Why all the talk about twigs?
After more than 5 years of sharing our obsession with botanical-style aquarium with you, we've all developed a sort of tranche of knowledge, "best practices", and expectations. Of course, even with a growing global movement and massive communication facilitated via social media, there are still many hobbyists who are not sure how to do stuff, what is happening in their aquariums, and why we we obsess over some seemingly weird things!
These often lead to other questions and avenues of discussion.
One of the things that we have been asked a lot by the uninitiated is, "I see you guys sell twigs and root pieces. What does this stuff do and why do you guys talk about this stuff so much?"
This is a pretty good question which deserves more than an answer like, "Because they look so cool!" (Like, we'd ever just give you that kind of answer sand leave it at that, right? 😆)
I mean, sure they do look cool- but that is so superficial and shallow an answer that it's almost an insult to your intelligence!
Of course, the composition of twigs includes substances like lignin and tannins, thing which we as botanical-style aquarium lovers are quite familiar with. As twigs and branches are submerged in water, they impart some of these substances into the water.
There is a reason by are huge fans of creating aggregations of twigs and roots in our aquariums. Not only do these realistically represent the physical structure of many of the aquatic habitats we love, they serve to facilitate biological processes, such as epiphytic fungal and biofilm growth, decomposition, and detritus sequestration.
And of course, you could always incorporate a layer of leaf litter, which really seems to go perfectly with this type of niche. In Nature, we see leaves and other materials accumulate in these root tangles and aggregations of fallen branches, so recreating this in an aquarium is kind of a "no brainer!"
When assembled in conjunction with a nice aggregation of leaves, this configuration provides a remarkably interesting aquarium with a different sort of aesthetic and function.
In many natural aquatic habitats, fallen tree branches, twigs, and leaves, form a valuable and important part of the ecosystem.
The complexity and additional "microhabitats" they create are compelling and interesting. And they are very useful for protecting baby fishes, breeding Apistogramma, maintaining Poecilocharax, catfishes, Dicosssus, and other small, shy fishes which are common in these habitats.
The mind-blowing diversity of Nature is comprised of millions of these little "scenes", all of which are the result of various factors coming together.
As aquarists, observing, studying, and understanding the specifics of microhabitats is a fascinating and compelling part of the hobby, because it can give us inspiration to replicate the form and function of them in our tanks!
We spend a lot of time discussing and considering the various components and interactions of water and terrestrial habitats, and I think that if WE haven't made a compelling case, our fishes will! And sure, there are always going to be hobbyists who think that the idea of tossing in a bunch of twigs and branches into an aquarium is just a bad idea.
If you're one of those hobbyists, I urge you to reconsider your position, and not to automatically dismiss the idea out of hand. And look, it doesn't have to be permanent.
You can always remove these materials if they offend your aesthetic sensibilities. I only ask that you give the idea a try...a good, serious look at the elegance and function of these amazing ecological niches...
The "microhabitats" where substrate, leaves, and roots meet create amazing opportunities to create unique, functionally aesthetic aquariums. Most important, they will offer your fishes many of the same benefits in the aquarium as they do in Nature: Specifically, facilitating the production of supplemental food, which we've been talking about seemingly forever here.
At the end of the day, the use of twigs, roots, and branches, the organisms which take advantage of them is one of the most stunning aspects of Nature that we can see in our own aquariums, provided we don't "edit" them out of our tanks.
Like any dynamic habitat, the "twig and root" microhabitat relies on a variety of organisms to do the job of processing nutrients. A diverse assemblage of organisms dwelling in this layer, ranging from bacteria to fungi, to worms and small crustaceans- comprise what we call the "infauna." Essentially, the infauna is a collective of organisms which do most of the work in keeping a botanical-style aquarium functional and healthy.
Be kind to these organisms, and they'll no doubt be kind to you, too! THAT is what the big talk over twigs is all about!
Stay innovative. Stay observant. Stay engaged. Stay curious...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
Sustenance-Where the food comes from.
We throw out s lot of rather unorthodox ideas here, don't we?
One of my fave ideas has to do with the idea of our botanical-style/blackwater aquariums being able to produce supplemental food for our fishes. It's something that we as a hobby haven't really put a lot of energy in to over the years. I mean, we have spectacular prepared foods, and our understanding of our fishes' nutritional needs is better than ever.
Yet, there is something tantalizing to me about the idea of our fishes being able to supplement what we feed our fishes. In particular, fry of fishes being able to sustain themselves or supplement their diets with what is produced inside the habitat we've created in our tanks!
If we look at ecology of natural blackwater ecosystems, they tend to be classified as "impoverished" by ecologists, in terms of ion and mineral compositions. However, that's not the whole story- at least, not as it pertains to food production in these habitats!
It shouldn't really come as a surprise that these aquatic systems offer significant food resources to the fishes which reside in them, because of the proximity to forests. Indeed, flooded forest floors, or streams which meander through forested areas offer enormous food production potential for fishes.
The main sources of sustenance for fishes are the food webs, constructed by the flooded forests, aquatic herbaceous vegetation, and algae. Allochthonous sources (remember that term?) such as detritus and botanical materials (eg. leaves) are the main pathways for energy and nutrients provided by the forests to the aquatic habitats.
Phytoplankton in these so-called "impoverished" blackwater environments is something that we've likely downplayed!
In the rainy season, the main flow of what ecologists call "biomass" into the food web comes from the surrounding forests. Also, studies have found that, in the backwaters of the main tributaries, the floating submerged leaves of marginal vegetation are colonized by dense aggregations of epiphytes.
"Floating submerged leaves..."
Just think about that for a few minutes...
Interestingly, both algae and macrophytes -aquatic plants which grow in and around the water (emerged, submerged, floating, etc.) enter into aquatic food webs mostly in form of detritus (fine and coarse particulate organic matter) or being transported by water flow and settling onto the substrate.
I am not at all joking when I tell you that I'd
Not only do macrophytes contribute to the physical structure and spatial organization of the water bodies they inhabit, they are primary contributors to the overall biological stability of the habitat, conditioning the physical parameters of the water. Of course, anyone who keeps a planted aquarium could attest to that, right?
One of the interesting things about macrophytes is that, although there are a lot of fishes which feed directly upon them, the plants themselves are perhaps most valuable as a microhabitat for algae, zooplankton, and other organisms which fishes feed on. Small aquatic crustaceans seek out the shelter of plants for both the food resources they provide (i.e.; zooplankton, diatoms) and for protection from predators (yeah, the fishes!).
Perhaps most interesting to us blackwater/botanical-style aquarium people are epiphytes. These are organisms which grow on the surface of 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 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. Although most animals use leaves and tree branches for shelter and not directly as a food item, grazing on this epiphytic growth is very important.
Natural habitats are absolutely filled with this stuff...in every nook and cranny. It's like the whole game here- an explosion of life-giving materials, free for the taking...
A true gift from Nature.
Some organisms, such as nematodes and chironomids ("Bloodworms!") will dig into the leaf structures and feed on the tissues themselves, as well as the fungi and bacteria found in and among them. These organisms, in turn, become part of the diet for many fishes.
And the resulting detritus produced by the "processed" and decomposing plant matter (mainly leaves) is considered by many aquatic ecologists to be an extremely significant food source for many fishes, especially in areas such as Amazonia and Southeast Asia, where the detritus is considered an essential factor in the food webs of these habitats.
And of course, if you observe the behavior of many of your fishes in the aquarium, such as characins, cyprinids, Loricarids, and others, you'll see that in between feedings, they'll spend an awful lot of time picking at "stuff" on the bottom of the tank. In a botanical style aquarium, this is a pretty common occurrence, and I believe an important benefit of this type of system.
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 by ecologists 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 species!
For like the thousandth time here, we're pointing out the mind-blowing fact that the types of ecosystems we're enamored by excel at producing food for the fishes which reside in them.
So, what do fishes eat?
Well, a little of everything, really.
As you can see the physical structure of aquatic habitats plays a huge role in determining what the composition of the fish population is.
There are a lot of aquatic habitats in Nature which are filled with tangles of terrestrial plant roots, emergent vegetation, fallen branches, etc., which virtually fill small bodies of water completely.
These types of habitats are unique; they attract a large quantities of smaller fishes to the protection of their vast matrix of structures. Submerged fallen tree branches or roots of marginal terrestrial plants provide a large surface area upon which algae, biofilm, and fungal growth occurs. This, in turn, attracts higher life forms, like crustaceans and aquatic insects.
And yeah- that brings our friends, the fishes- to the party.
These are incredible habitats for fishes.
Can't we replicate such aquatic features in the aquarium?
Of course we can!
This idea is a fantastic expression of "functional aesthetics." It's a package that is a bit different than the way we would normally present an aquarium. We hesitate to densely pack an aquarium like this, don't we?
Why do you think this is?
I think that we hesitate, because- quite frankly- having a large mass of tangled branches or roots and their associated leaves and detritus in the cozy confines of an aquarium tends to limit the number, size, and swimming area of fishes, right?
Sure, it does...
On the other hand, I think that there is something oddly compelling, intricate, and just beautiful about complex, spatially "full" hardscapes. And when you take into account that these are actually very realistic, entirelyfunctional representations of certain natural habitats, it becomes all the more interesting!
I think that we as botanical-style aquarium enthusiasts really have to get it into our heads that we are creating more than just an aesthetic display. We need to focus on the fact that we are creating functional microcosms for our fishes, complete with physical, environmental, and nutritional aspects. Food production- supplementary or otherwise- is something that not only is possible in our tanks; it's inevitable.
Every botanical, every leaf, every piece of wood, every substrate material that we utilize in our aquariums is a potential component of food production. Sustenance from within.
Think about it.
Stay creative. Stay thoughtful. Stay innovative. Stay observant...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
The craziness of planning?
As most of you know by now, I tend to think through stuff...a lot.
I'm REALLY big on the "planning" part my new aquariums.
Like, I think through all of the tiny details. Stuff that's pretty stupid, really...But important- like, "Which side of the tank do I place the heater so that the plug can i reach the power strip without being too obvious?"
Shit. I'm crazy, huh? (don't answer that...)
I'm the kind of guy who will spend an entire day just looking into what color and type of background material I intend to use for the tank.
Plumbing parts? Oh, I can literally lose myself in a hardware store. Driftwood? Yikes.
And don't even get me started on substrates! And, of course, I HAD to throw myself into the mix with our own materials...adding to the confusion and choices!
Yeah.
Below is literally my mindset on the whole process. It sounds great on paper, and there is a certain simple logic to it. But it's also where things seemed to go terribly wrong for me:
I mean, every tank should start with some sort of plan, idea, or concept.
You need to know what kind of fish you're intending to keep pretty early on in the game...like, literally, at the very beginning. The stocking plan is pretty much mission-critical, I'd say. And then, you should decide what kind of environment you're going to keep the cool fishes that you decided upon in.
And then you need to figure out what equipment you need to achieve this. And of course, then comes the "fun" part- putting it all together. I mean, all the planning in the world is kind of a wasted exercise if the tank looks like shit!
Well you know what I mean.
By my estimation, and using this process, the planning of a tank takes like roughly "3 days per gallon." So, a great 50 gallon tank should take...150 days. 5 FREAKING MONTHS? JUST TO PLAN?
Can that be right?
I am crazy. Well, I should say- I was crazy-for a while.
I wasn't always a human glacier, however.
When I was a kid, I would be re-configuring my 10-gallon community tank like monthly. In January, I'd have a Danio community tank. February would be time for Kribs. March would be Mollies in a brackish tank. By April, it was back to fresh in time to mess around with a group of killifish. Well, May was one of those months where my thoughts tuned to..Tetras...and...well, you get the picture.
I was fast. Really fast.
I think part of it was because I was an impatient kid with limited resources and a desire to try tons of different things. Absurdly diverse interests. How else can you explain a 14 year old with memberships in the IBC, AKA, ACA, and ALA? I mean, I had one tank, and ultimately, a couple of tanks, dozens of plastic boxes, and two very understanding, but oft-times frustrated parents!
So that's how the concept of a "fish room" got started!
Yet, there was a big chunk of my aquatic life that had me fall victim to my own obsessive planning thing. I mean, it was like "analysis paralysis." Fortunately, my hobby friends viewed my slow progressions from concept to completion as "disciplined", but the reality was that, inside, I knew I was somehow just spending way too much time and placing way too much emphasis on the planning part of the hobby equation.
I did enjoy it a little, even if it seemed, well- really fucking slow.
Flash forward to today, and I have...Just 3 small aquariums in my new 4-bedroom home, at the moment each in varying stages of the planning/building process. We're about to do some major re-modeling and all of my "full-size" tanks are in storage until the project is done. You'd think I am in this "slow-planner's nirvana", or something!
I'm actually moving pretty quickly with the tanks I have! One out of the three actually has some fishes in it! That's a start!
Each one radically different from the other. Financially, I'm probably just a bit better than I was as a 14 year old (I mean, I'm in the aquatics industry, right? 😆), and I still have absurdly diverse interests.
Not much has changed, right?
The difference?
I'm actually working on each one regularly, even thought they're tiny- putting them together on a very accelerated pace. I decided on concepts, system design, sourced everything, BOUGHT all of the stuff, and started assembly on two of my tanks within a month! For me, that's epic! Progression has been pretty rapid. Okay, sure, there are hobbyists out there who've put together entire fish rooms and had multiple spawns of Plecos in that kind of time frame, but this is progress.
I mean, for me, that's practically breakneck speed!
Has a lot changed?
Actually, it really has.
When you get to live a certain age in life, you realize that your time on this planet is- well- finite- and if you want to accomplish stuff, you need to do it in less than a geological or stellar evolutionary time scale. You need to be decisive, to mark and move. "To fish or cut bait"...whatever. You need to DO something instead of PLAN to do something. You know, all of those cliches.
But they're actually pretty correct. And useful to apply. My "Urban Igapo" experiments progressed really quickly. We've done dozens of iterations on them in an incredibly rapid time frame.
So, the impatient kid in me is back!
I've learned to approach aquarium keeping like I've learned to approach my business: Methodically, yet "organically." Not to overthink stuff, yet to use a good approach that's coaxed along and evolved relatively quickly. Iterate and reiterate rapidly, yet within the context of the larger time frame.
Realizing that the processes which you use to get things moving should be executed quickly, even if the journey to the ultimate goal is a longer, slower one. Because sitting with a pen and paper staring at the ceiling doesn't get anything done, be it in business or building a 50 gallon biotope aquarium.
Wow, I've finally married action and theory in a way that works! And enjoyment in my hobby is back and bigger than ever. And it's sure helped push Tannin Aquatics along!
Yes, I still have a ridiculously tight aesthetic concept of how a tank should look, and how the overall aquarium should fit into my world, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I still don't' like dangling wires, noise, and blatantly obvious gear on display.
But I am also coming to grips with the reality that, even if you have a few electrical cords showing, or a maybe a plumbing return or three in the tank, that I'll somehow live. I mean, I'm just dealing with my absurdities now, instead of losing myself in them! I've learned to compromise a few anal retentive attitudes for the sake of the greater good here!
Moving forward quickly never felt so good.
It's exciting times for me. A hobby renaissance. A time to do instead to plan. And most important- a time to enjoy. To enjoy the whole essence of this crazy cool hobby that we're all obsessed about!
So the takeaway here, fellow fish geeks, is to learn from my hard-earned hobby knowledge gained over many tortuous decades, and not to let your ideas get in the way of your execution!
Just DO shit!
Stay driven. Stay focused on your goal, but open your eyes and increase your flexibility.
Be nimble, agile, and open-minded. Stay on task.
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
Transforming the "biotope aquarium"
The idea of a biotope aquarium is well discussed and understood in the aquarium hobby. The generally accepted definition of the term, in aquarium parlance, is pretty straightforward:
A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. Biotope is almost synonymous with the term habitat, which is more commonly used in English-speaking countries. ... The word biotope, literally translated, means an "area where life lives".
Okay, that's pretty good. Can't really dispute that one, huh?
Now, it seems to me that there are always these discussions that ensue when the winners of contests are announced, or when someone presents their "biotope aquarium" to others in a forum, club meeting, etc. People feel angered, slighted, vindicated, or whatever- depending upon what side of the debate they fall on, and feel compelled to heap their opinions and attitudes into the mix.
We get really worked up; really pissy about this shit. I admit, though- It's kind of fun to watch from afar, actually. It does show the level of passion and commitment to the "art and science" that our hobby community has.
At the end of the day, though, I think that everyone can and should put aside their interpretive differences and come to an agreement that just about any aquarium intended to replicate- on some level- a specific wild habitat, ecological niche, or area where a certain fish or fishes are found- is hugely important.
Why? Because it calls attention to the habitats and environments themselves. It creates a starting point for discussion, research, debate...It raises awareness of the challenges that many habitats face with the encroachment of man's activities. It most certainly makes us appreciate the fragility of life- the genius of nature, and the incredible diversity and beauty of our home planet.
That's really not up for argument, IMHO.
Even the most poorly executed (by "contest standards", anyways) "biotope" aquarium helps the uninitiated public (or even the hobby community, for that matter) to become just a bit more enlightened about Nature. It might just stimulate someone, somewhere to ask themselves, "Is that what it's like in The Atabapo?"
And maybe- just maybe- they'll open up the iPad and do a little reading on the habitat that was being discussed...Maybe they'll take a crack at creating a representation of this habitat themselves. Maybe they will research and find and donate to an organization out there that is working to protect it.
It's all good, IMHO.
Now, back to where I stand...
A lot of you have asked me how I would apply a different way of thinking to the biotope-inspired approach. Before I get into it, let's just wrap up our discussion on what I feel is the current state of biotope aquariums. (Or, as one of my aquairum buddies so aptly suggested, "Part 750 of Scott Fellman's Masterclass on how to be an Aquarium Hobby Assohole..."
I have no issue with any of those standards for a biotope aquarium contests and such. They are all logical and well thought out. Where I take issue- like so many things in this hobby- is with attitudes. I mean, I've seen people "call out" others because one of the leaves or whatever in a "Rio____ biotope aquarium" is not endemic to the region, or whatever. Okay, I get your thinking, but really...
Even with the contest winners, you can take this attitude and nitpick to the "nth degree":
I mean, what about the substrate? Is it absolutely Rio Negro region "podzol" from the Andes? Is every species of wood used in the tank form the surrounding varzea forest? Is every freaking bacteria, fungi, Paramecium, copepod, etc. the exact species that comes from the region being represented?
Huh? Is it?
Can these armchair critics really discern the decomposing leaf of Hevea brasiliensis, Swietenia macrophylla, or Euterpe precatoria from Catappa, Guava, Jackfruit, Apple, Oak, etc? I mean, seriously? And, if someone cannot source these specific Amazonian leaves (NEWS FLASH" You typically can't), does that invalidate the aquarium from consideration as a "biotope aquarium?"
Does it even matter? C'mon! We have to get real and stop mentally masturbating each other about some perfection that few could appreciate, let alone discern. To me, "biotope-inspired" is good enough! Well, that's just ME, but...
Whew, I AM getting worked up here, lol.
Let's think about this from a "slightly different perspective." 😆
I'd rather focus on the "operational/functional" aspects of a biotope aquarium. The real "white space" in this area of hobby! Looking beyond the "conventional" approach to biotope aquariums and considering how we can replicate natural functions. How we can create an aquarium which is designed to replicate, as realistically as possible, many of the physical aspects which drive the function of a natural aquatic ecosystem?
To me, that's even more exciting and potentially beneficial than simply replicating the look of the system and the aggregating of species belonging to a specific environmental niche or geographic local as we do in the "conventional" approach to biotope aquariums. (Shit, is it just ME who's starting to hate that fucking term already?)
Stay with me here.
Perhaps the best way to replicate these aspects of natural aquatic systems is to replicate the factors which facilitate their function. So, for example, let's look at our fave habitats, the flooded forests of Amazonia or the grasslands of The Pantanal.
To create a system that truly embraces this idea in both form and function, you'd start the system as a terrestrial habitat. In other words, rather than setting up an aquarium right from the start, you'd be setting up what amounts to a terrarium. Soil/sand, terrestrial plants and grasses, leaves, seed pods, and "fallen trees/branches" on the "forest floor."
You'd run this system as a terrestrial display for some extended period of time- perhaps several weeks or even months, if you can handle it- and then you'd "flood" the terrestrial habitat, turning it into an aquatic one. Now, I'm not talking about one of our "Urban Igapo" nano-sized tanks here- I"m talking about a full-sized aquarium this time.
This is different in both scale and dynamic. After the "inundation", it's likely that many of the plants and grasses will either go dormant or simply die, adding other nutrient load in the aquarium.
A microbiome of organisms which can live in the aquatic environment needs to arise to process the high level of nutrients in the aquarium. Some terrestrial organisms (perhaps you were keeping frogs?) need to be removed and re-housed.
The very process of creating and populating the system during this transitional phase from terrestrial to aquatic is a complex, fascinating, and not entirely well-understood one, at least in the aquarium hobby. In fact, it's essentially a virtually unknown one. We simply haven't created all that many systems which evolve from terrestrial to aquatic.
Sure, we've created terrariums, paludariums, etc. But this is different. Rather than capturing a "moment in time", we're talking about recreating the process of transformation from one habitat to another.
Psychologically, it would be challenging!
I mean, here you've been essentially running a "garden" for several months, enjoying it and meeting the challenges which arise, only to embark several months later on a process which essentially destroys what you've created, forcing you to start anew with an entirely different environment, and contend with all of its associated challenges (the nitrogen cycle, nutrient control, etc.)
Modeling the process.
Personally, I find this type of approach irresistible. Not only do you get to enjoy all sorts of different aspects of Nature- you get to learn some new stuff, acquire new skills, and make observations on processes that, although common in Nature, were previously unrecorded in the aquarium hobby.
You'll draw on all of your aquarium-related skills to manage this transformation. You'll deal with a different aesthetic- I mean, flooding an established, planted terrestrial habitat filled with soils and plants will create a turbid, no doubt chaotic-looking aquascape, at least initially.
This is absolutely analogous to what we see in Nature, by the way.
One key to making this interesting from an aquascaping perspective is to create a hardscape of wood, rocks, seed pods, etc. during the terrestrial phase that will please you when it’s submerged.
You'll need to observe very carefully. You'll need to be tolerant of stuff like turbidity, biofilms, algae, decomposition- many of the "skills"we've developed as botanical-style aquarists.You need to accept that what you're seeing in front of you today will not be the way it will look in 4 months, or even 4 weeks.
You'll need incredible patience, along with flexibility and an "even keel.”
We have a lot of the "chops" we'll need for this approach already! They simply need to be applied and coupled with an eagerness to try something new, and to help pioneer and create the “methodology”, and with the understanding that things may not always go exactly like we expect they should.
For me, this would likely be a "one way trip", going from terrestrial to aquatic. Of course, much like we've done with our "Urban Igapo" approach, this could be a terrestrial==>aquatic==>terrestrial "round trip" if you want! That's the beauty of this. You could do a complete 365 day dynamic, matching the actual wet season/dry season cycles of the habitat you're modeling. Absolutely.
The beauty is that, even within our approach to "transformational biotope-inspired" functional ecosystems, you CAN take some "artistic liberties" and do YOU. I mean, at the end of the day, it's a hobby, not a PhD thesis project, right?
Yeah. Plenty of room for creativity, even when pushing the state of the art of the hobby!
There are so many other ecosystems which can work with this approach! Floodplain lakes, streams, swamps, mud holes...I could go on and on and on. The inspiration for progressive aquariums is only limited to the many hundreds of thousands of examples which Nature Herself has created all over the planet.
It's out there. It's up to us as hobbyists to "bring it home." What's next for you?
Stay inspired. Stay excited. Stay curious. Stay patient. Stay bold...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
Why?
If you've been in this hobby long enough, you start recognizing a few "universal contents." Stuff that you can pretty much guarantee! Of course, one thing that you CAN guarantee is that there are always those little "detours" that you didn't seem to expect...Or, did you?
Well, sure you did! As fish geeks, we sort of expect detours...We don't necessarily welcome them, but we expect them!
Yet, we question why stuff happens. Thats what we do, right?
Here are some classics:
Why is it that:
-The fish you've been trying to breed for two years won't even pair up- but the one you were given by a friend as an unwanted "gift" and have been trying desperately to rid your fish room of for years- reproduces like..freaking rabbits?
-The fish you saw in the "clearance tank" at the LFS and failed to purchased on impulse- because you knew you'd grab one "next time"- is never seen at the LFS again? #$%^#$#@@#$
-The only time you experience a major spill is: a)when you're already in the "doghouse" with your spouse/significant other/relative, and he/she is standing right there, b)when there are no dry towels handy, c)when you're running late for an important event and just HAD to sneak in the "quick water change" before heading out, or d)when you've just installed a brand new hardwood floor?
-You experience the a sudden, inexplicable, and unprecedented failure of a previously perfectly reliable aquarium component (pump, heater, canister filter, lighting system- or worse yet- the electronic controller that oversees the function of these devices) the night before you're about to embark on your 10 day overseas vacation?
-Your favorite cichlids spawn right when you run out of brine shrimp eggs? And it's (choose one): Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, or another major holiday on which the local fish store is closed for business?
-You get the urge to tweak that "one damn branch that's out of place" in your aquascape before leaving for work in the morning...and are still at it by 2PM?
-You purchase the wrong diameter hose you had the correct one in your hands minutes before...and you told yourself not to get the other one?
-You always lose track of how many drops of pH or other reagent you're adding to the test vial after like the third drop? (Pro tip- just get a digital pH meter!😎)
-The electrical cord for that vital piece of equipment for you new tank is just 2 inches too short to reach the electrical outlet?
And...
-You always have one more electrical device than there are outlets in your multi-outlet power strip?
-The biggest sale of the year at the LFS or your fave online vendor occurs the day after you had to make $750 worth of repairs on your car?
-Is it simply impossible for you to clean glassware without breaking it?
If you can answer these, and any number of other crazy hobby questions- you're better than I.
Stay thoughtful. Stay bold. Stay excited. Stay enthralled...
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
Do you "igapo?" Or, are you more of the "varzea" type?
It's been a long haul, but we're finally releasing those NatureBase sedimented substrates, and the response has been fantastic! We're excited, because it's the culmination of several years of dreaming, scheming, and experimenting. We're excited to see all of the cool experiments that our community will be doing with this stuff!
Now, as we mentioned in yesterday's blog/podcast, these substrates are NOT intended to be the basic substrate for every aquarium on the planet. They are, however, ideal for "transitional" wet/dry experimental systems, paludariums, and some vivariums. And of course, the "Urban Igapo" idea that we've been talking about here for years is exactly the type of thing we intended these substrates to be used for.
I suppose that, on the surface, it's hardly an earth-shattering approach: You set up an aquarium. You don't fill it immediately. Rather, you grow some terrestrial plants and grasses, allow them to take hold...then you bring on the "rainy season" and flood it. After a few months, you begin drawing down the water significantly, ultimately returning it to its "dry" state again.
Repeat as desired.
Think about what happens in Nature in many ecosystems on a seasonal basis.
All of the botanical material-shrubs, grasses, fallen leaves, branches, seed pods, and such, which is on the forest floor- is suddenly submerged; often, currents re-distribute the leaves and seed pods and branches into little pockets and "stands", affecting the (now underwater) "topography" of the landscape.
Leaves begin to accumulate.
Soils dissolve their chemical constituents- tannins, and humic acids- into the water, enriching it. Fungi and micororganisms begin to feed on and break down the materials. Biofilms form, crustaceans multiply rapidly. Some robust varieties of grasses hang on for extended periods of time during this inundation.
Others go into a sort of "dormant" phase, "browning out" and awaiting the time when the waters will recede and once again turn the igapo into a terrestrial forest floor.
In this rich, highly dynamic environment, the fishes are able to find new food sources; new hiding places..new areas to spawn.
Life simply flourishes.
Each time I flood my "Urban Igapo" systems, I am utterly fascinated by how life manages to "sort it out" to not only "make it though", but to thrive. It's really cool to see the many microorganisms swimming around in the aquarium, obviously feeding among the submerged grasses and other materials.
Now, of course, I'll be the first to tell you that what you get out of this process is not what I"d ever label as a "conventional" aquarium system. Because of the high level of nutrients, dense growth of terrestrial grasses/plants, and rich terrestrial soil, it's certainly not a "recipe" for an aquascaping contest winner!
And yeah- it's not intended to be. We'll be stating this over and over again to the point where you're going to hate hearing it, I'm sure!
This is not just about cool, "Instagram-ready" aesthetics. Sure, these "Urban Igapo" systems look very cool! (And, yeah, they're pretty damn sharable on social media- I'll give you that much...). However, it's much more than that. The focus here is on studying the function and dynamics of this unique transitional environment in the aquarium.
If you're only looking for perfect, static aesthetics, you're bound to ultimately be disappointed, because- just like in Nature- the terrestrial plants will ultimately slip into a "dormant" phase, where they aren't all "crisp and green." They become stringy, limp, and brown over time. That being said, I personally find this "look" kind of cool...I think that you might, too, when this is considered in context.
I think that it's not only simply an enjoyable "hobby within a hobby"- it's a dynamic that we can can and should learn more about. When we flood and desiccate an aquarium, attempting to replicate this cycle, we have to learn to manage a number of different dynamics, ranging from varying levels of nutrients, to nitrogen cycle management, to stocking with fishes.
The seasonal dynamic is broad-reaching and multi-faceted in the aquarium, as it is in Nature.
Let's take a little closer look at how you'd make one of these systems. Now, this is the most "cursory" and basic "treatise" about how to do one of these projects. We'll have much more detailed blog, photo essays, and an instructional video that Johnny and I will produce soon. Suffice it to say, this is only the start!
First off, here's what you'd need:
-Small aquarium (5 US gallons or less)
-NatureBase "Igapo" or "Varzea" substrate
-Grass seeds and or submersion-tolerant terrestrial plants
This is so easy that it's actually kind of embarrassing that I'm breaking down the process here, lol.
STEP 1- Add NatureBase substrate to aquarium. The depth that you will achieve is dependent upon the size of the aquarium and the amount of substrate you're using. We suggest about a 2" layer, which, if you're using one bag of NatureBase, will work in a small aquarium. Since this stuff is rather pricy, you're likely to work with smaller tanks until we really get the price down on this product with scaled-up production.
STEP 2- Add grass seeds and/or terrestrial plants. Great plant choices are the immersion-tolerant Acorus, and even rice seeds would be cool! Wet down the substrate as you would after any terrestrial planting. Soil should be moist but not completely saturated.
Now, a little note on grasses. We have been utilizing a few varieties of grasses, such as Paspalum and Bahia varieties. Both of these grasses are remarkably resistant to periods of submersion, and are pretty cool subjects to use in your "Urban Igapo." In fact, we're so excited about them, that we plan on offering them soon to complement your "Urban Igapo" experiments!
Depending upon the germination time of the seeds you're using, it's probably going to be between 7-14 days before you see some "above-the-surface action" from them, with grasses starting to sprout up!
As a side note- there is something oddly satisfying about seeing grass inside you home! For hobbyists who live in say, high-rise urban apartments, the novelty is pretty incredible, I'd imagine!
The real fun comes next.
STEP 3: Bring on the rain! After a few weeks/months, your little slice of the forest floor is probably doing pretty well. The grasses are thriving and your plants are no doubt growing strongly. It's time to start the rainy season!
Slowly add water to your display until you achieve a depth pf about 1/2" (1.27cm). When you pour, be careful and try to not disturb the substrate too much, as your grasses tend not to put down deep roots. Increase the water depth slowly, over a period of several days or longer, until you achieve he desired depth.
One of the cool things that I've noticed about the "inundation phase" in my "Urban Igapo" systems is that you start to notice organisms in the water- little aquatic crustaceans, Paramecium, rotifers, etc.- just like what happens in Nature.
This is really interesting to see!
Now, sure , the water will be a bit cloudy at first, as the sediments and so forth leach from the substrate. However, over time, the water tends to clear up. Regardless, I generally have to used a filter in my "Urban Igapo" tanks. I find it not only unnecessary, but a bit of a distraction. You COULD use one, of course. I'd select a tiny inside power filter, sponge filter, or even just an airstone, if you're so inclined.
This is the time when you'll want to add some fish to your system! What kind of fish you want to add is up to you. I'm a fan of annual killifishes, as they're ecologically adapted to live in temporary pools, and are kind of "made" for this type of setup! However, I've done this with Tetras and other fishes as well...that's the fun part.
Do your homework and have fun!
The cool thing about annual killies is that you can keep them in one of these systems for several months, allow them to lay eggs, remove the fish, and then begin the desiccation process knowing the there are a bunch of eggs in the substrate, waiting for the next "rainy season!"
You'll find that, depending upon how long your system has been inundated, many of the grasses and most of your plants will hang on and bounce back for another round. You may want to add some more plants and/or grass seeds for the "next season", depending upon the effect you'd like.
And of course you'd keep you system in "terrestrial mode" for as long as you'd like. Since I like to keep annual killifishes in many of mine, I keep them dry for the duration of the known incubation period of the eggs. Often this is anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 moths, depending upon species.
It's just the beginning of a very interesting time to experiment. A time to study, scheme, and replicate the function and form of Nature in a most unique way. And you're right in the thick of it!
Stay creative. Stay Bold. Stay inspired. Stay excited...
And Stay Wet.
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