The Tint

"Throwing Shade..."

One of the coolest things of having a "front row seat" to the evolution of the botanical-style aquarium "movement" is that I get to sort of function as a "learning house" for a lot of new and exciting ideas and approaches which my fellow hobbyists share with me regularly!

Sometimes, our shared progression and experience even makes me think about my own personal "rules" and directives. Pushing outwards has really helped me grow in the hobby.

Now, one of the things I've often talked about over the years here is the need for us as hobbyists to deploy patience, observation, and testing when playing with botanical materials in our aquariums. I've eschewed, even vilified "hacks" and "shortcuts"...I felt (and continue to feel, really), that trying to circumvent natural processes in order to arrive at some "destination" faster is an invitation to potential problems over the long term, and at the very least, a way to develop poor skills that will work to our detriment.

Obviously, I'm not saying that the botanical-style aquarium approach should be all drudgery and ceaseless devotion to a series of steps and guidelines issued by...someone. NO! That's even more frightening to me than the idea of "shortcuts" and "hacks!" Dogma sucks. And guess what? Ideas and practices evolve over time as we learn more about what we're doing and accumulate more experience. And that often makes me re-visit ideas which I might have formerly looked at in a more negative way.

Yeah, imagine that? Even crochety old me re-visiting ideas I've formerly "poo-pooed."

One of the questions we receive a lot is, "Can I use the water which I prepare botanicals as a sort of 'blackwater extract' or 'tea' to add to my aquarium?"  My answer has been, and still is the same: I don't recommend it, because in addition to the tannins and humic substances which are exuded during the prep process, you are also releasing a lot of dirt, dust, and organic pollutants which are bound up in the surface tissues of your botanicals.

My feeling is that the addition of a concentrated "brew" of the very stuff you're trying to eliminate via preparation into your aquarium is counter-productive at least, and downright detrimental to water quality at worst! Hardly worth the trade-off of losing ga small amount of the treasured tannins and humic substances, IMHO.

Yet, the questions continued. And the idea of utilizing the "tea" produced during the prep process persisted. And people asked about other stuff.

Hobbyists have for years played with other alternatives, such as Rooibos tea, which, in addition to bing kind of tasty, has been a favored "tint hack" of many hobbyists for years. Without getting into all of the boring details, Rooibos tea is derived from the Aspalathus linearis plant, also known as "Red Bush" in South Africa and other parts of the world. 

(Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis.  Image by R.Dahlgr- used under CC-BY S.A. 2.5)

It's been used by fish people for a long time as a sort of instant "blackwater extract", and has a lot going for it for this purpose, I suppose. Rooibos tea does not contain caffeine, and and has low levels of tannin compared to black or green tea. And, like catappa leaves and other botnaicals, it contains polyphenols, like flavones, flavanols, aspalathin, etc. 

Hobbyists will simply steep it in their aquariums and get the color that they want, and impart some of these substances into their tank water."Cold extraction." I mean, it's an easy process. Of course, like any other thing you add to your aquarium, it's never a bad idea to know the impact of what you're adding. 

Like using botanicals, utilizing tea bags in your aquarium requires some thinking, that's all. 

And of course, it got me thinking. I mean, tea is essentially defined as, "...a hot drink made by infusing the dried crushed leaves of the tea plant in boiling water."

I suppose that, by definition, it doesn't really differ substantially from what we are producing when we utilize botanicals in our aquariums- with the notable exceptions that we are: a) not drinking our tank water and b) allowing the botanicals themselves to impart the tannins and humic substances at their own "speed" over time (after preparation) into the water. More like a slow infusion, right? Oh, and of course, using the botanicals themselves in our tanks allows fishes and other aquatic animals to interact with them and use them for shelter and foraging, just like they do in the wild...

And yeah, I admit, I was openly critical of the idea of using Rooibos and many "extracts." 

The things that I personally dislike about using tea or so-called "blackwater extracts" are that you are simply going for an effect, without getting to embrace the functional aesthetics imparted by adding leaves, seed pods, etc. to your aquarium as part of its physical structure, and that there is no real way to determine how much you need to add to achieve______.

Obviously, the same could be said of botanicals, but we're not utilizing botanicals simply to create brown water or specific pH parameters, etc.

Yet, with tea or extracts, you sort of miss out on replicating a little slice of Nature in your aquarium. And that's a different sort of thing. And getting my head around this sort of changed my thinking just a bit.

Of course, it's fine if your goal is just to color the water, I suppose. And I understand that some people, like fish breeders who need bare bottom tanks or whatever- like to condition water without all of the "leaves and twigs and nuts" we love.

THAT suddenly registered in me!

There is ( I know, because I listen to you guys!) an entire population of aquarists who love the tint of the water, the benefits of humic substances and tannins, but simply don't like all of the decomposing materials, biofilms, etc. which accompany the addition of botanicals in aquairums.

On the other hand, if you're trying to replicate the look and function (and maybe some of the parameters) of THIS:

You won't achieve it by using THIS:

It's not "wrong" or "lazy"- it's simply a different route....for a different purpose!

And look, I understand that we are all looking for the occasional "shortcuts" and easier ways to do stuff. Life is busy. This is supposed to be fun. And I realize that none of what we proffer here at Tannin is an absolute science. It's an art at this point. There is no current way available to the hobby to test for "x" types or amounts of tannins (of which there are many hundreds) in aquariums.  I have not even found a study thus far which analyzed wild habitats (say, Amazonia) for tannin concentrations and specific types, so we have no real model to go on.

The best we can do is create a reasonable facsimile of Nature.

We have to understand that there are limitations to the impacts of botanicals, tea, wood, etc. on water chemistry. Adding liter upon liter of "extract" to your aquarium will have minimal pH impact if your water is super hard. When you're serious about trying to create more natural blackwater conditions, you really need an RO/DI unit to achieve "base water" with no carbonate hardness that's more "malleable" to environmental manipulation. Tea, twigs, leaves, extracts, "Shade"- none will do much unless you understand that.

I'm not trying to throw a wet blanket on any ideas we might have.

I'm not feeling particularly defensive about using tea or other "extracts" because I sell botanical materials for a living. It's sort of apples and oranges, really.

So I rolled up my sleeves and started to think about a better way to impart the benefits of our botanicals and leaves into aquariums in a manner which will provide some of the benefits without the associated materials in the aquarium, which breeders, planted tank enthusiasts, and other speciality hobbyists might not want or need for their purposes.

Why exclude these people from experiencing the benefits of botanicals?

Now, I realized that various types of teas and crushed catappa leaves in tea bags have been used for years by hobbyists. This is hardly a "new" or "revolutionary" idea. Like so many things we do at Tannin, my idea was to evolve the process and refine it more. To do better. To employ a different set of "ingredients." To give hobbyists a product that can deliver more consistent, more predictable results and instill a greater degree of confidence than what's previously been offered in this form factor. 

I reached out to one of my trusted botanical suppliers overseas and started the process. What we came up with, after a number of iterations was a series of carefully-formulated blends of carefully prepared, dried, and ground-up botanicals and leaves- the same ones we offer in our web site collections- which will provide specific color effects with a simple "delivery" method.

The result was a series of sachets (I mean 'tea bags" is SOOO pedestrian, right?) with the correct amount of the right ratio of our botanicals and leaves to impart predictable, consistent color effects (and, by extension, the same types of humic substances and tannins you'd expect with our "intact" botanicals) in an easy-to-use form factor.

We call the product "Shade"- and we think this is a big "upgrade" over the products of the same type which have been offered before. The cool part is that, since they're formulated from the same Tannin botanicals we've collectively been offering playing with for years, we understand the "color effects" that all of our materials can impart to the water. This gave us the ability to come up with three different "flavors", each which can give a different effect. We'll be releasing the other "flavors" in the months to come!

Our first release will impart a "classic" golden-brown color into the water. Future releases will impart a light golden color into the water, and a deep red into your tanks. 

Fun. Easy to use. Effective.

"A hack, Fellman?"

No.

A different form factor. A variation of how we do this stuff.

"It's a hack, Fellman!"

You'll never convince me that it is...Even if it sort of IS! 😆

And we have found, through a lot of testing and trial and error, that, unlike botanicals themselves, we can sort of develop a rough (albeit superficial) "dose" for the sachets. We've found that one sachet can influence about 5 U.S. gallons of water. And yeah, I know, I typically HATE - I mean REALLY despise making such "x" number of leaves or seed pods per gallon" recommendations.  This is a bit different, of course, because of the form factor of "Shade."

Now, by "influence", I'm referring to the color. Sure, these sachets could also impact pH of the water if you use reverse osmosis/deionized water to operate your aquariums. If not, they'll simply impart some color (and likely tannins and humic substances) into the water...Not a bad thing, but don't fool yourself. You need to test the impact of "Shade" on your water chemistry to know for sure.

Although "Shade" is a carefully formulated  well-tested alternative to "dumb old tea bags", it's not a "miracle" product.  It just isn't. "Shade" won't guarantee that you'll get your wild Cardinal Tetras to spontaneously spawn on command. It won't cure fungal diseases. It WILL help you achieve the color effects you are looking for. It WILL offer many of the same potential health benefits to your aquatic animals that using our botanicals in your aquariums in their "natural" form will. Of course, even those benefits are STILL not fully understood, 100% predictable, or really all that well-defined! (C'mon, you didn't think I could guarantee THAT kind of stuff, did ya?)

It's a cool product.

Better than what's out there now, if we say so ourselves.

Yes, it's not super-duper cheap like products which consist of just crushed catappa leaves are- becuase more botanical materials, more thought, and more "R&D" went into this product! Some of you won't like it, or simply dismiss it as bullshit or whatever. I get it. Personally, I think it's going to become a very popular item; a useful vehicle for imparting our beloved tannins and humic substances into our aquariums in a very different way.

However, like everything we do with botanicals, it's still sort of "experimental" to a certain extent. Yeah, it is. Until we have the means to analyze the exact types and concentrations of tannins and humic substances in every botanical we offer, and until these are cross-correlated with the specific types and concentrations of humic substances and tannins found in the natural habitats of our fishes, this approach will remain at best, a sort of "best guess" approach to fish-keeping!

And that's okay. It's evolving. And we're all contributing to the evolution!

Like everything we offer here at Tannin, we hope that you utilize Shade in ways that are creative, inspiring, beneficial to your fishes, and above all- fun! It's not a "game-changing" product- rather, it's a strong evolutionary step towards making the idea of botanical-style aquariums more accessible to a wider variety of hobbyists.Of course it's not for everyone. However, "Shade" is an important part of our on-going mission to help "tint the world", and blur the lines between Nature and aquarium.

We look forward to sharing more with you about "Shade" in coming days.We look forward to hearing about YOUR experiences with this new product! 

Stay focused. Stay excited. Stay bold. Stay creative. Stay diligent. Stay observant...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

The worlds we create...

An aquarium is not just a glass or plastic box filled with water, sand, plants, wood, leaves, seed pods, and fishes.

It's not just a disconnected, clinical, static display containing a collection of aquatic materials.

It's a microcosm.

A vibrant, dynamic, interconnected ecosystem, influenced by the materials and life forms-seen and unseen- within it, as well as the external influences which surround it. 

An aquarium features, life, death, and everything in between.

It pulses with the cycle of life, beholden only to the rules of Nature, and perhaps, to us- the human caretakers who created it.

But mainly, to Nature.

The processes of life which occur within the microcosm we create are indifferent to our desires, our plans, or our aspirations for it. Sure, as humans, we can influence the processes which occur within the aquarium- but the outcome- the result- is based solely upon Nature's response.

In the botanical-style aquarium, we embrace the randomness and unusual aesthetic which submerged terrestrial materials impart to the aquatic environment. We often do our best to establish a sense of order, proportion, and design, but the reality is that Nature, in Her infinite wisdom borne of eons of existence, takes control.

We have two choices: We can resist Nature's advances, attempt to circumvent or thwart her processes, such as decomposition, growth, or evolution.

Or, we can scrape away "unsightly" biocover on rocks and wood, remove detritus, algae, and trim our plants to look neat and orderly.

Or, we can embrace Her seemingly random, relentless march. 

We can make mental shifts, which look at stuff like the biofilms, fungal growth, decomposing leaves, and tinted water.

Mental shifts which start by accepting the look.

It's not a mystery that botanical-style blackwater aquariums simply look different. 

Now, it sounds a bit, well- "dramatic"- but we've all come to realize that this type of aquarium simply has different "operating parameters" (literally and figuratively) than pretty much any other type of system you'd keep. Not that there is some big "mystery" or "secret" to keeping one...Like any aquarium, you simply need to understand, appreciate, and yes- enjoy- the characteristics, phases, and nuances of this type of system.

The biggest parts of the "mental shift" are the understanding that botanical materials break down in the water column as they impart tannins and other substances into the environment. The well-manicured aquscape you might have conceived will be reshaped by Nature as the leaves, seed pods, and other botanical materials are broken down by bacterial and fungal action.

The realization that Nature is not the pristine, orderly environment that we have conjured up in our stylized aquariums and global aquascaping contests is perhaps the most difficult thing for the aspiring "tinter" to grasp. We've been indoctrinated for so long to think that this is the way Nature is, and that the definition of a successful, well-conceived, or "healthy and clean" system is one that consists of perfectly symmetrical/intentionally-placed/trimmed plants, pearly-white sand, and impeccably clean driftwood.

Of course, the reality is that this is just one aesthetic, and that Nature rarely has such circumstances combining in the same place. Rather, it's a world of biofilms, patinas of algae, randomly distributed botanical debris, scattered rocks and wood tangles, deposited by currents, rain, and even the fishes themselves, settling into positions that typically defy the "Golden Ratio" and other human-created constructs.

As a reefer for decades, I learned a lot about balance, understanding that there is a certain amount of natural growth, such as coralline algae and such, which goes with the territory, and that a well-functioning and stable reef aquarium has achieved a certain balance between what we perceive as "nuisance" and "necessary." No reefer likes huge algae outbreaks, but every reefer appreciates the presence of some algae in his or her system, as well as the random appearance of various micro and macro-fauna.

A sort of acceptance of a "holistic" environment within the confines of our aquarium. It's one of the "foundation principles" of reef keeping, and I think it would serve many within the freshwater aquascaping community to study and appreciate this as well. Rather than simply appropriating the term "Nature" or "Natural" to describe our system, we should think about how Nature actually operates- and looks, and appreciate, emulate, and embrace the unusual look of botanical-style aquariums.

The "mental shift."

Far more than a barrier, really.

Rather, it's like a "point of demarkation" between what we have come to expect from an aquarium and indeed, Nature- and the way Nature wants to "evolve" our aquariums. There is a certain dynamic- perhaps even a "tension"- between expectation and reality, and the understanding of this, wether we embrace it or not- will only make us better aquarists, with a more complete appreciation of the natural world and how function and form unexpectedly combine to create beauty- if we make the effort to see it.

And when we see it, we're far more likely to want to preserve and protect it, and educate others about its wonders. Or replicate it in our aquariums!

To truly enjoy the botanical-style aquarium, you need to understand what's involved, what's required of you as a hobbyist, and then move forward. Just remember one thing when playing with "botanicals in the aquarium:

It's not a "plug-and-play" proposition. It requires some effort, thought, observation, and patience...

By observing and assessing on a continuous basis, you'll get a real feel for how botanicals work in your aquarium.  And what's the real "finesse" part of the equation? It's the nuance. The subtle, yet noticeable adjustments and corrections we make to keep things moving along nominally- sort of like pruning in a planted tank, or weeding a garden...it's a process.

Yeah, a process.

In fact, the entire experience of a blackwater, botanical-style aquarium boils down to a process and a pace that helps foster the gradual, yet inexorable "evolution" of the aquarium. And let there be no doubt- a botanical-style aquarium does "evolve" over time, regularly and steadily changing and progressing. As we've mentioned many, many  times before, it might be the perfect expression of the Japanese concept of "wabi-sabi", popularized by Takashi Amano, which is the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

A mindset. A point of view. A philosophy, for sure.

And the patience to allow your system to evolve. 

It's absolutely the most essential skill to have if you're going to work with botanical-style aquariums. Period. There are no shortcuts, major "hacks", or ways to dramatically speed up what Nature does. Why would you want to, anyways? 

Adopt a "long game" mindset.

Know that good stuff often takes time to happen. I'm personally not afraid to wait for results. Well, not to "just sit around" in the literal sense, mind you. However, I'm not expecting instant results from stuff. Rather, I am okay with doing the necessary groundwork, nurturing the project along, and seeing the results happen over time.

A "long game." 

That's what we play here.

It goes hand-in-hand with interpreting and recreating the form and function of Nature as it really is.

Uncomfortable with this idea?

I understand.

It's hardly "revolutionary" or crazy... Patience is something most hobbyist already have- or should have- in their metaphorical "toolkit." Trying to re-create Nature in the aquarium is as old as the hobby itself.

Yet, to attempt to really replicate one of these complex natural habitats in the aquarium in form and function requires us to look ourselves in the mirror and see if we're up to the challenges (aesthetic and otherwise).

Can you handle the detritus? The biofilm? The fungal growth? The decomposition?

Had enough of this stuff? Or are you thirsty for more?

I submit to you the next step- the idea of turbid, sediment-filled tanks, where dead branchy materials, decomposing leaves, twigs, biofilms, clays, soil and silt play...

It's our next example of replicating Nature in all of its unabashed glory.

This type of feature really pushes us out of our "comfort zone."

You have a substrate comprised of silty, sedimented material which, when disturbed, will cloud the water a bit for days at a time. Sort of like what happens in Nature- but it's in your living room.

Is that something you'd want?

Trying to circumvent or "edit" this look is easy- yet it simply glosses over the real beauty of Nature. The "rules" of Aquascaping which we embrace so willingly simply fly in the face of how Nature works.

Suffice it to say, there are NO rules about rediscovering the unfiltered art beneath the surface. Our "movement" believes in representing Nature as it exists in both form and function, without "editing" the very attributes of randomness and resulting function that make it so amazing.

We are utterly inspired by this.

And challenged by it.

We are all about the preservation of biofilms, decomposition, and that "patina" of biocover that exists when terrestrial materials contact water. We've come to the understanding that these materials break down and influence the environment...and that this process doesn't always conform to our hobby interpretation of what is "beautiful."

We've developed a keen appreciation for the ephemeral, the transitional. 

It makes sense to me. It makes sense to many of you, too.

I believe that there is a huge hunger in the aquarium hobby to find out more about the natural habitats from which our fishes hail, and to create more realistic functional representations of them in our aquariums.

In my own rebellious way, I also can't help but think that part of this enthusiasm which a growing number of aquarists seem to have for this stuff is that aquarium hobbyists in general have a bit of a "rebellious streak", too! Our taste in "style" is changing.

And that maybe, just maybe- we're collectively a bit- well, "over" the idea of the "rule-centric", mono-stylistic, overly dogmatic thinking that has dominated the aquascaping world for the better part of two decades.

We're ready to look at Nature- and our aquariums, in a different way.

We're ready to learn more- from the worlds we create. Because they follow the path which NATURE created.

Stay attuned. Stay observant. Stay open-minded. Stay humble. Stay brave...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

A gift from The Master..

There is something neat about "ritual" in aquarium keeping. By ritual, I'm not talking about some religious service- I mean, ritual, in the sense that we engage in certain practices over and over on a repetitive basis.

In the botanical-style aquarium, we certainly do engage in many ritualistic behaviors, including replenishing our botanical "bed" in our aquairums as the materials break down and decompose.  

The continuous replacement and supplementation of leaves and botanicals as they start to break down is a sort of process- okay, maybe even a habit- which many of us who play with botanical-style aquariums engage in on a regular basis.  

And there are reasons for it: This practice not only creates a continuously evolving aesthetic, it helps maintain the biological diversity and helps ensure that environmental parameters within the aquarium are held in the cherished "tight range".

I know a few "tinters" who make significant replacements of leaf and botanical items and replace them with fresh materials simultaneously, and this is conducted on a regular basis.

Like, big, wholesale exchanges of old and new materials.

This is similar to the Japanese aquascaping practice of "sozo haishoku" espoused by the "Master" of this in aquariums, the late Takashi Amano. This is the processs of removing of as much old substrate material as possible along with the plants it contains in an aquarium, and replacing them with new materials.

It preserves the overall "composition" of the layout, but the "softscape" (botanicals and leaves, in our case) could change dramatically.

Embracing and understanding this philosophy is a true gift from Nature. It offers the aquarist a chance to both experience natural processes, as well as to impact the evolution of his/her own closed microcosm in profound ways. 

Now, one thing that's 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. The idea of leaving this material in place over the long-term is a crucial component of this approach, IMHO.

As we've discussed repeatedly, just like in Nature, these materials also form the basis of a  complex "food chain", which includes bacterial biofilms, fungi, and minute crustaceans. Each one of these life forms supporting, to some extent, those above...including our fishes.

I have long believed that if you decide to let the botanicals remain in your aquarium to break down and decompose completely, you shouldn't change course by suddenly removing the material all at once...Particularly if you're going to a new version of an existing aquarium.

Why? 

Well, I think my theory is steeped in the mindset that you've created a little ecosystem, and if you start removing a significant source of someone's food (or for that matter, their home!), there is bound to be a net loss of biota...and this could lead to a disruption of the very biological processes that we aim to foster.

Okay, it's a theory...But I think I might be on to something, maybe? So, like here is my theory in more detail:

Simply look at the botanical-style aquarium (like any aquarium, of course) as a little "microcosm", with processes and life forms dependent upon each other for food, shelter, and other aspects of their existence. And, I really believe that the environment of this type of aquarium, because it relies on botanical materials (leaves, seed pods, etc.), is more signficantly influenced by the amount and composition of said material to "operate" successfully over time.

Just like in natural aquatic ecosystems...

Yeah, there is a natural "prototype" for this process:

As we talked about many times before, removing old materials and replacing them with new stuff does sort of mimic what happens in many streams and rivers on a seasonal basis: Older materials are swept downstream as the watercourses swell, and are replaced by new ones that arrive to replace them.

And of course, in the aquarium, performing a "sozo haishoku"-type replacement of materials can significantly change the aesthetic of the aquascape because the botanicals are replaced with different ones after the previous ones are removed. In Nature, the underwater "topography" is significantly affected by these events, removing old feats and replacing them with new ones.

On the "downside", it can also create significantly different environmental parameters when we do big "change-ups" of materials in a short span of time; the impacts on our fishes may be positive or negative, depending upon the conditions which existed prior to the move. 

Now, personally- I'm a fan of less "radical" moves, and in the interest of a good "offense", I favor regular, more measured additions to the botanical "set" in my aquariums. I tend not to remove any decomposing botanical material, unless it becomes an aesthetic detraction because it's blowing all over the place or something like that.

The "Urban Igapo" idea that I've been touting for a good part of the year is a very deliberate execution of this iterative process, and it's taught me quite a bit about how these habitats function in Nature, and what kinds of benefits they bring to the aquarium. It's also taught me about the relentlessness of change and how habitats evolve over time.

We've talked about the idea of "flooding" an aquarium setup designed to replicate an Amazonian forest before. You know, sort of attempting to simulate some of the processes which happen seasonally in Nature. With the technology, materials, and information available to us today, the capability of creating a true "year-round" habitat simulation in the confines of an aquarium/vivarium setup has never been more attainable!

We've been testing the idea for a long time, and have been formulating some soils which attempt to replicate some of the attributes of those found in these habitats during the "dry" season. When flooded, you get an effect that's similar to what happens in the igapo. The debut of these "sedimented substrates", called "Nature Base", is just weeks away now. We think that they'll have a big impact on some of you.

And they will carry with them their own set of expectations: Sure, the water gets cloudy for a bit. The water is tinted, turbid, and sediment-laden. Eventually, it settles out. If you planted grasses and plants which are able to tolerate submersion for some period off their life cycle, they'll "hang on" for a while- until the waters recede.

Just like in Nature.

And you can go through multiple "wet and dry seasonal cycles" with the same substrate and perhaps only a slight addition of materials to replenish those which have broken down, but the result is a sort of "continuous aquarium"- one which can stay more-or-less intact over a long period of time and iterations, despite it's changes in appearance.

Some months back, did a slight "makeover" to my brackish water mangrove tank in my home office, which has accumulated a significant amount of decomposing mangrove leaf litter over the year it has been in operation. I wanted to add a lighter-colored, fine sandy substrate to be more consistent with some of the brackish-water Mangrove habitats I've studied. So what did I do? Well, I literally placed the sand on top of the accumulated leaf litter detritus... A pretty radical move for me!

And really, what happens is that, through the power of the current and the activities of my fishes, some of it rises up to the surface once again! And the water parameters have been unaffected by this move. With the understanding that we are attempting to foster multiple "levels" of life forms in our tanks, NOT removing all of the decomposing materials is a good move, IMHO.

Think about food chains, microbial growth, and environmental stability in our aquariums. Fostering these requires us to embrace, rather than fear- some of these processes as they happen in our tanks. 

And of course, Nature provides examples of similar processes!

Of course, I have no illusions that open, natural aquatic systems operate differently from our aquariums, but the "concept" is essentially the same... Study this pic by our friend, Tai Strietman taken in the Amazon...Leaves being covered by sand...interesting!

Nature really provides a "prototype" for everything, huh?

Having studied many images of Amazonian igapo, it is very obvious that, although some materials are swept away by currents, etc., many do remain in place until they fully decompose, adding to the richness and complexity of the habitat, and that we can mimic this process in our aquariums to some advantage.

And, when coupled with good husbandry technique (ie; water exchanges, population management, feeding, and use/replacement of chemical filtration media) an eye for aesthetics, patience, and a focus on creating as complete-functioning a microcosm as possible in our tanks, long-term success is virtually a "given" in botanical-style aquariums.

Okay, emphasis on "virtually." Nothing is a complete "given" in this hobby!

Now, far be it from me to say that one of these systems won't test your patience, diligence, and perseverance- but to those who do endure and hold steady, the rewards are there. Facing, accepting, and dealing with some of the early "aesthetic challenges" in botanical-style aquariums, like the appearance and proliferation of biofilms, fungal growth, and the breakdown of botanicals is a fundamental step in building our "skill set" in this speciality.

It's simply a fact that terrestrial materials, which exposed to water, will decompose, recruit fungal and biofilm growths, and substantially impact the aquatic environment and the physical appearance of our tanks. Exactly like in Nature! And how we manage this stuff, both mentally and practically, will impact the state of the art in truly "natural" aquariums for years to come.

We need to evolve just like our tanks do.

For decades, the hobby focus has been all about removing pretty much everything as soon as it breaks down. Clinical "cleanliness" of sorts. I beg us to reconsider this long-held belief, and to think about the potential benefits of leaving botanical materials in until they completely break down.

So, if you're tempted to remove some decomposing leaves or broken-down botanicals to preserve some aesthetic you have in your head...think twice, okay? Preserve at least some of the old materials. Think about the long-term impacts of such short term moves. Do think about the ability of the life-forms in our tank to process and utilize these materials if left undisturbed.

Yes, consider the concept of "Sozo Haishoku", the transient nature of botanicals, and the evolution of your aquarium over time.

You might change the course of your aquarium- and you will almost certainly change the course of the hobby as a whole.

Embrace the gift from the Master- "sozo haishoku"- on a scale that makes sense for you and your aquariums inhabitants. 

Stay patient. Stay curious. Stay thoughtful. Stay consistent. Stay observant...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Plying the niches...

One of the coolest things about running Tannin Aquatics is that we are what is known in the business world as a "niche" business. That is, we serve a specialized area of the aquarium hobby- people who are interested in creating more natural-looking- and functioning- aquatic displays.

As such, we not only offer products catering to a specific area of interest in the aquarium hobby- we provide information and inspiration to help cultivate new ideas and advancements that keep things fresh and progressive. And with this obsession about serving a specialized area of interest, we have a keen understanding of what our community is interested in.

I am quite proud of the fact that we did our small part to help bring blackwater, botanical-style aquariums out of the metaphorical "shadows" and helped curate and disseminate new and hopefully more nuanced information and "best practices" stuff about working with these specialized systems- helping, along the way to dispel some long-held misconceptions and misinformation which likely kept more hobbyists from playing with them.

It's like that with a lot of speciality areas within the hobby. You could literally pick one- or a dozen- little aquarium hobby niches and find a whole lot of great people doing cool stuff and sharing their experiences- and an equal quantity of misinformation, second-hand "tips", and outright bullshit!

The other day, I was having an email exchange with a member of our community who was lamenting that the brackish water area of the hobby is still sort of in that "emerging" phase- essentially a "victim" of decades of scant hobby information, focus on the most superficial aspects, and second-hand reports. It was- and is- common to see discussion about brackish aquariums on forums prefaced with stuff like, "I've heard______."

That phrase typically turns me off. 

In fact, it often makes me want to vomit.

It's part of the modern narrative of the "keyboard benefactor" in the hobby- often a (well-intended) sharing of information by a hobbyist who has little or no personal experience or direct information about the subject being discussed...And what it leads to is further dissemination of often shaky, many times incomplete, and often simply wrong information. In short, these kinds of well-intended attempts at helping often have the exact opposite effect. They often contain information which discourages interested hobbyists from moving forward into the niche they're into.

And that's a tragedy, IMHO.

One of the questions which I am often asked by the uninitiated to our niche is, "Why do you add this stuff to your aquariums?" A truly foundational question, of course- yet one which literally makes us think through the entire process.

Obviously, we could go into the answer in great detail, but I think that we've more or less covered the "why?"part of the equation since day one in this column, so I won't go on and on about that! Suffice it to say, we play with botanicals in our aquariums because they help us to replicate- in some manner, the processes and conditions which occur in natural aquatic systems. 

It's as simple- and complex- as that.

It's all about replicating the look and function of Nature, and most important- helping to understand why.

And the most important thing is not to get too far out in front of this stuff and make wild assumptions. Although we can replicate some aspects of Nature, we don't have the technical means, at least at a hobby level, to verify all of the impacts of utilizing botanical materials in our aquariums. And we simply don't have a complete understanding of every function of a natural aquatic ecosystem and all of their functions and interactions..

And we simply don't know everything about botanicals and their use in our aquariums. 

And, that's okay.

To that end, you'll notice that, in this column and elsewhere, you won't see us making wild, broad assertions about what botanicals can and cannot do in aquariums.

Rather, we can report upon the impacts that we can see and quantify in our own aquariums, and research the potential impacts that these materials have. We can also study the botanical materials which accumulate in natural aquatic habitats, and attempt to understand their influences upon them. We can ask questions, entertain hypothesis, and experiment.

However, we don't make assertions about them, and we discourage our community not to, either. We can't- we shouldn't. 

I hate exaggerations, the perpetuation of myths, and the attribution of all kinds of capabilities to techniques, products, etc. in the hobby which are only marginally based in fact. Especially when these ideas are pushed out by people who may not have all of the facts, the personal experience, and/or the background to back them up. 

These things-no matter how well intentioned- become very detrimental to the hobby.

Now look, I realize that many times, these things are offered up with very good intentions; not with some "nefarious purpose" in mind. I mean, sure, sometimes you'll see someone who has a vested interest in selling something proffer these kinds of things, which flat-out sucks. I think it's far more beneficial in the long run, to simply acknowledge that they don't have 100% certainty about the benefits of their product, but that there are interesting results and potential benefits, and to encourage responsible experimentation.

That's what we do, and I think that it's just fine- if you communicate this effectively and openly.

In our niche, it's led to a tremendous amount of participation and good information being created for the hobby. We as a brand, and us as a community share our success, challenges, and outright failures openly. We all learn together. We don't simply "parrot each other"-regurgitating secondhand information- and that's great!

Unfortunately, in the aquarium hobby, it's not uncommon to see straight-up "regurgitations" by otherwise well-intended hobbyists, making strong assertions or statements about this stuff- good or bad- who simply didn't bother to do their "due diligence" and research the facts for themselves before pushing it out on the web with personal commentary.

Often, these people have no firsthand knowledge or experience with the stuff they are pushing out! You know, the aquarium equivalent of "re-tweeting" something just because.

Well, that sucks, too. Right?

It sucks because it doesn't really add to the body of knowledge we are trying so hard to accumulate. It sucks because it can perpetuate second-hand knowledge that may or may not be accurate.

It hurt our niche for years...In fact, it simply discouraged it from really evolving for many decades. No one really jumped in with gusto and the desire to progress, evolve, and expand upon the limited information that was out. As a result, the limited, often shaky- information out there already flourished and became the "standard bearer" of the niche.

That kind of stuff is actually kind of tragic in a lot of ways.

Simply perpetuating this stuff can really inhibit those who want to push forward carefully from even doing so-or just being a fraud to share their efforts. People are often afraid of  getting their ideas and experiences out there! Being "first" to do something in the aquarium hobby can be a real scary thing sometimes. Lots of people are "skeptics" or "armchair critics", who simply live to trash others who are trying something different. I see it a lot. And I think it's okay to be the first to do something previously seen as "crazy" or "risky" or "unorthodox" in the hobby.

Someone who has to be the first to accomplish something great.

Someone who can overlook the negativity and "smack talk", to fly in the face of convention while taking that road less traveled. This is how we progress. This is how we will continue to progress in the hobby. And more important, this is how we inspire a new generation of hobbyists to follow our lead, for the benefit of both the hobby and the animals that we enjoy.

We can't dispense advise to fellow hobbyists with a dogmatic attitude that discourages progress and responsible experimentation. It will simply stagnate the progress of the hobby we all love.

And of course- my "call to arms" to ply new niches in the hobby comes with a request that you temper this with common sense.

I’m not advocating the abandonment of common sense and healthy skepticism. Everyone should not make a mad dash to the LFS to assemble schools of Black Diamond Stingrays. What I AM pushing is that we (and by “we” I mean every one of us in the hobby) should encourage fellow hobbyists who want to experiment and question conventional wisdom to follow their dreams.

If someone has an idea- a theory, and some good basic hobby experience, there is certainly nothing wrong with that. Yes, there is the sad fact that some animals might be lost in the process. It sucks. It’s hard to reconcile that…and harder to stand by it when animals are dying.

However, that may be the cost of progress.

The cost of not progressing might be far higher:

The loss of countless species in the wild whose habitats are being destroyed, while those of us with some skills, dreams and respect for the animals sit by idly -watching them perish, failing to even attempt captive husbandry and propagation for fear of criticism and failure from the masses. There has been very real talk over the years about making the importation, and possibly the distribution- of live corals and some fishes illegal in many nations. It's not that unrealistic a possibility. Who knows what opportunities might be missed if we fail to persue our goals?

Let's keep working together to push the state of the hobby farther than ever, backed up with facts and personal experiences! Of course, you should share your theories and hypothesis- but you should identify them as such. And guess what? When we aren't sure about something, there is absolutely no shame in saying, "We're just not sure..."

Everybody wins that way. Especially the animals we love so much, and the habitats we're fascinated by.

And there is something really interesting about our hobby "work"-especially in our little niche.

Example? 

There's been a fair amount of research and speculation by both scientists and hobbyists about the processes which occur when terrestrial materials like leaves and botanical items enter aquatic environments, and most of it is based upon field observations by scientists and ecologists.

As hobbyists, we have a unique opportunity to observe firsthand the impact and affects of this material in our own aquariums! I love this aspect of our "practice", as it creates really interesting possibilities to embrace and create more naturally-functioning systems, while possibly even "validating" the field work done by scientists! 

It goes without saying that there are implications for both the biology and chemistry of the aquatic habitats when leaves and other botanical materials enter them.

THAT is the real value of experimenting- pushing outwards...plying the niches and backwaters of the aquarium hobby.

Cast off..

Stay brave. Stay curious. Stay unabashed. Stay confident. Stay open-minded...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Shallow thoughts...

I suppose tastes change in the hobby over time...I certainly know that MINE do!

For example, my feelings about small tanks have come full-circle over the years. I've really come to enjoy them- for a lot of reasons, really...not the least of which is that they can serve as a sort of reliable and easy-to-iterate "test bed" for lots of new ideas.  

In particular, lately I'm really fond of shallow, rather wide aquariums. The unique dimensions of such tanks gives you interesting possibilities to create simple, yet utterly fascinating displays.

And of course, this makes some sense when you contemplate the types of aquatic habitats I'm drawn to. Like, here at Tannin, we're crazy about small, shallow bodies of water, right?

Especially little rivulets, vernal pools, creeks, and forest streams.

The kinds which have an accumulation of leaves and botanical materials on the bottom. The environments which are often shaded, loaded with twigs, and replete with tinted water... 

You know, the kind where you'll find fishes!

Happily, such interesting aquatic habitats exist all over the world, leaving us no shortage of inspiring places to attempt to replicate.

In Africa. many of these little streams are home to some of my fave fishes, killifish!

As mentioned above, these little jungle streams are really shallow, cutting gently through accumulations of leaves and forest debris.  Many are seasonal. The great killie documenter/collector, Col. Jorgen Scheel, precisely described the water conditions found in their habitat  as, "...rather hot, shallow, usually stagnant & probably soft & acid."

Ah-ah! We know this territory pretty well, right?

I think we do...minus the "stagnant" part, of course...

And understanding this type of habitat has lots of implications for creating very cool biotope-inspired aquariums. 

And why not make 'em for killifish?

So, for the most part, these fishes are often found in very shallow jungle streams. How shallow? Well, reports I've seen have stated that they're as shallow as 2 inches (5.08cm). That's really shallow. Seriously shallow! And, quite frankly, I'd call that more of a "rivulet" than a stream! "Virtually still, with a barely perceptible current..." was one description.

That kind of makes my case.

What does that mean for those of us who keep small aquariums?

Well, it gives us some inspiration, huh? Ideas for tanks that attempt to replicate and study these compelling shallow water environments...

Now, I don't expect you to set up a tank with a water level that's 2 inches deep..Well, it would be pretty cool...Yet, that's kind of extreme. For more of us, perhaps a 3.5"-4" (8.89-10.16cm) deep depth is something that can work? Totally doable. There are some pretty small commercial aquariums that aren't much deeper than 8" (20.32cm), and you could adapt other containers for this purpose, right? 

We could do this with some of the very interesting South American or Asian habitats, too...Shallow tanks, deep leaf litter, and even some botanicals for good measure.

Fishes like "Darter characins" and the like can do very well in such conditions. In fact, many small tetras can. If you remember, we ran a very successful "all leaf litter" tank with the "Green Neon Tetra" a while back, and it was one of the most interesting systems I've ever played with.

I only filled this tank to a depth of around 5 inches ( 12.7cm) at the most. But I used  a lot of leaves to cover the bottom. I used "Texas Live Oak Leaf Litter", "Nano" Catappa leaves, and Yellow Mangrove leaves. The result was a deeply tinted aquarium with very little in the way of vertical relief.  At first, you'd think this would be just incredibly boring.

It wasn't.

The fishes were not only stunning to look at against this interesting "substrate", they displayed a remarkable set of behaviors, such as a "cooperative foraging" among the leaves, with every individual in the shoal taking part- that I had not seen before. Some would dive in and pick at "something", while the remainder would sort of "hold station" above the leaves. This behavior would go on for hours! It was neat to watch. 

I've often fantasized about a long, low, shallow aquarium with just a fine sand substrate and a few pieces of driftwood- perhaps an interesting habitat for Corydoras or other small catfishes. I've seen images of habitats like this from our friend, David Sobry, taken in The Amazon- and they're quite compelling!

Even the idea of a near "wood-free" shallow stream, with riparian vegetation on the "banks" would be fascinating to recreate in the aquarium. Utilizing a correctly-sized aquarium would deliver a unique look, above and below the water surface. 

Again some "Darter characins" (Characidium sp.) would work in such an aquarium, as would Hillstream loaches and other interesting fishes in habitiats designed to replicate Asian biotopes. There is a lot of interesting stuff to take away from these habitats.

Streams are really amazing habitats for us to play with. There is so much interesting stuff to take away from them. And a whole science to their structure and function that is filled with takeaways for the aquarist.

The definition of a "stream" is: "...a body of water flowing in a channel or watercourse, as a river, rivulet, or brook..."

And of course, these little bodies of water flow through jungled areas, where they're bound to pick up some leaves, twigs, and other plant parts as they wind along their path. Leaves, the "jumping off point" of our botanical obsession, form a very important part of these stream habitats.

It is known by science that the leaf litter and the community of aquatic animals that it hosts is, according to one study, "... of great importance in assimilating energy from forest primary production into the blackwater aquatic system." 

It also functions as a means to preserve the nutrients that would be lost to the forests which would inevitably occur if all the material which fell into the streams was simply washed downstream. The fishes, crustaceans, and insects that live in the leaf litter and feed on the fungi, detritus, and decomposing leaves themselves are very important to the overall habitat.

In the aquarium, leaf litter and botanicals certainly perform a similar role in helping to sequester these materials.

Some litter beds form in what stream ecologists call "meanders", which are stream structures that form when moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its "valley", and the inner part of the river has less energy and deposits silt- or in our instance, leaves.

There is a whole, fascinating science to river and stream structure, and with so many implications for understanding how these structures and mechanisms affect fish population, occurrence, behavior, and ecology, it's well worth studying for aquarium interpretation!  Did you get that part where I mentioned that the lower-energy parts of the water courses tend to accumulate leaves and sediments and stuff?

It's logical, right?

And it's also interesting, because, as we know, fishes and their food items tend to aggregate in these areas, and embracing the "theme" of a litter/botanical bed or even wood placement, in the context of a stream structure in the aquarium is kind of cool!

The big takeaway here?

Research jungle stream or pool ecology. Study images and videos of these natural habitats. Learn which fishes are found in them. Try replicating those super-shallow aquatic environments with nano tanks. Keep the water in the tank shallow. Add leaves and stuff.

Observe. Explore. Enjoy. 

Stay inspired. Stay fascinated. Stay creative. Stay engaged...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Just, like...maintain...okay?

We receive a lot of questions about the maintenance of botanical-style aquariums. And it makes a lot of sense, because the very nature of these aquariums is that they are stocked, chock-full of seed pods and leaves, all of which contribute to the bio load of the aquarium- all of which hare in the process of breaking down and decomposing to some degree at any given moment.

It's not so much if you have to pay attention to maintenance with these tanks- it's more of a function of how you maintain them, and how often. Well, here's the "big reveal" on this: 

Keep the environment stable.

Environmental stability is one of the most important- if not THE most important- things we can provide for our fishes! To me, it's more about doing something consistently than it is about some unusual practice done once in a while.

Like, ya' know- water exchanges.

Obviously, water exchanges are an important part of any aquarium husbandry regimen, and I favor a 10% weekly change. Iit's the regimen I've stuck with for decades, and it's never done me wrong. I think that with a botanical influenced aquarium, you've got a lot of biological material in there in addition to the fishes (you know, like decomposing leaves and softening seed puds- stuff like that), and even in well-managed, biologically-balanced aquarium, you still want to minimize the effects of any organics accumulating in a detrimental manner. 

This piece is not really about water changes, and frankly, you can utilize whatever schedule/precentage works for you. The 10%-20% weekly has worked for me; you may have some other schedule/percentage. My advice: Do what works for you and adjust as needed.

Just do something.

Another question that we hear all the time around here is wether we should let the leaves in our tanks remain as they decompose completely, or remove them after they begin to break down.

Depending upon my "mood de jour", I may elect to keep leaves and botanicals in my system until they completely decompose. Ing an otherwise well-managed aquarium, this is generally not a water-quality-affecting issue, in my experience, and is more a matter of aesthetic preferences. There are times when I enjoy seeing the leaves decompose down to nothing, and there are other times when I like a "fresher" look and replace them with new ones relatively soon.

Some individual leaves and botanicals "recruit "an inordinate amount of biofilms, which even I may find distracting (hard to believe, I know...), so I will typically remove those "offenders". Again, no harm in leaving them in; the presence of biofilms indicates the presence of beneficial bacteria just doing their thing. It's just that sometimes, you don't want them doing too much of their thing- or in a place where you have to look right at it every day! You can remove sections of it with a planting tweezer (tedious, but oddly relaxing and satisfying, I might add), or a siphon. Of course, as mentioned above, you can just yank the offending botanical right out of the tank and be done with it, too!

When leaves and botanicals break down completely, you end up with a fair amount of "stringy fungal growth, biofilms, and fine particles of decomposed leaves that tend to accumulate here and there in healthy aquariums.

What's cool about this stuff is that, not only do you see it in aquariums- you see it extensively in natural ecosystems, such as Amazonian streams, Asian peat swamps, and other habitats.

Of course, in the case of a "botanical" style aquarium, It's an integral component of  what we call an "enriched" substrate. As botanicals break down- just like in Nature- they create a diverse matrix of partially decomposing plant materials, pieces of bark, bits of algae, and some strings of biofilm.

Ahh, "detritus..."

Stuff that sounds diverse, and it's also benign. Of course, in the aquarium hobby, it's all classified as "detritus." Detritus seems to have a bit more of a sinister connotation to it. 

The definition is a bit more precise:

"Detritus is dead particulate organic matter. It typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead organisms, as well as fecal material. Detritus is typically colonized by communities of microorganisms which act to decompose or remineralize the material." (Source: The Aquarium Wiki)

Well, shit- that sounds bad! 

It's one of our most commonly used aquarium terms...and one which, well, quite frankly, sends shivers down the spine of many aquarium hobbyists. And judging from that definition, it sounds like something you absolutely want to avoid having in your system at all costs. I mean, "dead organisms" and "fecal material" is not everyone's idea of a good time, ya know?

Literally, shit in your tank, accumulating. Like, why would anyone want this to linger- or worse- accumulate- in your aquarium?

Yet, when you really think about it and brush off the initial "shock value", the fact is that detritus is an important part of the aquatic ecosystem, providing "fuel" for microorganisms and fungi at the base of the food chain in aquatic environments. In fact, in natural blackwater systems, the food inputs into the water are channeled by decomposers, like fungi, which act upon leaves and other organic materials in the water to break them down. 

And the leaf litter "community" of fishes, insects, fungi, and microorganisms is really important to these systems, as it assimilates terrestrial material into the blackwater aquatic system, and acts to reduce the loss of nutrients to the forest which would inevitably occur if all the material which fell into the streams was washed downstream!

That sounds all well and good and well, grandiose, but what are the implications of these processes- and the resultant detritus- for the closed aquarium system?

In years past, aquarists who favored "sterile-looking" aquaria would have been horrified to see this stuff accumulating on the bottom, or among the hardscape. Upon discovering it in our tanks, it would have taken nanoseconds to lunge for the siphon hose to get this stuff out ASAP!

In our world, the reality is that we embrace this stuff for what it is: A rich, diverse, and beneficial part of our microcosm. It provides foraging, "Aquatic plant "mulch", supplemental food production, a place for fry to shelter, and is a vital, fascinating part of the natural environment. 

It is certainly a new way of thinking when we espouse not only accepting the presence of this stuff in our aquaria, but actually encouraging it and rejoicing in its presence! 

Why?

Well, not because we are thinking, "Hey, this is an excuse for maintaining a dirty-looking aquarium!"

No.

We rejoice because our little closed microcosms are mimicking exactly what happens in the natural environments that we strive so hard to replicate. Granted, in a closed system, you must pay greater attention to water quality, but accepting decomposing leaves and botanicals as a dynamic part of a living closed system is embracing the very processes that we have tried to nurture for many years.

And it all starts with the 'fuel" for this process- leaves and botanicals. As they break down, they help enrich the aquatic habitat in which they reside. Now, in my opinion, it's important to add new leaves as the old ones decompose, especially if you like a certain "tint" to your water and want to keep it consistent.

Not only does adding new leaves keep the water tint (and parameters, once you dial 'em in) consistent, it also gives you a sort of "evolving" aesthetic, which is similar to what you'll see in Nature: newly fallen leaves replacing older ones that have decomposed. Botanical system can be very dynamic in this way!

And then, there's that whole "water color" thing...

Like many of you, I store my water in plastic containers for use during water changes. Over the years, I've sort of worked out a rough "formula", if you will, to create consistent "tint" and conditions for my makeup water. Typically, I'll add 3 medium-sized Catappa leaves to a 5 U.S. gallon container of RO/DI water. This has always given me a nice even color and a pH around 6.5-6.6, which is the range I maintain in my display aquariums.

Hardly an exact science, I know.

Now, "your mileage may vary" as they say, and perhaps a different number of leaves in a different sized container works for you. Obviously there are many variables, even in as simple a practice as steeping leaves in your makeup water, like the source of the leaves and their "potency" (in regard to tannins contained in their tissues), the age and condition of the leaves, temperature, etc., etc., etc.

Oh, and then there's that recommendation to test your water. Yeah, that's me. And you don't need to go crazy, but regular tests of pH, alkalinity are really important when you're flirting with soft, acid water systems. And checking phosphate and nitrate are never a bad thing, as they can give you an insight into trends within your system, as well as just good old-fashioned knowledge about how your system tends to operate once it settles in.

Although it IS possible to have too much information (to the point where you can obsess over what are really insignificant details), it's never a bad thing to have enough to spot trends, right?

People ask a lot if blackwater tanks are tricky to maintain, given the reputation for challenges in low pH, soft water systems and the more delicate fishes traditionally associated with them (like Discus and Wild Angelfish, etc.). Honestly, I don't think they are any more "difficult" to care for than any other type of aquarium.

Definitely easier than say, a Rift Lake cichlid tank- and a magnitude easier than a full-blown reef system (or coral propagation facility, as I can attest to!). Like anything else, you'll develop the techniques, skills, and systems to manage your system in a manner that works for you and your fishes- and that's really all you need to do, in my opinion!

Observation- just looking at your fishes and their aquariums- goes a long way towards success in ANY type of aquarium. With hobbyists busier than ever before, with more personal and other demands vying for attention, this obvious thing may not be as easy as it used to be- so make it a point to spend some time every day just looking at your aquarium.

The longest I've personally maintained such a system has been about 5.5 years, and the only reason I broke down that aquarium was because of a home remodel that required the removal of everything from the space in which the aquarium was located. I set it up again shortly after the work was completed. The reality, though, is that I could have kept this system going indefinitely. 

As most of you who work with these aquariums know, the key to long-term success with them is to go slowly, deploying massive amounts of patience, common-sense husbandry, monitoring of environmental parameters, and careful stocking management. Not really much different from what you'd need to do to successfully maintain ANY type of aquarium for the long haul.

Yeah, real "news flash" there, right?

So, it all starts with the way these tanks "run in", and that will sort of "set the tone" for the care and long-term maintenance involved. 

Expectations, if you will.

First off, one of the things that we all experience with these types of systems is an initial burst of  tannins, which likely will provide a significant amount of visible "tint" to the water. If you're not using activated carbon or some other filtration media, this tint will be more pronounced and likely last longer than if you're actively removing it with these materials! And, if you use too much carbon, you'll be one of those people who emails me with a starting line like, "...and I added an entire package of catappa leaves and my water is barely tinted..."

You might also experience a bit of initial cloudiness or turbidity...this could either be physical dust or other materials released from the tissues botanicals, or even a burst of bacteria/microorganisms. Not really sure, but it usually passes quickly with minimal, if any intervention on your part. Oh, and not everyone experiences this...often this is a phenomenon which seems to happen in brand new tanks...so it might not even be directly attributable to the presence of the botanicals (well, at least not 100%). Could be the sand, or other dust/dirt from the other hardscape materials or the tank itself.

Oh, and the reality is that in a tank with lots of botanical materials, the water may not always be "crystal clear." I mean, sure it'll be clear- as in, you can see across it- but it might have a sort of "soupy" look to it. This is for the very reasons stated above. Mental shifts required...

So, that being said...what happens next?

Well, typically, as most of you who've played with this stuff know, the botanicals will begin to soften and break down over a period of several weeks. Botanical materials are the very definition of the word "ephemeral." Nothing lasts forever, and botanicals are no exception! Pretty much everything we utilize- from Guava leaves to Melostoma roots- starts to soften and break down over time. Most of these materials should be viewed as "consumables"- meaning that you'll need to replace them over time.

I'll backtrack and touch on that whole idea of "leaving stuff in" to break down fully.

I have never had any negative side effects that we could attribute to leaving botanicals to completely break down in an otherwise healthy, well-managed aquarium.

Many, many hobbyists (present company included) see no detectable increases in nitrate or phosphate as a result of this practice. Of course, this has prompted me to postulate that perhaps they form a sort of natural "biological filtration media" and actually foster some dentritifcation, etc. I have no scientific evidence to back up this theory, of course (like most of my theories, lol), other than my results, but I think there might be a grain of truth here!

So, the living with your botanical-style backwater aquarium isn't just about a new aesthetic approach. This is where the "mainstream aquarium crowd" (LOL) gets it all wrong and really "short-sells" this stuff... It's about understanding and processing what's happening in the little aquatic ecosystem you've created. It's about asking questions, modifying technique, and, yeah, playing hunches- all skills that we as hobbyists have practiced for generations.

When you distill it all- we're still just "keeping an aquarium"-but one that I feel is a far more natural, dynamic, and potentially game-changing style for the hobby.

So, relax, observe, and...just maintain. Your aquarium will be fine.

Stay diligent. Stay consistent. Stay aware. Stay involved...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Ever more accurate...

There are some things that we as botanical-style aquarists are starting to figure out, aren't we?

We're learning how to work with botanicals as never before, and making great strides at understanding and attempting to replicate the unique natural aquatic habitats from where our favorite fish come from. 

We're becoming ever more accurate at replicating them in a "functionally aesthetic" way. Different than what's been done in years past, IMHO.

After decades of playing with botanicals, and after five years of building Tannin Aquatics, I've formulated a fair amount of opinion on some of this stuff, as you might guess! 

fIn recent years, I've fielded questions from all sorts of hobbyists and representatives of various biotope aquarium contests and groups, which seem to have similar "themes", and I feel that there are some things which need to be clarified about the idea of how we represent natural habitats in our aquariums.

I mean, sure, one could say I'm a bit biased because I own a company which offers natural materials from around the world to enable hobbyists to replicate -at least on some level- the aesthetics- and more important- some of the function- of various aquatic habitats from around the world, and that I want to justify offering stuff that merely "represents" the materials found in the ______ region.

(Damn, that's a fucking mouthful, huh?)

I'll give you that.

And yeah, my orientation- my personal passion- the passion which led me to found Tannin Aquatics- was to curate, love, and offer my fellow hobbyists the natural materials they can use to create inspiring and compelling natural-style aquariums. To what level of authenticity we all aspire to is the choice of each one of us as individuals.

Where I take issue- like so many things in this hobby- is with attitudes. I mean, I've had people "call out" others because one of the leaves or whatever in a "Rio____ biotope aquarium" is "not endemic to the region", or whatever. I see hobbyists get trashed hard by others over stuff like that on a fairly regular basis.

Okay, I get your thinking, but really...

Even with the biotope aquarium contest winners, you can take this attitude and nitpick everything 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? Or, is it just packaged aquarium sand...(gulp!)? Is every freaking bacteria, fungi, Paramecium, etc. the exact species that comes from the region being represented?

Huh? Is it? 

How crazy do we want to go when criticizing the efforts of others- and to what purpose?

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? I mean, I can't, and I work with this stuff every single day of my life...How can they? And, if someone cannot source these specific Amazonian leaves or seed pods, does that "invalidate" the aquarium from consideration as a "biotope aquarium?"

Does it even matter?

Whew, I AM getting worked up here, lol.

Again, it's the self-righteous attitudes surrounding these kinds of things that drive me crazy...And granted, these are extremes and not everyone who works in the biotope aquarium field or judges one of these contests is a straight-up douchebag. Most are simply knowledgable, well-intentioned hobbyists and scientists who want to see aquariums which represent the wild habitats as accurately as possible...

The point of my rant is that I think we all want the same thing.

We all want to represent. as accurately and faithfully as possible, the biopic niches we're into. And that is incredibly cool! But when we get caught up in semantics and petty arguments for the sake of...well, for the sake of "being right"- who does this help? Who does it hurt?

Doesn't this kind of criticism hurt those who are in a unique position to use their aquarium hobby talents to maybe, MAYBE reach a few non-hobbyists with their beautiful tank...perhaps raising awareness of the plight of that Borneo peat swamp or African flood plain? Does it discourage them from trying again in the future and sharing their work with the world?

Yeah. I think it does. And that sucks.

We need to lose the attitude on this topic.

I think many aquariums can be accurately labeled "biotope-inspired" or "biotope-style" aquarium. I think a lot of the cool work our community does is at that level. There is nothing wrong with that at all.

Think about more than just the look...think about how these aquariums FUNCTION over an extended period of times with all of these natural materials present...

THAT is the key. 

Not stressing out or attacking others because the aquarium doesn't have the exact seed pod that might be found in that garage which the hobbyist or contest entrant is trying to represent. I am passionate about this, because I receive way too many emails from hobbyists who are desperately searching for ________ pods or ________ leaves to fit these "requirements" forced on them...or at least, which they feel are being forced upon them!

I feel that more clarity and flexibility is required.

As I've indicated before, much of our materials originate from multiple geographic regions around the world, having been transplanted by man, although the "type specimens" of a given botanical (rather, the plant it is derived from) are found in a specific region. Examples would be Catappa and Guava, which are found all around the world, having been transplanted by man for centuries.

And I'll hazard a guess that most "critics" and "judges" in biotope competitions couldn't distinguish between another species of Artocarpus or a Jackfruit leaf, or a Yellow Mangrove from a Red Mangrove, or a Live Oak leaf, once they've been down for a while!

Same with botanicals...

So, the idea that the materials we offer and use represent many of the things found in natural waters is important to consider. Now, I would never discourage those who want 100% accuracy to pursue it; and I certainly offer not criticism of this desire. 

Yet, I think we need to still be a bit open-minded, in terms of what we use in our tanks to represent materials found in a given aquatic habitat.

This gives you a certain degree of "flexibility", in terms of what botanicals you can use in a given setup.

A lot you ask for materials that would be found in an "Asian blackwater pond" or a "South American rain forest stream"- more or less broad geographic descriptors, but we understand the desire to be a bit more accurate, particularly for more hardcore biotope enthusiasts and hobbyists entering competitions. 

I feel you.

We have made the attempt in our product descriptions to describe the point of origin or the botanical wherever possible, to give you some sort of a "guide" should you need it.

In the end, however, it's important to note that many of our botanicals should be thought of as "reasonable facsimiles" to the materials found in the wild aquatic habitats of the world. We think we have possibly the most comprehensive collection of botanical materials, curated and tested for safe use in aquatic displays- ever assembled in one place!

(when our supply chain isn't disrupted, that is! 😂)

Of course, it's nothing compared to what Nature deposits in the waters of the world, but it's a good start! We can't offer it all, but we can offer some of it!

So, it goes without saying that we feel a little bit of  "flexibility"- using what's available to represent whats out there- isn't a bad thing!

I'll tell you that most any of the natural materials we offer are okay for a variety of species of fishes. The qualifier is that most of the stuff we offer (botanicals and leaves, in particular) are geared towards fishes which come from aquatic habitats other than super-specialized environments like the African Rift Lakes, which are hard, alkaline lakes with more rock and sand than wood and leaves.

We have broken down our classifications of natural materials on our website into categories such as leaves, seed pods, stems and bark, and substrate additives. If you read our descriptions carefully, we try to provide not only the scientific name of the botanical in question, but the geographic origin if known. This is somewhat important for those of you who require the most geographic accuracy possible.

Ever more accurate.

Most of our items, however, fall into that category we've often referred to (rather unprofessionally, I must confess) as "generic tropical"- stuff that represents the materials you might find in tropical aquatic ecosystems around the world.

In other words, the cool-looking Cariniana pod from the Cariniana legalis tree of South America would be perfectly at home in an Amazonian-themed aquarium. It would also be perfectly acceptable in a Southeast Asian or African-themed tank, as it resembles some of the botanical materials that are found in the aquatic habitats of these regions.

"Generic Tropical."

Yeah, this concept might make a few hardcore biotope enthusiasts cringe.

However, I've seen dozens of biotope aquariums in big competitions representing very specific Asian or South American habitats, with substrates covered in Beech or Oak leaf litter from Europe or North America, and no one- judges included- batted an eyelash, so...

I'm just sayin'.

IMHO, we shouldn't get too bent out of shape about this.

The reality is that most of the materials which accumulate on the substrate or elsewhere in the aquatic habitats we try to recreate either were there to begin with (as in the case of the flooded igapo forest floors of South America), or fell into the water from overhanging vegetation, or were swept up by flooding, wind, or other natural events.

There is not some set model for how these materials arrive into aquatic habitats. And, to be objective,  I have to proffer that many of the materials that we offer for this purpose are from trees and shrubs often not found directly in the path of water.

Maybe they're from areas nearby.

Some are from mountainous regions or plains which don't have bodies of water in the vicinity that they're found. Again, they are selected for inclusion in our offerings because they have an appearance or characteristics which  represent those of materials that we've seen in various aquatic habitats.

Key word here: "represent."

"Generic tropical."

A perfect descriptor, IMHO

And of course, if you want to really "split hairs", you could say "generic aquatic", because several of the materials which we offer are from temperate regions of the world, too!

It all goes back to the level of authenticity that you are striving to achieve.

And some tropical-derived materials from one part of the world are perfectly suitable for- and I'd argue, indistinguishable from- from materials found in other regions of the world.

Yet they work perfectly in aquariums to represent them.  

As for obtaining the EXACT materials that you'd find in the habitats you're interested in? 

Keep striving. DO the ground work- you can get creative in sourcing some of them.

We spend enormous amounts of time trying to work with suppliers worldwide to source new and more "geographically specific" botanicals. Often times, local governments impose strict export restrictions on any significant quantity of some of these items, and to obtain them in quantities is simply not practical or legal. Others are very uncommon. Still others have species in their family which can represent them in appearance, function, etc.

My advice?

Don't stress over it. Enjoy it.

Incorporate the function and aesthetics from materials which represent those found in our favorite tropical aquatic habitats. Learn about the habitat, and how materials accumulate in the waters- and how they influence the fishes that live in them.

It's a fascinating pursuit in and of itself!

So, in summary, we may not always be able to offer the exact botanical materials that you see in the videos and pics you find, but most of the botanicals we offer are good representative of the materials you see in the wild aquatic habitats. I personally have spent many hours over the years studying photos and videos and getting a lot of inspiration for the types of things we elected to offer at Tannin.

You should, too.

Because you'll learn to appreciate the power of "generic", while striving to be ever more accurate in creating aquariums which replicate the look and function of the wild aquatic habitats we all love so much.

Stay creative. Stay resourceful. Stay disciplined. Stay calm. Stay happy...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

You're not just an aquatics businessperson- You're a "bricoleur!"

I am anything but some "business guru."

Yet, for some reason, a lot of people in the aquarium industry reach out to me with questions about how to start or innovate their aquatics businesses, online or brick-and-mortar. I find this very flattering, and humbly accept the accolades I receive. Happy to help others when I can.

That being said, I find it astounding that I- the guy who sells "twigs and nuts" for a living, is seen as some kind of source for aquatics business knowledge. And just recently, I received an email from a fellow aquatics industry vendor the other day (who operates in a completely different sector of the industry than I do), just worried sick about some newcomer to his niche. 

He raised questions which I find to be surprisingly common in a lot of industries (yeah, not unique to our wet and stinky businesses!), but which I am asked a lot by aquatics industry peeps. Most of them concern what to do when other guys arrive on the scene. 

I think we make waaaay to big a deal about this. 

Nonetheless, it comes up often enough in inquiries that I should address it in a blog (Oh, lucky YOU!)...

As usual, this answer sort of requires me to look into my own attitudes and experiences, to give context to it. 

It makes me think back to when I first started Tannin in 2015. A far cry from the cranking coral propagation business which I sold my share of when I pushed out to start Tannin.

That scene was jumpin!'

And, the botanical-style aquarium scene?

Well, there was no "scene."

It was a completely uncharted territory.  

The word "botanical" ( now pretty much the accepted, standard descriptor for all of this stuff we toss in our tanks) simply didn't exist in this context at the time. So, we started by appropriating that term, to give context to the "lawn trash" that we worked with. That was a good start! The term sticks to this day, and is used widely in our little hobby niche.

Off we went.

We got really busy "scratching our own itch", creating a business around a problem that I had- not being able to find a reliable source for the leaves and twigs and such needed to create botanical-style blackwater aquariums!

What to do?

I turned to...bricolage!

Huh?

“Bricolage” is a term used to describe the process of using whatever tools and processes are immediately available. The concept is most immediately familiar to fine artists, and implies a sort of combination of practicality and craftsmanship.

As botanical-style aquarium lovers, we've all learned to engage in this process almost from the get go. Yeah, we're "bricoleurs"- hobbyists who create using whatever is available to us.  We're a lot luckier now- obtaining botanical materials is easier than ever, with multiple vendors and online resources that simply didn't exist all that long ago. For many years, there wasn't a consolidated source of botanical materials for use in aquariums. We, as creative hobbyists, had to research, procure, and test these things for ourselves.

It was a bit of a challenge. yet, I used my skills as a bricoleuer- someone who makes use of whatever is available- to get this thing off the ground.

As a startup business, Tannin was able to immediately address the problem.  Having worked in the coral propagation and importation business for several years, I got pretty good at sourcing stuff from exotic places around the world. Although it took some time and travel, I was able to build upon a trusted supplier network  of botanicals  surprisingly quickly.

Of course, if I actually wanted to make a living at this, I also had to find all of the other crazy hobbyists who were into this sort of shit! And I had to educate those who weren't, dispel many myths, misunderstandings, and outright lies about these types of tanks in the process.

We had to procure stuff, test it, utilize it, share our experience, develop technique, refine it, and figure out a way to effectively market it and offer it to the hobby.

In short, we had to do everything from scratch!

Bricolage.

That was not only rather difficult- it was also one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done in business! Yeah. And we have made a bit of a difference, and I'd like to think that we still are! At the very least, it's not as much of a challenge for hobbyists to get into these types of tanks, learn about the wild habitats,  grab botanicals, and to find out more about them.

On the other hand, it's still a bit of a challenge for the consumer, when you think about it. Other vendors have arrived on the scene, offering more places for hobbyists to do business with. With more choices come more decisions, considerations- and friction- for hobbyists.

What makes one source better than the others? I mean, a leaf is a leaf, right? (Well, not necessarily- quality is apparent...but there's more to it, of course)

Here is the "meat" of my answer for this guy and other vendors who worry about it:

Yeah- with more interest, more vendors, and more hype about botanical-style aquariums in general, there is a lot more "noise." Meaning, of course, a lot more B.S. to filter through...a consistent lack of information (with a few exceptions), and not a huge body of recent firsthand experience with botanical-style tanks for newbies to draw upon.

What's happened in our little sector is that people are seeing an easy way to make a few bucks, push out some stuff, and try to run a "business" - enterprising and admirable to some extent, but incredibly short-sided in other ways.

Now, lest you see this as a jealous rant by a vendor who doesn't want any competitors- you're missing the point. 

My "business sense" always sees this as a sort of opportunity! Yeah, and opportunity to improve what I do, and to get better and further distinguish Tannin from any erstwhile "competitors" in the process- without stressing out about THEM.

Yeah. I can't waste mental "capital" worrying about the latest leaf vendor. There were guys selling them before I arrived on the scene, and they'll be more of them after I retire. 

To be perfectly honest, I really don't care about other businesses that sell botanicals. Seriously.  None of them are a perceived threat to me. I'm too busy trying to be a threat to myself! I spend more time trying to put myself out of business than I do worrying about some e-Bay startup selling seed pods or leaves. I spend a lot of time looking at what I feel are weaknesses in our business...from a product, customer service, branding, and information distribution standpoint. I have enough to worry about without thinking about the latest "leaf vendor" out there.

This is something that those of you in the aquatic business need to think about more. If you're good enough, you'll get yours. If you suck, you'll lose. Period. Don't suck. I have friends in various segments of the aquarium industry who simply freak the fuck out every time a new guy comes into the game. This, in my opinion, is an absurd waste of time and energy.

Don't do that.

The reality is that: a) if you're good enough, you'll always find-and keep new customers,  b) it's incumbent upon YOU to constantly tweak and improve your business to take care of them, and c) there is always stuff you can do to innovate, refresh, and maintain your market share.

Quite honestly, in my sector, I see the fact that new businesses are arriving as proof that we have a good market- with enough interest to sustain multiple businesses.A real validation! An opportunity to improve MY business- not as a response to a threat- but as an evolution necessitated by change in the market (ie; more homogenized vendors). And you do have plenty of options, even in a crowded market with "insurgent" newcomers, right?

Yeah, you can always do one of these seven things:

1) Go about making your business the best it can be, innovating and pushing forward, while building your community and brand. Keep your head down and push forward. Sure, have some awareness of what's going on, but don't drive yourself nuts.

2) You can reach out to the new guys and forge some sort of strategic partnership of some sort ("Hey, you are really good at selling _________, and I'm good at selling__________- let's see if we can work together...")

3) You can pivot to some new niche or speciality within the industry. Sometimes, this is a challenge- or a blessing.

4) You can vow to be the meanest guy around and simply figure out ways to destroy the competition via price cuts, better distribution, or whatever aggressive tactics soothe your ego.

5) You can simply buy out your emerging competitors. Yeah, just throw cash at them. Peace out, bitches! 

6) You can welcome the new guys and challenge them to contribute to the community that you've helped build and serve. You'd be surprised how well this can work. The good guys will jump on this and you'll make terrific friends, working together to grow the sector that you operate in, resulting in better business for everyone- including the consumers. The losers will just continue to sell stuff and offer little more- ultimately "commoditizing" and devaluing their product- and self-limiting themselves from relevancy in the process.

7) You can get angry, grab your toys and leave the metaphorical sandbox. Pack it in. Fold, like a cheap chair...Just quit.

Obviously, these recommendations cover the gamut, and you're likely to do one of them- or some combination of them, in a manner which suits you. I personally hate recommendation number 7, but a lot of people do select that option. 

The reality is that you simply need to worry about YOUR business, and obsess over what you do. Although I admit, I do occasionally glance over the shoulder to see what's up in my sector. I'd be foolish NOT to do that once in a while. You have to at least be aware of stuff. An ongoing sort of "rule of thumb" here at Tannin is that, if we see a "competitor" doing something similar to what we do, it's time to stop doing it. And funnily, often times we simply stop doing it for our own reasons, and coincidentally find that the competition just started doing it!

Example?

Remember we had like, 15 different "variety packs", each with different botanicals? It was maddening, developing "recipes" for each, maintain appropriate inventories of botanicals for them, and generally keeping up...Plus, we learned from market feedback that our customers preferred making up their own quantities of these things, preferring "recommendations" and the freedom to select from a whole range of stuff in quantities that THEY needed rather than set packs. What we call "curated themes" arose. 

So we killed the "variety packs" in 2018. Good riddance, indeed.

And hilariously, almost every time a new competitor comes on the scene, they offer "variety packs" of botanicals, and I wonder, just a for a second- how long they'll be able to do that while growing their business and keeping their sanity! Maybe they can. I know that we can't..and our customers and my staff are delighted for that. Besides, we have the super popular "Enigma Pack" if people want us to curate for them!

Bricolage.

Constant, relentless effort to innovate, craft, work with what you've got, to improve and drive your business forward- regardless of what the competition is trying to do. Don't listen to the accolades, and don't get taken down by the criticisms. March to your own drummer. Work with what you've got. Move forward- in a manner that works for YOU. If you've got something people want, the market will decide, and you'll win. If you don't...well, you still have options, right?

So, that's today's slightly long-winded answer to an oft-asked aquatics business question. Gotta run now..I have some new products to attend to! 

Don't stress out over this stuff. Enjoy the process.

Stay innovative. Stay unabashed. Stay unique. Stay diligent. Stay creative...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

"Passive management" and the evolving aquarium...

Have you ever considered the "lifetime" of an aquarium?  I mean, does an aquarium HAVE a lifetime? Or will it just go indefinitely if we let it?

What does that even mean, in aquarium terms?

I like to think about aquariums as I do a garden.

Yeah, aquariums are very much like terrestrial gardens.

They have 'ebb and flow" (literally, in some cases!), growth, challenges, and dieback..they have setbacks- and rebounds. I'll bet that if you tracked what happened in a "community aquarium" over the course of say, two years, what you end up with after two years may be significantly different than what you started with. 

In a reef aquarium, where corals are competing for light, nutrients, and space, this type of "evolutionary" change takes place. It's near constant, and it can be quite profound.

Oh, sure, some of the changes that occur during the "life" of an aquarium are human-imposed, such as equipment modifications/replacements, aquascaping "edits", fish and plant additions, etc. However, if you look carefully (as I'm sure that you do), as many changes can be attributed to the cycle of life which occurs in your little microcosm as to human "intervention" of the aquarium environment. 

Things like the growth and/or "dieback" of plants, the proliferation of algae, the gradual decay of wood and aquatic botanicals, social hierarchies among inhabitants, the "patina" of biofilm/algae, however subtle, that makes fresh aquarium substrate "matte out" over time, looking more natural, more subtle...more full of life.

What the Japanese call "wabi-sabi"- the transient nature of things- is both beautiful and inevitable.

And change doesn't happen uniformly, either.

I remember from my experience growing corals commercially, that on any given day, some of the many thousands of specimens we had growing in our facility would be struggling. Some would be absolutely cranking!

Others would be just sort of "there."

And it would change constantly. It was a great demonstration for me of what aquatic husbandry is all about. You need to observe, tweak, and sometimes, simply get out of the way.

The science is one thing.

You learn "best practices" and protocols very quickly, and adhere to them. The "art" of being an aquarist- the really tricky part of this game- is how we choose to manage this multifaceted microcosm, with all of its "moving parts" and subtle complexities.

We can let things decline. Or, we can take charge and attempt to stave off the inevitable. Botanical-style aquariums offer numerous opportunities for making changes- or not.

How we as humans choose to accept this progression and change is purely based on our own tastes.

The reality is that these things will continue despite any interventions we perform on our tanks. We can "resist" them, performing "maintenance" takes on our tanks, like trimming plants, fragging corals, scraping algae, stirring the top layers of substrate, etc.- but these are merely serving to counteract or stave off the inevitable changes that occur in an aquarium as it establishes itself, begins to thrive, and gradually declines.

Of course, in many cases, the "decline" is so gradual, so subtle, that the outsider hardly notices.  In the case fo a botanical-style aquarium, with its abundance of seed pods, leaves, and other materials, you'd be hard-pressed to really call it a "decline." It's more like an evolution, really.

You, the aquarist, ever keen on anything that occurs in your tank, will notice- and often perform subtle (or not-so-subtle) interventions to counteract this process, lest it descend into some sort of chaos, right? 

Yet, isn't "chaos" sort of a human-ascribed thing? I mean, we're talking about changes in the aquatic habitat which evolve the look and perhaps the biological "operating system" of the aquarium. This is absolutely analogous to what happens in natural aquatic systems.

Stuff breaks down, and different types of organisms flourish and reproduce as a result. Nothing goes to waste in Nature...and that includes the "nature" which is found in our aquariums, too..If we allow it to happen.

It's entirely possible, in my humble opinion, that we, as aquarists actually sabotage the essential natural processes which help our tanks run when we attempt to "intervene" through excessive maintenance.

Perhaps a hands-off approach- "passive management", if you will- is not always a bad thing.

I sometimes wonder what our aquariums would evolve into over the course of a couple of years if we merely performed basic maintenance tasks, such as water changes, equipment maintenance, feeding, scraping the viewing panels, etc., and did little else. No animal replacement. No trimming of plants, fragging of corals, or removal of fish fry. No rearranging of the aquascape. 

What would you end up with?

Of course, the answer depends upon what the "end point" is. For that matter- does there have to be one?

It seems that in recent years, I've executed more aquariums in a shorter period of time than ever in my aquatic career. Unusual for me, because, as you might imagine- I'm kind of a "leave the tank be" kind-of-guy.

One of the ideas we play with quite a bit is hardly "radical" in it's departure- you've likely done a version of this hundreds of times during your aquarium hobby career: It's the idea of keeping your aquarium more-or-less "intact" while moving on to a new iteration.

In other words, you're kind of over your Southeast Asian Cryptocoryne biotope, and ready to head West to South America. So, rather than tearing up the entire tank, removing all of the plants, the hardscape, the leaves and botanicals, and the substrate, you opt to remove say, only the plants and the driftwood/rocks from the tank; exchange a good quantity of the water.

Woooah! Crazy! Fellman, you fucking rebel...

I know. I know. This isn't exactly earth-shattering. 

On the other hand, in the world of the botanical-style aquarium, the idea of leaving the substrate and leaf litter/botanical "bed" intact as you "remodel" isn't exactly a crazy one. And conceptually, it's sort of replicates what occurs in Nature, doesn't it?

Yeah, think about this for just a second.

As we almost constantly discuss here, habitats like flooded forests, meadows, vernal pools, igarape, and swollen streams tend to engulf terrestrial habitats, or go through phases where they are terrestrial habitats for a good part of the year.

In these wild habitats, the leaves, branches, soils, and other botanical materials remain in place, or are added to by dynamic, seasonal processes. For the most part, the soil, branches, and a fair amount of the more "durable" seed pods and such remain present during both phases.

The formerly terrestrial physical environment is now transformed into an earthy, twisted, incredibly rich aquatic habitat, which fishes have evolved over eons to live in and utilize for food, protection, and complex, protected spawning areas. 

All of the botanical material-shrubs, grasses, fallen leaves, branches, seed pods, and such, 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. Detritus settles.

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.  Fishes are able to find new food sources; new hiding places..new areas to spawn.

Life flourishes.

Nature doesn't "edit." She evolves.

Could you resist "editing" your aquarium for a period of time? Would you want to? Is rearranging stuff and re-working things as much part of the hobby as just looking into the tank and enjoying it?

And if you went completely "hands-off" with your tank, what would happen?

No one said the hobby is easy, but it’s not difficult, either- as long as you have a basic understanding of the environmental processes and conditions within your aquarium. And the idea of leaving essential biological components of your aquarium more-or-less "intact" for an indefinite period of time is really compelling.

What would happen?

Would anarchy reign, or would a different sort of system ultimately evolve? Would it succeed on some level that you wouldn't have considered previously? What would come to dominate, and what would fade away?

How would Nature work with what you gave her in your little glass or acrylic world called "an aquarium?"

How would "passive management" affect the dynamics of this microcosm?

Fun questions to ponder. Perhaps.

Stay  curious. Stay thoughtful. Stay engaged. Stay full of wonder. Stay passive?

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics.

The "self-feeding aquarium?" A grand experiment, or a form of benign neglect?

Like most of you, I'm a borderline obsessive aquarist...

Like, I constantly observe, test, or tweak each and every tank, every day. That being said, I have learned over the years that a well thought-out aquarium doesn't need endless doting attention on a non-stop basis.

In fact, because of a busy travel schedule, "company building", and just life in general over the last few years, I even might have missed a water exchange or feeding or two..or three...or...

Yeah, I'm not proud of it- but I won't deny it, either.

In my world, missing water exchanges and feedings and such were, for many years, a sort of "scarlet letter" that you ended up wearing for all to see (well, even if no one else knew...you just felt, I dunno...guilty!).

Now, curiously, I always seemed to havereefing friends who were obsessed with- even proud of- their "ability" to run a "successful" system without water exchanges and such. Maybe rebellious types are somehow attracted to me or something? They'd actually use a sort of "reverse mentality", in which you'd hear them proudly brag about stuff like, "I never run a protein skimmer on my reef." Or, "I haven't done a water change in like a year!"  I mean, that was stuff that would make my head explode... I was like, "If you're gonna be a loser aquarist- don't brag about it!"

I take a dim view of some stuff (shocker, I know...)!

Successful tanks require effort and care.

Yeah, I was/am all about continuous, regular maintenance and dedicated husbandry practices-particularly water exchanges, for which there is simply no substitute for, or no valid reason NOT to execute, IMHO. However, there is one "basic" aspect of aquarium keeping that I have always employed a bit of an "intentional avoidance" of:

Feeding.

"WTF, Fellman. Skip a goddam water change...But feeding? Really?"

Yes. Really.

But before you totally trash me for being hypocritical or even lazy, attempting to brazenly flaunt convention, or simply being guilty of a form of "benign neglect"- hear me out. It's not really about being lazy. It's an intentional thing. I plan for it. In fact, you do too, even though you may not think about it.

And it might be a "sort of" deliberate attempt to flaunt convention...in a nice way, of course.

However, this "practice" is part of a larger thesis which I have about botanical-style aquariums and their management, operation, and benefits:

Of all of the things we do in our blackwater/botanical-style aquariums, one of the few "basic practices" that I think we can actually allow Nature to do some of the work on is to provide some sustenance for our fishes.

Think about it: We load up our systems with large quantities of leaves and botanicals, which serve as direct food for some species, such as shrimp, and perhaps Barbs and Loaches.

These materials famously recruit biofilm and fungal growths, which we have discussed ad nasueum here over the years. These are nutritious, natural food sources for most fishes and invertebrates. And of course, there are the associated microorganisms which feed on the decomposing botanicals and leaves and their resulting detritus.

Having some decomposing leaves, botanicals, and detritus helps foster supplemental food sources. 

Now, we have briefly talked about how decomposing leaf litter does support population of "infusoria"- a collective term used to describe minute aquatic creatures such as ciliates, euglenoids, protozoa, unicellular algae and small invertebrates that exist in freshwater ecosystems.

Yet, there is much to explore on this topic. It's no secret, or surprise- to most aquarists who've played with botanicals, that a tank with a healthy leaf litter component is a pretty good place for the rearing of fry of species associated with blackwater environments!

It's been observed by many aquarists, particularly those who breed loricariids, that the fry have significantly higher survival rates when reared in systems with leaves present. This is significant...I'm sure some success from this could be attributed to the population of infusoria, etc. present within the system as the leaves break down.

Biofilms, as we've discussed many times before, contain a complex mix of sugars, bacteria, and other materials, all of which are relatively nutritious for animals which feed on them.

It therefore would make a lot of sense that a botanical-influenced aquarium with a respectable growth of biofilm would be a great place to rear fry! Maybe not the most attractive place, from an aesthetic standpoint- but a system where the little guys are essentially "knee deep" in supplemental natural food at any given time is a beautiful thing to the busy fish breeder!

And yeah, my experience indicates it performs a similar role for adults fishes.

In the wild, creatures like hydracarines (mites), insects, like chironomids (hello, blood worms!), and copepods, like Daphnia, are the dominant fauna that fishes tend to feed on in these waters.  There's a lot of cool information that you can uncover when you deep dive into scientific information on our fishes- particularly gut content analysis of wild fishes.

Gut content analysis of fishes which inhabit leaf litter habitats reveals a lot of interesting things about what our fishes consume.

In addition to the above-referenced organisms, organic detritus and "undefined plant materials" are not uncommon in the diets of all sorts of fishes. This is interesting to contemplate when we consider what to feed our fishes in aquariums, isn't it?

It is. 

Anyways, these life forms, both planktonic and insect, tend to feed off of the leaf litter itself, as well as fungi and bacteria present in them as they decompose. The leaf litter bed is a surprisingly dynamic, and one might even say "rich" little benthic biotope, contained within the otherwise "impoverished" waters. I find this not only fascinating- but a fact that we as aquarists can embrace to create aquariums capable of supplementing- or even sustaining-our fishes via the nutrition they can provide.

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 oases" in areas otherwise relatively devoid of food. The fishes are not there just to look at the pretty leaves!

They're there to feed and take advantage of the abundant and easy-to-access food resources.

And of course, it goes without saying that Nature works (if allowed to do so) in a similar manner in the aquarium!

The leaves and botanicals we add to our tanks do what they've done in Nature for eons: They support the basis for a surprisingly rich and diverse "food web", which enables many of the resident life forms- from bacteria, to insects...right up to our fishes- to derive some, if not all of their sustenance from this milieu.

Confession time?

Okay.

I've created botanical tanks for years with part of the intention being to see if I can support the resident fishes with minimal external food inputs.

That felt better.

My rationale was that, not only will the leaves and botanicals help foster or sustain such "food webs" as they do in Nature, but that the lower amount of external food inputs by the aquarist helps foster a cleaner system, which is especially important when one takes into account the large amount of bioload decomposing leaves and botanicals account for in the aquarium!

And guess what? It works.

Just fine.

I've done this about 8 times in the past two years, with great results.

A beautiful case in point is one of my recent little office aquariums; a "nano" tank which was "scaped" only with  Texas Live Oak Leaf Litter,  Yellow Mangrove Leaves, and Oak Twigs.  (I know, we're currently awaiting a re-supply of Mangrove leaves any day now!)

Now I know that this tank isn't everyone's idea of aesthetic perfection..I mean, it's essentially a pile of  fucking leaves...However, to the fishes and other life forms which reside in the tank, it's their world; their food source.

And it's reminiscent of the wild habitats from which they come.

In that tank, I maintained a shoal of 25 "Green Neon Tetras", Parachierdon simulans, in this tank. This tank was  up and ran about 8 months without a single external food input since the fish were added to the tank.  They were subsisting entirely on the epiphytic matter and microorganisms found in the leaves...Nothing else.

And they were as active, fat, and happy as any Green Neons I've ever seen.

In fact, they more than doubled in size since I first obtained them. Some of the fishes were shockingly emaciated and weak upon arrival, were rehabilitated somewhat in quarantine, but weren't "100%" when released into the display (yeah, I know- NOT a "best practice", but it was intentional for this experiment).

After a few weeks, this point, I couldn't tell them apart from the rest of their tankmates!

Oh, and they spawned twice!

Perhaps just luck...but weakened, malnourished fishes generally don't reproduce in our aquariums, so I think that something good was going on there!

Now sure, this was a relatively small population of little fishes in a small tank. The environment itself was carefully monitored. Regular water exchanges and testing were employed.

All of the "usual stuff" we do in an aquarium...except feeding.

Of course, I don't think that such a success could be replicated with fishes like cichlids or other larger, more predatory type fishes, like Knife Fishes- unless you utilized a large aquarium with a significant "pre-stocked" population of crustaceans, insects, and maybe even (gulp) "feeder-type" fishes.

I mean, I suppose that you could do this...

However, it is really a more successful approach with fishes like characins, Rasbora, Danios, some catfishes, Loaches, etc.-Especially the little guys.

So yeah, I believe that this concept is entirely replicable, and can be successful with many fishes.It's not some "miracle", or an excise in "giving hobby convention the middle finger"- it's simply a way to set the stage for an aquarium to provide for its inhabitants' nutritional needs.

By stocking your new aquarium with a healthy allotment of leaves and botanicals, perhaps "seeding" it with beneficial bacteria, worms, micro crustaceans, Paramcium, etc., and letting the tank "run in" for a few weeks prior to adding your fishes, you're doing just that.

That's the hardest part of this whole idea. Letting Nature do some of the work.

It requires patience, observation, and some planning. Yet, it's entirely possible snd not hard to execute. It may require creating tanks which embrace a completely different aesthetic AND function. Stuff like detritus, turbidity, decomposition, and biofilms will be things that you find not only interesting, but helpful and desirable, too.

To some extent, it's certainly a bit "contrarian" as compared to standard aquarium practice, I suppose. However, it's not all that "radical" a concept, right? I mean, it's essentially allowing Nature to do what she does best- cultivate an ecosystem...which she will do, if given the "impetus" and left to her own devices. 

And it's not really "benign neglect", is it?

It's the facilitating of a process which has been going on in Nature for eons...a validation of what we experiment with on a daily basis in our "tinted" world. It's that "functionally aesthetic" thing again, right?

I think that, as we evolve into the next "era" of botanical-style aquarium practice, we'll see more and more interesting collateral benefits and analogs to the functions of natural aquatic ecosystems. We need to explore these characteristics and benefits as we develop our next generation of aquariums.

We invite you to experiment for yourself with this fascinating and compelling topic!

Stay inspired. Stay thoughtful. Stay curious. Stay patient. Stay skeptical. Stay observant..

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics