The Tint

A new "dark age?"

As the end of another year approaches, and the holidays near, it's kind of fun to look back on where we've been- and where we're headed. It has been an eventful year, filled with a lot of interesting discoveries, experiences, and amazing work by our global community.

Botanical-style, blackwater aquairums have literally fostered a new "Dark Age!"

And it started with some simple mindset shifts...

As a "student" of aquarium hobby "culture", I'm fascinated by the attitudes we develop in the hobby. By what is popular, unpopular, "trendy", disliked, and considered "off-limits." Now, stuff changes over time, but in the short run, it often seems like nothing changes...

Sometimes, you need to step back a bit to really see what has changed or evolved.

Yes, if you've been in the hobby long enough, you start noticing how things truly evolve over the years, and how easily we get "comfortable" doing stuff that, less than a decade before was considered "risky", "non-sustainable", or downright dangerous.

The reality, all along, is that it was none of those things. It was simply different.

I think so much of it starts with making mental shifts and appreciating the challenges associated with doing stuff slightly different than we have in the past. In other words- simply trying. It seems like there is a certain audacity to doing stuff fundamentally differently than we have in the past; call it what you will- but it's that simple, really. 

And it's about getting out of our "comfort zones."

It's like someone has to be first...to take the chances; to endure the criticisms. To prove that yes- this can be done...and maintained for extended periods of time. Taking a position and trying to make stuff work, despite prevailing hobby thinking, is pretty cool. And of course, it's important to have the humility to accept failure if it comes your way when your idea doesn't work- that's a win for the hobby to.

A great quote attributed to Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light bulb, comes to mind, “I haven't failed,I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

Yeah. That's applicable here!

And, when things DO work-well...

I was chatting with a fellow hobbyist the other day, and we were sort of looking where we are as a hobby, and how our little speciality niche has really caught the eye of more and more so-called "mainstream" adherents in the aquarium hobby. And more important- how more and more hobbyists are "letting go" of ways of thinking which have helped maintain a certain "status quo" and fear of straying off the well-trodden path for far too long, in my opinion.

As you realize by now, for years, playing with blackwater, lower pH, and decomposing botanical materials was considered an extremely risky, irresponsible, and non-long-term-viable approach to keeping aquariums by many hobby pundits. It still is, in many corners...A fair number of hobbyists still consider this a novelty and a "stunt", if you will, as opposed to a bonafide approach.

And yet, more and more hobbyists are playing with this concept, learning, benefitting, and enjoying.  We are sharing long-term, replicable successes. The reality is that many hobbyists were playing with this stuff for years, it's just that we were quietly experimenting with this stuff in the dark corners of our fish rooms.

The idea is not "new" in the sense that no one ever played with botanicals before.

It's just that we're collectively getting a bit louder...

Blackwater/botanical-style aquariums have moved out of the "side show" category and are now simply another way to maintain an aquarium. Thanks to the work, experimentation, and sharing of this community, what was once feared is now compelling to many. We still have a long way to go. And quite honestly, a lot of people simply don't like the look. I understand that.  

And I am convinced that this "genre" of aquarium-keeping will always be as much of an "art" as it is a "science"- and that's okay. As a community, we're literally developing the "framework" for creating, operating, and managing botanical-style blackwater/brackish systems as we speak. 

What could be more exciting than that?

Call it "open-source", "ground-floor," "bleeding edge"- whatever you label it, the opportunity for a wide variety of interested hobbyists at all levels to contribute to a body of work has never been better! I think we'll see more and more commercial developments in this area as time goes by, too. Perhaps new, dedicated products for botanical-style systems.

"Doors have been opened", as they say.

As a hobby, in general,we are becoming more and more progressive, I think. Sure, there are lots of little pockets of resistance to change, holding on to set ways, interpretations, and styles, but you're seeing more and more individual hobbyists breaking away from the "groupthink" and simply doing stuff.

Looking at things from a fresh perspective, experimenting...and generally not giving a damn about what "everyone" thinks...

Scary, daring- yet empowering.

Trying things that are on our minds-scary though they might be...It's how breakthroughs arise in the hobby. It's how we've gotten this stuff out of the "novelty" zone.

Now, I'm not trying to say that our community alone is awesome, and that everyone else is some kind of throwback loser...Absolutely not.  

And we're not the only arena in the hobby that's pushing things in different directions. What I AM saying is that we are a good example of a small community of people who have demonstrated how far you can come- and how quickly- when you simply...do stuff. This can work-has worked- in a number of aquarium hobby specialties, from cichlid breeding to Rainbowfish keeping, to aquatic plants and aquascaping. 

It simply requires a different attitude. And in our case, an acceptance of different aesthetic and function.

A mindset shift.

Mindset shifts are very beautiful things, because they get us out of our comfort zones and compel us to look at where we were, where we are, how we got there, and where we are going next.

The "next" part is fascinating to me.

Building upon where we've already been, and moving ahead to uncharted waters, so to speak.

Yeah, it's neat to look back- but far more interesting to look forward.

Where to next?

That's your call. Our call, as a community.

Stay diligent. Stay focused. Stay open-minded. Stay excited

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

The race to the bottom...

 

If you're like me, and you're crazy enough to try to write a new blog post/podcast episode every day, you sometimes need a bit of "help" from your friends. Today's idea came to me in the form of a question I received not long ago from a reader.

It really helped!

Q- Scott, you really place a lot of emphasis on the stuff on the bottom of the aquarium! How does this differ from "active substrates" for planted tanks, and are there other benefits for aquariums that you can gain by using botanicals as the substrate?- J.C., Rockford, IL (USA)

Oh, this is a good one. I can ramble a bit on this!

Let's get to the bottom of things...again.

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

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

Yes. Yes I am. 😎

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

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

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

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

Nature provides no shortage of features which can provide inspiration for unique aquariums.

In fact, some of the more fascinating habitats we'd like to replicate are simply flooded grasslands, such as Brazil's Pantanal, featured in this image by our friend, Tai Strietman. It's essentially a meadow that is covered by seasonal inundation. The only "vertical component" of the scape is the grass and/or low-lying terrestrial plants that resided in the meadow. And of course, texture is provided by the soil and tree roots that might be present in a specific locale.

And some of the other "substrate only" natural habitats are offshoots of streams, or even "vernal pools"- temporary habitats filled with leaves and botanical debris, and little else. These are also very interesting habitats to re-create in a small aquarium. This interesting shot by David Sorry from the Amazon region shows exactly how interesting this unique habitat could is!

And the interesting thing about these features, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, is that they create an incredibly alluring look with a minimum of "design" required on the hobbyist's part. I mean, literally tossing twigs or leaves on the bottom of the aquarium and walking away is the biggest part of your "aquascaping session."

Remember, you can to put together a substrate with a perfect aesthetic mix of colors and textures, but that's about it. We have to "cede" some of the "work" to nature at that point! And certainly, you can build some vertical into your display with  branches and other materials to create the look you like...However, it's super interesting to really develop the substrate area, IMHO.

Once it's in place, nature takes over and the materials develop that lovely "patina" of biofilms and microbial growth, and start breaking down, are moved by fishes, or otherwise slowly redistributed around the aquarium.

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

This is a big aesthetic shift in the hobby, but it goes beyond that.

I mean, sure, we've done hardscapes before, with wood and stones dominating the 'scape. However, our tanks have placed far more emphasis on the "functional" aspects of the botanical materials we use.

Much like in Nature, the materials that we place on the bottom of the aquarium will become an active, integral part of the ecosystem. From a "functional" standpoint, bottoms comprised of our supplemented with a variety of botanical materials form a sort of "in-tank refugium", which allows small aquatic crustaceans, fungi, and other microorganisms to multiply and provide supplemental food for the aquarium, as we've touched on before.

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

It's certainly no stretch to call our use of botanicals as a form of "active substrate", much like the use of clays, mineral additives, soils, etc. in planted aquariums. Of course, we're not talking about plants in this context...

Although our emphasis is on creating specific water conditions, fostering the growth of microorganisms and fungi, as well as creating unique aesthetics, versus the "more traditional" substrate materials fostering conditions specifically for plant growth.

And, as we play more with botanicals, we're finding out more unique ways to work with interesting materials to create substrate-centric systems that check all the boxes: Functionality. Interest. Aesthetics. Stability.

We've talked about "functional aesthetics" created by botanicals in the aquarium, the potential for additional biological support/filtration (and potentially even denitrification), and it's a big, BIG topic, with lots more to be explored, discovered and deployed in our aquarium...flirting with a "substrate-only"- or "substrate-focused" tank is one of those tantalizing, at first seemingly awkward, yet ultimately transformational little projects we can play with! 

Lots of cool things we can play with. Lots of cool experiments to do.

Stuff like that truly pushes the boundaries between what we do al the time in the hobby, and those outer regions where few have tread before. There will be challenges, discoveries, setbacks...and rewards- for taking this road less travelled.

Enjoy the real "race to the bottom..."

Stay inspired. Stay unique. Stay adventurous. Stay creative. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

Respect for the decomposers...

Of all the processes which we are fascinated with around here, none is mentioned more frequently- or with as much reverence- as the process of decomposition. Yeah, you're actually hearing about a fish geek celebrating this- finding something compelling, fascinating, and fundamental about stuff breaking down in our tanks.

I respect this process! And you should, too!

Decomposition, to refresh your memory, is the process by which organic materials are broken down into more simple organic matter. For our purposes, we are primarily interested in the breakdown of plant matter, ie; botanicals and leaves. It is in part responsible for some of the unique habitats that we love so much-and an inspiration for some unique aquariums with previously unappreciated aesthetics!

Of course, the process ultimately leads to physical breakdown and/or fragmentation of the leaves and botanicals into smaller "pieces", which possess larger amounts of surface area for microbial attachment.  Extensive ecological studies done by scientists specifically in regard to leaf litter have yielded a lot of information about this process.

And yeah, insect larvae, fishes and shrimp help with this process by grazing among or feeding directly upon the decomposing botanical materials...We've talked about that quite recently, right?  So-called "shredder" invertebrates  (shrimps, etc.) are also involved in the physical aspects of leaf litter breakdown.

There's a lot of supplemental food production that goes on in leaf litter beds and other aggregations of decomposing botanical materials. It's yet another reason why we feel that aquariums fostering significant beds of leaves and botanicals offer many advantages for the fishes which reside in them! 

The biggest allies we have in the process of decomposition of our botanicals in the aquarium are microbes (bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, specifically). Ecologists will tell you that during the early decay phase of botanicals/leaves, the leaching of water-soluble substances plays a key role in the loss of the physical  mass of these materials.

Alteration of the botanicals is done chemically via this microbial action; ultimately, the components of the botanicals/leaves (lignin, cellulose, etc.) are broken down near completely. In aquatic environments, photosynthetic production of oxygen ceases in plants, and organic matter and nutrients are released back into the aquatic environment.

This is why adding too much botanical material too rapidly to an aquarium can create problems for the fishes! A rapid decrease in dissolved oxygen in a small body of water can be disastrous; or, at the very least, leave fishes gasping at the surface! And of course, that's why we tell you to deploy massive patience and to go slowly when adding botanicals to an established aquarium...

So, we've just discussed a lot of interesting material about how the process of decomposition of botanical materials occurs in tropical streams and of course, in our aquariums. Now, we likely won't have the diversity/density of invertebrates and other organisms in our aquariums to handle this process that we find in wild habitats, but the process can happen nonetheless. Perhaps, we have a greater ratio of fungi or bacteria to "shredders" in aquariums than occurs in the wild (just a supposition), but it's something worth thinking about.

The idea of decomposing "stuff" in our aquariums certainly runs a bit contrary to what we've been indoctrinated about in our hobby work for generations. I mean, one of the many reasons that we perform regular water exchanges and siphon out "detritus" from out tanks is to remove potential sources of "pollution" from our tanks.

And here I am, asking you to not only "leave them be" -but to encourage their accumulation and foster the development and prosperity of the organisms which "work" them. 

Now, again, I have to at least ask the rather long question, "Are these things (detritus; decomposing materials) really problematic for a well-managed aquarium? Or, do they constitute an essential component of a closed aquatic ecosystem...One which can actually provide some benefits (ie; supplemental nutrition) for the resident fishes and the community of life forms which support them?"

Many of us have already made a mental shift which accepts the transient, subtle beauty of decomposing botanical materials, tinted water, biofilms, and the like, so it goes without saying that taking it a little further and allowing these materials to completely breakdown to serve as the substrate for our aquatic ecodivesity is simply the next iteration in the management of blackwater/brackish botanical-style aquariums.

It's something that we as aquarists need to simply explore more.

I can envision systems created to optimize the breakdown and accumulation of botanicals, with targeted water-column flow, use of more coarse (or fine) mechanical filtration media, moderated lighting to discourage excessive algal growth, and even careful selection of hardscape materials, such as Mangrove root tangles, driftwood, etc. to encourage these materials to settle in and among them, as occurs in Nature.

Yeah- aquariums set up specifically to optimize and foster these natural processes!

Letting our minds wander a bit, and accepting and encouraging this stuff, rather than freaking the fuck out every time we see a gram of detritus in our tanks will go a long way towards fostering new discoveries, "best practices"- and maybe even breakthroughs! 

So, yeah- there IS a lot to consider when utilizing botanical materials in your aquarium. It's far, far beyond the idea of just "dumping and praying" that has been an unfortunate "model" for how to utilize them in our aquariums for many years. It's more than just aesthetics alone...the "functional aesthetic" mindset- accepting the look and the biological processes which occur when terrestrial materials break down in our tanks is a fundamental shift in thinking.

Much respect to the decomposers- our friends!

By studying the process of decomposition in Nature and in our aquariums, I believe that we are contributing to an exciting progression of the art and science of aquarium keeping!

And everyone's contributions are welcome! 

Stay fascinated. Stay diligent. Stay unfazed. Stay creative. Stay excited...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

The manifold inspirations from streams...

I have an obsession for small little tropical streams.

They are remarkable little habitats found worldwide, with literally thousands of different fishes found residing in them. 

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

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

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

There is something that calls to me- beckons me to explore, to take not of its intricate details- and to replicate some of its features in an aquarium- sometimes literally, or sometimes,. just taking components that I find compelling and utilizing them.

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

Have you ever heard of an igarape before? You must have, right? We've talked about them incessantly, right? 

For good reason.

The igarape habitat is a fascinating, botanical-influenced biome which is an example of the remarkable interdependency between the terrestrial and the aquatic realms.

It translates roughly as "canoe road" in the Hengatu dialect of the Tupi language (spoken all over the Western Amazon region), and that's exactly what it is: A little jungle stream that is used by indigenous people in Brazil to navigate through the rain forests in their small canoes. 

These little bodies of water flow between forest trees, and often diminish to even smaller shallow creeks during the dry season. As such, the influence of the soil, plants and grasses of the forest floor is significant. These components are ever-present, providing food, shelter, and spawning areas for a remarkable diversity of fishes.

The lighting is rather dim, as the sunlight is often partially obscured by the low, overhanging trees and vegetation. As one might guess, these little streams often have botanical materials, such as leaves, seed pods, and branches falling into them throughout the year.

As you might guess, an important part of these little streams is the abundant presence of fallen leaves from the overhanging trees. These fallen leaves contribute not only tannins and humic acids to the water, they provide much of the food sources for the aforementioned fungi, bacteria and algae present in the habitats.

Leaf accumulations also function as a means to preserve the nutrients that would be lost to the forests which would inevitably occur if all the material which fell into the streams was simply washed downstream. That's a hugely important ecological role, isn't it?

There is actually some evidence that some fishes may actually consume some of the leaf litter materials as part of their diet (Walker, 1990), in addition to detritus, insects and other small crustaceans, which we've discussed before right here in this blog!

And I think we need to look beyond just the cool looks of the natural habitats from where our fishes hail, and focus on the attributes which comprise their function. We need to understand why fishes are attracted to certain habitats, and apply these lessons into our aquariums. As we all know, a successful aquarium is not just a pretty look.  It's a "complete package" sort of thing.

Obviously, we can take some "artistic liberties", being in this for fun and not try to be 100% biotope-centric, down to the last rock and twig. However, there are some general physical characteristics of these small streams that we can use to help us plan our little representation of them!

Water movement: Generally, a very modest current, without significant surface movement. This makes sense, because you do find a fairly large number of surface-active Hatchetfishes, like Carnegiella myersi and Carnegiella strigata in these streams, along with the aforementioned Rivulus, which tend to accumulate at or near the surface.

In this world of decomposing leaves, submerged logs, twigs, and seed pods, there is a surprising diversity of life forms which call this milieu home. And each one of these organisms has managed to eke out an existence and thrive. 

A lot of hobbyists not familiar with our aesthetic tastes will ask what the fascination is with throwing palm fronds and seed pods into our tanks, and I tell them that it's a direct inspiration from nature! Sure, the look is quite different than what has been proffered as "natural" in recent years- but I'd guarantee that, if you donned a snorkel and waded into one of these habitats, you'd understand exactly what we are trying to represent in our aquariums in seconds!

Of course, water chemistry of flooded forests and streams is influenced by the many terrestrial components of the habitat. The trees in the ecosystem enrich the habitat and the resulting organic detritus from decomposing bark and organic exudates from the trees themselves help concentrate nutrients within the ecosystem itself.

Learning more about the dynamics of stream habitats and the ecology of the surrounding terrestrial environments is just one fascinating and compelling area of study that we as aquarists can really get into. Yes, it requires some study. It requires trying some new and seemingly wacky ideas (encouraging the accumulation of detritus, decomposing leaves, and epiphytic biofilm growth, for one thing!), and embracing some different aesthetics.

And of course, the very composition of bottom materials and the depth of the channel are always changing in response to the flow in a given stream, affecting the composition and ecology in many ways.

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

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

And stream structures offer very distinct types of "microhabitats", which perform different functions of sequestering materials, nutrients, and creating habitats for the fishes which reside in them. These structures are fascinating subjects for replication in our aquariums!

Amazonian streams typically feature two interesting biotopes that we haven't really discussed in much detail here, and both of which are quite profoundly impacted by the seasonal rains: Pools, with slower current and a substrate covered mainly by deposits of leaf litter, detritus and driftwood; and "riffles" (defined as shallow sections of a stream with rapid current and a surface broken by gravel, rubble or boulders), with a moderately-fast-flowing current and mostly sandy bottom with tree roots, driftwood pieces, and small rocks and pebbles. 

And interestingly, in South America, you'll find an unexpected abundance of some species familiar to us as hobbyists in these "riffles."  Species like Pyrrhulina brevis, Hyphessobrycon melazonatus, and Hemigrammus of various forms, and even some Nanostimus, and the killie Rivulus compressus! 

I find this intriguing, because we tend to associate a lot of these little fishes with sluggish water and more static environments, not areas exposed to greater current and movement. 

There are numerous examples of much-loved aquarium species residing in various parts of streams. The idea of recreating the specific characteristics of the parts of the streams where your fave fishes reside in the aquarium is incredibly compelling and a lot of fun!

I can go on and on, sharing with you numerous examples of stream features and functions, and how they affect the lives of the fishes that live in them. However, at some point, I think it's more fun for us to "back engineer" our fishes habitats through our own research. There are as many examples of how to create these habitats as there are fishes which reside in them.

It's time to get to them!

Stay inspired. Stay intrigued. Stay excited. Stay curious. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Talking dirty...again...

As you know, I spend an inordinate amount of time talking about sediments, mud, leaf litter, and soil, and how these materials play an important role in the aquatic ecosystems from which many of our favorite fishes come.

I mean, for the most part, we'd call this stuff "dirt."

And, as I discovered during my extensive summer "urban igapo" experiments, I think there is a lot to be gained from playing with "dirt" in our aquariums...Well, more accurately, terrestrial soils of various compositions.

Seriously. 

Now, I know that the idea of "dirted" tanks is not at all new, particularly to the planted tank world. There is a whole fascinating "subculture" of planted people doing amazing things with "dirted" tanks. I enjoy reading about their almost rebellious simplistic approach. I love that attitude and these people. We've talked about them before here, but they really deserve some credit!

Part of me loves them because, at least to this outsider, they appear to be pissing off "the establishment" and their fancy gadgetry and snobbish approach. They're doing this complicated thing in such a simple matter that it draws criticism from the "experts", which is just badass. Now, they're utilizing garden soil and such, which is geared towards, well- growing stuff. 

What I'm talking about is utilizing soils of various types in tanks where plants are not the primary focus. Like, using it as part of an aesthetic and functional substrate. Where the impact of the material on the environment of the aquarium as a whole is more important than its ability to grow...plants. 

I'm talking about a fish-centric microcosm.

This is where I part ways with these bold rebels...

Yes, I'm thinking about "dirt"...or, really, soil-the stuff in your garden that get's kind of muddy when it gets wet. Would using this stuff in your substrate, either "solo" or as a "mix", be a cool way of capturing the "look and feel" of some of our blackwater habitats? Now, I realize it's  A LOT more complicated than just throwing some "dirt" into the water, and that the chemical compositions of many of the soils which originate in the tropical regions we attempt to replicate in our aquariums are often vastly different geologically from our North American/European soils.

Yet, I find it sort of intriguing to utilize "clean dirt" (shit, is THAT an oxymoron?) in a botanical-style, blackwater aquarium. 

This was probably one of the more reckless, least scientific ideas I've wanted to play with in a while...Or was it?

There is absolutely no basis for using "just any old dirt" in a blackwater, botanical-style aquarium- other than the fact that "dirt" is found in many of the streams and rivers of the world. Yet, I decided to "formulate" my own version of the soils found I the tropical areas I was interested in, utilizing the closest combinations of materials I could find to do the job...

And it was fun...and no fishes croaked or anything, so... 

(Not that "not croaking" is the measure of success during an aquarium experiment, but...)

There must be some benefits, right?

Of course...Let's dive deeper.

Sure, super alkaline soils or soils with a lot of salt or other mineral content will possibly wreak havoc on our attempts to create soft, acidic waters- but there must be some types of soils with some attributes that will perhaps release some beneficial trace elements and minerals into the water? Again, I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT ANYONE DO THIS without a lot of consideration and forethought...but...

I'm merely sharing with you something I have play with a lot. I think there is something there...

I recall, a number of years back, I was working on an aquatic display project for a museum in museum Connecticut. We were growing riparian plants from the beaches of Long Island Sound, and I remember literally digging up clumps of these plants, along with the surrounding soil and mud, and utilizing them in an aquarium with local marine life...it was an incredible display...Super simple, but cool- and the experience never quite left my head...I thought, "Why not do this with a tropical freshwater tank?" 

Or, perhaps, with brackish?

Taht made a lot of sense...

Now, with Estuary, our foray into brackish water aquairums, the idea of utilizing/recreating the muds and silts and leaves for substrate and as a huge part of the closed ecosystems and is the basis of our mangrove biotopes, and I can't help but let my mind return back to that "dirt thing" and the potentially interesting benefits (like the potential to impart trace elements, organics, etc. to the water) that could come from it.

Mixing muds and soils with dried mangrove leaves and some botanicals has been a very interesting long-term game! There is so much more to learn about utilizing this approach to "tinted" brackish-water aquariums. More to come, for sure!!!

I do remember taking a fair amount of shit from some of my friends for my "mud and leaf litter" approach to brackish, because, according to at least two fo them,  it seemed (wait for it...) contrarian to prevailing hobby wisdom about "cleanliness..."

Of course, right there, that made me want to do this even more!

 

Naturally, when it came time to wrap my head around freshwater soil/mud-influenced habitats, my brackish experience loomed large...Mud and dirt can and should be used in a variety of ways, besides just for planted aquariums...at least, that's my opinion and experience.

And I think we can work with this stuff to our fishes' advantage! And I think experimenting more with this stuff gives us the opportunity to recreate- on a more realistic level- some of the natural habitats that our fishes come from...specifically, seasonally inundated forest floors and grasslands..

Once again, we have a natural habitat which might not be everyone's idea of "beautiful" in the traditional sense. However, when "interpreted" in the context of aquariums, it becomes the basis for an engrossing, highly unusual, and altogether fascinating display!

 

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

The time to play with this concept is now! It's really fun, trust me.

We've been testing the idea for a long time here, and have been formulating some soils which attempt to replicate some of the attributes of those found in these habitats during the "dry" season. I'm using materials like Kaolintic clays, sediments, iron-rich planted substrates, etc. in our "mixes."

And the stuff, when flooded, gives you an effect that's similar to what happens in the igapo.

Sure, the water gets cloudy for a bit.

The water is tinted, turbid, and sediment-laden. Eventually, it settles out. If you planted grasses and plants which are able to tolerate submersion for some period off their life cycle, they'll "hang on" for a while- until the waters recede. Just like in Nature.

To replicate this process is really not difficult. It mimics the "dry start" method that many aquatic plant enthusiasts play with. Except our goal isn't to start plants for a traditional aquarium. It's to replicate, on some levels, the year-round dynamic of the Amazonian forests.

We favor terrestrial plants- and grasses-grown from seed, to start the "cycle." I used readily available Paspalum grass (P. repens).  This genus (I believe P. notatum) is found in South America and is ubiquitous.

So, to make a long story short, the stuff grows!

To those of you who are ready to downplay the significance of experimenting with this stuff because "people have done 'dry start' planted tanks for years", take comfort in the fact that I fully recognize that, and acknowledge that we're taking a slightly different approach here, okay?

You'd need to create a technical means or set of procedures to gradually flood your "rainforest floor" in your tank, which could be accomplished manually, by simply pouring water into the vivarium over a series of days; or automatically, with solenoids controlling valves from a reservoir beneath the setup, or perhaps employing the "rain heads" that frog and herp people use in their systems. This is all very achievable, even for hobbyists like me with limited "DIY" skills.

I just gradually added water via a pyrex measuring cup and called it a victory for low tech...

You just have to innovate, and be willing to do a little busy work. You can keep it incredibly simple, and just utilize a small tank. Liek with every weird experiment we do, you must be patient, and willing to accept a failure or two along the way...

I've threatened to unleash my personal "soil formulation" to you guys in the near future, and it's really predicated upon me mixing the stuff up in larger quantities, now that I have a couple of "recipes" that work.

And of course, if I actually had access to clean podzolic soils, I can't help but  wonder what the ins and outs of using naturally collected stuff could be. 

I'm rambling. Not really fully developing the idea..Just sort of throwing out thoughts. It's an idea...sort of one of those "bring up to your fish geek friends and let them run with it" types...

Yet, soils and rocks and materials like these play a huge role in many of the "part-time terrestrial" habitats that we're so curious about replicating in our tanks.

And of course, it's a scientific fact that one of the most important influences on blackwater rivers is the geology- the soil and sedimentation of the surrounding areas. It starts with the soils. Blackwater rivers, like the Rio Negro, for example, originate in areas which are characterized by the presence of white sands known as "podzols." (note that, biotope-oriented aquascapers!)

Podzols are soils with whitish-grey color, bleached by organic acids. They typically occur in humid areas like the Rio Negro and in the northern upper Amazon Basin. And the Rio Negro and other blackwater rivers, which drain the pre-Cambrian "Guiana and Brazilian shields" of geology, can in part attribute the dark color of their waters to high concentrations of dissolved humic and fulvic acids!

Although they are the most infertile soils in Amazonia, much of the nutrients are extracted from the abundant plant growth that takes place in the very top soil layers, as virtually no plant roots are observed in the mineral soil itself.

One study I read concluded that the Rio Negro is a blackwater river in large part because the very low nutrient concentrations of the soils that drain into it have arisen as a result of "several cycles of weathering, erosion, and sedimentation." In other words, there's not a whole lot of minerals and nutrients left in the soils to dissolve into the water to any meaningful extent!

Hmm..nutrient concentrations, ionic composition and minerals and...this stuff is interesting.

Perhaps another reason (besides the previously cited limitation of light penetration) why aquatic plants are rather scare in these waters? Oh, and it would appear from studies I've stumbled upon, that that the bulk of the nutrients found in these blackwaters are likely dissolved into the aquatic environment by decomposing botanical materials, such as leaves, branches, etc.

Why does that sound so damn familiar?

Besides the color, of course, one of the defining characteristics of blackwater rivers is pH values in the range of 4-5, and low electrical conductivity. Dissolved minerals, such as  Ca, Mg, K, and Na are negligible. And with these low amounts of dissolved minerals come unique challenges for the animals who reside in these systems.

How do fishes survive and thrive in these rather extreme habitats?

It's long been known that fishes are well adapted to their natural habitats, particularly the more extreme ones. And this was borne out in a recent study of the Cardinal Tetra. Lab results suggest that humic substances in the water protect cardinal tetras in the soft, acidic environment in which they reside by preventing excessive sodium loss and stimulating calcium uptake to ensure proper homeostasis.

This is pretty extraordinary, as the humic substances found in blackwater actually enable the fishes to survive in this highly acidic water which is devoid of much mineral content typically needed for fishes to survive!

Oh, and this juicy finding in a study on humic substances in ornamental fish aquaculture really perked up my senses a bit:  "Humic substances are not real alternatives to strong traditional therapeutics. However, they show different advantages in repairing secondary, stress induced damages in fish."

Something in those leaves and botanicals, right?

Yeah, there is... And it goes hadn't in hand with soils, too...

The benefits of botanicals and soils go far beyond just the cool aesthetics they impart, too! Like, what we are doing with leaves, twigs, substrate materials, seed pods, etc. has a physiological impact on the fishes we keep. 

What a powerful incentive to study and enjoy both the aesthetics and environmental enhancement capabilities of the botanical materials we tend to be so obsessed with around here!

There's a lot to unpack. A lot to think about. Much to still learn and figure out. We as a community and global movement are off to a pretty good start, though! It's exciting to contemplate what's next!

Playing with "dirt" and all of the other botanical materials we've been publicly obsessing about for years here at Tannin is just the start of another evolution in the technique and practice of developing the ultimate in natural-style aquariums. Everyone can contribute the body of knowledge and help unlock potential breakthroughs.

And it all starts with simply acting on those "dirty" thoughts we have in our heads, right? 😆

Stay curious. Stay diligent. Stay patient. Stay daring. Stay excited. Stay creative...

And Stay Wet!

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

The aesthetics behind "Natural"

Natural:  (nat·u·ral) adj- existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.

Of all the terms we use in the aquarium hobby to describe tanks or techniques, perhaps one of the most commonly applied, and possibly misunderstood- is the word "natural." 

It's easy to apply it to just about everything we do in the hobby, right?

I mean, I certainly tend to use the term a lot. I have this theory that we tend to use the term a bit too "loosely" sometimes. I mean, especially when it comes to describing our aquariums in form and function.

And, it is a bit of an odd fit- because what we do straddles the natural world, its processes, functions, and aesthetics- and the world of art and manmade constructs. Short of just admiring fishes in a steam outside, it's really impossible to apply the term "natural" in a literal sense to what we do, right?

So, we nuance it a bit. 

And that's okay. However, I think we still can be a bit more accurate when using the word.

We tend to use the term "natural" when describing the aesthetics of our aquariums. And that's where it gets interesting...

One of the things I've found in the almost two decades that I've been playing with botanicals in aquariums is that there are no real "aesthetic guidelines" when it comes to using them in our tanks. In fact, the "aesthetic" of botanical-style aquariums is largely driven not by the "placement" of botanicals; rather, it's driven by what happens to them after they are placed.

As I've mentioned 16,000 times by now, it's about ceding some of the work to Nature and accepting the aesthetics which come with that process.

When you consider the types of aquariums that we work with, I would imagine that it IS probably funny to outsiders, or those new to our little obsession, to hear us going on and on about utilizing dried leaves, twigs, and seed pods in our aquariums with words such as "methodology" and "technique" and the like.

And the processes of decomposition, biofilm coverage, etc. which occur when using botanicals are really the whole game, IMHO.

I can't help but think that the great Takashi Amano, who spent years studying many aspects of Nature and her influence on the aquatic environments, would really love this stuff!!  Now, I think that he'd love the unique aesthetics of using seed pods and leaves, sure- but I think he'd especially love how these ephemeral materials we play with can influence the way our aquariums function.

It's the essence of his embrace of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. I think he'd gently scold the hobby and perhaps lament how it has embraced mostly the more "superficial" aspects of Nature, beautiful as they are- as opposed to "the whole picture" in aquarium work- sanitizing and editing it along the way, versus representing Nature as it is...

"Editing" Nature has become extremely pervasive in the hobby, IMHO- even as we collectively appropriate the term "natural" to describe many of the things we do. I suppose I can understand why hobbyists like to use the term. However, I am not sure why so few really apply the term to a greater extent.

I guess a lot of it has to do with the aesthetics of "natural" once again.

The habitats which inspire us, and which we seek to replicate in our tanks require the adoption of a totally different aesthetic/functional mindset...a "reboot" of generations of thinking borne out by doing things in our aquariums in a vastly different way that Nature does.

I suppose that there are occasional smirks and giggles from some corners of the hobby when they initially see our tanks, with some thinking, "Really? They toss in a few leaves and they think that the resulting 'sloppiness' is natural, or some evolved aquascaping technique or something?"

Funny thing is that, in reality, it IS a sort of evolution, isn't it? A mental one, if nothing else.

Adopting a different way of thinking...

And when the term "natural" is applied to one of those clinically sterile, highly stylized scapes that permeate the aquarium world, I think it takes us another step away from Nature, as opposed to closer to it, IMHO. It potentially gives the uninformed or uninitiated the impression that this "interpreted sterility" IS how Nature really looks. And it can be detrimental, actually.

Seriously. In today's online, "removed-from-in-person-experience" world, it is entirely possible for such an impression to take hold.

Much like an orderly garden is a distillation of Nature, one of these tanks represents a highly edited interpretation of Nature. 

That's all.

And yeah, I have no illusions that what we do is not anything more than that, either- an interpretation of Nature- yet one which is more accepting of Her nuances and aesthetics.

I mean, sure, on the surface, our "approach" doesn't seem like much: "Toss botanical materials in aquariums. See what happens." It's not like no one ever did this before. And to make it seem more complicated than it is- to develop or quantify "technique" for it (a true act of human nature, I suppose) is probably a bit humorous. 

Yeah, I can see that...

On the other hand, the idea behind this practice is not just to create a cool-looking tank...

And it's not about making excuses for abandoning aquarium "best practices" as some justification for allowing our tanks to look like they do.

We don't embrace the aesthetic of dark water,  a bottom covered in decomposing leaves, and the appearance of biofilms and algae on driftwood because it allows us to be more "relaxed" in the care of our tanks, or because we think we're so much smarter than the underwater-diorama-loving, hype-mongering competition aquascaping crowd.

Well, maybe we are? 😆

(I promise to keep dissing the shit out these people until they put their vast skills to better use in the hobby...C'mon- we need your talents!)

I mean, we are doing this stuff for a reason: To create more authentic-looking, naturally-functioning aquatic displays for our fishes. To understand and acknowledge  that our fishes and their very existence is influenced by the habitats in which they have evolved. 

We've mentioned ad nauseum here that wild tropical aquatic habitats are influenced greatly by the surrounding geography and flora of their region, which in turn, have considerable influence upon the population of fishes which inhabit them, and their life cycle.

These habitats are diverse and productive.

The simple fact of the matter is, when we add botanical materials to an aquarium and accept what occurs as a result-regardless of wether our intent is just to create a different aesthetic, or perhaps something more- we are to a very real extent replicating  the processes and influences that occur in wild aquatic habitats in Nature.

The presence of botanical materials such as leaves in these aquatic habitats is foundational to their existence. It's fundamental to the function of our botanical-style aquariums, and this will be obvious over time. I emphasize this over and over and over again because, once you get over the, "This stuff is interesting..." phase and execute one of these tanks, you'll just "get it."

Or, you'll absolutely hate it.

I have generally not seen people take a "middle ground" when it comes to botanical-style aquariums! And the term "natural" in the sense that we use doesn't just describe the aesthetics- it describes the function and even the "operation" of the system.

The aesthetics are symbolic of both an acceptance of what Nature really looks like, and an appreciation for how She works to "manage" the ecosystem.  Her "default" is something far different than what we might have in our heads about what is beautiful. And yet, if we get out of our own way, appreciate what is really happening in our aquariums, and understand that Nature will do whatever she wants (if we allow Her to, that is)- we can then really understand the aesthetics behind "natural."

Stay open-minded. Stay creative. Stay observant. Stay appreciative. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

Faith in Nature- Sustenance from within...

Like many of you, I am absolutely habitual about most things when it comes to my aquariums. I am all about continuous, regular maintenance and dedicated husbandry practices-particularly water exchanges, for which there is simply no substitute for, or no valid reason NOT to execute, IMHO. However, there is one "basic" aspect of aquarium keeping that I have always employed a bit of an "intentional avoidance" of:

Feeding.

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

Yes. Really.

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

Yeah, you do. Stay with me here...

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

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

They also serve as a "medium" upon which other food sources accumulate and reproduce.

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

All of these are important food sources in Nature, and fulfill a similar role in the aquarium.

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

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

It's been observed by many aquarists, particularly those who breed loricariids, that their fry have significantly higher survival rates when reared in systems with leaves present. I'm sure some success of this could be attributed to the population of infusoria, etc. present within the system as the leaves break down. And of course, to the readily available Biofilms, which, as we've discussed many times before, contain a complex mix of sugars, bacteria, and other materials, all of which are highly nutritious for animals which feed on them.

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

And yeah, my experience indicates it performs a similar role for adults of many species. Even a more aesthetically-focused botanical-style aquarium can perform a "supplemental food generation role" if allowed to do so.

In the wild tropical leaf-litter-fueled ecosystems we love so much, creatures like hydracarines (mites), insects, like chironomids (hello, blood worms!), and copepods, like Daphnia, are the dominant fauna that fishes tend to feed on.  Gut content analysis of fishes which inhabit leaf litter habitats reveals a lot of interesting things about what our fishes consume.

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

These life forms, both planktonic and insect, tend to feed off of the leaf litter itself, as well as fungi and bacteria present in them as they decompose...Just liek the fishes that are found there. And of course, this "interconnectivity" between various levels of life forms creates the basis for a fascinating and surprisingly productive "food web."

Food webs, defined as "a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains" are fascinating constructs in Nature. The leaf litter bed is a surprisingly dynamic, and one might even say "rich" little benthic biotope, contained within the otherwise "impoverished" blackwaters which surround it. 

And, as we've discussed before on these pages, it should come as no surprise that a large and surprisingly diverse assemblage of fishes make their homes within and closely adjacent to, these litter beds. These are little "food oases" in areas otherwise relatively devoid of food.

The fishes are not there just to look at the pretty leaves!

I'll be redundant (again, lol) and assert that it goes without saying that Nature works (if allowed to do so) in a similar manner in the aquarium.

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

I'm not an aquatic ecologist or biologist, but based on my years of playing with botanicals in aquariums, I firmly believe that we can at least "construct" or "facilitate" a significant portion of a food web in our aquariums. I've seen my fishes forage among botanicals and decomposing leaves- I've "seeded" leaf litter beds with cultures of microorganisms...Theyre finding food there. And I'm not talking about decomposing TetraMin flakes...

Confession time?

Okay.

I've created botanical tanks for years with part of the intention being to see if I can support the resident fishes with minimal external food inputs. In other words, to not provide supplemental feeding for my fishes other than what they can derive from foraging in the aquarium.

My rationale was that, not only will the leaves and botanicals foster rudimentary "food webs" similar to what they do in Nature, but that the lower amount of external food inputs by the aquarist helps foster a cleaner, biologically "lean" system, which is especially important when one takes into account the large amount of bioload decomposing leaves and botanicals account for in the aquarium in the first place! Like, "enhanced sustainability from minimalism..."

And guess what? It works. Just fine.

Really.

I've done this now 8 times in the past three years, with great results every time-including an uncommon spawning event with the "Green Neon Tetra" (Paracheirodon simulans) .

A beautiful case in point is one of my recent little office aquariums that I executed last Spring; a "nano" tank which was "scaped" only with Texas Live Oak Leaf Litter,  Yellow Mangrove Leaves, and Oak Twigs.

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

And it's quite reminiscent of the habitat from which they come. I stocked the tank with cultures  Paramecium, Daphnia, and other small crustaceans, and allowed them to settle in and reproduce a bit before introducing the fishes... That's the "secret" to success with this technique, BTW.

I maintained a shoal of 25 "Green Neon Tetras" in this tank. This tank was up and ran about 6 months without a single external food input since the fish were added to the tank. They were subsisting entirely on the epiphytic matter and microorganisms found in the leaves...Nothing else.

And they were as active, fat, and happy as any Green Neons I've ever seen. Oh, and about 4 months into the experiment, they engaged in a group spawning activity!

Yes, they thrived.

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

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

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

Of course, I have no illusions about this, and don't think that such a success could be replicated with fishes like cichlids or other larger, more predatory type fishes, unless you utilized a large aquarium with a significant pre-stocked population of larger crustaceans (like Gammarus, etc.), insects, and maybe even (gulp) "feeder-type" fishes.

I mean, I suppose that you could do this with them- I haven't tried it, myself...

However,  I'm certain that it is a viable and successful approach with smaller fishes like characins, Rasbora, Danios, some catfishes, Loaches, etc. So-called "micro-predators."

I believe that this concept is entirely replicable by just about any aquarist who takes the time to think it through, set it up for success, deploy patience, and who monitors the system regularly.

It can be successful with many fishes.

It's not some "miracle" or  earth-shattering "new discovery" for the hobby. Rather, it's just observing what goes on in Nature and applying it to the aquarium. It's the intentionally "evolved" sibling of those "overgrown jungle rearing tanks" of my youth.

It's simply a "practical application" of our work with botnanical materials.

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

And if we don't "edit" her work too much.

And it's not really "benign neglect."

It's about understanding. It's about studying the wild habitats from which our fishes come. It's about patience, discipline, and diligence... It's about setting up an aquarium specifically to optimize this function.

It's about faith in Nature.

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

Yeah. It is...perhaps it's the ultimate expression of this idea.

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

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

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Tinted shortcuts? Or just shortcuts.

Okay, it's come up once again...

I had an aquarist ask me- or maybe it was even to lecture me- about why I don't offer/endorese/extoll the virtues of Rooibos tea or so-called "blackwater extracts." And of course, I had to address the issue without sounding too self-serving or even "defensive" of my viewpoint on NOT utilizing these things in my personal practice. 

Of course, I could tell after the first two minutes of DM with this guy that part of his goal was to elicit some sort of "sound bite" from me trashing the stuff, and being sort of self-promotional and defensive, extolling botanicals over anything else to achieve "blackwater" solely because I sell them and have built a business around them. You know, me trashing any idea that didn't' involve buying stuff from my company- the kind of juicy "expose" aquarium industry conspiracy stuff that some self-proclaimed hobby "activists" love to "expose." 

Yeah, I smelled this pretty fast.

And you know what? I told him pretty much my whole reasoning without histrionics or over-the-top rhetoric. Because it's what I believe.

I've talked about this kind of stuff before- let's revisit it again.

If you haven't heard of it before, there is this stuff called Rooibos tea, which, in addition to bing kind of tasty, has been a favored "tint hack" of many hobbyists for years. Without getting into all of the boring details, Rooibos tea is derived from the Aspalathus linearis plant, also known as "Red Bush" in South Africa and other parts of the world. 

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

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

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

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

Lest you accuse me of some hypocrisy about this, let me go into this in more detail. I admit I'm biased towards my personal approach and philosophies, but I'm open-minded enough to at least understand the appeal of these things to many hobbyists.

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

And sure, as I've said 18,000 times before, using botanicals isn't exactly a precise science, either. However, utilizing botanicals in the aquarium forms part of an approach- a philosophy, and more of a "methodology", really. Adding tea or an additive is- well- just sort of that. Adding something. 

You might disagree, of course. Here's my thinking on this:

It starts with my overriding philosophy behind the botanical-style/blackwater aquarium. I mean, the very term, "botanical-style" should be a tip-off, right? Not "Rooibos Tea-Style Aquarium", right? So, yeah..

 

A lot of hobbyists are curious about the use of commercial "blackwater extracts" and Rooibos tea for these purposes, and if we at Tannin plan on carrying them.

Short answer:  We don't. We won't.

Why?

It's NOT because these are not "cool" or because they "accomplish the same things as the leaves we sell", don't work, or whatever...

It's because I feel that they are "shortcuts" which hobbyists tend to use in place of a "system", "approach",  or methodology to accomplish the same thing on a continuous basis.

Read that sentence two or three or six times, okay?

As you know, I tend to look at "hacks" or whatever you call them, when used in place of procedures, as a "band aid" of sorts- used to quickly provide some desired result, without a long-term approach to managing your aquarium ("C'mon, Scott, you just brew another cup of tea...").

I am just sort of "hard-wired" to hate most hobby shortcuts, particularly when they are proferred as a way around some more methodical, long-term approach.

Now, as a long-time reef aquarist, I'll tell you that there absolutely is a value to use of appropriate additives and such which, when used in conjunction with an integrated approach, can consistent, give long-term results. And sure, in the future, we may offer products which are intended to integrate with our approach and help facilitate results..key word here being "integrate"- not "substitute."

I am of the opinion that you can't just add a "drop of this" or a "pinch of that" to create optimum environmental conditions for your fishes and call it a day.

And, with tea or extracts, you sort of miss out on replicating a little slice of Nature in your aquarium. And of course, it's fine if your goal is just to color the water, I suppose. And I understand that some people, like fish breeders who need bare bottom tanks or whatever- like to "condition" water without all of the leaves and twigs and nuts we love.

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

You won't achieve it by using THIS:

It's simply a shortcut.

And look, I understand that we are all looking for the occasional shortcuts and easier ways to do stuff. And I realize that none of what we proffer here at Tannin is  an absolute science. It's an "art" at this point. There is no current way available to the hobby to test for "x" types or amounts of tannins (of which there are hundreds) in aquariums.

 I have not found a study thus far which analyzed wild habitats (say, Amazonia) for tannin concentrations and specific types, so we have no real "model" to go on. You know, a way to achieve "plug-and-play" results by just following some simple procedure or dosing regimen.

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

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

So, again, it's about integrating with a methodology or system- not circumventing it.

It's different than say, using an RO/DI unit to pre-treat your tap water obtain optimum "base water" conditions which you can modify with natural materials and such. That's an example of a vehicle to help us create the environment we seek on a consistent basis, integrated into a more broad approach...not a "shortcut" or fix that overlooks the big picture.

That being said, I think that our entire botanical-style aquarium approach needs to be viewed as just that- an approach. A way to use a set of materials, techniques, and concepts to achieve desired results consistently over time. A way that tends to eschew short-term "fixes" in favor of long-term technique. Not "the best way"- just "a way."

The aquarium hobby has always sort of embraced practices which have "evolved" to fit the times. And in recent years, some of these "evolutions" have come in the form of "shortcuts." Some of them have been a result of actually solving long-term "pain points", such as digital water testing equipment instead of liquid reagents. Others have been more "gimmicky", or intended to "accommodate" the cultural "perception" that everyone is too busy to do____________ these days.

I hate that particular justifcation for stuff in the hobby.

We're dealing with animals and closed biological systems. It's not about a quick way to prepare dinner or home delivery of groceries or whatever. It's a hobby. And part of the hobby is the nuancing and longer-term nurturing of our aquariums. You know, hobby practice. And most endeavors involving keeping and breeding living creatures tend to favor approaches over "hacks."

In my opinion, this type of "short-term, instant-result" mindset has made the reef aquarium hobby of late more about adding that "extra piece of gear" or specialized chemical additive as means to get some quick, short-term result that you read about online than it is a way of taking an approach that embraces learning about the entire ecosystem we are trying to recreate in our tanks and facilitating long-term success.

That's not a good trend, IMHO.

Oh, so once again- the "problem" with Rooibos or blackwater extracts as I see it is that they encourage a sort of, "Hey, my water is getting more clear, time to add another tea bag or a teaspoon of extract..." mindset, instead of fostering a mindset that looks at what the best way to achieve and maintain the desired results naturally on a continuous basis is. Not learning or understanding the underlying function; rather, favoring a "recipe" approach to the hobby.

A sort of symbolic manifestation of encouraging a short-term fix to a long-term concern.

Again, there is no "right or wrong" in this context- it's just that we need to ask ourselves why we are utilizing these products, and to ask ourselves how they fit into the "big picture" of what we're trying to accomplish. I personally find these types of shortcuts concerning because they overlook technique and understanding in favor of easy fixes.

We shouldn't fool ourselves into believing that you simply add "a drop of something"- or even throw in some Alder Cones or Catappa leave into your tanks- and that will solve all of your problems. Are we fixated on just aesthetics, or are we considering the long-term impacts on our closed system environments? Remember, when we talk about utilizing botanicals in our aquariums, we're also considering their potential to foster "food webs" and other long-term environmental affects in your aquarium. 

Sure, I can feel cynicism towards my mindset here. I understand that.

We spend an inordinate amount of time looking at Nature as inspiration for our aquariums- not just for the aesthetics- but for the function as well. 

And again, this is something that may NOT appeal to everyone. I mean, in the interest of facilitating function, we embrace some aesthetics (besides just the tinted water) which are not only unconventional to many hobbyists- they're downright contrarian, really.

Even the tint that I- we- love so much is not everyone's idea of beautiful, right?

Yeah, one of the things I read about from time to time in various hobby social media discussions on aquascaping is the extreme dislike many people have for the tint that wood imparts into the water. In fact, some of the posts we see on social media or aquascaping/plant forums are literally pleas for help...stuff like, "When will this brown tint go away?" 

Frantic requests for some solution to the brown water, because they want that crystal clear "Nature Aquarium" look.

I see that kind of stuff and- jerk that I am- kind of laugh.

And that is pretty mean of me, I know.

Sure, I really DO get it.

Not everyone appreciates, likes, or even has the remotest interest in the earthy brown water that we obsess over around these parts! Yet, it was these unfortunate souls who made me realize the fastest, easiest way to "jump start" the tinted look in your tanks is to simply put partially cured driftwood in them!

That's the closest thing to a "hack" or "shortcut" that I tend to proffer these days.

Of course, there is the strange dichotomy that exists:

In stark contrast to the desperate calls for suggestions of hapless "Nature Aquarium" enthusiasts about when their damn piece of driftwood will stop leaching, I'll literally get emails and DM's from hobbyists who are bummed out because they can't get their tanks "dark" enough.

That's how far we've come, lol.  If I wasn't before, I'm pretty convinced now that we as a hobby are... well, weird.

And that's okay. 

However, if we look at the use of extracts and additives, and additional botanicals- for that matter- as part of a "holistic approach" to achieving continuous and consistent environmental results in our aquariums, that's a different story altogether. 

It makes a lot more sense to learn a bit more about how natural materials influence the wild blackwater habitats of the world, and to understand that they are being replenished on a more or less continuous basis, then considering how best to replicate this in our aquariums consistently and safely.

Again, lest you think I'm simply taking this mindset to "sell more of my stuff" instead of seeing hobbyists buy tea or tonics, let me set you straight one more time:

Remember, botanical materials not only add tannins, humic substances, and other valuable organic compounds- they create a "structural" part of the habitat. A place for fishes to hide, spawn, forage. And they encourage the growth of beneficial biofilms, fungal growths, and crustaceans- just like they do in nature. Potential supplemental food sources, etc. And yeah, they look interesting, too.

That whole "functional aesthetic" idea again.

Yeah, I'm "selling" a philosophy. A mindset, an approach...

I just don't think that a tea bag or an "elixir" can do that on its own.

Thoughtful application of technique over time, careful observation, study of natural habitats, and a more comprehensive long-term approach just might.

At the very least, continuing our practice of utilizing natural botanical materials in their "intact" form in our aquariums creates many potential opportunities for "unlocks" in the hobby.

That's pretty damn exciting, IMHO!

Stay thoughtful. Stay curious. Stay attentive. Stay open-minded. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics  

 

Botanicals and their "environmental impact"- a slightly closer look...

With far more than just a passing interest about tossing leaves and twigs and seed pods into my tanks, I'm a bit obsessed about some of the more "functional" aspects of these materials in the aquatic environment. 

And the reality is that there simply is no real body of work in the hobby upon which to draw for information on this aspect of our craft. Sure, there are the occasional articles about "How to aquascape with seed pods" (Okay, maybe not...) or pieces about selection of wood and stuff (barely)...but almost nothing about how these things affect the closed environment of an aquarium. (Okay, nothing that isn't found in this blog/podcast!)...

Yet, as we all delve deeper and deeper into the dark and seedy (LOL) world of botanicals, it's kind of interesting to learn a few things about them that we might not know. Literally, going just underneath the most basic level of information out there, not being afraid to search more academic stuff, you can find a lot of good information which can help you create and maintain more successful blackwater, botanical-style aquariums.

And a lot of this starts with an understanding of the botanicals themselves, and how they impact the aquatic environments in which they end up. Or, for that matter, understanding the wild aquatic habitats that we are interested in replicating in our aquariums.

And it goes beyond just the amazing aesthetics!

An interesting place to start is to simply review a bit about the very composition of the materials that we play with, like seed pods and leaves and such.

Many seed pods and similar botanicals contain a substance known as lignin. Lignin is defined as a group of organic polymers which are essentially the structural materials which support the tissues of vascular plants. They are common in bark, wood, and yeah- seed pods, providing protection from rotting and structural rigidity.

In other words, they make seed pods kinda tough.

That being said, they are typically broken down by fungi and bacteria in aquatic environments. Inputs of terrestrial materials like leaf litter and seed pods into aquatic habitats can leach dissolved organic carbon (DOC), rich in lignin and cellulose. Factors like light intensity, mineral hardness, and the composition of the aforementioned bacterial /fungal community all affect the degree to which this material is broken down into its constituent parts in this environment.

Hmm...something we've kind of known for a while, right?

So, lignin is a major component of the "stuff" that's leached into our aquatic environments, along with that other big "player"- tannin.

Tannins, according to chemists, are a group of "astringent biomolecules" that bind to and precipitate proteins and other organic compounds. They're in almost every plant around, and are thought to play a role in protecting the plants from predation and potentially aid in their growth. As you might imagine, they are super-abundant in...leaves. In fact, it's thought that tannins comprise as much as 50% of the dry weight of leaves!

Whoa!

And of course, tannins in leaves, wood, soils, and plant materials tend to be highly water soluble, creating our beloved blackwater as they decompose. As the tannins leach into the water, they create that transparent, yet darkly-stained water we love so much!  

In simplified terms, blackwater tends to occur when the rate of "carbon fixation" (photosynthesis) and its partial decay to soluble organic acids exceeds its rate of complete decay to carbon dioxide (oxidation).

Chew on that for a bit...Try to really wrap your head around it...

And sometimes, the research you do on these topics can unlock some interesting tangential information which can be applied to our work in aquairums...

Interesting tidbit of information from science: For those of you weirdos who like using wood, leaves and such in your aquariums, but hate the brown water (yeah, there are a few of you)- you can add baking soda to the water that you soak your wood and such in to accelerate the leaching process, as more alkaline solutions tend to draw out tannic acid from wood than pH neutral or acidic water does. Or you can simply keep using your 8.4 pH tap water! 

"ARMCHAIR SPECULATION": This might be a good answer to why some people can't get the super dark tint they want for the long term...If you have more alkaline water, those tannins are more quickly pulled out. So you might get an initial burst, but the color won't last all that long...

Okay, let's think about the biology of these ecosystems for a bit, and contemplate how some aspects of their composition and function can be applied to our aquariums.

During the rainy season in the tropics, overflowing streams flood the rainforest floor, accumulating materials which the fish communities utilize for food and shelter. And materials which fall from the surrounding trees and banks are major contributors to the productivity of this ecosystem. As the waters recede somewhat, temporary streams flow through these areas.

Interestingly, scientists have found that these streams have very little internal production of food sources for their resident fishes. Rather the food sources come from materials such as plants, fruits, leaves, and pieces of wood which come from the surrounding terrestrial environment.

Oh, and insects.

Lots of insects from the surrounding trees and "shorelines", which fall into the water.

These materials and organisms are known as "allochthonous inputs" in ecology- materials imported into an ecosystem from outside of it. This is rather interesting point. Essentially, it means that these areas, rich habitats that they are, are almost completely influenced by outside materials....

And, as one might expect- as more materials fall from the trees and surrounding dry areas, the greater the abundance of fishes and other aquatic animals which utilize them is found.

And materials will continue to fall into the water and accumulate throughout the periods of inundation, maintaining the richness of the habitat as others decompose or are acted on by the organisms residing in the water.

Not unlike an aquarium, right?

Actually, when you do the research, you find out that the fishes themselves play a significant role in shaping the overall aquatic environment...

Fishes which consume matter found in the substrate (detritivores) and other materials in the substrate (omnivores) also play a fundamental role in the transportation of organic carbon, which is a source of energy for downstream fish communities. Through their foraging activities, these fishes enhance the "downstream transport" and processing of organic material and ensure the proper functioning of the aquatic system and its biological community.

These interdependencies are really complicated- and really interesting!

And it just goes to show you that some of the things we could do in our aquariums (such as utilizing alternative substrate materials, botanicals, tolerating the presence of detritus, and perhaps even utilizing submersion-tolerant terrestrial plants) are strongly reminiscent of what happens in the wild.

Sure, we don't maintain completely "open" systems, but I wonder just how much of the ecology of these fascinating habitats we can replicate in our tanks-and what potential benefits may be realized when we do.

Yes, I think just having a bit more than a superficial understanding of the way botanicals and other materials interact with the aquatic environment, and how we can embrace and replicate these systems in our own aquariums is really important to the hobby. The real message here is to not be afraid of learning about seemingly complex chemical and biological nuances of blackwater systems, and to apply some of this knowledge to our aquatic practice.

It can seem a bit  intimidating at first, perhaps even a bit contrarian to "conventional aquarium practice", but if you force yourself beyond just the basic hobby-oriented material out there on these topics (hint once again: There aren't many!), there is literally a whole world of stuff you can learn about!

And you should. Don't just take the stuff I write/talk about here as the last word on the subject...

And the information you can gain from this process just might have an amazing impact on your aquarium practice; applications that might just lead to some remarkable breakthroughs that will forever change the hobby!

And it all starts with looking under those leaves (both metaphorically AND literally!)

You simply never know what you might find!

Stay inquisitive. Stay curious. Stay open-minded. Stay diligent. Stay obsessed...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "wood part" of the natural aquarium equation.

Pretty much every hobbyist on the planet has played with some type of "driftwood" in his/her aquarium at some point in time, right?

Yeah, I think that's a pretty accurate statement! Now, we all know that when you use driftwood, there are some steps that you need to take in order to prepare it for aquarium use. And of course, there are some expectations about what happens during the process.

There's a fair amount of misconceptions and misinformation out there about what can work and what is not safe, etc.

And a lot of misunderstanding about where and how wood in the aquarium fits into the whole "equation" of creating a functionally aesthetic aquarium habitat...

At the risk of adding to the confusion, I'll try to clear up some stuff here.

Believe it or not, if properly prepared, almost (I say…ALMOST) any type of dried wood can be utilized in aquariums. The important thing is that the wood must be…well, DRY! It can’t be “live”, or have any "greenwood" or sap present, as these may have toxic affects on fishes when submerged.

Sap can be toxic to fishes, even when dry, so if you see a piece of wood- even dry- that’s displaying some sap- it might be a good idea to remove the section where the sap is coming from, or to simply take a pass. In our experience, it’s a better idea to purchase/collect your wood from sources known to offer “aquarium safe” wood, and not worry about suitability, toxic concerns, etc.

 

"Driftwood" is sort of a generic term for wood that has been dried over time, generally free of bark, (which, other than containing tannins and polyphenols, that are largely non-toxic in reasonable concentrations- is not that problematic, actually) and "greenwood" as outlined above. In most trees, the real chemically active substances are found in the leaves, live “greenwood”, and the sap. So, a dry, largely bark-stripped piece of wood, free from sap, dried or otherwise, is generally pretty good to go, and is relatively stable and neutral.

Someone asked me if we are going to start offering (insert stupidly-named wood type here). And of course, I had to think about this for just a bit. 

It seems to me that, on any given day, such-and-such a wood type is the "IT" variety, and everyone wants it. Some guy does a tank with this scraggly shit emerging from the water, posts a few sexy pics on his Instagram feed, and the next thing you know...trend.

As someone who offers natural aquascaping materials for use in specialized aquariums, I long ago realized that I needed to stop chasing every hot type of wood that shows up on the market. I have found some types which have proven to be great to use in our natural-style aquariums. I am generally clueless on "what's hot" in the aquascaping wood world.

We'll continue to offer types of wood that we enjoy using in our own 'scapes. Some will just happen to be ones that are popular and relatively common- or even "trendy" at the moment. Some will be types which fell out of favor with the mainstream 'scaping world. Some will be obscure, niche-specific stuff. We will constantly introduce new varieties as we encounter them.

The majority, however, will simply be stuff that works.

That answers that., I hope?

Of course, that means I'm really the last guy who should be discussing what wood to use in your aquascapes. Rather, it will be a discussion on what happens at that magical moment when we place wood in water...

 

First off, let's think about where our wood comes from..

Well, shit- it comes from (wait for it...) trees.

BOOM! Minds blown, I know!

For the sake of this discussion, let's just assume that you're working with wood that's been properly collected and is suitable for aquarium use.

When you first submerge wood, a lot of the dirt from the atmosphere and surrounding environment comes off, along with tannins, lignin, and all sorts of other "stuff" from the exterior surfaces and all of those nooks and crannies that we love so much. And a piece of wood initially emersed in water typically floats, much to our chagrin, right?

And of course, there are the tannins.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm always amused (it's not that hard, actually) by the frantic posts on aquarium forums from hobbyists that their water is turning brown after adding a piece of driftwood. I mean- what's the big deal?

Oh, yeah, not everyone likes it...I forgot. 😂

The reality, as you probably have surmised, is that driftwood will continue to leach tannins pretty much for as long as it's submerged. As a "tinter", I see this as a great advantage in helping establish and maintain the blackwater look, and to impart the humic substances that are known to have health benefits for fishes.

Some wood types, like Mangrove, tend to release more tannins than others over long periods of time. Other types, like "Spider Wood", will release their tannins relatively quickly, in a big burst. Some, such as mangrove wood, seem to be really "dirty", and release a lot of materials over long periods of time.

And it's a unique aesthetic, too, as we rant on and on about here!

What I'm more concerned about are the impurities- the trapped dirt and such contained within the wood. As you probably know, that's also why I'm a staunch advocate of the overly conservative "boil and soak approach" to the preparation of botanicals as well. A lot of material gets bound up in the dermal layer of the tree where the wood comes from. Atmospheric dust, pollutants, bird droppings, insects, etc.  None of this is stuff you want in your tank, right?

The bulk of the dry mass of the xylem (the "network" within the tree which transports water and soluble mineral nutrients from the roots throughout the plant, and comprises what we know as "wood.") is cellulose, a polysaccharide, and most of the remainder is lignin,  which is a sort of complex polymer. 

Why the botany lesson?

Well, because when you have some idea of what you're putting into your tank, you'll better understand why it behaves the way it does when submerged! In a given piece of driftwood, there is going to be some material bound up in these structures, and it will be released (gradually or otherwise) into the water that surrounds it, with a big "burst" happening on initial submersion. This is why, during the first couple of weeks after you submerge wood, that the water often becomes dark- and even cloudy.

There is a lot of "stuff" in there!

It's far better, in my opinion, to take the time to start the "curing" process in a separate container apart from the display aquarium. This is not rocket science, nor some wisdom only the enlightened aquarists attain.

We all know this, right?

It's common sense, and a practice we all need to simply view as necessary with terrestrial materials like wood and botanicals. You may love the tannins as much as I do, but I'm confident that your tank could do without those polyscaccharides and other impurities from the outer layers of the wood. The potential affects on water quality are significant!

It's pretty plain to see that at least part of the reason we see a burst of new algae growth and biofilm in wood recently added to an aquarium is that there is so much stuff bound up in it. That "stuff" is essentially "algae fuel" when added to water. Algal and fungal sports can literally "bloom" during the initial period after submersion, and this alone is great reason to take the long, slow approach to wood prep.

Interestingly, the same "process" of "curing" happens naturally when tree trunks and branches fall into wild aquatic habitats.

It's not necessarily a "quick" process in Nature, either. So, we need not feel too bad about playing a "waiting game" when it comes to curing wood for aquariums.

In fact, geek that I am, over the years I've long made it personal practice to submerge wood which I intend to use in my tank a couple of months before I set up my tank. This will enable a good percentage of the bound-up contaminants and unwanted organic materials to be released before the wood ever graces your aquascape! And it goes the wood a chance to saturate and sink, too!

Patience.

What about boiling?

Well, sure, boiling can hasten the process somewhat. But here's the deal-most of us don't have a kettle, pot, or other large enough container in which to boil a big old piece of wood, so the long-term "pre-soak" is the optimal approach. 

And let's face it, even with preparation, when you combine water, light, and organics, you're likely to get some fungus, biofilms, and even algae- for some period of time. Some fungal growth and biofilms are to be expected in the earliest days of "submersion. These tenacious life forms will exploit available nutrients and conditions that are appropriate for their survival. Just like with our botanicals, it's a normal occurrence.

Certain wood varieties, such as Manzanita, "Spider Wood", and Mangrove branches are copious "producers" of these things. Interestingly, the more "traditional" Asian driftwood tends to produce far less of this stuff. Maybe because it's been underwater for enough time to have eliminated a lot of the stuff bound up within it.

Biofilms and ... Well- we may not like the way it looks in our tanks. I totally get that.

Now, I remember deliberately NOT pre-soaking the Mangrove wood in my office tank (I love torturing myself, apparently) just to see how nasty this could be. (oh, the things I do for you in the interest of sharing knowledge!)

The result? It literally took about 4-5 months before the wood stopped producing biofilm and attracting hair algae in really large quantities.

That was freaking punishing. Well, I found it kind of cool, but pretty much everyone who saw the tank during this period thought otherwise...😫

Eventually, the familiar "patina" of harder algae came to prominence.  And minor biofilm on the softer parts of the wood will still pop up on occasion...Just like it does in nature. It's normal. It's not dangerous.

It's okay.

And of course, along the way, you can incorporate some "biological helpers", like algal and detritivorous-consuming fishes and even snails (yikes!) to help out. Of course, many, many fishes will "peck" at biofilms and other growth on wood and botanicals as a part of their daily "foraging" activities.

And of course, good old-fashioned aquarium husbandry and stepped-up maintenance practices never hurt, either!

 

And having a good, soft-bristled toothbrush on hand can help with the "day-to-day" upkeep, if needed. Likely, the stuff will continue to return until the "fuel" which caused their appearance and growth in the first place diminishes.

Obviously, happy endings typically will happen with aquarium wood, given the passage of time and perhaps a bit of assistance from the fish geek, but it's important to understand WHY the algae and biofilms appear on wood, and how to react when they happen.

Like so many things in a truly "natural" aquarium, they may not meet our aesthetic standards, but if we have a greater understanding of just what they are, why they appear, and how to address them (or not..), we can make that "mental shift" that you hear me ranting about so often on these pages.

Embracing a new paradigm of what a "natural" aquarium really is.

One that doesn't cause us to rush off, headless, screaming into the night (or onto Facebook) when some algae or biofilm appears! Goes with the territory. Embracing Nature in all of her glory is what we're all about. 

Expectations. Education. Patience.

All "core skills" which we as aquarists need to acquire to bolster our success, understanding and perseverance as we push the boundaries of aquarium keeping.

And of course, I'm fascinated by the world of biofilms, decomposition, microorganism growth and detritus, and their potential for serving as supplemental food sources for our fishes.

And this stuff plays right into that! 

Some fishes are thought to consume wood. Others are deriving sustenance from materials which form on wood...

Loricariids are the textbook example of this...

Now, the idea of xylophagy (the consumption and digestion of wood) is of course, a pretty cool and interesting adaptation to the environment from which these fishes come from. And as you'd suspect, the way that wood is consumed and digested is equally cool and fascinating! 

It's thought that the scraping teeth and highly angled jaws of the Loricariidae are a perfect adaptation to this feeding habit of scraping wood. And of course, it's even argued among scientists that these fishes may or may not actually digest the wood they consume! While scientists have identified a symbiotic bacteria which is found in the gut of these fishes that helps break down wood components, it's been argued by some the the fishes don't actually digest and metabolize the wood; indeed deriving very little energy from the wood they consume!

In fact, a lab study by Donovan P. German was described in the November, 2009 Journal of Comparative Physiology, in which several species were fed wood and found to actually digest it quite poorly: 

"...in laboratory feeding trials, (P. cf. nigrolineatus and Hypostomus pyrineusi)  lost weight when consuming wood, and passed stained wood through their digestive tracts in less than 4 hours. Furthermore, no selective retention of small particles was observed in either species in any region of the gut. Collectively, these results corroborate digestive enzyme activity profiles and gastrointestinal fermentation levels in the fishes’ GI tracts, suggesting that the wood-eating catfishes are not true xylivores such as beavers and termites, but rather, are detritivores like so many other fishes from the family Loricariidae."

Did you see that? Detritioves.

Hmm...

And this little nugget from the same study:  "...The fishes consumed 2–5% of their body mass (on a wet weight basis) in wood per day, but were not thriving on it, as P. nigrolineatus lost 1.8 ± 0.15% of their body mass over the course of the experiment, and Pt. disjunctivus lost 8.4 ± 0.81% of their body mass."

Yet, anatomical studies of these fishes showed that the "wood-eating catfishes" had what physiologists refer to as "body size-corrected intestinal lengths" that were 35% shorter than the detritivore species. What does this mean? Could they have perhaps had at one time- and subsequently lost- their ability to digest wood?

Maybe?

Arrgh!

To the point of the argument that they are primarily detritivores, consuming a matrix of biofilm, algal growth, microorganisms, and (for want of a better word) "dirt"- what does this mean? In fact, many species in the Loricariidae are known to be detritivores, and this has made them remarkably adaptable fishes in the aquarium.

Now, my limited personal experience with Loricariidae is undoubtedly nothing like many of yours, and an observation I made not too long ago is at best anecdotal- but interesting:

If you follow "The Tint", you know I've had an almost two year love affair with my Peckolotia compta aka "L134 Leopard Frog"- a beautiful little fish that is filled with charms. Well, my specimen seemed to have vanished into the ether following a re-configuration/rescape of my home blackwater/botnanical-style aquarium. I thought somehow I either lost the fish during the escape, or it died and subsequently decayed without my detecting it... 

For almost three months, the fish was M.I.A., just....gone.

And then one, day- there she was, poking out from the "Spider Wood" thicket that forms the basis of my hardscape! To say I was overjoyed was a bit of an understatement, of course! And after her re-appearance, she was been out every day. She looked just as fat and happy as when I last saw her in the other 'scape...which begs the question (besides my curiosity about how she evaded detection): 

What the @#$% was she feeding on during this time?

Well, I suppose it's possible that some bits of frozen food (I feed frozen almost exclusively) got away from my population of hungry characins and fell to the bottom...However, I'm pretty fastidious- and the other fishes (characins) were voracious! I think it was more likely the biofilm, fungal growth, and perhaps some of the surface tissues of the "Spider Wood" I used in the hardscape that she was feeding on.

This stuff does recruit some biological growth on it's surfaces, and curiously, in this tank, I noticed during the first few months that the wood seemed to never accumulate as much of this stuff as I had seen it do in past tanks which incorporated it.

So yeah, the point of this tortured example is that I think we should all think of wood in our aquariums as more than just an "aesthetic prop." Rather, it should be viewed as an element of a naturally-functioning closed aquarium habitat. An important "producer" or "aggregator" of supplemental foods, and as a source of important tannins, humic substances, and other compounds for environmental enhancement.

That's the coolest part of the "wood equation", if you ask me!

Stay creative. Stay curious. Stay resourceful. Stay engaged...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics