The Tint

(Almost) everything I learned about life, I learned from my aquariums...almost!

I have come to one inescapable conclusion:

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

Ok, that sounds kind of insane, actually. And maybe it wasn't everything, but still...

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

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

 

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

Focus on quality, not quantity in your tank management. Better to do a few things great than many things poorly. Seriously. Prioritize what needs attention more at certain times. Filtration? Algae scraping. Botanical replacement. Plant trimming? Things will ebb and flow and you can tackle every single one of your aquarium-keeping dreams and ambitions.

You just don’t need to do them all at the same time!

Or if you do...you need to allot enough time.

Lesson Two- Practice Patience-  I know that in my personal life, I’d hardly be given the moniker of “patient”, but in my aquarium-keeping work, it’s my mantra!  Sure, like everyone else, I want a lush, colorful aquarium as quickly as possible. However, I found out the hard way through many years of aquarium keeping that the old cliche about not rushing things holds true. An aquarium is a biological microcosm, and it follows eons-old natural patterns of function and process. 

You can’t rush stuff. Oh, sure, you can “seed” your aquarium with biological material to speed up the cycling process, and you can grow your fishes ore plants  a bit faster with frequent water changes, feeding, and trace element replenishment...But it can only go so fast.

Besides, why would you want to rush it? 

Why not follow those good practices, but expect- and enjoy- a slower, more measured pace of growth in your tank? Botanical-style blackwater aquariums Patience is about understanding what steps it’s going to take to get you where you want to be, and measuring and evaluating your progress along the way. Eventually, you’ll get there. And you’ll probably find the journey every bit as enjoyable as the destination.

Trust me.

 

 

Lesson Three- Be an Authentic Aquarist - Huh? What I’m getting at here is that you should love being who you are as a aquarist!  Be comfortable in your own skin. Sounds like “psychobabble”, but it’s true!  In this social media-field era, it's more important than ever to do YOU. Your greatest aquarium-keeping successes will come when you practice being the type of hobbyist you are. Just because everyone is infatuated with Bettas and you love characins does not mean that you’re not a “cool” aquarist. There are so many angles to this hobby it isn’t even funny. Love what you specialize in, and share what you know with fellow hobbyists. 

And the authenticity part has further meaning...If you have no interest- or worse yet- no clue- about the long-term effects of botanicals in an aquarium  for example- then don’t get on the forums and start preaching the danger of biofilms and decomposition to fellow hobbyists based on what "someone said once", or whatever. What I call “regurgitation”- the act of ranting authoritatively about stuff you may have heard of but have not practiced- is really unhelpful to the rest of the aquarium world. It doesn't offer the value of knowledge gained from personal experience, and the nuance that goes with it.

In our sector it's how myths like "leaves can soften water" got started. Be proud of your aquarium, your experience, and the type of aquarist that you are. Maybe you don't know the answer for are from personal experience. Nothing wrong with that. However, don't give "advice" that you can't back up with first hand experience, unless you're specifically noting that you're passing along second or third hand information.

Sure, some stuff, like, "Don't add household bleach to your tank" is an experience you've likely never had personally, but it makes sense to share. Yet, in general, when giving advice, make it about your personal experience  It's more helpful that way.Share selflessly, but play to your strengths. Push yourself, evolve, adapt, flow. But above all, be yourself. 

Lesson Four- Count on Your “Peeps” -  It’s crucial to have other fish geeks to turn to when things get tough. Sure, you can be a free-thinking aquarist, but don’t go it alone. You’re not an island. Reach out on the forums and at local clubs and to your LFS and consult other hobbyists. Not only will you learn more and have a good time with your hobby- you might just end up making lifelong friends! Build relationships, and seek out friends, experts and cheerleaders when you need them. It’s a smarter, more effective way to succeed in the hobby.

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

 

Lesson Five- Learn to...Stop - Apparently, Im not alone: Many fish geeks just never learned how to say no gracefully! This is evidenced by the many 120-gallon aquariums containing every conceivable type of fish, plant, or coral known to the hobby! I see this in the reef end of the hobby a lot! This is a real problem, too, as it can lead to an overcrowded, biologically mismatched aquarium population at best (do a Google search on “allelopathy”), and total disaster at the worst! The solution is to excercise restraint. Just say “NO” sometimes!

Of course, you can always get another aquarium at some point (the whole “Multiple Tank Syndrome” experience) if you want to try keeping widely divergent animals together without bloodshed. You just don’t want to go down this path, adding every conceivable animal to your aquarium. If you’re so busy saying “yes” to all of the wrong animals, when are you going to have the space for the right ones when they come along? 

 

Lesson Six- Face Your Fears -   Shit, just get out of your comfort zone once in a while! I’m not saying to try to set up a 400 gallon non-photosynthetic coral aquarium just to prove that you’re a badass...What I am saying is that you should try something different from the tried-and true sometime. Keep that slightly-less-than-super-hardy wild Betta species if you have the hunch that you can do it. Great things can happen when you push through the fear.

Put your experience, intuition, and observational powers to the test. Try the strange, leaf-litter -only tank. Use that different type of wood that you've been rolling over in your next scape. Maybe might be the first person to breed that weird little Hatchet Fish that you have a secret fetish about. You may be the one person that figured out how to keep that uber-delicate deepwater Acropora alive and thriving.

I’m not advising you to gamble with the life of a helpless animal in order to "vanquish your fears." What I'm suggesting is that you should play the occasional hunch and push yourself a bit. If it weren’t for the brave folks like many of my former colleagues in the coral-propagation world, we would probably just now be realizing a viable market for commercially-propagated coral.

If someone like Jack Wattley didn’t take a chance trying to breed dozens of varieties of Discus, we might be stuck with wild-imported specimens as our only  option (not that there is anything wrong with the wild types, mind you!). When you feel you are capable - take a chance. The benefits to you- and to the hobby- might be incalculable.

Lesson Seven- Lighten Up! -  You heard me! Have some fun! This hobby is not supposed to be a peer-pressure-ridden pressure cooker with impossible-to-meet challenges and goals. You aren’t required to have a perfect aquascape that some self appointed “hobby demigod” would approve of. You don’t need to be doing all of the same things that the guy in Holland with a 29,000 liter aquarium is doing. You don’t, and you probably can’t - so why sweat it? Maybe your taste is a little different...

Enjoy your aquarium, no matter what size, what type of animals you keep, and how it looks.  Laugh at the fact that you get all worked up about little red bugs on your corals, or that you purchase and boil leaves from a company called Tannin Aquatics  

You likely keep stinky frozen worms and stuff in your freezer, right next to the Haagen-Dazs! Take pride in the fact that you are one of a select group of people that keep some of nature’s most amazing creatures alive outside of their natural habitat. Not only alive- but thriving! 

And you do it in a way that more closely resembles Nature as it IS than almost any other hobby group.

And that means something to many of us, doesn't it?

When you screw up- and you will - accept the consequences with grace and humor. Laugh about it. Share the mistakes and foibles with fellow fish geeks. You’re probably not the only one who nuked his or her aquarium with unwashed silica sand, unleashed a "small" pike cichlid into your peaceful tank fo " tough" characins, or placed a Galaxea two inches from your prized Sunset Montipora. so smile...That which doesn’t kill our enthusiasm for the hobby makes us a better hobbyist.

Perhaps less financially solvent- but better for the journey, nonetheless!

My hope here is that you realize that an aquarium is not just a pleasant diversion; a fun hobby- it can be a lifelong passion, a teaching tool for the entire family. And perhaps, most underrated of all - a reef aquarium can serve as a beautiful classroom for some of the larger mysteries of life.

It sounds almost bizzare, but I believe it to be true when I say that everything I needed to know about life, I learned from my aquairums. Ok, almost everything. I never really figured out how to get my dog to listen to me. And how to do those little Chinese finger puzzles, or how to flip pizza dough, or...

Yeah, a lot to learn.

Enjoy the process.

Stay unique. Stay bold. Stay excited. Stay engaged...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

 

Expect a little slower service this week... But you'll love what's around the corner!

Hey everyone!

Thanks for the amazing support!

We’re happy to see everyone pushing the limits with your aquariums during these crazy times! The volume of orders has been extraordinary! We love it!

With a very limited crew, we've seen an amazing amount of orders come in and have managed to keep in our typical 4-5 day turnaround time for most.

However, with the global supply chain a bit "challenged" at the moment because of the COVID19 situation, we are experiencing some challenges receiving re-supplies of inventory from our international partners. Some countries are locked down from shipping, and some of the shipments are taking longer than usual to reach us.

Sign of the times...

And of course, in the middle of this global mess, we've embarked on some upgrades which will further impact shipping over the next week or so.

Just wanted to give you a heads-up that we will be taking a bit longer to ship out your orders over the next several days, as we make some logistical and inventory improvements. Expect most orders to take up to a week to ship. We will resume our regular shipping schedule the week of Monday, May 18th.

Now, it's not all "supply chain management" and back-end "logistics improvements" Nope. We're going to be having some fun stuff coming in the next few weeks.

The return of some faves, like Melastoma Root...

And more focused wood and root materials that are right for our customer base!

Oh, and it's Loquat leaf season! We'll have them available next week after a long absence!

Oh, and Magnolia leaves will be back in regular rotation after the 18th, too!

We have an exciting new product launch in the next 2 weeks! In fact, we will have a few new products coming up  almost continuously over the next several weeks and months. We'll start with the long-awaited launch of "Shade", our new blackwater conditioning sachets (Don't f---ing call them "tea bags", you simpletons...🤬)

It took a lot of formulations and soem pretty boring (IMHO) testing to really get this product right. Packaged things are not our speciality, as you know, so we took the time to make sure we had a good product before ultimately releasing it. 

We will have a complete line of very specially formulated "botanical infusions" available in the "Shade" line in the next few months, designed to created different effects for aquarists who love the color, but don't want the actual botanicals in their tanks. We have received a lot of requests and feedback for something like this over the years, and it made sense to jump on it.

Yeah, doing a package design and such is new territory for us, but with the amazing work of Johnny Ciotti, we're pretty stoked with how it came out!

We'll have a lot more on this product line in the next few weeks. 

Oh, and the "Nature Base" Igapo, Varzea, and Brackish substrates will be rolling out very soon. It's taken over a year to really get these products to the point where they're ready to offer to you, and we're pretty excited. This stuff always takes a lot more time than we think it will to get out, but we think you'll appreciate the line when it debuts later this summer/early Fall.

Time to get your "Urban Igapo" on!

Look for more weird substrate materials and options that anyone else would even think of offering, because they're so...weird! Besides, who would you rather purchase weird stuff rom besides Tannin Aquatics, right?

All vetted, tested, and obsessed over by the leaders in unusual natural aquarium products! 

And we will have two more super-secret "biological" products which are extremely unique and like nothing you've seen before, coming from the Tannin "Tint Works" test program, all rolling out sequentially in this same time frame! More to come on those! 🤓

And  of course, more podcasts, more special guests, more video, more photos...some new creative things we think you'll like! 

Oh, and more collectible pins! The first tun has been a big success, and we look forward to a new selection coming soon!

We will have more unusual options for roots, twigs, vines, and "just cool weird shit", as one of our staff calls them.

All coming soon!

And I think I want to kill rocks.

Huh?

Yeah, seriously. I kind of hate selling rocks. There heavy, a pain in the ass to ship, and a bit too unpredictable and expensive, really. And quite frankly, although our price is competitive, you CAN get most of the rocks we sell from other suppliers ...where is the fun in that?

I think that we're going to offer just a few rocks we really like, and leave the fancy stuff to people who are more into it than us!

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this, BTW!

Oh, so back to the mundane stuff...

The shipping delay is unfortunate, but it will enable us to get things set up for an even smoother and hopefully better customer experience for the longer term. I totally hate these kinds of delays, but the changes need to be made in order to take things to the next level! We completely appreciate your understanding.

All the new product stuff is fun, but it won't speed up your orders this week....Sorry😂

In summary, the not-so-sugar-coated thing is that we will definitely be a bit slower on ship outs with your orders this week only. I apologize for the delays, and I promise that we will be back upon to our usual turnaround times after May 18th!

Where Nature and "style" meet...

I think I am a bit of a taxonomist of sorts, deep down inside. Not in the traditional sense, mind you. However, I have this thing where I love to "classify" stuff- ideas, philosophies, and practices in the hobby...not sure why. I've talked about this with you and with my friends many times over the years here in "the Tint" and elsewhere.

Not too long ago, one of my fave hobbyist/writers/photographers, Sumer Tiwari ( who's pics have graced these pages many times) brought up one of my fave points:

"...In the modern aquarium keeping, we are constantly applauding nature aquarium tanks which are very carefully built to be aesthetic masterpieces. Any newcomer in the hobby is constantly reminded how important “crystal clear” water is. I’m not saying it’s always wrong. There are times when fishes do come from very clear water or maybe you want to go for that look. My concern is that this other side of the hobby’s is often not exposed to the newer generation of the hobbyists.
Hobbyists who are lucky to have visited natural habitats of the fishes they like know and understand this concept very well."

Boom. 💥

Yeah.

Sumer went on to bring up some other very important points in his response, but I want to focus on the topic above for today.

I think that we as a "movement" in the hobby (What I have long called the  "Botanical Style" aquarium concept not only present a different sort of aesthetic, but a different mental approach, too. We understand that the materials we place in our aquariums not only affect their appearance, but their function as well. 

And these materials change over time, as natural forces and aquatic organisms "work" them...

For decades, I found the truly "ephemeral" nature of the botanical-style aquarium as compelling as any. There was something about it that I couldn't quite place...Now, not everyone found this "look" to be attractive- or even slightly interesting. The near-dominant prevalence of aquatic plants and the rigid interpretation of the so-called "Nature Aquarium Style" movement seemed to leave little room in the hobby's collective psyche for a tinted, darker tank full of randomly-placed decomposing leaves and seed pods and the accompanying biofilms, fungal growth, and occasional turbidity.

Or did it?

I mean, Amano's whole idea in a nutshell was to replicate nature to a certain extent by accepting it and laying a conceptual groundwork for it to unfold. (Just look at all of the pics of grassy fields, old barns in disrepair, and moss-covered fenceposts in Amano's books. He got it.) Now, granted, his general aesthetic involved plants and what seems to be a natural-looking aquascape, although executed in an intentionally artistic way. There is nothing wrong with this. Some of the world's most beautiful aquariums were/are created this way. 

However, what I noticed over time in the freshwater aquarium world was an almost obsessive, rigid adherence to certain parts of Amano's formula and aesthetic; specifically, ratios, placement of hardscape and plants, and a certain type of aesthetic formula that one had to replicate in order to gain legitimacy or "acceptance" from the community. It was almost "cult-like", to this outsider.

I really don't think it was Amano's intent.

"Wabi-sabi", the Japanese philosophy which embraces the ephemeral nature of the existence of things, was/is a key concept in Amano's approach, and it still is. I think it fell into a bit of "disuse", though, in the "Nature Aquarium" movement, as aquarists aspired to replicate his works, perhaps trying to by-pass what seemed to be a less exciting -or less immediately rewarding- part of his approach.

How sad.

I think that this is why we have some many "diorama-style" tanks in competitions, and I also think it's why we see more and more serious aquascapers taking another look at a more realistic type of aquarium utilizing botanicals. I think many are simply tired of overly-stylized and are leaning back into a truly more natural look.

Is there not also tremendous beauty in "randomness", despite our near-obsessive pursuit of rules, such as "golden ratio", color aggregating, etc? Just because last year's big 'scaping contest winner had the "perfect" orientation, ratios, and alignment of the (insert this year's trendiest wood here) branch within the tank, doesn't mean it's a real representation of the natural functionality of "randomness." 

In other words, just because it looks good, it doesn't mean it's what Nature actually looks like. Or acts like, for that matter.

Yes, I know an aquarium is not "Nature"- but it does function in accordance with Nature's laws, regardless of what we want, right? It can't skirt those, no matter what label we assign to it, or no matter how much we value certain aspects of it.

One of the things that we've noticed lately in the hobby is a trend towards more "realistic" aquariums. Not just systems which look like natural environments; rather, systems which are modeled as much after the function of them as the aesthetics.

"Functional aesthetics."

I think this is where Tannin Aquatics falls, if you had to nail us down into one specific "stylistic/philosphical approach" to aquariums.

The "Space Between", so to speak. It's exactly what we were created for- to support this area of interest in every way possible.

A less rigidly aesthetically-controlled, less "high-concept" approach to setting the stage for...Nature- to do what she's done for eons without doing as much to "help it along." Rather, the mindset here is to allow Nature to take it's course, and to embrace the breakdown of materials, the biofilms, the decay...and rejoice in the ever-changing aesthetic and functional aspects of a natural aquatic system- "imperfect" though they may seem to some-and how they can positively affect our fishes.

Wabi-Sabi? Yeah, I think so.

The initial skepticism and resistance to the idea of an aquarium filled with biofilms, decomposition, and tinted water has given way to enormous creativity and discovery. Our community has (rather easily, I might add!) accepted the idea that Nature will follow a certain "path"- parts of which are aesthetically different than anything we've allowed to occur in our tanks before- and rather than attempting to mitigate or thwart it, we're celebrating it!

It's less about perfect placement of materials for artistic purposes, and more about placing materials to facilitate more natural function and interactions between fishes and their environment.

We are looking more and more at the natural habitats for inspiration, rather than "last month's Tank of The Month"- which is a huge leap towards unlocking a greater understanding and appreciation for nature. And towards preserving it. It's amazing how much you respect and treasure a natural habitat when you have a miniature replica of it in your living room, isn't it?

We are in a really cool place, where we can inspire, assist, and learn from everyone from the most hardcore biotope aquarist to the recovering Nature Style addict, to the serious fish breeder, and show them a way to really incorporate a different side of nature into their aquariums. 

And you can embrace both "style" and Nature, as we've seen many times from members of our community.

We're seeing that not only do botanicals, leaves, and alternative substrate materials look interesting- they provide a physiological basis for creating unique environmental conditions for our fishes and plants. We're seeing fish graze on the life forms which live in and among the decomposing botanicals, as well as the botanicals themselves- just like in nature...And we are seeing the influence- aesthetically and chemically- that these materials assert on the aquarium's environmental parameters.

It's not just a look. Not just an aesthetic. Not just a mindset.

It's a way to incorporate natural materials to achieve new and progressive results with the fishes and plants we've come to love so much. It's still early days. A ground floor opportunity for every aquarist who gives this stuff a shot to make a meaningful- and beautiful contribution to the evolving state of the art of the botanical-style blackwater/brackish aquarium., and to share unique representations of what Nature really looks like with people all over the world.

Welcome.

Stay thoughtful. Stay bold. Stay innovative. Stay excited. Stay curious. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

Being a "guardian of knowledge?"

As a supposed leader in the world of botanical-style aquariums (blackwater, brackish, and otherwise), we are often asked a lot fo questions about various topics related to our love for this unique specialty. I think it's pretty cool, and I'm always happy to help out however I can.

Sometimes, I receive questions that are simply out of my depth of knowledge or experience- like detailed chemistry questions, specialized fish identification, or aquatic plants.

Now, I've been a hobbyist literally my entire life, and I've "dipped my fingers" into all sorts of different aspects of the hobby. However, that doesn't mean I know everything. It certainly doesn't mean that I'm any more qualified to talk about or offer advice on a topic which I have no experience with. If you notice, we tend to stay on a few central "themes" here in "The Tint", because they are where I can bring greatest value to the greatest number of hobbyists. Simple as that. Now, there is a lot of context and content within the relatively narrow focus that we do work with here, providing a LOT to talk about!

Sometimes, I'll get questions which start out innocently enough, and just lead to a place where I'm alternately scratching my head and trying to figure out what just happened, while simultaneously wanting to (metaphorically) smack a fellow hobbyist "upside the head" for sheer audacity and laziness.

Huh?

Case in point...

Not too long ago, I participated in an email exchange  that went something like this:

"I'm thrilled to have found your site!  It's amazing! So much cool stuff and lots of information! I'm about to start a blackwater aquarium and was wondering which botanicals to use..."

Okay, pretty broad question- but I was at least able to ask some pointed questions and perhaps give some recommendations based on my experience. Which I did.

Then things started to unravel...

"Okay, well, how do I add the botanicals to my aquarium?"

Hmm...Well, I referred her to a few (dozen) blog posts on the topic right here!

"Well, could you just give me a rough idea...?"

(Patience starting to wear just a bit thin....) Again, I decided to take the high road, and told her to research the materials that she wanted to add to her aquariums, to prepare them carefully, and to go slowly...

Another email rolled in...

"How do you 'prepare' them? And what do I have to do this before adding them to my aquarium?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Final time- a referral to our preparation infographic and a blog from not too long ago on botanical preparation...

"Can't you just give me a quick overview?"

BP 130/89 at this point, no doubt...Deep, cleansing breaths, Scott....

"Umm, I just did. Please refer to the link to the infographic for a preparation summary."

Literally, like 2 minutes later...

"You've been great. One more thing. Where do you recommend that I purchase my botanicals? I saw this listing on eBay for catappa leaves. What do you think of the price..? Seems pretty good..."

At this point, I had to simply place palm to face, close up the MacBook, and move on to something else. I tried. I really did. Perhaps I was too nice? Too approachable?

I mean, I do my best to help our my fellow hobbyists. 

Many of us do. 

Yet, for some reason, there exists a subset of hobbyists who you can literally hold their hands and give them a gentle push to get going, yet they still simply refuse to take absolutely any further initiative. It's literally like, if YOU are not the one pushing them along and answering every question, they'll make zero effort to find out even the most rudimentary information on their own about a subject..

Particualrly vexing is the fact that was we do here is a hobby- it's supposed to be fun and enjoyable, and you'd think that a newbie would WANT to do just a tiny amount of research on stuff that they are supposedly interested in?

I think it's a personality thing, not a "Millennial thing" or "Boomer thing" or whatever...People of all ages and types have hit me up with these types of inquiries before- and I'm sure that you've had a few hit you up in a similar manner! I think it's a "LAZY thing.."

Like, I get it. Sometimes, we are excited and perhaps a bit overwhelmed at the apparent complexity of a new subject, but we're eager to learn. We just need a push in the right direction. I get that, and I'm always here to help. However, for a small but noticeable sliver of the aquarium hobbyist population, there is this "thing" about taking even the slightest initiative to do some research. 

"C'mon Scott, it's hard. There's so much stuff out there. Besides, you understand this stuff. And I didn't grow up doing this..."

That's literally a "mashup" of some of the "feedback" I've received from people who asked tons of questions for which the answers were readily available. It makes me scratch my head.

I mean, Google, for example, is one of the greatest resources we've ever had as a species. It's so easy to use and so powerful that it can literally make one wonder if the library as we know it is simply a relic of a gentler, kinder era, perhaps having outlived some of it's usefulness as a "go-to" resource for knowledge (It hasn't IMHO, but you could argue that it has diminished just a bit in value for some...)

I guess I'm a bit "ornery" at times, but I can't for the life of me figure out why someone could visit a website on the very topic they are interested in, allegedly spend time perusing it...taking the time to acknowledge that it's a great resource- and then just ignoring all of that and trying to ask for a "quick answer" on a very broad topic.

It makes no sense. Perhaps it's human nature, or a desire to just get somewhere- fast. Perhaps for many, the destination is way, way more important and interesting than the journey? I suppose.  I don't agreee with that, but I guess I could understand that...sort of.

Maybe I need to organize our blogs a bit better. I can see that. We are working on it! However, in the mean time, the rudimentary search feature that we have can at least pull up some stuff. I've searched for some pretty arcane stuff within "The Tint" and found it pretty easily, so it's entirely possible if you're patient and take the time to search. Still, we can improve a bit here, I won't ever stop doing that.

Yet, still, it's a "personality thing" I suppose, which makes it tough for some to go beyond simply asking for the "summary" of something. I wish that I could somehow instill in everyone who embarks on a journey into our world of botanical-style aquariums the wonder of the process, the education, the discovery..the evolution and the journey- and how AWESOME that really is.

I think- I KNOW- that if we could get more people to "buy in" to the idea that the process of learning, researching, and experiencing is so much more gratifying than just trying to get the "quick answer" (which is almost always not so "quick"), that they'd be even more enthralled with the game we play.

I think that's a big part of my mission...To keep inspiring, enthralling, and motivating my fellow hobbyists to push, learn, and experience for themselves the wonder if this incredible specialty area.  Is suppose I'll always take a moment to attempt to provide a "quick answer"- but I'll also push the person asking the question to get out there and learn a bit by other means, too.

I think we all have a bit of responsibility to do that.

So much better than a "quick answer."

So much more gratifying to all. So much more beneficial for the aquarium hobby as a whole.

I'm not a "guardian of knowledge." I'm just a fellow traveller on a journey that never ends. One that we can all take, savor, end enjoy.

Stay curious. Stay helpful. Stay generous. Stay patient. Stay bold...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Fortune favors the bold.

Things are evolving, changing, and advancing in our little sector of the hobby. Ideas are percolating, hobbyists are executing, and "naysayers" are being seen for what they are.."naysayers."

We toss out a lot of crazy- and not-so-crazy ideas here. We cover a lot of ground and present and ruminate on some ideas that may or may not work in aquariums. And we try them. And so do you- our community.

It's important to push ourselves- and the hobby- along. And sometimes, that means pushing out into uncomfortable areas. Areas that offer a different look, a different function- and the promise of different results and benefits.

I think that this may be the most important function of Tannin Aquatics:

To facilitate this fearless effort from many of you.

I mean, sure, we sell "stuff" for aquariums- but the most important thing that we "sell" is the idea of trying something different; something new...ideas which might take you a bit far afield, out of your hobby "comfort zone."

Perhaps these ideas and attempts at new things might open up some entirely new pursuits in the hobby. Maybe it's as simple as looking at a natural aquatic habitat and asking yourself why it looks the way it does, how it evolved...and how you could replicate its form and function in the confines of an aquarium.

Your ideas and efforts might inspire others. Perhaps they'll stimulate some vigorous discussion, a little debate. Maybe they'll piss some people off. Perhaps, they might simply open YOU up to some criticism from your fellow hobbyists.

As awful as that sounds, I think that worse things could befall you as a hobbyist.

Being original, different, and unique is powerful. It can change the hobby.

Cliche' "graduation-speech" quote time:

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”  -Steven Jobs

There's a lot of good stuff to unpack in that oft-quoted passage.

To this end...

I was speaking with a friend last week, who is a very talented marine aquarist. She was relating to me a sound thrashing (there's simply no other way to put it) she was receiving on a hobby forum from some self-procalimed "experts" about an approach that she was taking to breeding a certain fish (with considerable, repeated success, mind you) which went against the grain of what "they" said was "the correct approach." She was told she was the recipient of "dumb luck" by one, and that her approach was "reckless and flawed" by another. And some other things not worth repeating here!

The usual shit.

And the bottom line was that she was successful. Her idea was correct, if not a bit unorthodox. The rationale behind her approach was spot-on.  It was just not what everyone else was doing, or even considered to be a way to go...And some people just didn't like it.

It went against what they held dear. What they felt as perfect.

Rather than commending her for her success, or even just asking questions- the "attack dogs" came at her, full force.

She was near tears.

Years of work, successful spawns, and she simply was getting trashed.

Just..because.

I mean, there literally was no other reason. She was an "outsider" to this particular forum and specialty, and "they" didn't like it. There was simply no other explanation. She came with humility and was open-hearted about sharing, and received a full-on beat-down because her ideas challenged the prevailing thought in this self-immolating dystopia she had somehow "infiltrated."

Now, sure, it's easy to simply say, "Shake it off" and just deal, but that's an easy way out. Mental toughness is important, but what about the underlying issue which brought this all up? What about the bigger picture here? This is not entirely uncommon in our hobby.

Fear, elitism, and disdain for outsiders...

I've seen this crap before in the hobby. And it's poisonous.

Time for a gentle ass-kicking, and I might as well do it.

As you know, I tend to get a bit..."worked up" about some stuff- particularly when people are unfairly negative and so cruel to others. And particularly when it's not deserved, and focused on friends of mine! You know, THAT kind of bullshit. I'm sure there will be many who take this wrong- as if I am up on some "high horse", spouting my own form of dogma or hate.

If that's how this is interpreted, I suppose I might have already failed. If not- please read on...

I think I have a valuable mesage- based on decades of being in "aquarium cutlure." Yeah, I need to air my opinion here. So, rather than go on that particular hobby forum and make an ass of myself, I figured it might be just as therapeutic to do it here, in the "relative safety" of my own blog! 😜

Seriously, though, this little rant is for those of you who occasionally face grief from the self-proclaimed "gatekeepers" in our hobby. It's for you to take some comfort in knowing that, regardless of if your idea works or not, the fact that you're even doing something different, bold, maybe even contrarian- in the pursuit of knowledge and success- is a HUGE victory. 

"Comfort zones" are fine. If your goal is simply to be comfortable. 

However, if you're trying to do something a bit differently; forging a new direction because you have a hunch or a theory about something, "comfort zones" can often be metaphorical shackles, keeping you from pushing forward boldly...

All of you out there who have those ideas that are perhaps a bit "unorthodox" by hobby standards, maybe a bit "unusual", even...take heed.

And keep fucking going...

Just because you reject the "status quo", the popular, or the safe, doesn't mean that you're wrong. 

Just because your idea of a compelling aquascape features soil and decomposing leaves instead of a cliche-ridden "Middle Earth Hobbit-Forest" doesn't mean you're not creating "aspirational" work. Just because you're breeding Danios instead of this month's "Apisto of The Month" doesn't mean you're not talented. Just because you're specializing in Anacharis instead of Bucephalandra doesn't mean that you don't have "plant game."

Maybe you decided to start a company that sells seed pods, leaves and plant parts to recreate specialized habitats... (Yeah, had to throw the personal reference in there...I took some heat, too when I started out!). And you didn't give a shit what anyone else thought.

Take pride.

Sure, you could "crash and burn" spectacularly- but you're doing...instead of sitting on the sidelines and pelting those who are forging ahead with stones- metaphorical or otherwise...

You're doing something.

I've seen this a lot over the years- more in recent months. I've had a few friends tell me about similar situations they've encountered "out there", and I say, it's time for the hobby at large to lighten up a bit. 

As the second decade of the new millennium starts to settle in, the “state of the art” in the aquarium hobby is in total flux. New technology has worked its way into what we do daily with our aquariums.  LED lighting technology is delivering on the promise of energy-efficient, highly focused, “nutritional” illumination. Water movement has become “intelligent”, with microprocessor-based controllers commanding powerful, low wattage electronic pumps to create currents and flow that mimic nature in ways previously unthinkable.  

Okay, we still have unreliable aquarium heaters (hey, I didn't say that we're living in goddam utopia, did I? We have a few things to work out still...). Foods based on fishes'specialized nutritional requirements have entered the market that promise levels of nutrition for fishes and corals that were simply considered unsustainable in years past.

Crazy cool shit.

This stuff puts incredible results in reach for even aquarists with relatively modest experience. Maybe it levels the playing field a bit. It helps facilitate experimentation and implementation of ideas which were just thoughts on paper a few years back.

Ideas.

Ideas are always good, even when the gadgets aren't available off the shelf to support them. Effort to push boundaries is never a wasted one. 

We shouldn't be afraid to try.

It’s not just the technology that has evolved, of course.

Today’s hobbyist, with convenient access to the latest science, Internet connectivity, and the ever-evolving benefit of an expanding global aquatic“culture”, brings new energy, creativity, and imagination to the game. The courage to break free from convention is more apparent than ever. Marry the progressive hobbyist with groundbreaking technology, and you have a formidable combination.  It is out of this milieu that the biggest breakthroughs and hobby advancements are arising.

Think about it: You can google obscure, perhaps even seemingly mundane facts from scientific papers which might just hold the key to...everything...all from the comfort of your own living room, or wherever your iPhone, iPad, or laptop take you.

And those of us who have been in this game for decades need not be afraid. We need to celebrate. Don't hate on people who are utilizing some of the new advantages to further the state of the art in the hobby.

It's simply not constructive.

Individuals who feel that the “status quo” of the aquarium hobby is due for a little shakeup are emerging, proffering new ideas, unique methodologies, and new aquariums that are pushing back the "outside of the envelope" of modern aquaristics- your time has come!

And your space at the table is ready.

We at Tannin Aquatics are  proud to be supporting this little charge towards hobby evolution. I'm excited to see some of the amazing work that our community is forging ahead with, despite the curious looks or questions they might be receiving from those who feel compelled to criticize.

The takeaway is that we all win as a result of you brave pioneers.

You're always welcome here. Always. We'll embrace your ideas, cheers you on...and when you fail, you'll get the necessary words of encouragement and a push to keep going.

Think about the good you're doing.

Later this year, we're going to announce some things that we hope will encourage this kind of original, innovative, and bold work. We'll put our money where our mouth is.

Because it's important.

We as a whole in this hobby are benefitting from this progression, thanks to our open minds, tireless dedication, and the power of the Internet to spread new ideas rapidly. The hobby is changing. For the better. Evolution is becoming revolution, it’s “open source”, and everyone is invited to come along for the ride. 

Everyone can contribute.

And the big winner? Our fishes. Our plants. Our corals. And the natural habitats from which they come. Understanding both helps us treasure, protect, and preserve them for future generations to enjoy.

The fantastic fishes and aquariums we see on forums and such are but a small sampling of the dozens of aquatic breakthroughs achieved each year, which represent fundamental paradigm shifts in the hobby. Some are unique for what they do, others for what they represent, and all for how they make us look at what we know to be “conventional” in the aquarium world.

Constructive criticism is important and welcome.

Flat-out hatred, driven by reluctance and fear of change- or worse yet, a perception of being "left behind"- is not. No one should be afraid to be who they are in this hobby. To try what they feel is correct- and most important- to share what they've learned, good OR bad.

Ever changing, ever evolving, the aquarium- and the hobby- has come a long way from the simple glass bowl form centuries past…or has it?

With the benefit of technology, scientific knowledge, and the skill of a “postmodern” aquarist, perhaps we have come full circle. It is now possible to create aquariums as simple as a vessel containing water, or as complicated as a near perfect re-creation of a coral reef ecosystem. In our little world, we're playing with some of the most basic things in nature- leaves and botanicals- and regularly achieving results that may have been eluding us previously with other techniques.

Mind sets are shifting. Old ideas being re-evaluated, reviewed, embraced- or, on occasion, dismissed as unnecessary. The lines between Nature and aquarium are blurring...

We're not just sitting still, accepting "no" or "not possible", or "it can't be done that way."

Not anymore.

That's amazing.

The marriage of Nature, skill, information, technology, and creativity has allowed aquarists the freedom to create dreams as never before. Our legacy of centuries of aquatic experience provides us with inspiration for new challenges, new approaches, and new executions for aquariums and husbandry achievements once thought of as impossible, dangerous, or non-sustainable.

Please, don't cower in the face of those idiots who would like to bring you down, quash your enthusiasm, or simply lash out. There is a ridiculous amount of that out there these days. Always consider and accept the constructive criticisms of those who are genuinely helpful, and flat-out ignore those who proffer only hate and nothing else. 

Be you.

If I could give you one "gift" in the hobby, I'd give you that one.

It gets really quiet in your head when you do that. Trust me.

Fortune favors the bold.

One can only hope that we will continue to push the state of the art in aquaristics, and follow our dreams to destinations once thought...impossible. It’s time to cast off and head forward into uncharted waters, towards destinations unknown.

Now the future starts.

Be the ripple in the water. Move the hobby forward. Ever forward.

Stay undaunted. Stay unfazed. Stay bold. Stay courageous. Stay original. Stay humble. Stay determined...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

What goes down must come...out? The imperfect art of leaf litter bed maintenance.

As those of us who play with botanicals in our aquairums know, there's more to this stuff than just the pretty 'scape, a pile of leaves, and tinted-water "glam shots" you see on Instagram. There's a lot of process, function, and science involved in making one of these tanks work over the long haul. Like, maintenance.

Mundane, I know...

If you've started working with botanicals  in your tanks over the past few months, you've probably gained an awareness that, although these are unique and aesthetically beautiful aquariums, like any other methodology, they are not "set and forget" systems. Because of the very nature of aquatic botanicals and how they interact with their environment, you need to regularly evaluate the aquarium, and   replace the botanicals as needed.

Leaves and botanicals are ephemeral in nature- they're not permanent fixtures in our aquaria.

You'll need to understand the progression of things that happen as your tank establishes itself. And, perhaps most important, you'll need to make some mental "adjustments" to accept and appreciate this different aesthetic.

Also, you'll have to get used to a certain amount of material breaking down in your tank. It's natural, and part of the aesthetic. Accepting the fact that you'll see biofilms, fungal growth, and even some algae in your system is something that many aquarists have a difficult time with. As we've discussed numerous times here, it goes against our "aesthetic upbringing" with regards to what an "attractive, healthy-looking tank" is! 

We have learned to understand and appreciate this stuff, and to This is not an excuse to develop or accept lax maintenance practices. It's simply a "call to awareness" that there is probably nothing wrong with your system when you see this stuff. It's quite contrary to the way we've been "trained" to evaluate the aesthetics of a typical aquarium.

Observe underwater videos and photos of environments such as the Amazonian region, etc. and you'll see that your tank is a much closer aesthetic approximation of Nature than almost any other type of system you've worked with before. This is a significant thing, really.

And, to your comfort, you'll find that these systems are as "chemically clean" as any other if you follow regular maintenance and common sense.

So, what are we thinking about regular maintenance?

Well, for one thing, water exchanges. I'll keep it relatively brief on this topic: 

What’s a good water changing regimen?

I’d love to see you employ 10% per week...It’s what I’ve used for decades, and it’s served me- and my animals- very well! Easier still would be to employ two 5% water changes twice weekly. Way easier than you think, and has the added advantage of keeping you in intimate contact with your tank on a very frequent basis. And, when you’re changing water, you could easily complete a few other regular maintenance tasks at the same time with a minimum of extra time and effort.

Regardless of how frequently you change your water, just do it consistently. In fact, I’ll humbly borrow a line from Nike to tell you to “Just do it...”

And of course, this inevitably leads to the topic of siphoning. How much "stuff" do you remove? Doesn't it disturb the leaf litter/botanical bed?And SHOULD you even remove it? Well, it's a personal preference thing, really.

Consider the function of natural leaf litter beds, and the processes which influence their composition and structure. Many litter beds are long-term static features in their natural habitats. Almost like reefs! However, there is a fair amount of materials being shifted around by current, rain, flooding, and the activities of fishes. Stuff does get disturbed and redistributed.

The benthic microfauna which our fishes tend to feed on also are affected by this phenomenon, and as mentioned above, the fishes tend to "follow the food", making this a case of the fishes learning (?) to adapt to a changing environment. And perhaps...maybe...the idea of fishes sort of having to constantly adjust to a changing physical (note I didn't say "chemical") environment could be some sort of "trigger", hidden deep in their genetic code, that perhaps stimulates overall health, immunity or spawning?

Something in their "programing" that says, "You're at home..." Triggering specific adaptive behaviors?

I find this possibility fascinating, because we can learn more about our fishes' behaviors, and create really interesting habitats for them simply by adding botanicals to our aquariums and allowing them to "do their own thing"- to break apart as they decompose, move about as we change water or conduct maintenance activities, or add new pieces from time to time.

Again, much like Nature.

Like any environment, leaf litter beds have their own "rhythm", fostering substantial communities of fishes. The dynamic behind this biotope can best be summarized in this interesting excerpt from an academic paper on Blackwater leaf-litter communities by biologist Peter Alan Henderson, that is useful for those of us attempting to replicate these communities in our aquaria:

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

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

Of course, the aquarium is a microcosm of Nature, and not an open system. However, in principle, many of the factors which control Nature control our aquariums, too. SOem are a bit different in "execution", but the influence is similar. 

So, back to siphoning. 

Personally, I don't do a lot of siphoning of "detritus" from my substrates, which are typically a fish-mash of leaves, twigs, and bits and pieces of botanicals. Sure, you CAN stir up this layer, and simply "swish" a fine meshed net around in the water column, and try to remove anything you find offensive.

I wouldn't get too carried away with it. 

Remember, most of this "stuff"- the detritus and such- is utilized by organisms throughout the food chain in your tank...and as such, is a "fuel" for the biological processes we are so interested in. No sense disrupting them, right?

What goes down...doesn't always have to come up.

Take care of your tank by taking care of the enormous microcosm which supports its form and function. 

The surest path to success with botanical-style, blackwater aquariums, as we've stressed repeatedly, is to move slowly and incrementally. Sure, one you gain experience, you'll know how far you can "push it", but, quite frankly- Nature doesn't really care about your "experience"- if the conditions aren't right and the bacteria in your system cannot accommodate a rapid significant increase in bioload, she'll kick your ass like a personal trainer!

Just go slowly. Change water regularly. Go easy on the siphoning, okay?

Respect Nature. Learn from her.

Stay observant. Stay patient. Stay inquisitive. Stay humble. Stay curious. Stay diligent.

And Stay Wet.

 

Tough love for the beginner? Or a dose of common sense and compassion?

 

A couple of days ago, I had the Honore of being a guest on another podcast, "The Aquarium Guy Podcast"- a great, funny group of guys- you should check them out. My episode airs in a week or so, I'll let you know when it does so you can check it out! 

Among the many questions they had for me was, "Is it possible for a beginner to start with a 'tannin tank'?" (I guess that's popular vernacular for "botanical-style aquarium" or "blackwater aquarium"- I hear this term used a lot lately...).

And it's funny...I actually had to sort of think about it a bit. In fact, you might say I struggled a bit to give a definitive answer! 

It's a good question.

I mean, I've often touted how I feel that, once these systems are established, they are remarkably stable, relatively easy-to-maintain aquariums. Of course, there are some real qualifiers here.

The first being, "After the system is established."

Establishing a botanical-style aquarium, blackwater, brackish, or otherwise- certainly requires some basic understanding of the principles of aquarium management. Specifically, the nitrogen cycle, an understanding of water quality assessment and management, and stocking.

Some things you can't really "teach"- like patience. You need, well- a shitload of it...in the aquarium hobby in general, yet especially in the natural, botanical-style aquarium sector. And the patience part? We feel that it's seminal. Foundational.

Essential.

I don't think you can "teach" it. 

And you have to have some basic understanding of the nitrogen cycle, aquarium husbandry, and a little bit of awareness of water chemistry basics. I don't think that you can "wing it" with these kinds of tanks...Nor any type of aquarium system, really. To jump into any aquarium- botanical-filled or otherwise- without having basic knowledge about stuff like the nitrogen cycle, fish stocking protocols, and husbandry techniques- is flat-out stupid, IMHO.

I remember I kept stressing this; I kept sort of putting pressure on the outright beginner to do a bit of research and self-educate before opening up his/her purse/wallet and plunking down cash for aquarium stuff and fish. You can go online and research this, pick up a magazine, or these amazing things called "books." You should try them sometime! And you can talk to other hobbyists, or go to the local fish store and have a chat with a knowledgable employee.

Seriously, there are so many resources for aquarium basics out there that it's simply inexcusable to jump first without doing some basic research. I get downright disturbed when somebody who's never kept fishes before approaches me to start a blackwater aquarium and has no clue whatsoever about what ammonia or nitrite is, or how or why to test pH in the aquarium, what the benefits of water exchanges are, etc.

I mean, shit.

You don't know what the nitrogen cycle is, and you want to start a blackwater aquarium? Really?

It's like, "I want to fly a Boeing 787, but I've never taken a flying lesson in a Cessna 152. How do I get started?"

It's audacious and frankly, kind of dumb.

Now, sure, that's a small percentage of people that are so ignorant, but there are more than you think. And sure, I get it.."It takes a village" and we all have a responsibility to help out beginners, which I gladly accept. To a point. How can I explain the merits of biofilm and the idea of fungal growth on decomposing botanicals as part of a possible "food web" to someone who doesn't even understand how to do a water exchange?

It's just as irresponsible of me to try to push someone into that. A certain amount of self-education and responsibility is a requirement for all of us.

We want an Instagram-ready tank without acquiring the foundational knowledge required to get there. I mean, sure, if you just want a tank- hire one of the many talented professional aquarium services to set up and maintain it for you. No problem there. However, if this is going to be a hobby for you- make the damn effort to LEARN.

 

Seriously.

So, how do we help the beginner nowadays?

Maybe one solution is to make things more "digestible" to an evolving audience. Maybe not everyone wants to deep-dive into obscure research papers, or even a simple aquarium reference book.

Perhaps it's in the presentation. 

The information hasn't changed all that much in the last few decades, right?

Now, I realize that there is plenty of material out there on "how to start an aquarium" or whatever- but I think it needs refreshing, updating in order to reach a new generation of hobbyists who are getting the bulk of their information from Facebook forums, Instagram feeds, and YouTube shorts. Smaller, faster, more digestible stuff (not a characteristic of this damn blog, of course! 😆).

It's important for the future of the hobby. It will assure more people get in- and STAY in the hobby. We need to evolve how we present the concepts as much as we need to evolve the concepts themselves.

Sadly, it has to be reinforced constantly.

I can't tell you how many times a week I answer questions like, "I just received my Enigma Pack! Can I just add this stuff to my 5-gallon tank? I'm new to the hobby. What do I need to do..?" 

It both fascinates and freaks me out at the same time. Like, how did Tannin come up in a search for basic aquarium information?

Yet, some people are experienced and ask these same questions...and that drives me nuts, too.

I mean, I have a freakin' website with gigabytes of stuff on this very topic and other related topics, accumulated over years! And we're evolving this too. I had to check my ego a bit, and accept that not everyone likes to read a daily blog, so I started a podcast version. I get it.

Getting some of the fundamental messages across requires us as vendors and more established hobbyists to adapt and evolve if we want to help beginners start- and remain- in the hobby.

We've spent a lot of money and time on creating a botanical preparation infographic, lots of blogs, instagram live sessions, and podcasts on the topic, etc.- because it's an adaptation to how people consume information nowadays. We all need to evolve. More succinctly, we need to preach the underlying fundamental stuff...but in an evolved way. 

Part of the reason we've spent so much time over the past few years in this blog chatting about the processes, the pitfalls, and the expectations you should have when establishing the systems we advocate is to give everyone a very clear picture of what's involved.

Makes sense, right?

We are literally asking you to dump dead plant materials into your aquarium; to NOT touch on all of this fundamental stuff and discuss the potential issues would have been irresponsible at every level.

So, yeah- getting back to the initial point of this whole thing- you certainly CAN start with a botanical-style natural aquarium for your first project, but you absolutely need to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of aquarium practice. And you CAN be successful.

As those of us in this game already know, it's a process.

A journey. A learning curve.

A fun one, however...if you make it that way and love the process as much as I do.

IMHO, success with botanical-style aquairums is entirely achievable for those who make the effort to study, familiarize themselves with the basics.   If you don't, the botanical-style aquarium is almost guaranteed to kick the shit out of you if you leap without learning.

Simple as that.

And that shouldn't surprise anyone.

It doesn't matter if you're an innocent neophyte, unfamiliar with this stuff - or even a seasoned hobbyist with decades of experience. You CAN be a "beginner"- and one who's quite successful. We, as a community just need to do some of the "heavy lifting" to help everyone along! 

Advancing the state of the art of the hobby- and updating the existing practices-is a process that everyone can and should contribute to.

Let's all do our part.

You just can't delude beginners into thinking that it's a simple matter of tossing leaves and twigs into a tank, filling it up, and BAM! "Instant Borneo" or whatever. Like, the nitrogen cycle, formation of biofilms, environmental stability, etc. don't apply to you? (Yeah, there is a shockingly large number of neophyte hobbyists- end experienced ones, for that matter-who harbor such beliefs! I've talked to quite a few over the years...)

Let's educate and inspire...and let's share what the natural aquatic habitats we love so much really look and function like. THAT might help get our unique philosophy of aquarium management across more easily.

 So, the answer to the question posed at the beginning of this blog is...

Maybe.

If everyone- the hobby community, vendors- and the beginner him/herself plays a part in the process.

Let's all do our part.

Stay  curious. Stay empathetic. Stay aware. Stay realistic. Stay educated. Stay excited. Stay inspirational...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

A promise. A purpose. A...Pin?

When I first started Tannin Aquatics, the idea was to share my love of very unique aquarium interpretations of natural aquatic environments with my fellow hobbyists. Like many ventures, it involved a certain amount of ambition, uncertainty, and risk. Initially, there was a little "resistance" from some corners of the hobby to my philosophies and ideas, which was not unexpected. The "establishment" pushed back for a while. However, it didn't take all that long before we found our "tribe", and our ideas and philosophies merged. 

We founded Tannin with some important goals: To inspire, educate, enlighten, encourage, dispel old preconceptions, and to push the hobby into some different directions. To call attention to Nature and the precious aquatic habitats of the world. To highlight some very unique and dynamic habitats that the hobby may have overlooked, before it's too late. 

We promised to bring you a view of the hobby from a "slightly different perspective"- and you've jumped on it, for which we're truly grateful. Without your support, we'd literally be a bunch of fish geeks playing with twigs and leaves and seed pods (hey, wait a minute- we still ARE!😆). 

Occasionally, over the years, we've asked you to support some worthy causes and organizations and their work. One of the most worthy is the Freshwater Life Project, led by noted aquarist/explorer/author, Chris Englezou. FWLP conducts valuable research projects around the world to study and help preserve aquatic ecosystems and the animals which reside in them. 

 

Indeed, their mission statement makes their aims very clear: 

"The Freshwater Life Project was created by a small team of independent researchers in the hope of making real changes to support, protect, and preserve aquatic habitats around the world. The concept aims to implement tangible measures to conserve wetlands, lakes, rivers, and other aquatic habitats so that we may protect the future of all types of biodiversity which rely on them and ensure freshwater ecosystems thrive well into the future; our vision is one where human and environmental development occurs sustainably and simultaneously."

FWLP is involved with several important and exciting projects. One active project that your donation may support is exploring the possibility of re-introducing the possibly extinct Blenny, Salaria fluviatillis to its wild habitat in Cyprus.

Per Chris: We will work with authorities and in line with EU regulations and water framework directives to establish at least one natural flowing river in the Lemesos district of Cyprus, which as part of a comprehensive restoration program in cooperation with local people and businesses, can be the site of a re-introduction project for the only indigenous exclusively freshwater dwelling fish species of Cyprus, Salaria fluviatilis – a species presumed extinct after 109 years absent.

The Objectives

• Complete genetic analyses of diagnostic material from Cypriot Salaria to identify its correct taxonomy and therefore its closest living relative.
• Complete an island-wide survey which includes the Northern territory to determine for certain the absence or presence of the species.
• Locate appropriate habitat suitable (or potentially suitable subject to restoration) for Salaria and identify aquatic biodiversity with priority for re-discovering Salaria in Cypriot waters using traditional as well as modern techniques such as eDNA sampling.
• Assess the ongoing impact factors including those such as local construction, pollution and waste disposal (including effluent drainage) and dams against the likelihood of successful re-introduction of Salaria.
• Educate local residents and businesses to the project and teach them how to implement appropriate changes that support their local environment; actively seek their support to ensure its success and highlight the benefits it will bring them.

According to the FWLP, "Salaria sp. “Cyprus” is the only known indigenous fish species to have exclusively inhabited the islands freshwater ecosystems, re-discovery or re-introduction of the species to its native waters would help Cyprus to once again have native fish swimming in its rivers. We expect that it would also provide a renewed interest and incentive to support nature conservation in Cyprus, which has a well known history of mistakes with freshwater conservation (DDT campaigning, non-native species introductions and poor enforcement of environmental legislation)."

Bold ambitions require dedicated people, diligent attention to detail, and the most practical of requirements- funding. The FWLP, like many other worthy organizations, relies on the generous donations from people worldwide. As aquarium hobbyists, we couldn't think of a more worthy cause and ambitious goal to support. In my recent discussions with Chris, he explained to me the group's next project:

"Our team will conduct an important biodiversity survey along a never-before researched river in the rainforest of Brunei. Brunei is the least explored territory of Borneo island, and home to some of the island's last intact primary rainforest; it may well be the only safe haven for dozens of threatened species which exist nowhere else on Earth, and are suffering from the effects of a rapidly developing world..."

Objectives for this project are:

• Assess potential for application of a long-term biodiversity monitoring program and determine which survey techniques are appropriate to the study area.
• Gather valuable data on the distribution and living conditions of species in the target area, particularly new species and endangered and endemic mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and fishes from Brunei.
• Install monitoring equipment using non-intrusive methods to collect evidence of terrestrial species present within the target area.
• Record observations of any anthropogenic impacts and report any contraventions of the national park regulations to the relevant authorities

The findings from this survey will be published in respected scientific journals and be used to support the case for ongoing conservation for the habitat and all of the species relying on it.

 

And of course, as hobbyists concerned with critically threatened environments like Borneo, we have a keen interest in studying and preserving them. Supporting such worthwhile organizations as FWLP and their ongoing work is essential to the survival of this precious natural habitat. What can we as hobbyists do to support this work? What could Tannin offer to our customers to help make a cool contribution?

Me and our Creative Director, Johnny Ciotti, spent a lot of time considering various ways to help raise funds for this worthy charity. We wanted to come up with something that's fun, interesting, and can make everyone who participates feel good. Something that, through your purchases, could make a direct donation to FWLP. After much discussion, brainstorming, and head-scratching, Johnny came up with the idea of something collectible. Something that hobbyists would enjoy wearing, collecting, and displaying....

And of course, as these things go, sometimes the best answers are "hiding in plain sight!"  It turned out that one of our friends and fellow aquarists, the talented Alex Franqui, designs and manufacturers the perfect item- collectible enamel pins! Now, I admit, at first, I wasn't all that familiar with the popularity and "culture" of pin collecting. After a little research and further discussion with Alex and Johnny, I learned that this was an incredibly popular endeavor...And fun, too!

Alex is a designer by trade, and an extremely talented aquarist and aquascaper by advocation! He knew exactly what we were looking for! In his own words:

That's when the enamel fish pin idea came! What better than to collect, wear, and share your favorite aquarium fish species? There's so much versatility with an enamel pin, whether you use it as an accessory or simply collect them to display...These are for fish hobbyists and aquascapers, after all...and I know how detail-oriented we are, so the end result had to be a high-quality hard enamel pin that is anatomically correct in approximate size, color, and shape, leaving no question of what species you have!

 

My goal was to partner with the right organizations to create a product with the love of the fish hobby and aquascaping in mind.  Something that can spark conversation, introduce new people, and simply bring the aquarium community together! I hope that these pins can do just that!"

We're pretty sure that they can.

We decided to release a set of pins that feature some of our favorite blackwater fishes: The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), Rummynose Tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus), and my personal fave, the Tucano Tetra, Tucanoichthys tacano! 

The fishes are represented in vivid full-color with rich detail and quality construction. You'll enjoy this collectible set for many years to come! It's your chance to grab a full set of wearable art in this limited run- all while helping support a most worthwhile cause!

 

With every purchase of a limited series pin, we will be donating a portion of proceeds and bringing awareness to the Freshwater Life Project (U.K. Charity No. 1172393). Now, I must admit that I was quite surprised with the incredible response to this limited release of pins thus far. Your enthusiasm has been amazing, and they're being snapped up pretty quickly! The fact that they are a limited release might have something to do with it, too! Oh, and the fact that they're kind of cool, in our less-than-humble opinion!

Be sure to grab your set fast, because it's a limited release! Once this set is gone, it's gone! 😎

 

I know that I speak for all of us hear at Tannin, and the dedicated people of Freshwater Life Project, when I say "THANK YOU!" for your generous support. We look forward to many more such collaborations. We're excited to see the amazing and valuable work that will arise, in part because of your donations! It's so greatly appreciated- and important for us as hobbyists to support and call attention to such worthwhile projects.

Stay connected. Stay Supportive. Stay concerned. STAY INVOLVED...

And Stay Wet.

 

What goes on down there?

If you've been following us for any appreciable length of time here at Tannin Aquatics, you've probably surmised that we're obsessed with creating what we call "botanical substrates"- aggregations of various botanicals, ranging from leaves to twigs to seed pods- to serve as a functional and aesthetic feature in our aquariums.

It's a more or less direct mimic of Nature, where leaves and other materials accumulate in streams, ponds, grasslands, and flooded forest areas.



We've found over the years of playing with botanical materials that substrates can be really dynamic places, and benefit from the addition of leaves and other materials. For many years, substrates in aquarium were really just sands and gravels. With the popularity of planted aquariums, new materials, like calls and other additives, entered into the fray. With the botanical-style aquarium starting to gain in popularity, now you're seeing larger materials added on and in the substrate. 

Oh, no, he's talking about that "functional aesthetic shit again!"

Yes. Yes I am. 😎

Let's think about the way I look at the substrate of an aquarium.

When you're operating in our "arena", in a strictly aesthetic sense, the bottom itself becomes a big part of the aesthetic focus of the aquarium. And of course, I see the bottom of the aquarium as more than just sand or whatever. Rather, it's a important component of the aquarium habitat, with the botanicals placed upon the substrate- or, in some cases, becoming the substrate!

These materials form an attractive, texturally varied "microscape" of their own, creating color and interest. In fact, I dare say that one of the next frontiers in our niche would be an aquarium which is just substrate materials, without any "vertical relief" provide by wood or rocks.

We've tried this before, and it worked out pretty well.

FIrst off, what are the potential benefits of constructing a bottom or substrate consisting almost entirely of botanical materials?

Well, first off, such substrates become not only physical places for fishes to hide and forage among- they become an integral part of the entire closed aquarium ecosystem itself, helping influence water parameters, foster growth of fungi and microorganisms, and just maybe- some form of nutrient export/denitrification (although that last part is still a bit speculative).

I realize that experimenting with these unusual substrates requires not only a sense of adventure, a direction, and some discipline- but a willingness to accept and deal with an entirely different aesthetic than what we know and love. And this also includes pushing into areas and ideas which might make us uncomfortable, not just for the way they look, but for what we are told might be possible risks.

Sure, I said risks.

One of the things that many hobbyists ponder when we contemplate creating deep, botanical-heavy substrates, consisting of leaves, sand, and other botanical materials is the buildup of hydrogen sulfide, CO2, and other undesirable compounds within the substrate.

Well, it certainly does make sense that if you have a large amount of decomposing material in an aquarium, that some of these compounds are going to accumulate in heavily-"active" substrates. Now, the big "bogeyman" that we all seem to zero in on in our "sum of all fears" scenarios is hydrogen sulfide, which results from bacterial breakdown of organic matter in the total absence of oxygen.

Let's think about this for just a second.

In a substrate bed consisting entirely of botanical materials, with materials placed on the substrate, or loosely mixed into the top layers, will it all "pack down" enough to the point where there is a complete lack of oxygen and we develop a significant amount of this reviled compound in our tanks? I think that we're more likely to see some oxygen in this layer of materials, and I can't help but speculate- and it IS just speculation- that actual de-nitirifcation (nitrate reduction), which lowers nitrates while producing free nitrogen, might actually be able to occur in a "deep botanical" bed.

And it's certainly possible to have denitrification without dangerous hydrogen sulfide levels. As long as even very small amounts of oxygen and nitrates can penetrate into the substrate, this will not become an issue for most systems. I have yet to see a botanical-style aquarium where the material has become so "compacted" as to appear to have no circulation whatsoever within the botanical layer.

Now, sure, I'm not a scientist, and I base this on close visual inspection of numerous aquariums, and the basic chemical tests I've run on my systems under a variety of circumstances. As one who has made it a point to keep all of my botanical-style aquariums in operation for very extended time frames, I think this is significant. The "bad" side effects we're talking about should manifest over these longer time frames...and they just haven't.

And then there's the question of nitrate. 

Although not the terror that ammonia and nitrite are known to be, nitrate is sort of a biological "yardstick" of overall water quality. Now, as nitrate accumulates, many fish will eventually suffer some health issues. Ideally, we strive to keep our nitrate levels no higher than 5-10ppm in our aquariums.  As a reef aquarist, I've always been of the "...keep it as close to zero as possible." mindset, but that is not always the most realistic or achievable target in a heavily-botanical-laden aquarium.

You have a bit more "wiggle room" with nitrate, IMHO. Now, when you start creeping towards 50ppm, you're getting closer towards a number that should alert you. It's not a big "stretch" from 50ppm to 75ppm and higher...

And then you get towards the range where health issues could manifest themselves in your fishes. Now, many fishes will not show any symptoms of nitrate poisoning until the nitrate level reaches 100 ppm or more. However,  studies have shown that long-term exposure to concentrations of nitrate stresses fishes, making them more susceptible to disease, affecting their growth rates, and inhibiting spawning in many species. 

At those really high nitrate levels, fishes will become noticeably lethargic, and may have other health issues that are obvious upon visual inspection, such as open sores or reddish patches on their skin. And then, you'd have those "mysterious deaths" and the sudden death (essentially from shock) of newly-added fishes to the aquarium, because they're not acclimated to the higher nitrate concentrations.

Okay, that's scary stuff. However, high nitrate concentrations are not only manageable- they're something that's completely avoidable in our aquairums.

Quite honestly, even in the most heavily-botanical-laden systems I've played with, I have personally never seen a higher nitrate reading than around 5ppm. That's no bullshit, and I'm not holding myself up as a shining example of aquaristic perfection. I simply attribute this to common sense stuff: Good quality source water (RO/DI), careful stocking, feeding, good circulation, and consistent basic aquarium husbandry practices (water changes, filter maintenance, etc.).

Now, that's just me.

I'm no scientist, certainly not a chemist, but I have a basic understanding of maintaining a healthy nitrogen cycle in the aquarium. And I am habitual-perhaps even obsessive- about consistent maintenance. Water exchanges are not a "when I get around to it" thing in my aquarium management "playbook"- they're "baked in" to my practice. 

They should be a standard practice for every aquarist who plays with botanical-style aquariums- period.

So yeah, although nitrate accumulation is a potential concern in botanical-style aquariums, it need not be an ominous cloud hanging over our success. In my opinion, the far more problematic issues with botanicals and water quality are related to lapses in our own good judgment and to misguided practices.

Experience with our customer base tends to confirm this, too.

The very few issues that we've seen with people "pushing it too far" in terms of botanical applications, were caused by rapid influxes of large quantities of botanical materials to existing, stable aquariums, which, I believe, overwhelmed the resident bacterial population and might have resulted in rapid oxygen depletion and a corresponding increase in CO2. The result was fishes hanging at the surface in an attempt to get oxygen. The good news was that almost every situation like this I heard of was remedied in a relatively short period of time by adding additional aeration into the tank, a series of water exchanges, and/or removing some of the materials.

Generally, loss of life was minimal ("minimal"-that's an awful term, though) or nonexistent as a result of these measures. Regardless, it's really important to be careful. Fish can die if we push it too hard.  It's not just "Boil, dump...Instant Amazon..."  Measured implementation and experimentation is required when using botanicals. We're often adding biological materials to established aquariums, which might not be able to handle large, fast influxes.

There's obviously some "upper limit" of how much botanical material we can add to a given established  system in a brief period of time, and it's especially more profound in newly-established aquariums with "immature" nutrient export mechanisms in place.

What kinds of things can we do to prevent problems like this?

Well, for one thing, we can add botanical materials gradually, at a slow, steady pace. This will give our bacteria population a chance to catch up with the influx of materials being added. Also, it will slow down the pace of any pH fluctuations (assuming we are utilizing stuff that can lower the pH in our tanks) so that the fishes can adjust to them.

It's common sense "best practice" for us.

Another thing would be to employ good circulation within your system, which not only results in greater oxygenation and "mixing" of water "strata" - it physically suspends fine particulates in your system as well, making it easier for mechanical filtration to remove (of course, that assumes you don't like the look of "stuff" in the water, as some of us do!).

Any debris stirred up can easily be removed mechanically by filtration, as mentioned above. Of course, you don't have to go crazy siphoning the hell out of your sand every week, essentially decimating populations of beneficial microscopic infauna -or interfering with their function- in the process.

Now, I think one of the most "liberating" things we've seen in the blackwater, botanical-style aquarium niche is our acknowledgment that you can and should utilize the substrate itself to become a functional mechanism for its inhabitants.

It's certainly no stretch to call our use of botanicals as a form of "active substrate", much like the use of clays, mineral additives, soils, etc. in planted aquariums. Although our emphasis is on creating specific water conditions, fostering the growth of microorganisms and fungi, as well as creating unique aesthetics, versus the "more traditional" substrate materials fostering conditions specifically for plant growth.

Once your substrate is in place, Nature takes over and the materials develop that lovely "patina" of biofilms and microbial growth, and start breaking down. Some may be moved about by the grazing activities of resident fishes, or otherwise slowly redistributed around the aquarium.

A literal "active substrate", indeed! Yet, something that is fascinating and beautiful for those who give the idea a shot!

Once again, I encourage you to study the natural environment, particularly niche habitats or areas of the streams, rivers, and lakes- and draw inspiration from the functionality of these zones. The aesthetic component will come together virtually by itself. And accepting the varied, diverse, not-quite-so-pristine look of the "real thing" will give you a greater appreciation for the wonders of nature, and unlock new creative possibilities.

It's beyond liberating...In fact, it's something that has really spurred me to re-evaluate the way I interpret botanical-style aquariums. To go beyond the aesthetics and embrace the possible functions- food production, biological filtration- biodiversity- is a fascinating journey.

Over many decades of aquarium-keeping, I have learned to not be afraid of one of the tangential benefits of these types of substrates:

Detritus.

Yeah, detritus.

That thing we all collectively freak out about.

The definition, as accepted in the aquarium hobby is kind of sketchy in this regard; not flattering at the very least:

"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)

Everyone thinks that it is so bad.

I'm not buying it.

Why is this necessarily a "bad" thing?

I mean, even in the above the definition, there is the part about being "colonized by communities of microorganisms which act to decompose or remineralize..."

It's being processed. Utilized. What do these microorganisms do? They eat it...They render it inert. And in the process, they contribute to the biological diversity and arguably even the stability of the system. Some of them are utilized as food by other creatures. Important in a closed system, I should think!

Yeah, this is really important. It's part of the biological "operating system" of our aquariums. And it's a direct product of much of the materials we keep on the bottom of our aquariums.

It's not all bad, right?

I think we should embrace this. Especially in a botanical-style aquarium, which essentially "runs" on the decomposition of materials.

In the flooded forest floors we find in Nature, the leaf litter "community" of fishes, insects, fungi, and microorganisms is really important to the overall tropical environment, 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!

Stuff is being used by a myriad of life forms.

We've talked about this forever, and I think it has much merit to consider.

Is there a lesson from Nature here that we can incorporate into our aquarium work?

I think so!

Okay, detritus as we see it may not be the most attractive thing to look at in our tanks. I'll give you that. It literally looks like a pile of shit! However, what we are talking about allowing to accumulate isn't fish poop and uneaten food. It's broken-down botanical-materials. 

That's a hugely important distinction.

As we talk about so much around here- just because something looks a certain way doesn't mean that it alwaysa bad thing, right? What does it mean? Take into consideration why we add botanicals to our tanks in the first place. Now, you don't have to have huge piles of the stuff littering your sandy substrate.

However, you could have some accumulating here and there among the botanicals and leaves, where it may not offend your aesthetic senses, and still contribute to the overall aquatic ecosystem you've created.

Think about what the nitrogen cycle is and does, and think about the impact of inputs and exports into and out of our closed systems. 

Ponder the potential benefits of allowing some of this stuff to remain.

Think about the organisms which feed upon it, their impact on the water quality, and on the organisms which fed on them. Then, think about the fishes and how they utilize not only the material itself, but the organisms which consume it.

Consider its role in the overall ecosystem...

Is detritus just a nutrient trap?

Or is it a place for fishes to forage among?

A place for larval fishes to seek refuge and sustenance in? Kind of like they do in Nature, and have done so for eons?

Yes, I know, we're talking about a closed ecosystem here, which doesn't have all of the millions of minute inputs and exports and nuances that Nature does, but structurally and functionally, we have some of them at the highest levels (ie; water going in and coming out, food sources being added, stuff being exported, etc.).

I think we really need to think about our systems- particularly in the blackwater/botanical-style aquarium world- as little microcosms which replicate- at least on some level, some of the process which occur in nature to create a specialized but highly productive and successful- not to mention, dynamic- ecology. 

And not all of these processes have appealing visuals. I believe that we as hobbyists need to separate aesthetics from the overall functional benefits of the various life forms and processes which appear in and guide our aquairums' ecological systems.

There is so much more to this stuff than to simply buy in unflinchingly to overly-generalized statements like, "detritus is bad."

I think that the idea of an "enriched substrate" and the accompanying products of the resident biotic will become an integral part of the overall ecosystems that we create. Considering the substrate as both an aesthetic AND functional component- even in "non-planted" aquariums, opens up a whole new area of aquarium "exploration."

I envision that the future of mainstream aquarium practice may include creating such a substrate as simply part of "what we do." Adding a mix of botanical materials, live bacterial and small organism cultures, and even some "detritus" from healthy aquatic systems may become how we establish systems.

Think on that for a bit. Think about what goes on down there in the substrate...And apply lessons and observations from Nature into your botanical-style aquarium "practice."

It's not some amazing "revolution"- it's simply an evolution of practices that we've been playing with peripherally for decades in the hobby. It's a way of looking at what's already working and trying to figure out the "whys" as we go. 

Let's keep going.

Stay brave. Stay intrigued. Stay observant. Stay thoughtful. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Normal in our world...

Funny how your perspectives on the hobby change over time.

You know what's weird to me? When I realize that I'm so far down the rabbit hole of natural, botanical-style aquariums that a so-called "typical" aquarium, with clear water, spotless sand, perfectly-ratioed wood, and crisp green plants seems sort of "odd" to me.

Yeah, that's when I know I've kind of definitely changed as an aquarist! 

I'll be the first to admit- the aesthetics of a botanical-style aquarium are just fundamentally different than what we've come to expect from other types of aquariums we play with in the hobby. We've talked about this at least 300 times here over they years, right? And this "difference" often comes up when it's time to share our work with others!

Periodically, we do photography on the tanks here in the office, and I'm fortunate enough to have the incredibly talented Johnny Ciotti practice his craft. Typically, a day or two before he comes to do the pics, Johnny will call me and tell me stuff like, "Remember to clean the waterline..."

And of course, that's where I start getting stressed, lol.

Have you ever noticed that our botanical style aquariums, with all of their leaves and seed pods and such, when they break down, seem to leave behind a sort of "protein film" on the water's surface.Or at least against the glass.

I almost always see this stuff in my tanks...do you? And I suck at removing the stuff...And when I apologize for Johnny having to do one more "wipe down" of the waterline before he photographs my tanks, he'll often joke that, "No one in the aquascaping world ever accused your tanks of being too clean-looking..."

And I have to laugh when he says that, because it's once again, a matter of perception, right?

Now, it's typical of the "visuals" and aestheics that I have come to expect from botanical style aquariums. And of course, it's just one of them..there are quite a few, really. 

If you're sort of at a loss for words trying to explain the "aesthetic differences" of our tanks and those most hobbyists have become more familiar with, I figured it might be good to touch on them now and again to give you a little "air cover" when you're showing your tank to others.

Here are a few:

Biofilms and fungal growths will accumulate on "undefended" surfaces (ie; leaves, seed pods, bark, etc.).  We know this from years and years of working with this stuff, right? Particularly when terrestrial materials are submerged in water, they tend to be very attractive "attachment points" for bacterial growth and the "construction" of biofilms. The appearance and proliferation of biofilms are almost a "right of passage" to botanical-style aquarium enthusiasts.

They look awful to those who are not accustomed to seeing them in aquariums. I get it- they are sort of "contrary" to everything we take as "normal" in aquarium keeping. They look like shit to many hobbyists, but they are absolutely natural and normal.

When you make that mental shift which understands that biofilms are a key part of the habitat, and perform a vital role in the sequestering and processing of nutrients in Nature, providing supplementary food for other organisms, and contributing to the formation of food webs, they become desirable, elegant...perhaps- maybe...beautiful?

Decomposition of botanicals is another absolute "given" for botanical-style aquariums, right? Pretty much the minute that you add botanical materials to water, they start to physically disintegrate; the speed and extent to which each breaks down influenced by numerous factors, such as the specific "structure" of the botanical itself, the water chemistry, temperature, and other physical influences, such as water movement, the presence of xylophores, or fishes which disturb or "graze" on the botanicals.

There is a difference between "color" and "clarity." The color of the water in botanical-style aquariums is, as you know, a product of tannins leaching into the water from wood, substrate materials, and botanicals, and typically is not "cloudy." It's actually one of the most natural-looking water conditions around, as water influenced by soils, woods, leaves, etc. is ubiquitous around the world. Other than having that undeniable color, there is little that differentiates this water from so-called "crystal clear" water to the naked eye.

Of course, the water may have a lower pH and general hardness, but these factors have no bearing on the visual clarity of the water.

I'm gonna "riff" on this a bit, because it's both "foundational" to our work, and often misunderstood...

And of course, I won't disagree that "clear" water is nice. I like it, too...However, I would make the case that "crystal clear" water is: a) not always solely indicative of "healthy" or "optimum" , and b) not always what fishes encounter in Nature.

The point is, we as fish geeks seem to associate color in water with overall "cleanliness", or clarity. The reality is, in many cases, that the color and clarity of the water can be indicative of some sort of "issue" in many aquariums, but color seems to draw an immediate "There is something wrong!" from the uninitiated!

And it's kind of funny- if you talk to ecologists familiar with blackwater habitats, they are often considered some of the most "impoverished" waters around, at least from a mineral and nutrient standpoint.

In the context of the aquarium, of course, the general hobby at large doesn't think about "impoverished." Many just see colored water and think..."dirty." 

And of course, this is where we need to separate two factors:

Cloudiness and "color" are generally separate issues for most hobbyists, but they both seem to cause concern. Cloudiness, in particular, may be a "tip off" to some other issues in the aquarium. And, as we all know, cloudiness can usually be caused by a few factors:

1) Improperly cleaned substrate or decorative materials, such as driftwood, etc. (creating a "haze" of micro-sized dust particles, which float in the water column).

2) Bacterial blooms (typically caused by a heavy bioload in a system not capable of handling it. Ie; a new tank with a filter that is not fully established and a full compliment of livestock).

3) Algae blooms which can both cloud AND color the water (usually caused by excessive nutrients and too much light for a given system).

4) Poor husbandry, which results in heavy decomposition, and more bacterial blooms and biological waste affecting water clarity. This is, of course, a rather urgent matter to be attended to, as there are possible serious consequences to the life in your system.

Remember, just because the water in a botanical-influenced aquarium system is brownish, it doesn't mean that it's of low quality, or "dirty", as we're inclined to say. It simply means that tannins, humic acids, and other substances are leaching into the water, creating a characteristic color that some of us geeks find rather attractive. If you're still concerned, monitor the water quality...perform a nitrate test; look at the health of your animals.

What's happening in there?

People ask me a lot if botanicals can create "cloudy water" in their aquariums, and I have to give the responsible answer- yes. Of course they can! If you place a large quantity of just about anything that can decompose in water, the potential for cloudy water caused by fine particulate matter from the materials, and a bloom of bacteria resulting from their presence exists.

In my home aquariums, and in many of the really great natural-looking blackwater aquariums I see the water is dark, almost turbid or "soupy" as one of my fellow blackwater/botanical-style aquarium geeks refers to it. You might see the faintest hint of "stuff" in the water...perhaps a bit of fines from leaves breaking down, some dislodged biofilms, pieces of leaves, etc. Just like in nature. Chemically, it has undetectable nitrate and phosphate..."clean" by aquarium standards.

Sure, by municipal drinking water standards, color and clarity are important, and can indicate a number of potential issues...But we're not talking about drinking water here, are we?

"Turbidity." Sounds like something we want to avoid, right? Sounds "dangerous" somehow...

On the other hand, "turbidity", as it's typically defined, leaves open the possibility that it's not a negative thing:

 "...the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air..."  

What the HELL am I getting at?

 

Well, think about a body of water like an igapo adjacent to the Rio Negro, as pictured above in the photo by Mike Tuccinardi. This water is of course, "tinted" because of the dissolved tannins and humic substances that are present due to decaying botanical materials.  And it's also a bit "turbid" because of the fine particulate matter from these materials, too.

I would argue that these conditions are not "unhealthy" to fishes, right?

Okay, we've beaten the living shit out of that, haven't we?

Yeah.

The substrates that we utilize influence both the aquarium's appearance and its chemistry. This is, of course, essentially what happens in Nature. In the flooded forests of South America and elsewhere terrestrial materials, such as botanicals, roots, branches, leaves, and soil play a role in shaping the aquatic ecosystem which arises following the seasonal inundation.

The mix of materials which comprise these unique habitats has definitely been an inspiration for me to create quite a few different aquariums over the years! There is so much we can learn from studying these systems that we can apply in our hobby work!

To show you how geeky I am about this stuff, I have spent hours pouring over pics and video screen shots of some of these igapo habitats over the years, and literally counted the number of leaves versus other botanical items in the shots, to get a sort of  leaf to botanical "ratio" that is common in these systems. Although different areas would obviously vary, based on the pics I've "analyzed", it works out to about 70% leaves to 30% "other botanical items." 

The trees-or their parts- literally bring new life to the waters. Some are present when the waters begin rising. Others continue to arrive after the area is flooded, falling off of forests trees or tumbling down from the "banks" of the stream by wind or rain. Terrestrial trees also play a role in removing, utilizing, and returning nutrients to the aquatic habitat. They remove some nutrient from the submerged soils, and return some in the form of leaf drop.  Terrestrial materials like this become part of the "active substrate" in our aquariums.

And of course, there's the soils...

Now, I think one of the most "liberating" things we've seen in the blackwater, botanical-style aquarium niche is our practice of utilizing the substrate itself to become a feature aesthetic point in our aquariums, as well as a functional mechanism for the inhabitants.

 In other words, in a strictly aesthetic sense, the bottom itself becomes a big part of the aesthetic focus of the aquarium, with the botanicals placed upon the substrate- or, in some cases, becoming the substrate! These materials form an attractive, texturally varied "micro-scape" of their own, creating color, interest, and functions that we are just starting to appreciate.

In fact, I dare say that one of the next "frontiers" in our niche would be an aquarium which is just substrate materials, without any "vertical relief" provide by wood or rocks.

I've executed a few aquariums based on this idea (specifically, with leaves), and I've been extremely happy with their long-term performance! Oh, and they kind of looked cool, too...

Nature provides no shortage of habitats with unusual substrate composition for inspiration. If we look at them in context of the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem, there are a lot of possible "functional takeaways" that we as hobbyists can apply to our aquarium work.

And the interesting thing about these features, from an aesthetic standpoint, is that they create an incredibly alluring look with a minimum of "design" required on the hobbyists part. Remember, you can to put together a substrate with a perfect aesthetic mix of colors and textures, but that's about it.

We have to "cede" some of the "work" to nature at that point!

And we've talked about the idea not only of creating more "functionally aesthetic" substrates, but the idea of incorporating botanicals into them, as well. One of our favorite "edits" is to include a significant amount of leaf litter into the substrate, as you'd find in the sedimented, leaf-litter-rich, and silt-laden substrates of wild tropical environments.

How would you replicate the form and function in the aquarium? We accomplish this with either the small, yet durable Texas Live Oak leaf litter, or with our "Mixed Leaf Media" product, which is essentially a graded mix of crushed Catappa, Guava, Jackfruit, and Bamboo leaves. When steeped or boiled, the stuff goes right to the bottom, and is easily mixed into the substrate material that you're using in your system.

The result, when well mixed in, is a composition which looks and functions much like a real tropical stream or flooded forest floor substrate. The idea that not only will you create an interesting appearing substrate, you'll end upon with one which can impart tannins and humid substances, while serving as a biological support for the production of biofilms and fungal growth.

Functionally aesthetic.

It's definitely contrarian, at least. Is it rebellious, even?

Maybe.

Our original mission at Tannin was to share our passion for the reality of "unedited" Nature, in all of its murky, brown, algae-patina-enhanced glory. And I started to realize that a while back, we were starting to fall dangerously into that noisy, (IMHO) absurd, mainstream aquascaping world. Pressing our dirty faces against the pristine glass, we were sort of outsiders looking in...the awkward, different new kid on the block, wanting to play with the others.

Then, the realization hit that we never really wanted to play like that. It's not who we are.

We are not going to play there.

We're going to "double down" in our dirty, tinted, turbid, decomposing, inspired-by Nature world. Sure, our materials can and should be utilized by all sorts of hobbyists for all sorts of applications. However, if you were worried about your favorite little quirky supplier of twigs and nuts becoming yet another "player" in the world of homogenized, prepackaged, generic blah, let me assure you now that it will not be happening.

 

We're all-in on the "preservation of the patina." Biofilms. Detritus. Decomposing leaves... Letting Nature do her thing and not "sanitizing it." 

All that stuff.

So, it's of utmost import that we periodically publish some "position pieces" about expectations, processes, practices, and ideas. And it's also vital for us to share our ideas, experiences, and inspirations.

Thanks for being a part of this exciting, ever-evolving, tinted world!

Stay level-headed. Stay creative. Stay engaged. Stay excited. Stay studious. Stay rebellious!

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics