The Tint

The Allure of Ephemeral aquatic habitats...And the fishes which reside in them.

There is something magical about unique aquatic habitats, isn't there? 

Actually, let me clarify.

I find almost ANY aquatic habitat alluring, as most any fish geek does. And the interesting thing is that just about any body of water that fosters aquatic life is like a magnet, drawing the hardcore fish geek to it "like a moth to a flame."

Streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, flooded forests, and- damn, I love me some flooded forests (If you haven't guessed by now!)...Each and every one holds a special appeal. However, I'm really fascinated by aquatic habitats that are ephemeral in nature- fleeting bodies of water which form as a result of weather, floodwaters, or seasonal changes.  

Yeah, the world is filled with all sorts of aquatic habitats which are not as well studied or even thought about by most hobbyists. One of my fave examples are the so-called "vernal pools", which although found in various parts of the world, hold special fascination for us when they occur in tropical locales like South America nd Africa.

Vernal pools are classified by ecologists as a type of wetland, although they are, as their name implies, temporary aquatic habitats. Certain fishes, such as annual killifish, have evolved to adapt and thrive in these environments over eons. This, of course, makes these unique aquatic ecosystems all the more fascinating to us as tropical fish hobbyists!

Typical vernal pools in the tropical locales mentioned above are dry for at least part of the year, and typically, but not always, fill with water during seasonal rain/flooding events. Some of these pools may stay partially filled with water during a given year- or longer- but all vernal pools dry up periodically. Sometimes, these pools empty and fill several times during the wet season. Movement of water between vernal pools also occurs. 

Vernal pools are typically associated with plains or grasslands, and are typically small bodies of water- often just a few meters wide. The origin of the name, "vernal" refers to  the Spring season. And, this makes a lot of sense, because most of these ephemeral habitats are at their maximum water depth during the Spring!

Vernal pools are typically found in areas comprised of various soil types that contain clays, sediments and silts. They can develop into what geologists call "hydric soils", which  are defined as, “...a soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part.”

That's interesting! 

A unique part of the vernal pools is what is an essentially impermeable layer of substrate called "clay pan."  These substrates are hugely important to the formation of these habitats, as the clay soils bind so closely together that they become impermeable to water.  Thus, when it rains, the water percolates until it reaches the "claypan" and just sits there, filling up with decaying plant material, loose soils, and water.

So, yeah- the substrate is of critical importance to the aquatic life forms which reside in these pools! Let's talk killies for a second!  One study of the much-loved African genus Nothobranchius indicated that the soils are "the primary drivers of habitat suitability" for these fish, and that the eggs can only survive the embryonic period and develop in specific soil types containing alkaline clay minerals, known as "smectites", which create the proper soil conditions for this in desiccated pool substrates.

The resulting "mud-rich" substrate in these pools has a low degree of permeability, which enables water to remain in a given vernal pool even after the surrounding water table may have receded! And, of course, a lot of decaying materials, like plant parts and leaf litter is present in the water, which would impact the pH and other characteristics of the aquatic habitat.

Interestingly, it is known by ecologists that the water may stay alkaline despite all of this stuff, because of the buffering capacity of the alkaline clay present in the sediments!

And, to literally "cap it off"- if this impermeable layer were not present, the vernal pools would desiccate too rapidly to permit the critical early phases of embryonic development of the Nothobranchius eggs to occur. Yes, these fishes are tied intimately to their environment.

(Image by Andrew Bogott, used under CC BY-S.A. 4.0)

The fascinating concept of embryonic diapause ( a form of prolonged, yet reversible developmental arrest) is well-known to scientists and lovers of annual killies. The occurrence and length of time of diapause varies from species to species, yet is considered by scientists to be an evolutionary adaptation and ecological trait in various populations of Nothobranchius, tied directly into the characteristics of the ephemeral habitats in which these fish reside!

Diapause assures species survival by enabling the annual life cycle of these fish to be completed, and can even be affected by the presence of adult fishes in the habitat (not a good idea to hatch if potential predators are around, right?)- a fascinating adaptation! Since the embryonic phase of most Nothobranchius is a relatively long period of their lives- and in some species- the longest phase of their life, factors which impact embryonic development are extremely important. 

Okay, my head is about to explode here with this really interesting stuff! 

(Image by Kils- used under CC BY-S.A. 3.0)

Of course, when they're filled, vernal pools are literal oases of aquatic life, ranging from microorganisms and micro crustaceans (like Daphnia) to aquatic insects and their associated larvae (like mosquito larvae!), frogs, and in some instances...fishes! It makes sense that fishes would find their way into these habitats over eons- especially if they're literally filled with foods for the fishes during their wet season, right?

Interestingly, in the case of annual killifishes like Nothos, other species of (non-annual) fishes are occasionally found living with them, when these habitats might be connected temporarily to adjacent, more permanent bodies of water. Fishes as diverse as Lungfishes, Barbus sp., Clarias catfishes, mormyrids like Petrocephalus sp., Ctenopoma sp., non-annual killifishes such as Aplocheilichthys sp., and even some cichlids like Tilapia are found in these vernal pools!

Oh, that's pretty cool, right? What an eclectic group of fishes!

These fishes aggregate in these pools because of their connectivity to adjacent waters, and they feed and thrive off of the abundant food present in the vernal pools. And of course, the stomach contents of Nothobranchius and the species which occur with them include stuff like planktonic and benthic invertebrates, copepods, Daphnia, and insect larvae.

This confirms the remarkable abundance of life which helps sustain the fishes which reside in the vernal pools.

Let's think about this stuff in aquarium terms!

Killifish hobbyists have kept annual Notho species for many years, and have learned to utilize materials such as peat moss to incubate their resulting eggs. There has always been a more than causal interest among these hobbyists in creating the optimum levels of moisture and such within a given "batch" of peat moss- with the old "standby reference" that the peat should have the consistency of "moist pipe tobacco" being the "gold standard" for decades. Great if you're a pipe smoker- otherwise, it's just a guessing game, right?

After studying these vernal pools for some time now, I can't help but be drawn to the idea we've played with in our "Urban Igapo" tanks- utilizing soil/sediment mixes which simulate, to the most realistic extent possible, the substrates of the vernal pools. I'm fascinated by the idea of including alkaline clays, specifically those with the aforementioned smectites present, in a substrate mix intended to keep these fishes in a "permanent" setup.

Well, "permanent" in that we're not removing the substrate to dry it out. I suppose the water would be the "ephemeral" part, lol! We're removing the water (and the adult fishes, of course) to create a "dry period", while leaving the substrate intact during the process. Once the appropriate incubation period for a given species has passed, the substrate is wetted once again, and hopefully, you get some fry, which would be reared "in situ."

That's essentially the "gist" of the "Urban Igapo" concept as adapted to the killifish life cycle.

Now, I am not going to delude myself here and think that I've "invented" some new approach to keeping annual killies. This idea is not really "revolutionary", it's not exactly precise in nature, and is likely far less sophisticated, efficient  and controllable than the "collect-the-peat-and-place-it-in-a-plastic-bag-to-incubate" methodology that's been used for generations.

I've already played with this idea with some South American annual killifish species, so I can't see why the idea wouldn't work with African annuals like Nothobranchius. Again, it's perhaps a bit less controlled as the more traditional approaches. It's not the key to propagating large numbers of these fishes in a predictable, guaranteed long-term sustainable manner.

I'll give you that.

However, I think it's an interesting experimental way to go.

It's certainly more fun than just throwing some peat in a plastic bag, right? It could give us some interesting insights its the life cycle of these fishes, and how their habitats impact their existence in tangible ways. It plays into our desire to recreate the habitats of fishes in a more realistic, more functional manner- and to understand how they work and the threats they face from mankind's encroachment.

And maybe, just maybe- they might help make killifish, and the killifish hobby, more interesting, appealing, and relevant to a new group of hobbyists- long a topic of concern among the gillie-keeping establishment!

A big win.

We've covered a fair amount of information on this rather obscure, yet fascinating ephemeral habitat and the fishes which reside there. In a future installment, I'll talk about my experiments with this process, and we can discuss the idea of creating one of these aquatic displays for Nothobranchius- and maybe for other fishes which are occasionally found with them in Nature.

Until next time...

Stay studious. Stay curious. Stay engaged. Stay diligent. Stay creative...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

The transition- the approach, the process, the myths, the unknowns...and the art.

"I want to set up a Blackwater Aquarium."

Those words are impactful to me. And they're getting more and more common all the time. 

Okay, I sound sort of ridiculous, but I think the concept of blackwater aquariums is becoming sort of, well...trendy.

I guess it's cool.

I mean, it IS. But it's like we've tended to focus on the superficial aspects of it- you know, the cool looks. Awesome, but only really part of the story. Also, it's likely the the most superficial part. Again , it's okay to enjoy the "look", but I'm afraid that in the "insta-trend" thing, a lot of people are taken in by the color of the water, the aesthetics- and the perception that simply adding "botanicals" to the aquarium gives you soft, acidic "blackwater" conditions.

There's more to it than that.

Obviously, I'm giving myself a bit of a "pass" here by referring you to the "body of work" that we've developed over the years here...I mean, in one summary blog post, I can't give you the definitive guide to blackwater/botanical-style aquairums.

Yes, we've talked quite a bit about the processes involved in setting up a botanical-style, blackwater aquarium from scratch, as well as the mindset, research, concepts, and execution involved. More than could possibly be summarized in one concise blog post or article! It's literally taken about four years to sort of get out the basics about what we feel is a good approach to the blackwater/botanical-style aquarium game.

Yet, regularly, we hear from a large number of interested hobbyists, customers, and community members who have an existing aquarium and want to "switch it over" to a blackwater aquarium. We receive a fair number of questions about the process, so I figured that now is as good a time as any to touch on it!

Now, I've always had this "thing" about most aquarium-related "how-to" type articles, because I think they tend to offer up information as if everything were simply a "recipe", and that if you "do this" or add "a bit of that"- you're certain to achieve "such-and-such" a result... I always feel that this is a bit of a "broad stroke"; one that sometimes glosses over the more nuanced aspects of the topic.

And you know as well as I do that, with hundreds of possible variables in the equation, an aquarium is no "picnic." Nothing is a "given", even when you're considering trying to hit a narrow range of conditions with seemingly "the right" combination of actions. And our idea of throwing in leaves, twigs, botanical materials, and soils into a tank and seeing what happens is about as "variable-inducing" as it gets!

So, with that "disclaimer" in mind (LOL), we're going to at least look at the overall "how to", and we can all fill in the blank spaces in our specific situations with more customized approaches as needed. The purpose of this piece is not to give you the definitive answer to "How to create a blackwater aquarium" or whatever.

There's so much more to it than a superficial piece like this could ever hope to offer. We're just giving you some "highlights" here, and hoping that you'll take advantage of what's available. You'll have to do additional homework with resources available here in previous blogs, and in articles and blogs throughout the internet and elsewhere. 

No real "shortcuts" here.

"OMG Fellman, just get to it already!"

It starts with some basic questions.

First off, the obvious questions we need to ask ourselves when commencing such a change are, "Do the fishes which I keep come from this type of environment in Nature?" and "Am I willing to take the time to do it slowly?" The answer to the first question is pretty obvious- and it's almost sort of insulting that I'd even mention it...but "due diligence", ya' know...

Okay, you got that one.

The second question is to me- more interesting..in fact, it's, as we say here in America- "The whole ball game.." (they probably say that in every country, too, but hey...).

Patience. Observation. Time.

Essential "ingredients" in the botanical-style blackwater aquarium game.

One fact:

It goes without saying that, if you've been keeping your fishes (even ones which come from blackwater conditions in Nature) in harder, more alkaline water, there will need to be a gradual transition to this type of environment. It goes without saying that rapid environmental changes are potentially harmful to many fishes. 

Now, in the bigger picture, I am of the opinion that even, for example, Tetras or other fishes that may have been bred commercially in "tap water" conditions (not necessarily soft and acidic) for the past few decades still could benefit from being "repatriated" into more natural conditions.

However, you're still putting them through an environmental change, and this requires time.

Where do you begin? 

Well, you start by seeing where you are. "Getting your bearings", so to speak.

I'd start by doing a sort of "baseline assessment" of the pH and alkalinity of my water. Digital meters are a great investment that will make accurate monitoring of your water very easy and economical. You should also give some thought about what your target pH/alkalnity are. If you're using tap water with a pH of 8.2 and considerable carbonate hardness, for example, you need to consider how you might bring these measurements down.

And you should, in my opinion, be willing to make the "infrastructure investment" (pricy though it may be) in a reverse osmosis/dioinization unit...or at least, finding a source of good, consistent RO/DI water (many fish stores will sell you RO/DI by the gallon/litre!). The rationale here is that it's far, far easier to reduce the pH in water with little or no carbonate hardness...it's more "malleable"- a better "canvas" upon which to work.

If you aren't using RO/DI water in your current setup, you can even start gradually mixing some in (without adjusting it or adding anything) with your regular water exchanges. Arguably, this may help to gradually lower the carbonate hardness and pH. Yet, it's going to take a long time. Ultimately, the idea is to replace all of the water in the tank with RO/DI. Patience is essential. Slow steps. If you can get your water to around neutral (7.0), that's a great "stepping off point" for modifications to lower pH levels.

Oh, there are other considerations- like substrate. If you're using a substrate which has considerable "buffering" capability, than it's likely that you'll either need to replace it, or accept the fact that you will likely not achieve "soft, acidic" conditions.

Now, speaking of pH- I wouldn't "shoot for the stars" and try to get to 5.5 or something really low right out of the blocks. For that matter, I wouldn't obsess over ANY specific "target number", really...Rather, I'd try to find a tight range that you could easily maintain. With the understanding that you need to do this over a period of weeks- even months...I'd shoot for a modest pH level of like 6.7-6.5 as your target range...Get a feel or operating a tank under these conditions and maintaining them consistently. 

Once you've got a sort of "handle" on the pH and alkalinity, and have gotten them "in range", you can begin the (slow) process of "fine tuning" your habitat. Now, you might be (as I often am) surprised to find that botanicals and leaves, while impactful somewhat on pH, will drop levels much more slowly, and to a lesser extent than you might think. And if you have harder, alkaline water, the impact will be even more minimal or even undetectable.

As we've mentioned many times, the impact on carbonate hardness from botanicals and leaves is essentially nothing. They won't accomplish "softening" of water- a myth that's been erroneously ascribed to them for decades. A study of basic water chemistry will bury this myth once and for all. 

You simply need to utilize other methods to reduce KH (like the aforementioned use of RO/DI water) before even starting to add the botanicals and leaves, if your goal is to reduce pH in the system with them.

The other, probably insultingly obvious thing to be aware of is that, even if the water looks dark brown, it's not necessarily 6.3 and zero KH. I mean, tannins will stain water in the absence of chemical filtration media to remove them. They may not significantly impact the pH, as mentioned above, but you'll get that "visual tint." 

And I know many hobbyists who are perfectly happy with that.

And let's talk about the idea of tannins and humic substances for a second. We know that they are released into the water as a result of steeping botanical materials. And yes, there are commercial test kits to measure tannin levels (usually used in winemaking and such). They will give mg/l readings, which are, unfortunately, of no real use to hobbyists at the present time.

Why?

Because we simply don't have baseline information which hobbyists can interpret about tannin levels and/or humic substances in natural habitats, nor an analysis of which of the hundreds and hundreds of tannins and humic substances are typically found in most blackwater habitats.

At this time, we simply have to go with the understanding that these compounds ARE found in natural blackwater aquatic habitats at varying concentrations and combinations. Until further research is completed, interpreted and analyzed, we unfortunately simply have to "trust" this stuff! Yet another reason to study the wild aquatic habitats of the world even more closely.

I am also not aware of any studies done on the health impact to tropical fishes of tannins and humic substances in harder, alkaline environments versus soft, acidic ones, so it's sort of an open topic, really. 

Not exactly 100% definitive, completely confidence-building stuff, right? I mean, we know that these things are there. We know they're important, but we don't know a whole lot more at this point- at least, not hobby-wise. 

We're still at the phase when what we do is much more of an "art" as it is a "science." Now, that's not a bad thing, mind you. Just something we need to take into account as we peruse our work.

Speaking of the "art" part, let's just touch on the practical applications of botanicals for a second.

My personal tendency is to start with relatively small quantities of materials, usually leaves, and then work in the more durable botanicals like seed pods and such. I guess my thought process is that materials such as leaves tend to break down more quickly, imparting their humic acids and tannins into the water at a corresponding pace.

And of course, after your initial additions, you should measure pH again, to see if there has been any impact. A lot of hobbyists are into checking TDS as well...We've beaten up that subject quite a bit in past blogs here, and it's discussed a lot by hobbyists, so it's something you might want to research. 

Obviously, the question here is "how much stuff do I start with?" And of course, my answer is...I have no idea. Yeah, what a shocker, right? I realize that's the least satisfying, possibly least helpful answer I could give to this question. Or is it? I mean, taking into account all of the possible variables, ranging from the type of water your starting with, to what kind of substrate material you're using, it would be a shot in the dark, at best.

My advice is to start with conservatively small quantities of stuff...like, maybe a half a dozen leaves for every 15 US gallons (56.78L) of water. You might not even notice any difference..or you might see a .2 reduction in pH...You have to test.

I recommend a digital pH meter for best accuracy.

I would make it a habit to add the same amount of materials (leaves initially, and pods if you want to mix 'em in on subsequent additions) at a regular interval. Say, every 4 or 5 days. Test again. See where you're at. I would tend to shoot for not reducing your pH by more than .5 per week. That's me of course...your fishes' tolerance and your personal comfort level with doing so is your call. And it's really a matter of repeating this process until you hit your desired range.

Notice I said "range" and not "target pH" or whatever?

We receive a lot of questions about utilizing chemical filtration media while using botanicals, and again, there is no "right or wrong" here. I will tell you from my personal experience that I like to use filtration materials like Seachem "Renew", small amounts of activated carbon ("Seriously, Fellman? Activated carbon?" Yes, really.), and Poly Filter on a full-time basis in my systems.

The reality is that organic scavenger resins, carbons, and materials like "Renew" might be indiscriminate in their removal of stuff like humic substances, tannins, and other organic compounds released by the botanicals, but they also tend to moderate things you don't want, like ammonia and "miscellaneous" organics (how's that for a "cop out" on my part...falling back on "generics!").

We toss a lot of  botanical materials (ie; "bioload") into our aquairums, all of which break down and require a bacterial population to "process" it. Why not have some chemical filtration as an "insurance policy" to remove some potential excess organics and such which will place a substantial burden on the bacterial population?

Yeah, they might remove some of the visual tint, but they will remove a lot less of it if you don't use the recommended "dose" per gallon. And frankly, I've never done a serious test to see exactly how much of what various chemical filtration media actually remove from the water. Being honest here...I'll bet not too many of you have, either, right?

So, we're kind of relying on the manufacturer's instructions and good old observation. Don't worry about the "tint" these materials will remove if used in moderation. Trust me, the water in most of my tanks is pretty damn dark, despite full-time utilization of these media! 

If you're getting a sort of feeling that this is hardly a scientific, highly-choreographed, one-size-fits-all process....you're totally right. It's really a matter of (as the great hobbyist/author John Tullock once wrote) "Test and tweak." In other words, see what the hell is going on before making adjustments. Logical and time-tested aquarium procedure for ANY type of tank! 

Now, the interesting thing that I've always found with my botanical-style, blackwater aquariums is that they tend to find their own "equilibrium" of sorts- a stable "operating range" that, once you find yourself doing the same procedures (i.e.; regular, consistent water exchanges, additions of botanicals, and media replacement, etc.) at regular intervals, tends to remain highly consistent as long as you keep them up.

I've talked repeatedly about the (IMHO mostly unwarranted) fears people have about precipitous pH "drops" and "crashes" and such, and I believe that most or all of these things are mitigated by consistency, patience, taking small steps, testing regularly, documenting and repeating them.

I've said it before an I will repeat it once again: I believe that pretty much every one of the "anomalous" pH "crashes"/disasters I've heard of in regards to blackwater, botanical-style tanks has been directly attributable to "operator error"- i.e.; failing to be consistent, diligent, and conservative. Tanks simply don't "crash" by themselves, in my experience.

They fail as a result of something we did or did not do: Failure to slow down. Failure to measure. Failure to observe or continue to follow procedures that have been giving us consistently good results. In my experience, tanks will typically show "signs", develop trends, and demonstrate the manifestations of "issues" gradually...if you're attuned to them.

Botanical-style blackwater aquariums are not "set and forget" systems, exactly like reef aquariums, planted "high tech" tanks, Mbuna systems, Discus tanks, etc. You need to observe and "pivot" as situations dictate. A sort of "yin and yang", if you will, between pushing the limits and playing it safe... And you have to ask yourself if this type of "active tank management" lifestyle is for you! 

Failure to move thoughtfully, slowly, and deliberately, testing and tweaking along the way, along with time-tested, common sense application of aquarium management technique can result in you killing every fish in your aquarium. 

That's reality.

So, don't be stupid or lazy and you'll be fine.

Now, within the "Things are awesome!" range and "Oh shit!" range, there is a ton of room for experimentation and research.

"Best practices" in terms of how much stuff to add, when to add it- when (or if) to remove it, etc. are still the subject of much discussion among members of our community, and are evolving daily. There are, as we mentioned before- no specific "recipes" to follow...only those emerging "best practices" developed by those of us who have ventured along this path.

We can tell you about the benefits, show you how to prepare botanicals, advise you about husbandry, and warn you of the things that can go wrong. The rest is up to us as individual hobbyists.

And that's not only the challenge- but (in my opinion) the appeal- of this aquarium specialty. We all have an opportunity to contribute to the state of the art. To increase our body of knowledge of how these systems operate. To unlock the manifold benefits- and potential pitfalls- of botanical-style aquarium "practice."

It's not for everyone. Not everyone likes the look. Not everyone likes the work and effort required. And the lack of a "recipe" or complete certainty. There are still many "unknowns" and no single way to achieve "success."

However, for those who choose to walk on this most interesting path- the potential rewards for us- and most important- for our fishes- are huge.

And really exciting.

I guess this article may not have answered all of your questions..In fact, it probably opened up quite a few more, spurring you to do more research before starting a blackwater, botanical-style aquarium...That's never a bad thing!

Stay excited. Stay conservative. Stay experimental. Stay diligent. Stay skeptical. Stay hopeful. Stay creative. Stay curious ..

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

 

 

Tint, turbidity, mental shifts, and that certain "look" we all want...

We walk a line between function and aesthetics in our world.

A world which demands mental shifts, adoption of new techniques, and a love of a certain "look."

And, one of the big discussion points we have in our world is about the color and "clarity" of the water in our blackwater aquariums. We receive a significant amount of correspondence from customers who are curious how much "stuff" it takes to color up their water.

Those of us in the community of blackwater, botanical-style aquarists seek out tint and "body" in our water...while the rest of the aquatic world- well, they just sort of... freak the fuck out about that, huh?

Our aesthetic "upbringing" in the hobby seems to push us towards "crystal clear water", regardless of whether or not it's "tinted" or not. And think about it: You can have absolutely horrifically toxic levels of ammonia, dissolved heavy metals, etc. in water that is "invisible", and have perfectly beautiful parameters in water that is heavily tinted and even a bit turbid.

(FYI, WIkipedia defines "turbidity" in part as, "...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.")

That's why the aquarium "mythology" which suggested that blackwater tanks were somehow "dirtier" than "blue water" tanks used to drive me crazy. The term "blackwater" describes a number of things; however, it's not a measure of the "cleanliness" of the water in an aquarium, is it?

Nope.

Color alone is not indicative of water quality for aquarium purposes, nor is "turbidity." 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?

No, we aren't! 

There is a difference between "color" and "clarity."

The color is, as you know, a product of tannins leaching into the water from wood, soils, and botanicals, and typically is not "cloudy." It' 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 color or visual clarity of the water. Again, it's one of those things where we ascribe some sort of characteristics to the water based solely on its appearance.

I remember fondly, when I was co-owner of Unique Corals, a major coral importer/propagator, I had a beautiful little blackwater aquarium in my office. I loved that little tank! It was more of an "artistic" hardscape; but it had a bunch of catappa bark and leaves that gave it a definite brownish tint! 

Everyone who came in my office gazed into that little aquarium; most were hardcore "reef people" and marine livestock vendors. Their "orientation" was ultra clear, blue-white water...And if I had a dollar for every time someone told me, "Man, you MUST be busy! That aquarium looks pretty dirty. You need to change the filter...!"  I'd be filthy rich! Yeah. Once I explained what blackwater is and how it was natural and, in my eyes desirable, they would either have an "Ahah!" moment, or (more typically) just continue with the business at hand, shrugging off my explanation. 

Some hobbyists just don't get it!

As aquarists, we were pretty much indoctrinated from the start that our tanks should have "crystal clear, blue-white water", and that this is one of the benchmarks of a healthy aquarium.

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, 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 aquarium, the general hobby at large doesn't think about "impoverished." We just see colored water and think..."dirty." 

I've seen plenty of botanical-influenced blackwater aquariums which have a visual "thickness" to them-you know, a sort of look- with small amounts of particulate present in the water column- yet still have spot-on water conditions from a chemical perspective, with undetectable nitrate, phosphate, and of course, no ammonia or nitrite present.

Although we all seem to know this, I hear enough comments and questions about the color of the water and its relation to "cleanliness" in natural, botanical-style blackwater systems that it warranted this seemingly "remedial" review!

Remember, just because the water in a botanical-influenced aquarium system is brownish, or has a bit of noticeable "turbidity", it doesn't mean that it's of low quality, or "dirty", as we're inclined to say.  I can't stress it often enough. 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?

In my personal 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, my water typically has virtually undetectable nitrate and phosphate levels...A solid "clean" by aquarium standards.

But, yeah- it's "soupy"-looking...

One of my good friends calls this "flavor"- which sort of makes me laugh every time I hear it...but it seems to be an apt descriptor, huh?

It's important, when passing judgement on, or evaluating the concept of botanicals and blackwater in aquariums, to remember this. Look,"crystal-clear water" is absolutely desirable for 98% of all aquariums out there- but not always "realistic", in terms of how closely the tank replicates the natural environment.

In other words, not every natural aquatic habitat is crystal clear, blue-white water..and not every "natural aquarium" needs to be, either!

Remember, the color, turbidity, chemical characteristics, and sure- the overall quality of the water - are profoundly influenced by the terrestrial environment surrounding any body of water in question.

Soils, geology, the presence of decomposing leaves, vegetation, rainfall, etc. all play a role in this. The interdependency between the terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and the changes which occur when seasonal wet/dry cycles occur is a fascinating and fundamental aspect of natural aquatic habitats- one which we as hobbyists would do well to understand and attempt to replicate in our aquariums.

Understanding that the wild aquatic habitats of the world are, in essence, a "by-product" of their surrounding terrestrial environment is extremely helpful in "de-bunking" the long-held aquarium hobby "myth" that all water needs to be colorless and clear to be considered "healthy."

As I mentioned before, a funny by-product of our more recent obsession with blackwater aquariums in the hobby is a concern about the "tint" of the water, and yeah, perhaps even the "flavor" of said water! A by-product of our acceptance of natural influences on the water, and a desire to see a more realistic representation of certain aquatic environments.  

And that means that dark water we love so much.

Yeah, we now see posts and discussions by hobbyists lamenting the fact that their aquarium water is not "tinted" enough. A lot of hobbyists have "bought in" to those mental shifts we keep talking about...

You sort of have to smile a bit, right?

Total mental shift, huh?

And of course, a healthy botanical- influenced tank also may typically not be turbid, but that doesn't mean that it's not "functioning properly." Again, this realization and willingness to understand and embrace the aesthetic for what it is becomes a large part of that "mental shift" that we talk about so often here on these pages.

The color of the water and influence of tannins-and the "turbidity", for that matter- are profoundly influenced by the ionic charges and other physio-chemical characteristics of the water as well as the materials interacting with it. There is likely so much to this that we are just starting to understand.

At the risk of over-simplifying things, my advice is to look at your aquarium's environment as a "whole", much like we'd examine a natural aquatic habitat- and think about the influences which are imparted by materials (ie; botanicals, wood, substrate, etc.) present.

The beauty of an aquarium is that you can affect the color and clarity characteristics of your water if you don't like 'em, by simply utilizing "technique"- ie; mechanical and chemical filtration, more aquatic plants (it's thought that they might uptake tannins...), adding more/different botanical materials, performing larger water changes, etc.

It's that simple.

And that complex, too.

Take stuff out or continue to allow it to remain and influence the water. Add more- or less- to achieve the desired goal.

Evaluate, observe, adjust, test, and tweak. 

There is NO recipe for this- no "plug-and-play" techniques- each one is bespoke, custom, one-of-a-kind, etc...

Easy.

And difficult...

Yet, pretty damn fun, huh? 

Sure is.

Make those mental shifts

Stay diligent. Stay curious. Stay excited. Stay open-minded. Stay observant...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Stuff I suck at....

Ok, I’m man enough to admit this…

After literally a lifetime in the aquarium world, there are still some things that I’m flat-out afraid to do. Stuff that scares the daylights out of me.

Stuff that- well, let's just put it bluntly- I just SUCK at.

Now, in all fairness- some of these are challenging tasks and hobby skills for almost anyone- others are seemingly mundane, easy for most, yet have hidden difficulties that can sink your whole project…yeah.

And others...well, others are just things that, for one reason or another- I can't do very well.

Now, I also admit that there are some hobby things I do exceedingly well.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, every once in a while it's therapeutic for me to pull the stuff I completely suck at out from under the metaphorical rug, stare at it and just shudder...

Maybe we should all do this from time to time?

And there is a lot of it. I decided to just arrive at 7 things I suck at, and- well, it took some "editing" down to stop there!

Yeah, I had trouble narrowing it down to just 7 items (What 7? Supposedly some online content gurus say that 7 is like the optimum number of "points" for people to absorb in a blog. Whatever the fuck...)

Besides, you just can't read shit like this anywhere else on any other hobby blog or in any other article...Not that you'd want to, and not that any other author would want to write this kind of stuff, or even admit it. But hey...I'm keeping it real here! 

Here’s a list you can build on, I’m sure…(Well, I think I'm sure.)

So, in no particular order, here is my list of the top 7 aquarium-related things that I know I totally suck at; stuff that scares the proverbial crap out of me:

*Drilling aquariums- Glass, acryilc; doesn’t matter…The idea of taking a perfectly good aquarium, and using my extremely limited DIY skills to drill it out for a bulkhead, fitting- whatever, is a akin to performing an apendectomy on myself…ain’t gonna happen. I have friends who think NOTHING about doing stuff like this...Me? No freaking way, man. Strictly for professionals, IMHO, with experience, skill, tools…and liability insurance!

Why do people even take on this challenge themselves? Not only does it void the warranty on almost any aquarium made, it just opens you up to all sorts of scary possible outcomes. I mean, outcomes that may not even happen right away...they could occur at any time!

How do you people sleep at night? How do you ever go out of town without worrying about coming home to...well- the unthinkable? I mean, just the experience of installing and -gulp-tightening- a bulkhead into a hole drilled into my aquarium by someone else freaks me the fuck out! I mean- there's a LOT of water behind that bulkhead...And, hardwood flooring is really expensive!

*"Automatic" water changing systems- If I had a dollar/euro/bitcoin/whatever for every person I know who’s had a nightmare failure (ranging from minor leaks, to full-on flooding of a friend's multimillion dollar Hollywood Hills home) caused by "automating" water changes, I wouldn’t be slinging botanicals for a living. It's like, would you build your own airplane from scratch? 

Would you?

Top-off systems with limited reservoirs are one thing. I've got 'em, and I swear by 'em. No problem.

Fully automated systems hooked up to your house water supply and such are a whole different kind of scary.The mere thought of installing such a system in my home makes me shudder. Like, just pick up a siphon hose and sleep better at night. Or when you're out of town. Who is so busy that they can't spend 15 minutes taking care of their aquarium, right?

Besides, I love manual water changes. Really!

Siphon hoses- low tech toys  that they are- won't destroy your house.

 

*Building my own aquarium stand-  Seriously? Well, I- the guy who can't build a picture frame or assemble a piece of Ikea furniture without extra pieces left over, wouldn't even contemplate such an endeavor...and YOU shouldn't, either! Just fork over the money to a professional! Unless you have mad carpentry skills, this is another one that is just fraught with danger, IMHO.

I fully admire anyone who has those skills, and the courage to forge ahead on a project like that…and I will gracefully step aside and admire from afar. I mean, if you don’t get it perfectly right…flawlessly level...how long will it be until the inevitable disaster? 

*Plumbing a reef tank- A HUGE one! Look, I’ve set up my Roku. Learned how to build an e-commerce website. Figured out how to make my own Pasta from scratch. I've got solid Fresh Press skills with coffeee...I mix a mean Tanqueray and Tonic., etc.- but few things intimidate me like trying to plumb stuff like return pumps, overflows, and protein skimmers. As a reefer, you have to do a certain amount of plumbing...most of you hardcore, freshwater-only guys probably don't get this...However, it just goes with the territory in reef keeping.

And I suck at it.

On the other hand, I've learned a few "hacks"- workarounds, if you will- which allow me to skirt some of this stuff! Why do you think I love sump-based skimmers so much? Drop the Motherfuckers in and away you go!  Yup. Calcium reactors, an essential piece of reef gear, are another one of those “ white knuckle” devices that I have had mixed results with over the years!  I mean, you have CO2, a plastic reactor, lots of plumbing connections...a perfect recipe for disasters of all sorts!

Cannister filters push the "outside of the envelope" for me. I mean, those cutoff valves and such are a pain I the ass, too. Don't even start me on glassware... When I DO execute plumbing, however, even for stupidly simple stuff- it's usually so over-thought-out and SO overbuilt that it's sort of humorous!

That's how reefers do it, 'yo.

*Retrofit Lighting Systems- Okay, I know I’m not alone in this one…Anything that involves wiring, light bulbs, and water is a recipe for "scary" in my book. I know a lot of you are pretty damn good at this stuff: "It's just twisting some wires and soldering a few connections..." Okay, yeah. Right.

Death by electrocution, vaporizing my cichlid collection, or flat-out burning down the house are all sort of bad outcomes, in my book. To me, it makes a helluva lot more sense to pay the extra few bucks for the completed lighting system, right from the manufacturer.  

Now, I love LEDs. At least with LED, you're way safer... I mean, I've dropped whole fixtures in the water before...(don't ask).

*Bagging fishes, plants, and corals-  This is a skill I simply go to great lengths to avoid ever acquiring.  I always did, Yeah, even though I was an owner of a company that sold coral frags and marine fishes, I sucked at bagging them. I sucked at it as a kid when I worked at the LFS, and I still suck at it. Like, I have "two left hands" or something…That’s why I had people that are really skilled with rubber bands to do the job! I hate it so much you can't believe it. In fact, HATE isn't a strong enough word.

Back in my  days as co-owner of Unique Corals, we'd be at major reef hobby shows (MACNA, RAP, etc.), breaking down our booth after a weekend of sales- re-bagging the unsold corals for the flight home, and I'd just sort of wander off and engage in discussions with...well- ANYONE I could find- to avoid bagging up frags!  

I'd go to any pathetic length to avoid bagging stuff. 

I'd make insane offers of "Buy 1 get 10 free!" or whatever at the close of a show to minimize the horror of re-packaging frags..

Like, sad.

Ahh, the "fake injury trick" was the best, though. It worked a lot! Of course, the joke was that everyone knew that I was full of shit but they were too kind to call me on my b.s., LOL. And, of course, being the boss had its advantages, too!

I'm not proud of this at all- I'm only admitting that I did it: On one occasion, a purposely let a minor cut on my finger bleed like crazy, just ridiculously- so that I could demonstratively show everyone that I was in no condition to bag up those dirty corals...Yeah. I did.  I  remember I squeezed my finger like mad to get as much blood out there from this paper cut as possible! Again, never mind that I was the boss, but...

Pathetic.

Oh, I’m a demon on an impulse sealer or electric clip machine, but that is not quite as widely used..yet. So next time you see me at a show and need some help bagging stuff- I'll be the guy on the imaginary "important business call"- at 6 PM on a Sunday night...

Bagging fishes. Yuck. Hey, I’m honest- it’s the task I like the least in this industry. I suck. Bad. Like, really bad.

*Netting fishes from a display tank- Sure, it’s a fundamental skill we all need. Knowing I have to net a fish out of my display tank strikes fear into my heart, as well as that of the fishes I’m trying to catch. I am the kind of aquarist that believes that aquarium nets are purposely designed to snag on everything and not even catch fishes. And I never, EVER have the right-sized one for the job at hand available...Not that having the "right" net would result in a better sort of outcome, however... I even suck at netting out fishes in a bare holding tank! If I killed 3 fishes to get one of the 8 specimens the customer wanted, that was like a pretty damn good day!

I was literally the guy at the LFS that would be like,  "Do you really want THAT Tiger Barb? He looks kind of sick."  (Said while pointing to a perfectly healthy specimen. Yeah, I was evil. Well, hey, desperate times called for desperate measures, right?) At home, I fare no better. It pretty much always results in a wrecked aquascape, frayed nerves, and some seriously stressed-out fishes. I’ve found that, in recent years, I’m actually getting worse at this. Or so I tell myself. I mean, I didn't know it was even possible. Now, I honestly don’t know if my "skills" have deteriorated in recent years, or if I just never had ‘em..hmm?

Wait. Don't answer that.

Well, that's a brief run-down of aquarium-related stuff I suck at. Stuff I'm horrified of. It felt good to get those off my chest. Very therapeutic! And that represented some core aquarium-related skills, huh? Oh, there are plenty of other hobby-related things I suck at, trust me…and that could conceivably fill a book…hmm, nothing to be proud of, really, but hey, I own 'em!

 Anyways, I shared mine- let’s hear some of yours! I can't be the only aquarium person who sucks at multiple things in the hobby..or could I?

Never be afraid to laugh at your own foibles. Stay humorous. Stay dedicated to the craft. Stay sharp. Stay AWAY from stuff that could destroy life, ego, and property. Double down on what you're good at. Stay confident. 

We all suck at something, right?

Yeah.

Stay afraid of some stuff. Stay brave. Stay proud. Stay confident. Stay humble. Stay cautious...

 

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Fish breeding: It's about control. Or, is it?

For those of you who breed tropical fish, the idea of electing your breeders, setting up a dedicated aquarium for them, conditioning them with food, etc. is part of a dedicated process- one which we as humans-fish geeks- have a certain degree of control over.

I was talking not too long ago with a fellow hobbyist who's been trying all sorts of things to get a certain Loricarid catfish to spawn. He's a very experienced aquarist and has bred many varieties of fishes...but for some reason, this one is just vexing to him! I suppose that's what makes this hobby so damn engaging, huh?

And maddening at times, too!

And of course, I was impressed by all of the efforts he's made to get these fish to spawn thus far...I mean, he was trying shit I've never even thought of! Talk about dedication! Yet, I kept thinking that there must be something fundamental-something incredibly simple, yet incredibly important- that he was somehow overlooking...

It's intriguing.

I mean, what is that "thing"- or set of "things" which make fishes spawn- or not- despite, or without, our best efforts?

Are there simply some factors which we cannot manipulate to affect spawning in some fishes? What makes some fishes "easy" to spawn, and others tantalizingly difficult?

When I travel around the country on speaking engagements or whatever and have occasion to visit the fish rooms of some talented hobbyists, I never cease to be amazed at what we can do when it comes to fish breeding!

We do an amazing job.

And of course, being the thoughtful type, I always wonder if there is some way we can do it better....If there is some key thing we're missing that can help us do even better.

We do so much so well already.

Now, I realize that most of us like to keep things controlled to a great extent- to be able to monitor the progress, see where exactly the fishes deposit their eggs, and to be able to remove the eggs and fry if/when needed.

Control.

I mean, we strive to create the water conditions (i.e.; temperature, pH, current, lighting, etc.) for our fishes to affect spawning, but we tend to utilize more "temporary" type, artificial-looking setups with equipment to actually facilitate egg-laying, fry rearing, etc.

Purely functional.

Now, I realize that it's long been thought that more rapid environmental changes will trigger spawning in certain fishes, like Corydoras. We have known for some time that changes in environmental parameters really stimulate these fish...

And, of course, we use this to our advantage as aquarists by manipulating temperature and such within our aquariums. My understanding is that some of these changes replicate stuff like "rain storms", "Cold fronts", seasonal changes, etc. Stuff that we've been advocating in a different way with our "Urban Igapo" idea, right?

I often wonder what is wrong with the idea of a permanent setup- a setup in which the fishes are provided a natural setting, and left to their own devices to "do their thing..."

This is pretty much the "classic" way many of us "bred" livebearers, killifish, and Rainbowfishes for a long time. It's a very low-labor, aesthetically interesting way to keep and breed these guys.

Now, I realize that a lot of hardcore, very experienced breeders will scoff at this- and probably rightly so. For the serious breeder, giving up control when the specific goal is the reproduction of your fishes is probably not a good thing. Practicality becomes important- hence the employment of clay flowerpots, spawning cones, breeding traps, bare tanks to raise fry, etc.

Sure, to a fish, a cave is a cave, be it constructed of ceramic or if it's the inside of a hollowed-out Cariniana pod. To the fish, it's a necessary place to spawn quietly and provide a defensible territory to protect the resulting fry. In all likelihood, they couldn't care less what it is made of, right? And to the serious or professional breeder, viable spawns are the game.

I get that.

I guess my personal approach to fish breeding has always been, "If it happens, great...If not, I want the fishes to have an environment that mimics the one they're found in naturally." And that works to a certain extent, but I can see how many hobbyists feel that it's certainly not the practical way to do systematic, controlled breeding. I mean, can you imagine how weird the availability of tropical fishes would be in the hobby if we simply "let them do their own thing?" Yeah, that wouldn't work.

I get, THAT, too.

Yet, isn't their something wonderful (for those of us who are not hell-bent on controlling the time and place of our fish's spawnings) to check out your tank one night and see a small clutch of Apistogramma fry under the watchful eye of the mother in a Sterculia Pod or whatever? Perhaps not as predictable or controllable as a more sterile breeding tank, but nonetheless, exciting!

And of course, to the serious breeder, it's just as exciting to see a bunch of wriggling fry in a PVC pipe section as it is to see them lurking about the litter bed in the display tank.

I suppose it's all how you look at it.

No right or wrong answer.

The one thing that I think we can all agree with is the necessity and importance of providing optimum conditions for our potential spawning pairs. There seems to be no substitute for good food, clean water, and proper environment. Sure, there are a lot of factors beyond our control, but one thing we can truly impact is the environment in which our fishes are kept and conditioned.

And the environment in which the resulting fry are reared.

So, like many things in the hobby- the approaches to spawning fishes may have changed over the years, but the idea remains the same- using whatever means we have at our disposal to create the best possible outcomes for our fishes!

So, what is wrong with the idea of "permanent" setups for some of us in our efforts?

Nothing, really.

Now, no discussion of rearing our little fishes would be complete without revisiting the idea of a botanical-influenced "nursery" tank for fishes. You know where I'm going with this, no right?

I think it's interesting for a number of reasons:

First, as we've discussed many times, the humic substances and other compounds associated with leaves and other botanicals, when released into the water, are known to have beneficial health impact on fishes. The potential for antimicrobial and antifungal effects is documented by science and is quite real.

Wouldn't this be something worth investigating from our unique angle? 

I think so!

Additionally, rearing young fishes in the type of environmental conditions under which they will spend the rest of their lives just makes a lot of sense to me. Having to acclimate young fishes into unfamiliar/different conditions, however beneficial they might be, still can be stressful to them.

So, why not be consistent with the environment from day one?

Wouldn't a "botanical-style fry-rearing system", with it's abundant decomposing leaves, biofilms, and microbial population, be of benefit?

I think so.

This is an interesting aspect of botanical-style aquariums; we've discussed it before- the idea of "on board" food cultivation for fishes.

The breakdown and decomposition of various botanical materials provides a very natural supplemental source of food for young fishes, both directly (as in the case of fishes such as wood-eating catfishes, etc.), and indirectly, as they graze on algal growth, biofilms, fungi, and small crustaceans which inhabit the botanical "bed" in the aquarium.

Now, this is pretty interesting stuff to me!

I know- everyone has their own style of fry rearing- controlled or otherwise.

Some hobbyists like bare bottom tanks, some prefer densely planted tanks, etc., and there are valid reasons for each, of course. 

I'm proposing the idea of rearing young fishes in a botanical-style aquarium with leaves, some seed pods, and maybe some plants as well. This type of aquarium physically and "functionally" mimics, at least to some extent, the habitats in which many young fishes grow up in.

My thinking is that decomposing leaves will not only provide material for the fishes to feed on and among, they will also provide a natural "shelter" for them as well, potentially eliminating or reducing stresses.

In nature, many fry which do not receive parental care tend to hide in the leaves, substrate, or other biocover in their environment, and providing such natural conditions will certainly accommodate this behavior.

And of course, decomposing leaves can stimulate a certain amount of microbial growth, with infusoria, forms of bacteria, and small crustaceans, becoming potential food sources for fry. I've read a few studies where phototrophic bacteria were added to the diet of larval fishes, producing measurably higher growth rates. Now, I'm not suggesting that your fry will gorge on beneficial bacteria "cultured" in situ in your blackwater nursery and grow exponentially faster.

However, I am suggesting that it might provide some beneficial supplemental nutrition at no cost to you!

I've experimented with the idea of "onboard food culturing" in several aquariums systems over the past few years, which were stocked heavily with leaves, twigs, and other botanical materials for the sole purpose of "culturing" (maybe a better term is "recruiting) biofilms, small crustaceans, etc. via decomposition.

I have kept a few species of small characins in these systems with no supplemental feeding whatsoever and have seen these guys as fat and happy as any I have kept.

And it's the same with that beloved aquarium "catch all" of infusoria that we have talked about before here...These organisms are likely to arise whenever plant matter decomposes in water...And in an aquarium with significant leaves, botanical materials, and such, there is likely a higher population density of these ubiquitous organisms available to the young fishes, right?

Now, I'm not fooling myself into believing that a large bed of decomposing leaves and botanicals in your aquarium will satisfy the total nutritional needs of a batch of characins, and that you won't have to do anything else- but it might provide the support for some supplemental feeding!

Perhaps, significant, actually.

On the other hand, I've been playing with this recently in my "varzea" setup, stocked with a rich "compost" of soil and decomposing leaves, rearing the annual killifish Notholebias minimus "Campo Grande" with great success.

It's essentially an "evolved" version of the "jungle tanks" I reared killies in when I was a teen. A different sort of look- and function! The so-called "permanent setup"- in which the adults and fry typically co-exist, with the fry finding food amongst the natural substrate and other materials present I the tank. Or, of course, you could remove the parents after breeding- the choice is yours.

I'd take the concept even a bit further by "seeding" the tank with some Daphnia and perhaps some of the other commonly available live freshwater crustaceans, and letting them do their thing before the fry arrive. This way, you've got sort of the makings a little bit of a "food web" going on- the small crustaceans helping to feed off of some of the available nutrients and lower life forms, and the fish at the top of it all. 

Now, granted, I'm truly "romancing" this and perhaps even over-simplifying it a bit. However, I think that there is a compelling case to be made for creating a rearing tank that supports a biologically diverse set of inhabitants for food sources.

The basis of it all would be leaves and some of the botanicals which seem to do a better job at recruiting biofilms- the "harder shelled/surfaced" stuff, like  Jackfruit leaves, Yellow Mangrove leaves, Guava Leaves, Carinaina Pods, Dysoxylum pods, etc...I think these would be interesting items to include in a "nursery tank." And of course, they provide shelter and foraging areas and impart some tannins into the water...the "usual stuff."

On the other hand, we DO control the environment in which our fishes are kept- regardless of if the tank looks like the bottom of an Asian stream or a marble-filled 10-gallon, bare aquarium, right?

I just wonder...being a lover of the more natural-looking AND functioning aquarium, if this is a key approach to unlocking the spawning secrets of more "difficult-to-spawn" fishes. Not a "better spawning cone" or breeding trap, or more enriched brine shrimp, mind you. Rather, a wholistic approach featuring excellent food, optimum natural water conditions, and a physical environment reminiscent of the one they evolved in over millennia.

Won't the fishes "figure it all out?"

I think so!

And, I wonder if fry-rearing tanks can- and should- be "natural" setups, too- even for serious breeders. You know, lots of plants, botanical cover, whatever...I mean, I KNOW that they can...I guess it's more of a question of if we want make the associated trade-offs? Sure, you'll give up some control, but I wonder if the result is healthier, more vigorous young fish?

It's not a new idea...or even a new theme here in our blog.

However, I think that, in our intense effort to achieve the results we want, we occasionally will overlook something as seemingly basic as this.

I certainly know that I have.

And I think that our fishes will let us know, too...I mean, those "accidental" spawnings aren't really "accidental", right? They're an example of our fishes letting us know that what we've been providing them has been exactly what they needed.

It's worth considering, huh?

Nature has a way.

It's up to us to figure out what it is. Be it with a ceramic flower pot or pile of botanicals...

It might not be all about control of every aspect...

And that certain "lack of control"- that "ceding" of some of the work to Nature. Having trust in Her- may be exactly what our fishes need?

Stay diligent. Stay persistent. Stay curious. Stay determined. Stay driven. Stay observant...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

 

 

Where we are: innovation, patience, and enlightenment...

Change is in the air in the aquarium hobby. It's palpable...We see so many fascinating developments in the botanical-style aquarium world alone. It's a very exciting time!

Over the past four-plus years that we've been in operation at Tannin Aquatics, I've certainly noticed a few "trends", and most of them are pretty cool! 

And some of them are kind of "cyclical" in nature. We've seen them before, sort of.

One of the most interesting things I've seen is the philosophical "evolution" of many of our customers and members of our community. Perhaps the most unique aspect of what we do with the botanical-style, blackwater aquarium is to allow Nature to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

This has been a really big thing. A mental shift- and a quantum leap, actually!

Despite a lot of discussion and marketing and such over the past decade or so, I think we as a hobby have somehow "edited", in our minds, what a really "natural" aquarium is. It's become more of a semantic thing in some places, IMHO.

I think that, in our effort to foster some natural processes, such as plant growth or whatever, we've pushed things in a direction that actually may have fought Nature a bit. And with that, created a mindset and culture based on "conformity" instead of bold individuality. 

This effort might have pushed a lot of hobbyists out of their personal "comfort zones", which is cool- but I also think it created a sense of "expectations" and a certain set of "rules" that hobbyists felt they had to conform to in order to be "accepted" into the "culture" that developed around this stuff.

Not cool.

It not only permeated the "processes" they needed to follow, it also dictated stuff like the specific products they had to use, the way stuff is presented, etc.

Dogma.

I've seen this sort of stuff before in the hobby.

I almost think that the aquarium world has a sort of "cyclical nature", where we jump on the latest technology or trends to help enhance what Nature has been doing all along. Now, there's nothing wrong at all with the tech and advancements...It can help us accomplish many things. However, it's no substitute for understanding the underlying processes involved.

And, I firmly believe that understanding and appreciating the fundamentals of the hobby- and the natural world- can yield the same results- or better- than tons of expensive gear and "stuff" when simply "thrown" at the situation without thought as to why..

It requires us to shift our minds to places that might be less comfortable for us...

It just is a lot less sexy than "gearing up" or blindly following someone else's "rules"- it requires us to open our minds up...It requires patience, process and personal observation.

That mental shift is something.

I think the pendulum is swinging back a bit. Not "digressing", mind you. Just switching back to a more accepting approach; taking our hands off just a bit. Once again realizing that Nature knows best. Understanding that we can use technology and technique to work with Nature. 

We're realizing that Nature has been doing this stuff for billions of years longer than we have, and She has some damn good ideas on how to run things!

Rather than fighting processes like decomposition, formation of detritus, and biological diversity, we seem to be spending much more energy setting the stage for natural processes to occur.

And our fishes and other aquatic animals are really benefiting from this. Fish health, appearance, overall vivaciousness, and spawning activity are being positively impacted by the concept of working with Nature in this manner.

Once again, just as aquarists did since the dawn of the modern age of fish keeping,  we've been thinking of an aquarium as a place to grow stuff- and we're looking at the whole aquarium as a "microcosm" of Nature.

A living, breathing, growing entity.

"Growing."

I saw a sort of "compressed" version of this century-long evolution of freshwater aquaristics during the rise of the reef aquarium hobby, which really started to take off in the mid 1980's. My mind has been on this "side of the fence" quite a bit lately, as I'm going to be speaking at a reef club in a few weeks. It got me reflecting about this stuff...

For the longest time, in the reef hobby, we were happy to just keep a box full of fishes and maybe a few tough invertebrates alive. Then, we evolved up to trying to house them long term, and propagate them.

Experiments with new technology and technique resulted in the birth of the modern reef system, with robust filtration, lighting, and studious analysis of water chemistry. The emphasis was on providing a great environment for the corals and inverts, so that they can thrive and reproduce.

And the learning never stops. The techniques and philosophies continue to evolve...

Within the past 10 years in the reef hobby alone, we've went from a doctrine of "You should have undectable nitrates and phosphates in your reef aquarium because natural reefs are virtual nutrient deserts!" to "You need to have a balance between too much and too little."

We've come to understand that reef aquariums- like any type of aquarium- are truly biological "microcosms", which encompass a vast array of life forms, including not just fishes, corals, and invertebrates, but macro algae, benthic animals (like worms, copepods, and amphipods), planktonic life, and more.

Reefers came to understand- as freshwater pioneers did generations before- that just because a reef has "undetectable" levels of phosphates and nitrates in the waters surrounding it, our aquariums don't have to run that way.  The "optimum" environment for our animals might not be exactly what we think it may be on the surface.

The reality in the reef keeping wold is that corals need nutrients and food, and an aquarium is not a natural reef; an open system with uncounted millions of gallons of water passing through it hourly.

We discovered this reality in the coral propagation business, where the long-held aquarium mindset that you need a "nutrient poor" system in order for corals to thrive was not really the whole story. Particularly when we were trying to mass-culture corals on a commercial level.

They needed to eat. Polishing out everything from the water with lots of gear and such was actually detrimental. We allowed some detritus to accumulate in our systems; didn't fear feeding our corals...and they grew.

Like mad.

Reliance on some aspects of Nature is a good thing.

Yet in recent years, with the explosion of gadgets and internet-enabled "hacks", reefkeeping as a hobby has sort of gone a bit the other way- heading into that "technology can do everything" phase that the freshwater world did decades ago, in my opinion. Somehow "saving time" has surpassed applying patience as the underlying "mantra" of that hobby sector.

Yet, I think it's finally starting to break just a bit again. Recently, Iv'e seen soem well-known reef keepers having some rather spectacular failures, and I can't help but wonder if at least part of the underlying causes were the hobbyist getting a bit too far away from Nature, and a bit too "cozy" with tech instead!

They'll never admit it. However, I think they know better...

Needlessly (IMHO) complicating things in order to foster the same results that can be achieved by embracing natural processes- with a bit less "certainty", though- seems a bit odd to me. ... Positive, even predictable results generally take longer than if you apply all the gadgets, additives, and tech to the process- but Nature will find the way to get where she wants to go- with or without all the gadgets we employ.

We've sort of figured this out in our sector of the hobby.

It just takes patience. And good equipment. In balance.

And patience is often more economical than gear... And the results far more interesting, IMHO!

Guess what?

You can have extraordinary success working with Nature AND technology together.

It's a balance of sorts.

And, gaining further understanding of dynamic natural aquatic habitats, such as the igapo flooded forest floors of South America, serves to enhance the "state of the art" of our segment of the hobby by looking good and hard at Nature and how She works, not just at the next gadget, product, or "movement" (not that "movements in the hobby are a bad thing...lol) that promises "No water changes!" or whatever...

Much like the freshwater world has done, I believe that the reef-keeping world will end up "pulling back" a bit from an almost complete "reliance" on gadgets and tech to create advancements in the state-of-the-art, and put more emphasis on learning how natural systems work once again, and how they can be replicated in aquariums through a balance of tech and technique. 

We can and should use technology to embrace natural processes...Not to "fight" them, circumvent them, and "supersede" them. The experimentation required and the ideas we play with are very bit as interesting as the "toys" we can use!

We've begun to understand that it's not all about creating the most scrupulously clean environment possible for the animals under our care- it's about maintaining the best possible dynamic for their overall health, growth, longevity, and hopefully- reproduction.

Creating and fostering processes and conditions that create a biological balance within our little (or not so little) glass and acrylic boxes we call "aquariums."

Today's aquarist can appreciate the "elegance" of the complete aquatic ecosystem, from the most beautiful fish to the lowest bacterial life form, and everything in between. When we strive to understand, embrace, and replicate natural systems in our aquaria in form AND function, we are truly embarking on a more enlightened way of aquarium keeping.

And guess what?

You, with your tank full of leaves, wood, water, and life- are doing just that.

Every single day.

Stay brave. Stay studious. Stay intrigued. Stay diligent. Stay patient. Stay enlightened...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Wading into the "Urban Igapo..."

As you undoubtedly know by now, we've been playing with the "365 Dynamic" approach to aquariums with our "Urban Igapo" idea.

I suppose that, on the surface, it's hardly an earth-shattering approach: You set up an aquarium. You don't fill it immediately. Rather, you grow some terrestrials plants and grasses, allow them to take hold...then you bring on the "rainy season" and flood it. After a few months, you begin drawing down the water significantly, ultimately returning it to its "dry" state again.

Repeat as desired.

Perhaps its time to loosen the chains of "conventional aquarium practice" and look towards some largely unexplored waters, right? Could there be something to be gained by modeling our aquariums after natural habitats during different times of the year? Some benefits for our fishes and the other organisms we want to nurture in our closed aquatic systems?

I just think that it would be kind of cool to model our aquariums after typical environments as they look and function at different times of the year. We've already touched on the flooded Igapo forests of Brazil, in which the forest floor becomes seasonally inundated by overflowing streams and rivers. It's an amazingly dynamic habitat that I'm glad we're starting to see more interest in.

Yet, I wondered for years how interesting it would be to take it even further, and create an aquarium around the seasonal changes in such a habitat. You know, with more shallow water levels, a greater ratio of botanicals/substrate to water, and different temperatures, lighting, etc.?

That was the basis of my "urban igapo" idea- starting out with a dry, "terrestrial" habitat and gradually flooding it to simulate the seasonal inundations which these habitats go through annually. I've done this whole cycle now something like 14 times in 3 different aquariums, nuancing various aspects like soil composition, planting, and fish stocking along the way.

It's become one of my fave projects, and I hope to see many of you playing with the idea, too!

I think that it's not only simply an enjoyable "hobby within a hobby"- it's a dynamic that we can can and should learn more about. When we flood and desiccate an aquarium, attempting to replicate this cycle, we have to learn to manage a number of different dynamics, ranging from varying levels of nutrients, to nitrogen cycle management, to stocking with fishes.

The seasonal dynamic is broad-reaching and multi-faceted in the aquarium, as it is in Nature.

Seasonal change is hugely impactful in tropical regions.

The wet season in The Amazon runs from November to June. And it rains almost every day. And what's really interesting is that the surrounding Amazon rain forest is estimated by some scientists to create as much as 50% of its own precipitation! Think about THAT for a minute. It does this via the humidity present in the forest itself, from the water vapor present on plant leaves- which contributes to the formation of rain clouds.

Yeah, trees in the Amazon release enough moisture through photosynthesis to create low-level clouds and literally generate rain, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)!

That's crazy.

But it makes a lot of sense, right?

Yet another reason why we need to protect these precious habitats. When you cut down a tree in the Amazon- you're literally reducing the amount of rain that can be produced.

It's that simple.

That's really important. It's more than just a cool "cocktail party sound bite."

So what happens to the (aquatic) environment in which our fishes live in when it rains? What does the rain actually do?

Well, for one thing, rain performs the dual function of diluting organics, while transporting more nutrient and materials across the ecosystem. What happens in many of the regions of Amazonia, for example- is the evolution of our most compelling environmental niches. The water levels in the rivers rise significantly. often several meters, and the once dry forest floor fills with water from the torrential rain and overflowing rivers and streams.

The Igapos are formed. 

Flooded forest floors.

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

All of the botanical material-shrubs, grasses, fallen leaves, branches, seed pods, and such, is suddenly submerged; often, currents re-distribute the leaves and seed pods and branches into little pockets and "stands", affecting the (now underwater) "topography" of the landscape.

Leaves begin to accumulate.

Soils dissolve their chemical constituents- tannins, and humic acids- into the water, enriching it. Fungi and micororganisms begin to feed on and break down the materials. Biofilms form, crustaceans multiply rapidly. Some robust varieties grasses hang on for extended periods of time during this inundation.

Others go into a sort of "dormant" phase, "browning out" and awaiting the time when the waters will recede and once again turn the igapo into a terrestrial forest floor. 

In this rich, highly dynamic environment, the fishes are able to find new food sources; new hiding places..new areas to spawn.

Life simply flourishes.

Each time I flood my "Urban Igapo" systems, I am utterly fascinated by how life manages to "sort it out" to not only "make it though", but to thrive. It's really cool to see the many microorganisms swimming around in the aquarium, obviously feeding among the submerged grasses and other materials.

Now, of course, I'll be the first to tell you that what you get out of this process is not what I"d ever label as a "conventional" aquarium system. Because of the high level of nutrients, dense growth of terrestrial grasses/plants, and rich terrestrial soil, it's certainly not a "recipe" for an aquascaping contest winner!

And yeah- it's not intended to be. This is not just about cool, "Instagram-ready" aesthetics. Sure, these "Urban Igapo" systems look very cool! (And, yeah, they're pretty damn sharable on social media- I'll give you that much...). However, it's much more than that. The focus here is on studying the function and dynamics of this unique environment in the aquarium.

If you're only looking for perfect, static aesthetics, you're bound to ultimately be disappointed, because- just like in Nature- the terrestrial plants will ultimately slip into a "dormant" phase, where they aren't all "crisp and green." They become stringy, limp, and brown over time. That being said, I personally find this "look" kind of cool...I think that you might, too, when this is considered in context.

Now, again, this is easily confused with, and I supposed comparable to a "dry start" planted aquarium or the "Walstad method" on a superficial level. However, remember that we are talking about terrestrial plants and grasses, as well as soils without any kind of "sand cap."

Sure, you can utilize some emergent-tolerant aquatic plants in your "Urban Igapo"- I've done this a few times with great success, and the added benefit that they typically look as good in the "terrestrial" phase as they do in the "aquatic" phase.

Of course, you could also use riparian-type plants, like Sedges and such, which can tolerate- or even require immersion and very moist soils for long-term health and growth. Some species of these plants are indeed found in such temporal environments in Nature, so it goes without saying that you should experiment with them in the aquarium, too!

Now, sure, playing with this type of setup brings together hobbyists fro ma number of disciplines- vivarium/terrarium people, aquarists, planted tank enthusiasts, botanical-style aquarium lovers (that's US!), etc. Now, sure, each party will have their own unique "take" on this process, as well as accompanying criticisms of the process and management.

However, "putting it all together" is really a fun process!

All sorts of fun variations are possible. Remember, it's not about trying to please some contest judge with an absolutely perfect biotopic representation, or a "ratio-compliant" aquascape. 

Nope.

It's about experimentation; studying, observing, and replicating a natural process in the aquarium...to the best of our capabilities. "Artistic liberties" are not only possible- they're welcome!  So many iterations, interpretations, and experiments are possible here.

And of course, it's not just about these Amazonian habitats...there are numerous other habitats around the world that are suitable for such simulations.

What about a vernal pool in Africa that houses annual killifish?

Could lowering the water level significantly at various times of the year perhaps trigger specific behaviors related to the onset of the dry season? We already have a good handle on the spawning of annual fishes like Nothobranchius, and how CO2 and such affects egg viability, development,  and hatching times ( a concept known as "diapause"),  but I wonder if we could gain even more insight into the fishes themselves by gradually decreasing water levels to simulate this seasonal change?

Or perhaps even changing food sources to simulate the varying resources which are available during different seasons?

I've personally played with a group of South American annual killies (Notholebias minimus "Campo Grande") in one of my recent "Varzea" versions ( a different soil "formulation" than I use in the Igapo representation...), and I've had them spawn like crazy, and the tank is currently In its "dry season phase", allowing the eggs too incubate in the soil. The idea being, of course, that the eggs will hatch and the resulting fry can be raised in the "inundated" habitat.

There are many fishes which could benefit from such replications! Lots of possibilities. 

I've also played with a "Pantanal-type" simulation, in which I used a mix of terrestrial grasses, weeds, and even some dead pieces of roots to recreate the look, richness, and the function of this unique habitat. It's an altogether "unconventional" aesthetic, and a most counter-intuitive aquarium, rich, sediment-laden, tinted and turbid. A relatively high-nutrient tank...One in which the fishes utterly thrived, however! 

Yes, the "Urban Igapo" idea is one which we can all play with- on many different levels. There is so much to learn, and all sorts of fun experiments to do! 

Now, the number one question we are asked is when we will be releasing the "Urban Igapo"  NatureBase soils that we play with for sale. The answer is very, very soon! We will be releasing these soils in "small batches", not unlike the way gourmet coffee roasters do. We won't have each "formulation" available in huge quantities immediately.

There are several reasons.

First, it's literally "hand mixed" at the present time, and it's a bit of a tedious process for us! In addition, the soils are not intended (at least in the initial phases) to be used in large aquariums. We are deliberately going to be offering relatively small packages of the materials in order for hobbyists to use them in "nano-sized" aquairums.

The reason being that the dynamic is easier to recreate and manage  in such smaller systems. Also, smaller batches and package sizes will give the largest number of hobbyists to play with this stuff in the initial phases!

There will be three different "NatureBase" formulations initially- Igapo, Varzea, and Mangal (brackish!). Each will be different in formulation and appearance. Each "recipe" has been tested and used here for some time with greta results. Each one can still be refined significantly, based on your feedback! 

That's part of the fun of this...A sort of "open source" project/product that we can all have some input on! It won't be perfect.

However, It will be cool.

Eventually, if they prove popular, we will market larger quantities and sizes of the soils for larger tanks.We will also have additional "additives", like special mixes of crushed botanicals/leaves, grass seeds, etc. Initially, though, we want to see you experiment, iterate, innovate, and share your ideas, iterations, successes and yeah- failures- with the community.

We understand that not everyone will do the same thing, and not everyone will have great results!  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you simply make a mess...

And that's okay, too! It's a big experiment! We not only welcome- but encourage input, constructive criticism, and suggestions to improve these products!

Oh, don't forget that it's okay to make a little mess sometimes. Beautiful things can come from it.

The ongoing experimentation, the mental shifts that we've asked you to make, the "norms" of botanical-style aquarium "practice" that we've pushed here for a few years- all will come together to make the "Urban Igapo" experiment unique and enjoyable to a wide variety of hobbyists! 

Stay tuned. Won't be long now!

Stay excited. Stay brave. Stay curious. Stay creative. Stay innovative. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

Africa: A case for compelling niche habitats...and killifishes!

It's a big world, and there are numerous places where amazing fishes come from...Like, Africa, for example!

Africa is a particularly fascinating place for the botanical-style aquarium enthusiast to study, because of the huge variety of aquatic ecosystems that we can replicate in our tanks!

Yup, the coolest thing about the African content is that it has a diversity of habitats and fishes that is equally as stunning as anything found anywhere else on the planet. Yet, for some reason, outside of the Rift Lake cichlids and a few popular favorites, the region seems stunningly under-represented, at least from a "Natural habitat replication" standpoint, IMHO.

Of course, the Rift Lakes are amazing; they're filled with incredible fishes and unique and compelling underwater features that aquarists have been specializing in replicating for decades.They do insanely cool work. I admit, my knowledge of African Rift Lake cichlids is slightly above zero, but I have nothing but respect for the hobbyists who work with them.

I think a large part of the success with these fishes- and their popularity in the hobby-is because the environments from which they come are as fascinating as the fishes themselves.

Over the decades, hobbyists have gotten really, really good at creating accurate, biotopically-correct aquarium representations of the environments in which Rift Lake Cichlids are found. 

And of course, at least at the moment, our interest lies elsewhere in this continent: Soft, acidic water habitats powered by the soils, geology, vegetation, botanical materials, and weather. Oh, and the major waterways play a huge role, too!

in many tropical African regions, you have influence from the mighty Congo River, arguably the natural  African "analog" to The Amazon. It flows almost 3000 miles, and is the world's deepest river. There are over 700 species of fishes recorded as having been from this river, making it remarkable for species richness!

And of course, the numerous tributaries which branch out from this river, including  the Kasai, Lufimi, Ubangi, Tshuapa, and Lomami, and hundreds of tiny, lesser-known ones, contain more unique fishes, and encompass a variety of compelling habitats.

Many of the fishes we keep from this region are from an area known as the "Malebo Pool", with its sandy substrates, often choked with leaves and branches, and its interesting reed grass "islands." It's known for slower water flow than the rapids of the main river itself.

Africa contains perhaps some of the most compelling ecological niches on earth. The opportunity to replicate them in our aquariums, with unique displays not previously contemplated, is significant. In Part 2 of this "mini epic", we'll touch on some ideas that you can play with, which will unlock some amazing discoveries with some previously under-appreciated fishes.

Stay bold. Stay excited...Stay tuned!

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Africa: A case for compelling niche habitats...and killifishes! (Pt.2)

Africa...perhaps the most diverse and fascinating aquatic environment on earth.

Africa contains thousands of small tributaries and streams which flow throughout the continent, encompassing a variety of aquatic environments of every type.

Yes- the aquatic habitats of Africa encompass just about every cool idea we throw at you here- and then some!

The chance to replicate some truly unique ecological niches is tantalizing, isn't it? There are remarkable aquatic habitats in Africa which we can readily replicate with the materials and techniques we already use. Some of them are rather simple for us to execute, such as a variety of plants and terrestrial grasses in a blackwater habitat filled with leaves.

Many fishes, like the cool Ctenopoma, are found in habitats like this, which bear a remarkable similarity to the ones we're familiar with in South America:  Rather dimly illuminated, thickly vegetated jungle streams, choked with floating vegetation and a bed of leaf litter and botanical materials (submerged branches, seed pods, etc.). The water itself is typically soft and acidic, with pH levels ranging from 5.5-6.8.

And Africa, much like South America, has a tremendous diversity of these types of leaf-choked habitats to work with.

There are lots of different types of river habitats, jungle streams, temporary pools, and (perhaps most exciting to many) plant-rich ponds and tributaries- all of which have blackwater "versions"- can make this an amazing canvas upon which to execute our craft.

Yes, lots of cool cichlids, characins, and other types of fishes are available in the hobby which inhabit variety of "fairly standardized" and well-represented ecological niches in the aquarium. I'm not the first person to argue this case in the hobby. You likely don't need me to sell you on them.

Yet, there is a group of fishes which we can play with that are almost the perfect "subjects" to work with to attempt to replicate some unusual habitats in the aquarium. Unique fishes which are colorful, interesting, downright tough, and highly adaptable...

The killifishes!

Yup, the chance to do some really unusual work, especially with the under-appreciated (in the hobby mainstream, anyways) killifishes- is always pretty cool! The habitats in which killies are typically found are compelling, and their unique structure and aesthetics pushes us to the very edge of what we consider our "craft" if we want to replicate them.

Hobbyists have kept them for many decades; not much truly "new" there, right? The list of popular killies from Africa reads like a "who's who" of the aquarium world: Nothobranchius, Chromaphyosemion, Fundulopanchax, Epiplatys, Aphyosemion...just to name a few.

So, although new species are being discovered all the time, and taxonomic debates rage in the hobby and scientific communities, their husbandry has pretty much been "standardized" for a long time. The main "theme" of the killifish hobby, at least in my opinion as a sort of "peripheral" killie keeper, has been simply to breed them and maintain captive populations of them. 

A super noble goal, of course, yet rather "one dimensional", in my opinion. The "formula is straightforward: Keep them in small aquariums filled with spawning mops, containers of peat moss, and maybe a few floating plants. Useful, efficient, highly functional, and..well...boring.

The idea of controlled breeding in peat-filled containers is just one way to approach their care. Imagine the interesting types of "permanent setups" you could create by looking more closely at the actual physical/chemical/environmental aspects of their natural habitats and attempting to replicate them in the aquarium.

Yeah. The habitats themselves are the key, IMHO to unlocking more interest in these amazing fishes! 

Hear me out...

Arguments abound online in killifish forums with hobbyists preferring all sorts of ways to popularize these rather under-appreciated fishes, and what many call a "moribund" sector of the aquarium hobby, seemingly lacking a significant influx of new hobbyists. So, why not solve this "problem" by working on "the whole picture" of killifish care?

The inspiration is right in front of us. The information about them is abundant.

Many killifish enthusiasts have visited the wild habitats of killies and documented information about the ecosystems in which they are found, so why not use this data to replicate this most interesting, yet remarkably under-represented aspect of the killie realm?

Think of what our community, which has a tremendous amount of experience with unique aspects of habitat replication, can bring to the table here!

I've already started doing some of this type of work with South American annual killifishes, keeping them in my "Urban Igapo" habitat replications in "wet/dry" cycles, and the results have been really interesting! Spawning annual fishes in an aquarium environment which more realistically and accurately represents the natural habitats from which they have evolved in over eons is truly exciting!

And of course, a vast variety of killifish species inhabit leaf-strewn, sediment-laden bodies of water.

Bodies of water which offer habitat "enrichment", physical structure, and chemical influence. Bodies of water which our community is quite "fluent" at replicating in the aquarium. Leaves, botanical materials, and sediments are right up our proverbial "alley", right?

Sediments and substrates and leaves again!

Yeah, I suspect that we would do well to work with sediments, particularly sediments mixed with finely-crushed botanical materials like leaves. These materials will, of course, not only visually tint the water snd add some turbidity, they'll very accurately represent some of the chemical aspects of the natural habitats, too.

 

And of course, Africa has some other very compelling environments that would be equally fascinating to replicate in our aquaria. Environments seldom replicated in the hobby:

Tiny jungle streams, vernal pools, and... MUD PUDDLES!

Yes, mud puddles! Now, would it be possible to recreate a mud puddle in an aquarium to any degree? I think so! We've more-or-less done this already, right?

And what better fishes to use as "subjects" for this unique biotope-inspired work than killifishes?

I mean, for the hardcore biotope enthusiast, messing around with aquariums simulating the various habitats in which killies alone are found could be a lifelong obsession!

 

Imagine how cool it would be to delve into the world of killies...By working with "the whole picture" of their world?

Yes, they've been kept by avid enthusiasts for a century or more, but there are still so many secrets to unlock.  I think that the killifish hobby is really great at what they do, but is a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees!  The answer to getting these fishes more into the mainstream of the hobby AND bringing in new enthusiasts at the same time is right in front of our eyes.

Creating aquariums that specifically aim to replicate the particular habitats of some of these species is simply beyond just an "under-served" area of the hobby. It's one which YOU could make very useful contributions to with a little research and some cool documented work!

I couldn't think of a better way to increase awareness within the hobby and outside of it about an amazing group of fishes, and the awe-inspiring natural habitats from which they come. Habitats which are increasingly endangered by mankind's encroachments and activities.

Habitats which need our protection more than ever!

Habitats which we can create a greater appreciation for  and understanding of by attempting to replicate them in the aquarium! 

What better outcome for the fishes, the hobby, the content, and the planet-could there be than that? 

Stay thoughtful. Stay informed. Stay curious. Stay resourceful. Stay bold. Stay unique...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

In the company of friends...

It seems like the longer I'm in this hobby, the more I learn. And sometimes, the more I learn, the more I realize that what we have been doing for a long time IS not such a bad thing. Yet, sometimes, we as a group tend to forget this stuff.

Yeah, every once in a while, me- Mr. "Question-Everything-You-Know-About-The-Hobby"- will ponder stuff which has long been considered a hard and fast "rule", and beat the shit out of it with my consistent questioning and personal research.

Sometimes, I think I'm correct in my conclusions that we've been too stubborn, and that all sorts of other approaches can not only work- but create better outcomes than we've ever considered!

Other times, I tend to go along with prevailing wisdom, as it really makes no sense to question what seems logical and beneficial for our animals. I still think about it a lot, though. Like, the social structures that we provide when we keep various species of fishes... It something that is fascinating, yet many of us don't give it a lot of thought...We add our fishes to our tanks and simply enjoy them, without much consideration for the fascinating aspects of this stuff! 

That's okay, I guess...but there is a lot to this stuff that I think can really help us enjoy our fishes even more when we study it a bit.

Let me digress for a quick second. Give you a bit of context for what I'm thinking here.

I suppose one of the real fun parts of aquarium keeping is figuring out what fishes you want to keep, and setting up the aquarium to accommodate them. In many cases, not only does "setting up the tank to accommodate them" mean selecting the proper sized tank, environmental parameters, and physical layout, it also means suitable social groups of them.

Now, if you're like me, you love sizable shoals or schools of small fishes-usually characins- in large tanks. There's something about the "scale" and interest that such groups provide, particularly in an aquarium designed to meet their needs. And you, too, have probably have kept many schools of characins and such. You KNOW that most of these fishes simply fail to thrive when not kept in schools.

Schools. Shoals. Groups.

I've always felt that as hobbyists, we need to do all that we can to help facilitate the beneficial aspects of this social behavior.

Oh, but first, a "refresher" of sorts...

The word "fish” is the correct plural form when you’re referring to a group of specimens all belonging to the same species. “Fishes,” on the other hand, refers to a group which consists of more than one species.

Us fish geeks mess that one up all the time.

I mean, I know that I do! 

Oh, and let's just jump on that most confusing of fishy distinctions...the difference between a shoal of fishes and a school of fishes:

A shoal is a group of fish congregating together, perhaps even to benefit from the safety in numbers...yet not moving or behaving in unison. They can be facing in multiple directions, with no coordinated actions.

That's the distinction.

A school is when all of the members of the group are moving and behaving in a coordinated manner. 

Personally, I've always liked the idea of keeping groups of the same species together whenever possible- regardless of if they school together, or simply "cohabit."

And then there are fishes which live in "groups", right?

Social aggregations of fishes which don't really display "coordinated movements" and such, but do exhibit social behaviors in a group setting, such as dominance hierarchies, feeding  and spawning orders, etc.

Okay, all of that grammatical B.S. now safely felt with and tucked away neatly, let's ruminate more about the idea of keeping lots of fish- or fishes- together in our tanks!  I know, it's  sort of "Aquarium Keeping 101", but it's something that we likely tend not to give much thought to as we move on to other stuff, right?

Some of the best fishes to keep as single-species units, in my opinion, are catfishes, like the Corydoras, Brochus, and even the Otocinculus species.

The dynamic of keeping these endearing fish in groups is almost irresistible...and mimics how they are often found in Nature. It's fun to watch, and really enlivens your aquarium experience.

They are really social fish! 

Not only do the fish show their most interesting behaviors in single-species groups, they seem to feed better, stay healthier, and spawn more easily, in my experience.

Makes perfect sense, right?

I recall that I had a sizable group of 14 Corydoras panda a while back in one of my aquariums that lived very well together in a school that I gradually built up. However,  almost paradoxically, they actually seemed to behave more shy- or perhaps you could say, "cautious"-as a large group than they were as individuals or small group.

I would say that they definitely "schooled", but they adapted a strange "schedule" once the group truly became a school, and they were almost nocturnal or crepuscular, often coming out as a school, seemingly from out of nowhere, just as "dusk" broke in my tank (gotta love controllable LED's, huh?)! Of course, if you dropped in food at almost any time of the day, all bets were off, and they came out to feed actively- and then quickly went back to wherever the hell they hid during the day..

And then there are those Otocinculus...

This is a fish that just seems to be, well- problematic- for many...And I think it's no secret that they often suffer from 1) Lack of sufficient algal growth, and 2) The apparent "comfort" of the company of their own kind. They will often live for what seems like extended periods of time in a solitary manner, or even in small groups- only to just sort of "fade" at some point.

Personally, I think that this fish creates a sort of "paradox" for aquarists: One one hand, you want to support it's need for socialization by keeping it in larger groups (say, a minimum of 6-8 specimens), while on the other hand, providing sufficient micro algae growth on rocks, plants, and other aquariums surfaces. I wouldn't even think of keeping this fish in groups of less than 6 individuals...again, possibly problematic if you're tank can't provide sufficient algal growth for them.

Yeah. A paradox.

And of course, everyone knows that some species simply need to be kept in groups to confidently exist in your aquarium. For example, the Glass Catfish, Kryptopterus sp. is a fish that will literally waste away when kept individually, like so many of us probably did with this fish when we were kids. (Okay, well, I did!)

These are fishes that truly have a timid and non-aggressive nature, and they should always be kept in a group...and by "group", I'm thinking 6 or more...even larger, if your tank can accommodate them. And of course, this means an appropriately-sized aquarium and physical layout to accommodate their needs.

(Pic by JohnstonDJ, used under CC BY-S.A. 2.0)

And, if you're curious to see how these fish can act in a large group, check out Tai Strietman's video of his Asian-themed tank. They display a relaxed, gregarious nature, which is much more natural than the skulking-in-the-corner, timid personality they typically display when kept individually. It's plainly obvious, when you watch this video, that these fishes are near-perfect to keep in this fashion, and you'll never attempt keep them individually again! 

You probably have already considered this idea of keeping various species of catfishes in groups, but it's something I felt like touching on because I still see many hobbyists keeping them individually or in very small groups, which is a bit surprising. Now, yes, this is a "general" statement, and it would be irresponsible of me to intimate that it applies automatically to every species. Obviously, there are many exceptions to this.

And of course, there are fishes which tend to be kept singly, which, if the proper space and environment is set up- and if introduced as juveniles together, could sort it out and live in some semblance of a peaceful social order for an indefinite period of time. 

The key there is observation, study, and patience...And the ability to take quick and decisive action should things "head south" in your little aquatic Utopia! 

There is certainly a lot we can learn, and much to consider about the social behavior of our fishes, and how we can provide the optimum conditions to enhance it.

Regardless, in this era where tanks are set up as a" temporary" display, or set up to highlight the aquascape, with the fishes simply being "accessories", we often see tanks with the fishes installed without due consideration for their long-term need. 

It need not be this way. In fact, it shouldn't be this way.

I'd go so far to suggest that, even if you're setting up a temporary display for a competition, or whatever, you need to display them in proper groups. Remember, a display seen by a lot of people who might be influenced by it should be set up with animals in proper context. 

Yeah, it sends the wrong message to the uninitiated to do this.

A simple concept. Probably almost "remedial" in nature. However, something that we need to keep in the front of our mind when setting up our next aquarium, no matter how unique or different it may be. Place the needs of your fishes first. 

You probably know that.

 In fact, I"m certain that you do.

So, please pass along the thought to someone who might not. There are a lot of new people coming into the hobby all the time- and we'd all be better off it they stay in it! 

Stay thoughtful. Stay considerate. Stay supportive. Stay inspirational. Stay devoted. Stay curious...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics