The Tint

All that sparkles... Notes on creating a "Sparkling Gourami" aquarium...

Okay, year's almost over, and I pretty much haven't gotten to most of the "speciality tanks" I had in my head to create in 2019...or maybe that was 2018. Not enough time, indeed! Yeah, my goal was to create specific botanical-style habitats for certain fishes on a small scale. I was hoping to hit most of my "wish list" fishes, but of course, time was precious and getting them all done wasn't in the cards!

It always happens like that! More ideas for tanks than time to execute on them!

I receive a lot of those "What botanicals do I use for an environment featuing______________________?" questions, so I figure there is a lot of value in featuring a fish and the  botanicals which can be used to recreate aspects of their habitat. The idea behind this was to give you some inspiration and ideas for utilizing our botanicals in species-specific setups, for breeding, education, and enjoyment.

One of the fishes I fully intended to devote a tank to this year, but just didn't get to, is the "Sparkling Gourami", Trichopsis pumila, and the habitat where it comes from. I've kept this little guy a bunch of times I the past, and I fully intend to do it in a small botanical-style tank in 2020.

So, why don't I simply share my ideas for creating this specialized aquarium?

Keep in mind, this is more of a "distillation" of my notes on my plans for this aquarium...more of a "dossier" of sorts, as opposed to  a comprehensive guide to the selection, care, maintenance and breeding of them. 

Image by Zikamoi (used under CC BY SA 3.0)

First off, let's take a look at where the fish comes from.

This species is found throughout the lower Mekong River basin in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, and in watersheds all over Central and Southern (peninsular) Thailand. It's a really small fish, reaching only about 1.5" (3.84cm), which lends itself well to being kept in small aquariums, ranging in size from 2.5 to 10 gallons (9.46- 37.85L). I have always found these small fish to be rather "inactive", and they don't seem to utilize lots of space- and indeed, actually "disappear" a bit in larger tanks, so this is one of those fishes where small tanks actually work better!

One word of warning, from the "Don't-say-we-didn't-tell-you-so" Department: They make noises! Huh? Yeah, they "croak", which is a bit weird until you realize that they are also known in the trade as the "Dwarf Croaking Gourami!" I can remember at least two occasions being in another room in my house and wondering where the hell the "crickets" were- only to ultimately find it was these little fishes doing their thing!

This fish typically inhabits slow-moving, sometimes even semi-stagnant habitats, including swamps, tributaries of rivers, flood plains, rice paddies, irrigation channels, and even roadside ditches. T. pumila seems to favor sluggish and still environments, with a lot of vegetation, roots, leaf litter, branches, and other matter. I think we have some experience in creating that type of look, right?

Since the fish likes access to humid air, you'd be well advised to not fill up the aquarium completely to the top, leaving some humid air-water interface. Being Anabantoides, they can breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent. For this reason, the Sparkling Gourami would be a good subject fish for a riparium type display. IN fact, I think recreating the water/land interface aspect of their habitat is the way to go, particularly in a small tank where you could really go crazy!

Swamps with dark. organic-rich water and riparium plants are not an uncommon biotope in which to find T. pumila. And I wouldn't overthink it too much.

 Of course, the other interesting habitats in which these fishes are found are the abundant rice paddies of Southeast Asia- habitats in which water is a sort of transient aspect.

Recreating a rice paddy is one of those interesting ideas that I've dabbled with during my "Urban Igapo" experimentation; ideas like actually growing rice seeds in rich, terrestrial soils.

I think that this is an interesting and highly achievable type of display; one which would be extremely unique, in that we typically don't utilize rice plants in our aquatic displays! And add into the equation that rice isn't all that hard to grow in an aquarium, and it's kind of an irresistible option, IMHO! 

And then, there are the "roadside ditches" which are not uncommon in these regions of high precipitation. The fact that this fish is so undemanding and is found in several rather diverse habitats makes it a gem (no pun intended!) of a specimen to play with!

If you're trying to represent its natural environment, you'd do well to utilize a number of leaves and leaf-litter "substitutes...For leaves, I'd tend to use smaller ones. So, stuff like Yellow Mangrove leaves, Texas Live Oak leaf litter, and Nano catappa leaves come to mind here.

Of course, the substrate is an important component of the Sparkling Gourami's habitat, and I'm thinking of supplementing a thin layer of sand and planted aquarium substrate with materials like "Fundo Tropical" or "Subtrato Fino" to create that dark, rich look and tinted water.

 And of course, the water conditions that these fishes seem happiest with are the "typical" soft, acidic type. We all know both the caveats and procedures on how to create these types of conditions, and we've covered this topic many times, so I won't really go into that part here. 

What botanicals would I use? I mean, this is like the most common question I get when it comes to creating aquariums for specific fishes, so here goes! 

Well, it's totally subjective, of course, but I'm thinking about some combination of the following materials as "anchor" components:

"Nano" Lotus Seed pods.

Banana Stem Pieces.

Fishtail Palm Stems

Selatan Catappa Bark.

Coco Palm bracts.

And again, my vision for a realistic Sparkling Gourami habitat has lots of "stuff" in the substrate- like "Mixed Leaf Media"- to create a rich, tannin-and-humic-substance-packed medium.

These fishes are rather sociable, so you can keep them in small groups or pairs. Being the peaceful type, you want to keep them with similar-sized tank mates which have very peaceful dispositions themselves. The reality is that your best off keeping these little gems in their own, species-specific display. This will encourage more natural behaviors, which can lead to spawning!

                                     A bubble nest- a very encouraging sign!

One of the best things about this endearing little fish is that you can house it quite successfully in a relatively small aquarium. This gives you both great control over the environment, as well as the ability to observe the fishes closely.

Again, the idea of using a small tank to play with this species is, in my opinion, a perfect way to go. Such setups come together easily and quickly, and can be a lot of fun to work with! You can easily create a very realistic, "functionally aesthetic" version of their habitat in the aquarium.

In my years of keeping this fish, the most surprising thing was that they are much easier to keep than "the books" say that they are...And I think that this is in a large part because I elected to keep them in a dedicated aquarium, as opposed to trying to integrate them into a larger community of diverse fishes. In my opinion, with many smaller, more "tricky" fishes, you're almost always going to have a better outcome keeping them alone in a small tank.

So, will I create a Sparkling Gourami tank to share with you and apply some of these ideas? I'm pretty sure that I will in 2020! It's a fish from an irresistible and fascinating niche habitat...the kind which I simply love!

I hope this very brief little review of the Sparkling Gourami and my approach and some botanical suggestions gives you a little inspiration to try something with this cool fish! At the very least, perhaps it'll get a discussion going... If you have pics and ideas of setups for this little Gourami, feel free to share them with us. Let's give this little fish- and many other little guys- the attention that they deserve!

Stay excited. Stay engaged. Stay curious. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aqutics

 

 

Fueling the movement...

Coming off a very successful "Tint Tuesday" sale, with lots of new customers trying a lot of different things is very satisfying from a business perspective, of course. The sheer number of orders is amazing, and we're honored to have your business! However, it's even more satisfying to think about how much our little sector of the aquarium hobby has evolved over the past several years.

Have you felt a palpable change in our world lately?

I have. It's noticeable for sure.

We're all sort of "travelers" along this path of discovery...

The idea of blackwater aquariums, with their tinted color and mysterious aesthetic is hardly "new" to the hobby world. No one really "invented" this. No one was the person who said, "We should all through leaves and seed pods in our tanks..." It just sort of...evolved.

Yep. And evolution is what we're going though now; at scale.

It seems to me that in the past few years, we're starting to see the blackwater, botanical-style aquarium move from "freak side show" to a broader, more mainstream acceptance within the hobby- pulling in people from all sorts of disciplines. We've mentioned this before here, but it's more obvious than ever, iMHO.

Something palpable. Something that calls us.

I've been at this botanical-influenced aquarium thing for about 21 years now in "personal practice"; however,  at a little over 4 years old, we're just getting underway with inspiring and motivating hobbyists to "play with pods" via Tannin Aquatics.  

Although it seems a bit premature, and perhaps even self-serving to label the idea as a "movement" within the hobby, a number of fellow fish geeks have pointed out to me that they feel this is what's starting to happen; that this is what we have. I mean, you can sort of "feel" it. A lot of new energy, new ideas, and new exposure for this area previously labeled as a "novelty." A lot of cool people are doing some inspiring, amazing work with botanical-influenced aquariums.

We're looking beyond the everyday...

Okay, we will tentatively call it a "movement"- at least for the sake of discussion amongst ourselves, okay?

Already, we've noticed some interesting developments in style and aesthetic in the work of our global community. They demonstrate the level of open-mindedness and experimentation that's becoming so wonderfully and increasingly common in our sector of the hobby today.

We're seeing hobbyists going beyond yesterday's "blackwater tanks look dirty" mindset, and embracing the aesthetic for what it is: A very natural-appearing "vibe" that replicates conditions found in certain natural environments around the world.

And with this acceptance of the "look" and ephemeral nature of botanicals in aquairums, a definite "mental shift" has occurred.  This to me is most significant and important. Many hobbyists who have previously bought into the prevailing "brown is dirty" mindset are giving blackwater, botanical-influenced tanks a try, rather than flat-out dismissing the idea and (in our opinion) antiquated notions pushed around on the web that these aquariums are difficult to manage, unstable, dirty, and otherwise simply "fringe" novelties, rather than a legitimate specialty within the hobby.

We're also seeing a growing body of science-backed evidence that humic substances, a key component of "blackwater" have significant health benefits for fishes, and may be among the most important factors which contribute to their health in both the wild and in captivity.

This revelation backs up what many aquarists who dabbled with catappa leaves and bark and other stuff in botanical-influenced aquariums, particularly Betta breeders in Southeast Asia, have asserted for years. In particular, it's thought that these compounds, derived from botanicals, have anti-fungal and anti-parastic properties, and offer protection against oxidative DNA damage and from physiological stressors. With these health benefits now more clearly understood, there are more reasons than ever to appreciate the role that an environment which accumulates these humic substances can play in overall fish health.

Although the health benefits to fishes are fascinating and actually somewhat of a "game changer", like many hobbyists, my interests lie with the creation of aquarium that present a more natural-looking, functional aesthetic. The physiological benefits are a sort of "collateral bonus!" And I think we're seeing a lot of hobbyists sort of "getting their feet wet", trying a few leaves and/or botanicals almost tentatively in an aquascape, then "scaling up" to a full-blown, botanical-influenced "blackwater" aquarium.

And with it, not only are we seeing an explosion of new ideas and enthusiasm, we're seeing hobbyists enjoying a sort of "freedom of expression" in their aquascaping that, in some quarters has been lacking for so long, as we rigidly adhered to some "imposed rules" from a variety of sources. These "rules" were, in my opinion, stifling experimentation and individuality, resulting in a dearth of aquascapes, particularly in the international competitions, which looked almost "uniform" in appearance, with a trend towards creating an "underwater diorama", as one friend put it, instead of a miniature "slice of the bottom" as many have desired. 

 Nature has her own "rules", and they have little to do with the arrangement of wood and rocks and stuff. Rather, they're more about function and evolution.

I'm not implying that blackwater, botanical-influenced tanks are the "savior of the hobby", or even "the way forward" in the hobby- though I think the takeaways from them just might be!  I am implying that seeing a diversity of hobbyists embrace what has been labeled by some as a radical departure from the "typical" style of aquarium (or previously little more than a "fringe sideshow") -and studying and utilizing the idea as a springboard for success with fishes- and as a form of creative expression- is creating a bit of "movement" in an area that was becoming increasingly one directional.

It's nice to see new aquariums taking their cues from nature, instead of from the latest competition winner!

 

We're seeing aquariums set up in a more "thematic" style- down with a high sense of design- a direct pedigree of the "Nature Style" aquarium, yet with a "blackwater/botanical twist." This has led to the creation of some amazing-looking aquariums that have turned a lot of heads in the planted tank/hardscape/"nature aquarium" community, in both "clearwater" and "blackwater" styles. Many hobbyists  have taken us in exciting new directions, and countless others not even in the blackwater game yet will create works that will help further forge this style.

By adding a new look to a much-loved aesthetic, we're seeing a whole new group of very talented hobbyists creating gorgeous, aspirational aquariums simply by incorporating botanicals into the mix- with blackwater or otherwise.

What's really cool is that we are starting to see more and more planted blackwater/botanical-influenced tanks, an area that has previously been shunned by many, with the rationale that plants cannot work in such environments.

Look for a lot more cool developments on this front!

Perhaps even more exciting is that we're seeing more and more really cool "biotope-style" aquariums, with blackwater and botanicals as the pivotal components. Now, we've addressed before that there is a difference between the 100% true-to-every-stick-and-stone "biotope" aquarium, which seeks to replicate every detail of a specific locale, and a "biotope-style" aquarium, which simply presents an interpretation of a general environment.

Both have their merits, supporters, and philosophies, and are both fascinating. However, what's really exciting to me as that we've already seen aquariums that have a distinctly natural "look" to them, with less "intentional design" and more embrace of the natural processes which happen when materials like leaves and botanicals begin to soften and break down. 

Nature evolves them.

This "transitional" or "ephemeral"-style of escaping is the virtual embodiment of Amano's "wabi-sabi" aquatic aesthetic, and is winning over many new followers.

As the action in our "sector" heats up, what I hope we never see  are "rules" and rigid, close-minded thinking. Sure, Nature may restrict us to what we can and cannot utilize or work with in the botanical environment, and there are some "best practices" in terms of husbandry of botanical systems,  but we don't need to impose a dogmatic set of artificial principles to define and control the self-expression of others.

Nature calls all the shots here.

She defines what works. She defines how stuff looks and functions. She'll correct you if you break one of her rules, and reward you when you embrace them. Listen to her. Follow her lead. Study her feedback. 

And enjoy.

We simply need to enjoy what we're doing, share with others, and feel free to create as we desire. If we happen inspire and motivate others along the way, that's a beautiful thing. We can try all sorts of stuff; play with aesthetics.

We can hope mimic aspects of nature from the outset, with amazing aquascapes and such.

But it doesn't have to be strictly by design. Nature will do some of the heavy lifting for us, effortlessly creating via her processes aquatic microcosms as breathtaking as any "diorama" could ever hope to be.

If we allow her to do her work.

Okay, so I'm probably a bit more "attuned" to all of the goings on in our little niche than many others, simply because "my head is in it" all day.

However, I'm definitely not jaded, nor am I asserting that we've "invented" some incredible thing here.

What I am thinking is that the relentless exposure of some new and different-looking aquariums, thanks to many of you- is creating a new excitement, fostering a slightly different aquatic aesthetic- and promoting more interest in understanding some of the natural processes that influence both our fishes and the environments in which they live.

 

One of the fun things about the botanical-style aquarium is that, to a certain extent, it's "anything goes" in terms of materials that you can use to represent the wild habitats. I mean, when you think about flooded forest floors and rainforest streams, you're talking about an aggregation of material from the forest that has accumulated via wind, rain, and current.

This is a remarkable and fascinating habit to replicate in the aquarium. As opposed to a more "contrived" 'scape, with a carefully selected piece or pieces of of driftwood, what I'm framing out here is a more simple, less "placement-oriented", and far more natural-looking 'scape.

I mean, sure, you certainly should use some aesthetic thought in the concept, but when you're trying to recreate what in Nature is a more-or-less random thing, you probably don't want to dwell too much on the concept! Rather, put your effort into selecting good-looking materials with which to do the job.

Thats where we come in.

(Yeah, you knew I was going to get there somehow, right?)

One of my personal obsessions is branches and roots in aquariums.

Branches and roots are amazing aquascaping "media" to work with. A matrix of these materials to impart a very natural and interesting look to the aquarium.

Terrestrial branches and roots going into the water are "anchors" of many aquatic environments in tropical habitats, and foster incredible biodiversity, form, and function.

Now, such root/branch tangles DO take up some physical space in the confines of the aquarium, and you need to take this into account when stocking, equipping, and maintaining such systems. Access, water capacity, and filter intakes/outputs need to be considered when you move in a project like this...but that's half the fun, anyways- right?

And of course, you could always incorporate a layer of leaf litter to "soften" the look of root/branch tangles, which really seems to go perfectly with this type of niche. In Nature, we see leaves and other materials accumulate in these root tangles and aggregations of fallen branches, so recreating this in Nature is kind of a "no brainer!" 

When assembled in conjunction with a nice aggregation of leaves, this configuration  provides a remarkably interesting aquarium with a different sort of aesthetic. 

And the nice thing about utilizing tangled branches in an aquascape, as opposed to  a more traditional  "wood-centric" 'scape, is that you can end up with something that is incredibly realistic and functional. 

And you get some advantages. Case in point?

The potential to keep little groups of fishes, (like my beloved Checkerboard cichlids) behaving naturally in the same tank. Now, I'm no cichlid expert, but I do have a certain love for keeping little "communities" of fishes like Checkerboards together. Oh, and what about Darter characins? Fishes like that? Lots of possibilities, huh?

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of such an aquascaping configuration is to foster natural behaviors and spawning activities among the resident fishes. I would imagine that for "uncontrolled" breeding of many species, the dense matrix of twigs and leaves would create a very good environment for this!

Yeah, everything is changing fast. Technique, aesthetic, and creativity are merging rapidly in our little niche. 

You're fueling the evolution.

Every day.

We're privileged to have a front-row seat to this evolving hobby speciality (okay, you can call it a movement!), and most important, are honored to be a part of the growing global community of fascinating, creative, courageous, and engaged hobbyists who are forging a dynamic new path in this amazing hobby that we all love so much.

Thanks for your courage, support, and friendship. Thanks for sharing your unique work with the world, fueling the "movement" of botanical-style aquairums.

Stay engaged. Stay creative. Stay curious. Stay observant. Stay unique...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Interpretations, artistry, and tint...

Throughout our years-long journey into the world of botanical-style aquariums, we've been lucky enough to see some "evolution" in the "styles" that we as hobbyists have played with. Today, as we're counting down the hours to our annual "Tint Tuesday" sale, I figured it's as good a time as any to share a few inspiring pics of Nature and aquariums that will hopefully get you thinking of ways to play with botanicals in your next aquarium...

People have asked me what aquariums or ideas have excited me recently, so I figured it would be fun to share just a few with you here. Sure, I could probably name a hundred more, but all one really needs to do is look through our blog, or Instagram and Facebook feeds to find inspiring work from our global community- as well as the "work" of Nature herself!

FIrst off- it all starts with Nature doing her thing- as she's done for eons. Amazing wild shots, like this one from David Sobry, provide unbelievable inspiration for functionally aesthetic aquariums. The longer you stare at such images, the more subtle, but important details and clues Nature provides- many of which- if not all- can be replicated both functionally and aesthetically in the aquarium! 

One of my fave pics ifrom Nature is this one, from our friend, Tai Strietman, from Brazil's Pantanal region. I like this pic because it Shows a few of our fave elements working together: Leaves, root tangles from terrestrial plants, and a sandy/soil bottom. As you probably know by now, I'm damn-near obsessed with this combination, as it's really the essence of our botanical-style aquariums.

Of course, such a heavy leaf-litter "infused" habitat- a flooded forest floor- is what inspired me to try an all leaf-litter tank last year. Among the most simple, and easy-to-run botanical-style blackwater aquariums I've ever played with, it was home to a group of Green Neon Tetra, which not only subsisted off of whatever micro/macrofauna was occurring in the decaying leaf litter bed, but resulted in two spawnings!

This experimental tank will never win an aquascaping trophy, but it stands out (if I say so, myself!) as an exercise in almost "extreme  natural minimalism" , representing a leaf litter bed and nothing else- looking and functioning much like those which occur in the wild. It is a unique exercise that I'd liek to "scale up" at some future point for sure! 

Of course, the aquarium hobby doesn't exist in the experimental world only, so aesthetics are par for the course. Two new aquariums from two of our friends have really stood out as amazing expressions of the art and sicken of "functional aesthetics."

Mitch Mazur is a talented, pure scape. His tanks are fabulous, and he has a style which lends itself well to all sorts of different materials. When he executed his tastes blackwater, botanical-style aquarium, my jaw dropped. He was able to fuse a very stylish design with a minimum of botanical elements, yet still creating a "functional aesthetic" interpretation of a blackwater habitat.

The grace and elegance of a large wood "trunk" (an idea we've covered here in "The Tint" before) with some negative space and contrasting leaves and branches creates a beautiful and very natural-looking home for Pterophyllum and a few characins. 

By not loading every single open space with dozens and dozens of botanical elements, each one is an area of interest, and stands alone as an interesting "contributor" to the overall scape. Guava leaves and Banana stem pieces seem to work so well with the delicate branches and strong roots, providing interesting foraging areas for the resident fishes.

All in all, this is the type of aquarium which can bridge the gap between a pure biotope and a strictly artistic 'scape. The real essence of "biotope-inspired"- the area in which we all love to play!

Our friend Kjartan Flatråker is as talented a scape as you'll find- and one who has taken to the botanical-style blackwater aquarium with an ease that is truly inspiring! he understands the "function" of botanical-style blackwater aquariums as well as anyone, and has never been afraid of decomposition, biofilms, and tinted water.  

His latest work is another one of those "biotope-inspired" pieces that, similar to Mitch's tank, mixes strong and delicate botanical elements in a unique way that seems to have a broader appeal.

Although not yet "wet", we can tell where this one is headed! Once the botanicals soften, the wood acquires a "patina", and the water tints, this tank will be a spectacular aesthetically-strong interpretation of just about any natural blackwater habitat!

Now, when you ask me about the pic which really launched my obsession with the idea of leaf litter beds and flooded forests, it would have to be this one from Mike Tuccinardi from the Amazon region.

This one image is literally why I took a "sabbatical" from the reef keeping world, sold my interest in my coral business, and went on to launch Tannin Aquatics. A classic igapo habitat- a flooded forest, replete with leaves, branches, seed pods, and terrestrial plants growing underwater. And the tinted, slightly turbid water...Perhaps the absolute perfect essence of what we're all about here. I find endless inspiration in this one shot!

Of course, we are fortunate to work with talented artistic aquascapers of all types. My dear friend, Johnny Ciotti, who is our Creative Director at Tannin, happens to be among the best. He has a unique ability to take simple elements and turn them into provocative, inspiring works that anyone could recreate some elements of. His aesthetic interpretation of the Rio Tapajos is such a tank.

This tank, with it's clear-to-mild tint, is an excessive in simplicity...Manzanita arranged in a downward configuration- much like you'd find beaches in Nature. It creates an intricate tangle for the comfort of the resident fishes.

Of course, Nature provides no shortage of examples of this, as Tai's shot shows.

Of course, you can create a scape specifically around the needs of a particular fish- which is exactly what I did when I set up a small aquarium for one of my fave small chcarcins, Tucanoichthys tucano. The fish is native to blackwater habitats choked with root tangles, terrestrial branches, and leaves. This is a perfect subject for a botanical-style aquarium!

I utilized Melastoma root, some "spider wood", and some live oak leaf litter to set the scene, and the result was one of my most personally satisfying "biotope-inspired" tanks ever.

After the tank had a chance to run in for a while, the water took on the golden brown that we as blackwater fans love so much. The tank was ridiculously easy to create, yet strikingly complex in its appearance. The "Tucano Tangle" as it came to be called, seems to have inspired a few people, for which I am very honored.

Yet another aquarium designed with botanicals around a specific fish was this work by Chris Englezou, which really captures the essence of a wild Discus habitat. The deft mix of elements creates a relaxing, familiar habitat for these much-loved fish. There is something about a tan set up in this manner that is amazingly satisfying! I find Chris' tank incredibly inspiring.

As you know, I've been fascinated by the year-round dynamics of flooded forests and meadows, and played with what I call the "Urban Igapo" concept. Setting up an aquarium as a "dry" scape, with terrestrial grasses and plants, then flooding it and desiccating it once again is to me one of the really fascinating things we as hobbyists can experiment to learn more about the dynamics of these unique habitats.

The concept lent itself well to a few different executions, each utilizing different combinations of soils, plants, and/or grasses.

And of course, it was fun to set up a display that represented a specific time of "late inundation" to serve as an example of a tank with completely different aesthetics that we're used to seeing- essential "dormant" grasses and plants, with a highly sedimented substrate and turbid water. Different. Unusual...and surprisingly beautiful, in a different sort of way,  if I say so myself!

Of course, no photo-essay on ideas which fascinate me would be complete without  a quick look at our brackish water mangrove habitat. A tinted, brackish water tank served not only as a "proof of concept" for what I call an "elevated" approach to brackish water aquariums, but as a way to appreciate anew soem of the unique aesthetic possibilities this neglected hobby speciality offers.

I'm perhaps most proud of this one, simply because it was one of those times when I acted on an idea that I knew wasn't being executed by anyone, and I had to create the "proof of concept" myself to help validate it. Sediment, mangroves and their branches, decomposing leaves, and 1.010 water combined to create what I feel is one of my most enjoyable tanks in years!

As much as I've wanted to move on from this tank, I simply can't bring myself to tear it down just yet, lol.

In the ned, I could probably highlight dozens of tanks and ideas which inspired me in 2019, but these are jus ta few that come to mind at the moment. 

I hope to see YOU creating more beautiful, inspiring work in 2020 and beyond! 

Stay inspired. Stay excited. Stay creative. Stay resourceful...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Making the switch to a botanical-style aquariums... Some simple thoughts.

There is literally an explosion in interesting the types of aquariums that we do around here. A palpable change in the aquarium world that's really exciting. We've seen some amazing executions, learned a lot, and really have seen a huge influx of hobbyists applying their skills at this unique niche!

And, a lot of you have asked about how to convert (we like to say, "evolve") an existing aquarium into one of these types of systems. And of course, there are some "best practices" and simple techniques that you can apply to make such a transition easier and more enjoyable for everyone ("Everyone" being you and your fishes, of course!)

So, with the Holiday Season and our "Tint Tuesday" sale just days away, what could be a better time for us to share some ideas, expectations, and practices with those of you who are ready to jump in! Now sure, many of you already know all of this stuff, but it's a nice "refresher"- or even a very brief "primer" for those of you ready to take the leap! Share it with a friend who's contemplating this...

Of course, it all starts with deciding what type of approach you want to play with in this arena. I think that this is really important, because it dictates so much of the procedures, practices, and expectations involved.

Are you looking to simply incorporate some leaves and other botanicals in order to come up with a cool aesthetic? Are you interested in creating an aquarium that replicates (to some extent) the form and function of unique wild habitats? Or, are you interested in a blackwater aquarium, with a lower pH, deeply tinted water, and lots of decomposing botanicals? A really biopic representation of a natural, botanical-influenced aquatic habitat?

If you're simply looking to keep your water chemistry parameters more or less the same as they are now- likely neutral to slightly alkaline- no "tint"-than it's really a simple matter of selecting botanicals that tend to be more durable, preparing them appropriately, and gradually adding them to your tank until you achieve the aesthetic you want. Of course, you'd continue with your good husbandry procedures (ie; water exchanges) and utilizing activated carbon to keep the water "un-tinted."

The key with this approach is to prepare your botanicals carefully, to go slowly to gauge impact on water quality, and to replace them as dictated by your aesthetic preference. You may want to incorporate a "post-boil-soak" for a fe extra days, so that the initial burst tannins has a chance to leach out more.

Now, if you're looking to replicate many aspects of the form and function of wild blackwater environments, like the igapo of Brazil, or the peat bogs of Southeast Asia, or Amazonian tributaries- then you will want to incorporate botanicals to not only provide the aesthetics- but to impact the water chemistry and overall aquatic environment. Of course, this requires some research. It requires diligent management of water parameters, water quality, and a game plan!

So, if you're going the route of habitat replication, your process is slightly different. Likely, you've already decided on the specific habitat/environmentla niche/locale that you're attempting to replicate, so the type and quantity of the botanical materials you'll be using is known.

Oh, and personally, if I were going from "straight-up tap water" conditions to something say, soft and acid, I'd begin the process by removing the current inhabitants to a "safe haven" during the process.

Likely, you'll be modifying the water parameters to something significantly different than what you have now, and it's easier to do the change all at once in the display tank without the fishes present, and to carefully acclimate them into the "new" tank when you're ready, than it is to complete the process with everyone present.

Adjusting water parameters is a science and an art. Much has been written about utilizing RO/DI to create water that is an ideal "canvas" for manipulating pH in the tank. IMHO, unless you have soft, acidic tap water, utilizing RO/DO is really the only consistent, reliable option to achieve these conditions in an aquarium.

Remember, as we've discussed many times, the botanicals and leaves cannot do the job themselves. We've discussed this many times before here; there's a lot on it out there already! 

Once you have the correct "base" water conditions, you can 'scape your tank as desired, utilizing the quantity and variety of botanicals you feel you need to achieve the look and function that you want. Again, this is as much an "art" (if not more so, really) as it is a "science", and you simply need to know what works with your vision and is consistent with your goals for your tank.

With regards to botanicals, we've made a considerable effort to identify the species and geographic origins of our botanicals, which we hope will help you make some informed decisions, especially if you're trying for more accurate "geographic appropriateness" in your 'scape.

"Repatriating" your fishes into your tank is a matter of following tried and true technique...It's essentially like buying new fishes and acclimating them into a new tank. There are numerous articles and blogs and references on how to acclimate fishes, by aquarists far more skilled and knowledgable than I on this topic, so please do a little research and utilize these sources.

Now, one thing to remember when you're filling an aquarium with botanicals and leaves is that this stuff constitutes bioload. In other words, it's organic material with which your filtration/bacterial population must contend with to process.

Botanical-style aquariums support a significant amount of biological diversity, including the aforementioned bacteria- and including fungal growths, biofilms, epiphytic algae, and even small crustaceans- all of which can contribute to the nitrogen cycle as they process some of these materials, as well as offer supplemental food to your fishes.

And they impact the aesthetics, too!

And of course, most botanical materials we use are "ephemeral"- in that they will gradually soften, brake up, and decompose after submersion, so replacement or replenishment is part of the game for us. The degree and extent to which you replace your botanicals is largely subjective. If you're like me, and the decomposing materials do not offend your aesthetic sensibilities- leave 'em in until they fully break down. Or, remove them as you see fit.

What this all means is that it's possible- in fact likely- that your "re-scaped" tank will go through a "cycle" just like a brand new aquarium, and that fish additions must be moderated and due consideration paid to the fact that you might see some ammonia and nitrite during the process. Remember, it's not just an "aesthetic thing"- it's an environmental modification that you're doing!

And yes- the aesthetics of a botanical-style aquarium, by virtue of the fact that it makes use of rather ephemeral terrestrial materials in an aquatic environment, will evolve over time as they break down.

This piece is the most basic overview of the "transition" process" involved when going from a more "traditional" aquarium to a botanically-influenced one. Sure, there are a lot more "sub-steps" and considerations to work with, but the big ones are outlined here. Our blog and podcast contain hundreds of ideas and techniques to ponder...please do make use of them! 

Remember, the botanical-style aquarium is as much of a "process" as it is a "method" or "style", and that the techniques and practices we employ are evolving constantly. There is no "absolute" set of rules- other than those Nature stipulates for how biological systems operate. These tanks- although remarkable stablehand simple to run once established- require your participation.

As a botanical-style aquarium lover, you'll have no choice but to be more attuned to these "rules" and to appreciate the elegant process by which Nature regulates our closed systems just as She does in the wild habitats we admire so much.

It's simply part of the game.

Welcome to the tinted world! 

Until next time...

Stay inspired. Stay creative. Stay diligent. Stay studious. Stay consistent. Stay resourceful...

And Stay Wet.

 

 

The "why?" part of the botanical equation, and the importance of our firsthand observations...

As we move further along on the path towards enlightenment in the world of botanical-style aquariums, I am constantly thinking about the "how's and why's" of what we do. 

Now, we have evolved a lot in our "technique"- you know, stuff like how to prepare botanical materials, the pace at which we add them, how to gauge the impact of these additions, etc.

And, of course, we are also getting pretty good at accepting and understanding the progression of what happens in these aquariums- you know, the formation of biofilms, the tinting of the water, and their ultimate decomposition. We are going beyond just looking at these things and freaking out, and attempting to understand what causes these things, how they form, and- most important- what benefits they can bring to our aquariums.

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

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

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

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

And the most important thing is not to get too far out in front of this stuff and make assumptions. Although we can replicate some aspects of Nature, we don't have the technical means, at least at a hobby level, to verify all of the impacts of utilizing botanical materials in our aquariums. To that end, you'll notice that, in this column and elsewhere, you won't see us making wild, broad assertions about what botanicals can and cannot do in aquariums.

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

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

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

These things become very detrimental to the hobby.

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

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

Unfortunately, in the aquarium hobby, it's not uncommon to see straight-up "regurgitations" by otherwise well-intended hobbyists, making strong assertions or statements about this stuff- good or bad- who simply didn't bother to do their "due diligence" and research the facts for themselves before pushing it out on the web with personal commentary. Often, these people have no firsthand knowledge or experience with the stuff they are pushing out! You know, the aquarium equivalent of "re-tweeting" something just because.

Well, that sucks, too. Right?

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

As a guy who sells leaves and botanicals for a living, I've had to be careful to not regurgitate the observations of others without personal verification, or  ascribe miraculous attributes to the stuff I sell- because it's not only not helpful- it can be downright misleading- and certainly counterproductive for the hobby and industry by doing so!

And I see a lot of counterproductive garbage being put out there about leaves and botanicals at scale. It's important to address some of this stuff from time to time, especially when it's about our use of botanicals in natural-style aquariums. We have an obligation, of sorts, to elevate our practice of utilizing natural materials in aquariums, and that often means diving just a bit deeper when seemingly "too good to be true" assertions are made. 

Here is one of the most common misunderstood "botanical claims":

Catappa leaves can "cure fish diseases."

This is one which has been perpetuated for years (often by people who sell leaves online and elsewhere).

It bothers me.

Although, it actually has some validity to it. I said "some" validity- because we in the hobby and industry tend to selectively "cherry pick" stuff we like from science and run with that, often overlooking some of the more sobering realities in favor of the "sizzle."

Yup.

Clarification is required. 

It has been known for many years by science that botanicals like catappa leaves (and others) do have compounds in their tissues which do have some potential "medicinal" functions; compounds like saponins, phytosterols, punicalagins, etc.  Fancy names that sound really cool- these compounds found in Catappa leaves are often bounced around on hobby sites as the "magic elixir" for a variety of fish ailments and maladies.

That's where the danger of regurgitation sneaks in.

Now, I can't entirely beat the crap out of this idea that Catappa leaves have some health benefits for fishes, as these compounds are known to provide certain health benefits...in humans.  Homo spaiens... And for a long time, it was anecdotally assumed that they did the same for fishes. Now, sure, humans aren't fishes, as we all know...Yet, believe it or not, there have been some studies that show benefits to fishes imparted by substances in Catappa and other leaves.

I stumbled across a university study conducted in Thailand with Tilapia which concluded that a Catappa extract was "useful" for eradicating the nasty exoparasite, Trichodina, and found that the growth of a couple of strains of Aeromonas hydrophila was also inhibited by dosing Catappa leaf extract at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml and up. In addition, this solution was shown to reduce the fungal infection in Tilapia eggs!

And it is now widely accepted by science that humic substances (such as those present in Catappa leaves and other botanical materials) are thought to have a wide range of health benefits for fishes in all types of habitats. We've covered this before in a great guest blog by Vince Dollar, and the implications for the hobby and industry are profound. Although they are not the "cure all" that many vendors have touted them as, leaves and other botanicals do possess a wide range of substances which can have significantly beneficial impact on fish health.

 

So, these claims are not entirely erroneous; however, it's important NOT to make over-inflated assumptions about Catappa, and to assume that they are "miraculous things" that we can add to our tanks to do achieve smashing success at curing sick fishes. Just because we add leaves and such to our tanks, doesn't mean that they are imparting therapeutic benefits to our fishes. 

The studies involved an extract of catappa leaves at a specific dosage- a lot more "precise" than simply tossing some leaves into a tank, right?

Rather, I would imagine that, as Catappa leaves and other botanical materials break down in our aquariums, they impart some of these beneficial compounds into the water, perhaps fostering a more healthy environment for fishes which are accustomed to blackwater conditions. Perhaps they perform an almost "prophylactic" role at preventing disease and supporting overall fish health, as opposed to functioning as some sort of "cure all." 

Perhaps.

And that leads to questions, of course:

What "dosage" do we apply? How many leaves steeped in how much water yields a concentrated solution of 0.5 mg/ml or more? How long do these materials need to be in the aquarium to accomplish this? And is there truly some measure of effectiveness?

We're learning the answers to some of these questions as a community, aren't we? I think so, but we still cannot say with 100% certainty that it's the botanicals in our aquariums which can cause all of the positive benefits which our community has reported with botanical-style aquariums.

Breaking through the barrier of assumptions, market hyperbole, and fluff that has often clouded this tinted world before we all came together and made a real effort to understand the function as well as the aesthetics of this dynamic, engrossing hobby niche will only benefit the hobby as a whole.

Let's keep working together to push the state of the hobby farther than ever, backed up with facts and personal experiences! When we aren't sure about something, there is absolutely no shame in saying, "We're just not sure..."

Everybody wins that way.

And there is something really interesting about our "work." 

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

As hobbyists, we have a unique opportunity to observe firsthand the impact and affects of this material in our own aquariums! I love this aspect of our "practice", as it creates really interesting possibilities to embrace and create more naturally-functioning systems, while possibly even "validating" the field work done by scientists! It goes without saying that there are implications for both the biology and chemistry of the aquatic habitats when leaves and other botanical materials enter them.

Many of these are things that we as hobbyists observe every day in our aquariums! This is where it gets pretty interesting.

Here's an interesting example of making "home aquarium field observations" based upon work done by scientists:

It's about our old nemesis, biofilm.

A lab study I came upon found out that, when leaves are saturated in water, biofilm is at it's peak when other nutrients (i.e.; nitrate, phosphate, etc.) tested at their lowest limits. This is interesting to me, because it seems that, in our botanical-style, blackwater aquariums, biofilms tend to occur early on, when one would assume that these compounds are at their highest concentrations, right? And biofilms are essentially the byproduct of bacterial colonization, meaning that there must be a lot of "food" for the bacteria at some point if there is a lot of biofilm, right?

More questions...

Does this imply that the biofilms arrive on the scene and "peak out" really quickly; an indication that there is actually less nutrient in the water column? Is the nutrient bound up in the biofilms? And when our fishes and other animals consume them, does this provide a significant source of sustenance for them?

Hmm...?

What are the implications of biofilms as a sort of "nutrient export mechanism?"

Oh, and here is another interesting tangential observation which scientists made in a study I stumbled upon:

When leaves fall into streams, field studies have shown that their nitrogen content typically will increase. Why is this important? Scientists see this as evidence of microbial colonization, which is correlated by a measured increase in oxygen consumption. This is interesting to me, because the rare "disasters" that we see in our tanks (when we do see them, of course, which fortunately isn't very often at all)- are usually caused by the hobbyist adding a really large quantity of leaves at once, resulting in the fishes gasping at the surface- a sign of...oxygen depletion?

Makes sense, right? 

These are interesting clues about the process of decomposition of leaves when they enter into our aquatic ecosystems. They have implications for our use of botanicals and the way we manage our aquariums. I think that the simple fact that pH and oxygen tend to go down quickly when leaves are  initially submerged in pure water during lab tests gives us an idea as to what to expect.

A lot of the initial environmental changes will happen rather rapidly, and then stabilize over time. Which of course, leads me to conclude that the development of sufficient populations of organisms to process the incoming botanical load is a critical part of the establishment of our botanical-style aquariums.

Obviously, this is a hypothesis which directly impacts our practices and techniques. One could say that I'm "cherry picking" this stuff from scientific literature. True, but I'm "cherry picking" it not because it supports some narrative of mine. Rather, it opens up the opportunity to correlate things which happen in the wild habitats with those which happen in our aquariums.

Exploration and consideration- two important endeavors.

The topics mentioned here are just a few of the many interesting ones that we can explore as hobbyists- helping to advance the state of the art of botanical-style aquariums, and dispel some of the regurgitated "myths" that seem to abound. 

By moving forward in a measured manner, and sharing our firsthand experiences freely, we create a vibrant, exciting area of the hobby, where everyone who participates can add to the amazing body of knowledge.

Stay involved. Stay curious. Stay open-minded. Stay honest. Stay diligent. Stay excited...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

The perfect blend of impulsiveness and patience?

The aquarium hobby gives a lot to us, and demands a lot from us.

It'll challenge your skills, demand your knowledge, and tantalize your senses. And of course, it will test your patience. And the botanical-style aquarium that we favor- it's a real test of all of our discipline.

It's not an "instant gratification" sort of thing, right? It requires us to apply enormous patience.

This is, of course, something that we've discussed many times before, but it deserves yet another look.

Are you one of those people who loves to have stuff right now? The kind of person who just wants your aquarium "finished"- or do you relish the journey of establishing and evolving your little microcosm? 

I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and postulate that you're part of the latter group.

I'm not sure exactly what it is, but when it comes to the aquarium hobby...I find myself playing what is called in many endeavors (like business, sports, etc.) a "long game."

I'm not looking for instant gratification.

I know-we all know- that good stuff often takes time to happen. I'm certainly not afraid to wait for results. Well, I'm not just sitting around in the "lotus position", either- waiting, anyways. However, I'm not expecting immediate results from stuff. Rather, I am okay with doing the necessary groundwork, nurturing the project along, and seeing the results happen over time.

Yeah, that's a "long game."

If you're into tropical fish keeping, it's almost a necessity to have this sort of patience, isn't it? I mean, sure, some of us are anxious to get that aquascape done, get the fishes in there, fire up the plumbing in the fish room, etc. However, we all seem to understand that to get good results- truly satisfying, legitimate results- things just take time. Yeah, I'd love it if some "annual" killifish eggs hatched in one month instead of 7-9 months, for example, but...

I wouldn't complain, but I do understand that there is the world the way it is; and the world the way we'd like it to be!

I've learned in the many years that I've been playing with blackwater tanks that the tank just doesn't get where you want it overnight. Or even after a week or two... Initially, you'll see that burst of tint in the water, an "earthy vibe", and see some of the materials you place in the tank breaking down, but for a while, your carefully conceived aquascape just looks like a stack of wood with some leaves and seed pods thrown on the bottom, doesn't it?

Perhaps almost "clinical" in appearance; not quite "there" just yet, huh?

We wait for Nature to do some of the work...

We can scape well. We can manage the tank effectively; engage in best practices to keep it functioning and progressing in a healthy manner...But we cannot rush Nature, right?

It simply takes time.

Time for the bacterial and fungal populations to grow and soften the botanicals in your aquarium. Time for the water chemistry to stabilize. Time for the  aquascape to take on a more "mature", established look.

It's not really 100% in our control. 

Which is kind of cool, actually.

There is that certain "randomness" about a botanical-style aquarium- or ANY aquarium, for that matter- which makes the whole process just that more engrossing, if you ask me.

We, as hobbyists, just need to supply the patience.

Some of us are impatient, however..which begs the question:

Are you an “impatient fish geek?”

Be honest...

I ask that not to get some "secret marketing data" that we can use to exploit your psychological weaknesses for my own nefarious purposes (hmm..but that does sound like an interesting idea..). Rather, I’m curious because, as I asserted above, I think that most hobbyists are not.

Usually. Okay, maybe- sometimes…

As aquarists, we’re taught that nothing good ever happens quickly in a fish tank, and I’d tend to agree with that. Most of us don't make really rash decisions, and go crazily into some tangent at the first sign of an anomaly...

That encapsulates many of us as hobbyists.

However, as consumers, I think us fish geeks do sometimes make things happen quickly with last-minute purchasing decisions! We tend to deviate just a bit from our normal patient attitude and "long game", and often go "off plan."

We get a bit...impulsive!

When I co-owned a coral propagation facility, I dealt with lots of hobbyists every day who were buying corals and fishes, and I was often surprised at the rather odd additional purchases that people make to “fill out” their orders- you know, to hit our free shipping level, get an extra piece of coral to share with a friend, or just to “scratch that itch” to try a new species…It happened just often enough to make me think that fish geeks are not necessarily impulsive, but that we are "strategic."

In other words, the purchase may not be something we would start our order with, but it "justifies" purchasing at the end in order to hit that free shipping number, etc.

Logical, on the surface, right?

Yeah. Totally.

However, being a lifelong fish geek and student of the "culture" of aquarium keeping, I think many of the reefers I dealt with really wanted that extra piece in the first place.

Seriously.

A lot of times, they’d ask, in passing, at the end of an order or other conversation, a seemingly innocuous question, like, “So, are those Montipora really that hard to keep in good color?” I would a sneaking feeling that they intended buy the coral anyways, and maybe just needed some "assurance" that it was a cool piece, or within their skill set to maintain, or something like that. The so-called "impulse buy" was almost always something totally unrelated to their primary order (for example, 5 zoanthids, and then an Acropora added at the last second)! 

 So very like us fish geeks, isn’t it?

You see this at fish club raffles and auctions all the time- when the hobbyist who's bred like 300 species of fishes and swears that she's done trying new ones- ends up feverishly bidding for some obscure cichlid or wild livebearer in the heat of the moment- always done under the pretext of "helping the club out"-seemingly casting aside her "mandate" NOT to get any more fish! 

And then, of course, there are those of us like me, who are the polar opposite of this...

I vividly recall driving my LFS employees crazy when I was younger, because I’d spend literally hours in the store, scrutinizing every aspect of a fish before I’d pull the trigger…or not (that must be why I drove ‘em crazy!). I would look at every fin ray, every gill movement…I’d look at every "twitch" and "scratch" the fish performed and correlate it with known disease symptoms versus regular behaviors for the said species…

 

I would sometimes even bring my reference material (like Axelreod’s or Baensch's books and maybe the early Albert Thiel stuff (after the dawn of the “reef” age), and notes from Bob Fenner’s books in my hand later on, and would just geek out.

Yeah. Weird. Like, super geeky.

But, helpful.

Of course, I would second guess everything the LFS guy said because “the books” said otherwise, even though the employees worked with these animals every day of their lives. My first brush with aquarium-keeping “dogma”, I suppose, and it was an example of a certain type of stubbornness that I've since abandoned.

I was a complete dork!

My, how things change! (well, the "dogma" part...I'm still a dork, I think...)

 

I knew at an early age that I’d never be an “impulsive fish geek."

I learned patience right away.

I had no choice. 

I think that in my case, it likely came about because, when you’re a kid, you have a 10-gallon tank and $5.67 in change that you’ve painstakingly saved for months to spend. You have to make every dime count.

You need to be absolutely sure of your purchases.

I was very thorough! Like, obsessively so.

Even as an adult, with a 225-gallon tank, and much more money to spend, I still found myself doing the same thing (okay, maybe with my iPhone in tow, opened to fishbase.com or what not, instead of some well-worn reference book).  

I guess I'm at the other extreme.

It can take me like a year to stock a 50-gallon tank fully...

You should see me when I go to the wholesalers here in L.A….it could take me half a day to pick like 5 fish. At Unique Corals, we worked with a lot of collectors and mariculturists overseas, so we had only so much control over what we received. Guys like me had to relax...

However, the cool thing was that we had built up personal relationships to the point where these guys more or less knew our tastes, and would often throw the fishes in the boxes with corals, so that was actually easier than going to a wholesaler’s facility! (well, better than sending ME there, anyways! it could take half a day to get like 20 fishes...)

This "anti-impulsive" thing isn't just limited to fishes, in my case...

Equipment choices are even more subject to analysis and absurd scrutiny, because hey- how often do you purchase a heater or a lighting system? ( OK, wait- don’t answer that). But seriously, when you’re sending the big money on a critical piece of life-support equipment, you want to get it right! One of the things I love most about the internet is that most sites will analyze the shit out of almost anything, from an algae magnet to a digital refractometer, etc.

It's a source of great information...and even the act of just reading this stuff will help you "slow down" a bit, right?

Useful stuff for many of us- essential for anal-retentive fish geeks like myself.

Of course, impulsiveness can permeate every aspect of being a fish geek, including setup and configuration of your tank. I may not be overly impulsive in terms of additions and purchases, but I CAN be "spur-of-the-moment" on tank decisions.-sometimes to my own detriment!

Now, what exactly do I mean by “tank decisions?”

For example, I’ll be scraping algae or some other mundane maintenance chore in my tank and suddenly, I’ll notice a rock or driftwood branch that seems “not right” somehow…”Hmm, what if I move this guy over here…?” Of course, this almost always leads to a spontaneous “refreshing” of the aquascape, often taking hours to complete.  Somehow, I find this relaxing. Weird. So it’s entirely possible to be analytical and calculating on some aspects of aquarium keeping, and spontaneous on others.

I believe that this dichotomy actually applies to many of us.

 

And of course, there are aquarists who are entirely impulsive, which is why you see entire 200-gallon tanks full of every fish imaginable, with selections from all over the world poking out from every nook and cranny. (Or, as one of my hardcore "freshwater-only" friends asserted, "That's why there are reef tanks..." Ouch! )

Of course, I cannot, in all honesty, say anything truly negative about impulsive hobbyists because some of these types keep many of us in business, lol!

 

Besides, it's fun to go "off plan" now and again, right?

The "long game" is familiar to many of us...and of course, so is the love of the "impulse buy" or the "quick-reconfigure." And of course, I couldn't resist analyzing the hell out of a seemingly arcane topic like this.

After all, I am told that I'm your "morning coffee" or "afternoon tea",  I have a certain duty to bring up this kind of stuff here, right?

This hobby demands a perfect blend of patience and impulsiveness...

My advice is to stay impulsive, while staying patient simultaneously...Stay crazy, motivated, fun-loving, adventurous, and just a bit weird.

And of course,

Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

 

The details of decomposition...

If there is one aspect of our botanical-style aquariums which fascinates me, it's the way they facilitate the natural processes of life- specifically, decomposition.

We use this term a lot around here...What, precisely does it mean?

Decomposition of plant matter-leaves and botanicals- occurs in several stages.

It starts with leaching -soluble carbon compounds are liberated during this process. Another early process is physical breakup or fragmentation of the plant material into smaller pieces, which have greater surface area for colonization by microbes.

And of course, the ultimate "state" to which leaves and other botanical materials "evolve" to is our old friend...detritus.

And of course, that very word- as we've mentioned many times here- has frightened and motivated many hobbyists over the years into removing as much of the stuff as possible from their aquariums whenever and wherever it appears.

Siphoning detritus is a sort of "thing" that we are asked about near constantly. This makes perfect sense, of course, because our aquariums- by virtue of the materials they utilize- produce substantial amounts of this stuff.

Now, the idea of "detritus" takes on different meanings in our botanical-style aquariums...Our "aquarium definition" of "detritus" is typically agreed to be dead particulate matter, including fecal material, dead organisms, mucous, etc.

And bacteria and other microorganisms will colonize this stuff and decompose/remineralize it, essentially "completing" the cycle.

In the reef aquarium world, where I have operated for decades, you'll see a lot of hobbyists freak out about "detritus" and such accumulating in the aquarium, and they blame filter socks and media for all sorts of problems in their aquariums. I understand this concern for water quality, but I think it sort of places emphasis on the wrong part of the equation; that is, what exactly is accumulating, and why? Uneaten food? Bad! Need to be more careful here. Fish waste? Unavoidable to some extent (unless you lower population density/food inputs).

You get the idea...

I think it's all relative, though. 

In a botanical-style aquarium, we tend to see a fair amount of fine "bits and pieces" of decomposing leaves and botanicals accumulate in our tanks- on the substrate, in the leaf litter bed, and in mechanical filter media. This stuff, although somewhat unsightly to many if allowed to accumulate in the aquarium, is essentially harmless...Inert.

And, it's just sort of "there", if you know what I mean. And, other than potentially being visually distracting, this material is not really detrimental- I mean, you want it in your system (at least in its "original" form).  It's what imparts the tannins, humic substances, and other desirable compounds into our water.

And is it really that "unsightly?"

I'm not completely convinced that it is. The look of the broken-down botanical material isn't beloved by everyone, but it IS a natural thing, right? 

Again, if it's uneaten food, you need to figure out a more accurate feeding approach. "Detritus" in general, in my opinion, gets a kind of a "bad rap", as the bulk of it is really broken down already by the time it accumulates. Sure, in systems with large, predatory cichlids and messy eaters, you're likely to see a lot more than you would in a lightly-stocked tank with say, Endler's Livebearers, small Rasbora, or Gouramis, but still...do most of us really overfeed or under-filter THAT much?

I don't think so.

Of course, if you see uneaten food and such accumulating in your tank, it looks crappy. I think it's important to look beyond just the aesthetics. However, do you have phosphate or nitrate issues as a result of accumulating organics from this stuff, or is some of it- enough of it- being utilized by bacteria and other "unseen residents" of your tank that it's not really a "problem" from an environmental standpoint?

As we all know, regular water exchanges are a great way to keep this balance, as you've no doubt have had beaten into your head since your aquarium-keeping "infancy." And sure, you need to test your water to get a "snapshot" of what's happening in your tank.

The basics.

So...we're back to the beginning, yet again.

Is "detritus"- a menace or benefit? Or perhaps, something in between? Like biofilms, fungal growth, aufwuchs, and decomposition- is it something that is inevitable, natural- perhaps even beneficial in our aquariums? Or, is it something that we should learn to embrace and appreciate? All part of a natural process and yes- aesthetic- that we have to understand to appreciate?

My personal thoughts? Keep it clean, but don't get overly concerned about the material breaking down in your tank. Take it out...leave it in...it's your call.

Just get it into your head that it's the "end product" of a natural process- one which occurs  everywhere on the planet. One which fuels the proliferation of life.

Embrace the natural processes which occur in your system. We mention this over and over and over, because it's so very important.

Understand that the process of decomposition is a fundamental, necessary function that occurs in our aquariums on a constant basis. Realize that in the botanical-style aquarium, we are, on some levels, attempting to replicate the natural habitats- and botanical materials are just part of the equation.

And of course, these botanical materials not only offer enhanced aesthetics- they offer enrichment of the aquatic habitat through their release of tannins, humic acids, vitamins, etc. as they decompose- just as they do in nature.

Leaves and such are simply not permanent additions to our 'scapes, and if we wish to enjoy them in their more "intact" forms, we will need to replace them as they start to break down. 

This is not a bad thing. It just requires us to "do some stuff" if we are expecting a specific aesthetic.

Ahh, aesthetics...Much like flowers in a garden, leaves will have a period of time where they are in all their glory, followed by the gradual, inevitable encroachment of biological decay.

At this phase, you may opt to leave them in the aquarium to enrich the environment further and offer a new aesthetic, or you can remove and replace them with fresh leaves and botanicals. Again, this is very much replicates the process which occur in nature, doesn't it? Stuff either remains "in situ" as part of the local habitat, or is pushed downstream by wind, current, etc.

Pretty much everything we do in a botanical-style blackwater aquarium has a "natural analog" to it! 

Some hobbyists have commented that, as their leaves and botanicals break down  the scape as initially presented changes significantly over time. Wether they know it or not, they are grasping "Wabi-Sabi"...sort of.

(Again, Fellman?" Yes. This concept is really important!)

One must appreciate the beauty at various phases to really grasp the concept and appreciate it. To find little vignettes- little moments- of fleeting beauty that need not be permanent to enjoy.

And, despite their impermanence, these materials function as diverse harbors of life, ranging from fungal and biofilm mats, to algae, to micro crustaceans and even epiphytic plants. Decomposing leaves, seed pods, and tree branches make up the substrate for a complex web of life which helps the fishes that we're so fascinated by flourish.

And, if you look at them objectively and carefully, these assemblages-and the processes which form them- are beautiful.

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

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

Getting real. Like, really real...

The aquarium hobby abounds with rules, best practices, and guidelines. And of course, the world of botanical-style aquariums is not all that different than the mainstream aquarium world in most respects. We have "best practices" and "guidelines" developed over the years regarding the preparation and addition of botanicals, monitoring water parameters, and managing water quality. 

And the "rules" part? 

Well, there is a slight departure there...

One of the best things about these types of aquariums is that there are no hard and fast "style rules." There are only Nature's "restrictions" and her limitations. That being said, and "best practices" aside, every situation, every tank, every nuance is unique, and this requires "customized" solutions for every aquarium. Sure, the methodology/strategy might be something which we can more or less "standardize"- but not the "formula."

Unless you're trying to replicate the characteristics of a specific natural habitat...and even in that instance, it's sort of "open for interpretation..."

As an example, the Rio Negro and its many tributaries provide us many different fishes that we love to keep in aquariums. The Rio Negro’s water is extremely poor in mineral content, with conductivity as low as 8 micro semions, and is extremely acidic, with pH’s ranging from 2.9 to 5.2. That's pretty damn acidic by aquarium standards, isn't it? How can you replicate water like that in your aquarium?

DO you want to?

Well, you'd start by utilizing RO/DI water and "conditioning it" with botanicals and such, which might only get you so far. There would likely be additional steps required, like the addition of acid solutions, different pH-reducing natural materials in your filter. And more detailed monitoring. And slightly different water-quality maintenance approaches. This stuff touches on the fringes of what a lot of us are comfortable doing.

I know that I'm not all that keen on the idea of playing with acid solutions and stuff. I mean, there are undoubtedly some potential benefits I'm "leaving on the table" by not chasing down super low pH, but it's not on my list of "exciting things I want to do" at the moment, anyways.

And wouldn't it be easier to create and maintain these conditions with some compromising, like finding out the "average" of the pH and other parameters of the habitat you're trying to replicate and either going for it- or perhaps, for the higher, easier-to-achieve higher limits of pH in the habitat, for example?

Even with a sort of "compromised accommodation" approach, you'd be providing your fishes with environmental conditions that are far more "realistic" than those typically provided in aquariums, right? Is there even a significant benefit to doing so? I believe so, but that's going to require some experimentation over time to prove.

That's what we need to do.

Yeah, easy for me to sit here and talk about, but it will require some work to back up this "hypothesis!"

And again, we've accomplished many amazing things without going too crazy into trying to more accurately replicate these natural conditions. However, I just can't help but wonder what we'd accomplish if we go just that much farther. The examples which Nature provides us are many and varied.

Even subtle nuances outside of just achieving a low pH- like the utilization of materials like soils, more concentrated quantities of leaves, water flow, lighting, and temperature manipulations could have some extremely positive effects on our fishes, right?

I sometimes think that we as group tend to be a bit hard on ourselves. Like, I've seen fellow hobbyists act almost "apologetic" for not creating super-exact "natural" conditions in a given aquarium...as if there is some "universal arbitrator" judging our work.

That's toxic, IMHO.

And we tend to make stuff "problems" or "requirements" in the hobby, often to our detriment, too.

Right? I mean, when we look at the hobby this way, it tends to open our eyes up a bit. Just look at the definitions of these two words and consider how they apply to the hobby:

Problem (prob*lem): a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

Requirement (re*quire*ment): a thing that is compulsory; a necessary condition.

Few columns that I've written in the last year have drawn as much interesting response from our readers, and as much thought-provoking discussion- as a piece we featured a few months back on "rethinking" the hobby's perception of killifishes. And that makes me feel good- not only because there is a larger interest and hunger to learn about killies that I even imagined, but there IS a big- BIG "perception problem" among retailers, hobby pundits, and even hobbyists about why they aren't more popular and available.

The discussion online and elsewhere has been surprisingly broad and wide-ranging, with both hobbyist and retailers chiming in. And this is really cool- because everyone seems to want the same thing- a broader availability and appeal for a magnificent group of fishes. And of course, many of the same concerns arise when we broach these kinds of topics: Hobbyists find certain fishes difficult to find. Retailers find the same fishes impractical to sell.

A seemingly difficult conundrum.

Or, is it?

Lots of hobbyists tend to look at killifish as "problematic"- as if keeping them is fraught with issues that would keep them from ever being able to have a greater hobby appeal. 

I just don't buy into that thinking. I just can't.

Now, I have a "problem" with classifying stuff as "problems" when it comes to our aquarium endeavors. I think we tend to consider the specialized requirements of keeping/breeding/marketing certain fishes as "problems" instead of simply as "requirements."

What makes them "problems?"

The fact that we can't just place a rare fish from a specialized environment into a glass of tap water and walk away? It's not a "problem" that corals require saltwater, light, and a chemical environment suitable for their long-term care. It's simply a set of requirements that we need to meet if we want to keep them.

Some fishes are aggressive. So, is that a "problem?" Well, only if you decide that they must be kept in community tanks with docile guppies or whatever. Some fishes require brackish water. Is that a "problem?" Only if you don't have a way of mixing and measuring salt concentration, right?

Perception. Perspective. Point of view...

If we want to sell rare Apistogramma to a wider market, for example, it's not a "problem." It's a challenge to figure out a way to keep them comfortable and healthy in order to accomplish this, and to communicate this to prospective keepers. If we determine that it is not practical for us to meet the requirements of the fishes in order to keep them/breed them/sell them, well- then it's simply a situation where we cannot meet the requirements in order to accomplish this.

Just because I can't keep African Cichlids with my acid-water-loving tetras doesn't make them a "problem", right?

The word "problem", IMHO, gives us a cushion to fall back on when things that we want to do in the hobby require that certain steps which we are unaware of, uncertain of, unwilling to take, or cannot undertake- present themselves. The challenge is to determine if the requirements are insurmountable for us, or if there is a way we can meet the requirements in a manner that is practical, given our resources.

A great example is the perception that blackwater aquariums have had for so many years in the hobby was that they were a "problem."

I think that the "problem" of blackwater tanks for years was that we as a hobby saw them as "dirty", dangerous", "non-sustainable" etc. We didn't tend to look at the blackwater environment as one that simply required that we meet a specific set of parameters.

We didn't look at keeping blackwater aquariums simply as an endeavor that required an understanding of the processes involved, and developing technique and practices to accomplish our goals. Rather, we as hobbyists saw a foreboding, dark environment which had low pH and all sorts of seemingly contrarian, scary processes.

We made it a "problem."

It took doing things that we hadn't previously done before- researching exactly what it was, what is required to make "blackwater"- and doing some things which were perceived by the majority of hobbyists as unconventional to get there.

But we did.

And now, we approach keeping blackwater aquariums not as a "problem" to overcome, but a system which requires us to do specific things in order to do so successfully.

Look, it wasn't like we were creating warp drive or trying to solve nuclear fusion. But it is an example- one of many in our hobby, which simply required us to look at what exactly we wanted to accomplish, understand what it was just a bit, and to develop ways to work within the requirements and parameters laid out by Nature to do it in our aquariums. It's still a "work in progress", but we're well on the way to making stable, long-term sustainable blackwater aquariums far more common and achievable in the hobby. 

And not quite so scary!

Let's not make every set of requirements of our fishes "problems." Rather, lets find out ways to meet their needs. 

Let's think this through when we want to get real...

I think that we can do all sorts of stuff previously though to be unachievable, if we look at it in a more positive way.

We've got this.

The important thing to remember- something we tend to forget now and again- is the fact that we're trying to replicate- on many levels- a specialized aquatic habitat- both functionally and aesthetically. This involves some trial and error, some experiments, and some time.

Learning.

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

This is a huge point; something which everyone who works with blackwater/botanical-style aquariums comes to know and usually accept.

We need to have an attitude which doesn't allow us to panic; to make fast, short-term moves in favor of longer-term outcomes. It's a very different philosophy. You need to accept different aesthetics. You need flexibility. You may even have to accept short-term losses for a greater long-term good.

You need to have faith in Nature.

Because you're trying to replicate Nature on so many levels.

It's a dance. An art form. A process, and an evolution. Sometimes seemingly chaotic, other times maddeningly slow. Always alluring. Always deferring to Nature...

Yet, that's what we need to do when we try to "get real", right?

I think that is.

Until next time...

Stay dedicated. Stay engaged. Stay observant. Stay diligent. Stay patient...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

"Aquariums are awesome, Scott ! I totally want one." Oh, Sh-t! Now what?

I admit it. I tell people not to get aquariums when they ask me about them.

Like, a lot.

I know. I know, I may sound like a straight-up asshole for saying that, but when you look at it objectively, it's a smart move on my part! Well, I think that it is, anyways.

Perhaps you've experienced this kind of scenario:

A group of friends, sitting around your house, enjoying your "fish tank"- when one of them, obviously enamored with the whole concept, asks if you'd "help them out" to "get one going in their home" because it's "so relaxing" or whatever.

Cool, but it starts this instant "thing" in my mind. A weird reaction...

I know what goes on in my head...

An immediate "red alert!" Like, not only am I trying to pour cold water on the idea, I'm actually downplaying the "joys" of having tropical fish in an aquarium. I have to give them a dose of hard reality.

I'm a real f- ing buzzkill.

And, it all happens in like a nano-second.

I'm "evaluating them" (I know, that even sounds totally arrogant) to see if they'd actually be up for the challenges of an aquarium. You know, the equipment, the physical setup, the maintenance, the husbandry issues...dead fishes, algae, etc. Yeah- the realities that you face every day after the initial idea of "getting an aquarium" in your home settles in.

All of the good and bad.

All of it flashes through my head...

Now it sure would be nice if everyone could have an aquarium in their own home...The appreciation for the fishes, for Nature, for the science- the wonder of it all- is something everyone would benefit from. Yet the reality is that not everyone is up for the challenge. Not everyone wants the "hobby" part. Or even the "responsibility for live animals" part.

It's important, IMHO, for us to address this.

Almost always, as soon as I explain the part about an aquarium NOT being like keeping a potted plant in their living room, and make it more of a "dog/cat" kind of commitment, it usually chills a fair percentage of the would be owners right off the bat. When the realization hits that an aquarium is not just a piece of "kinetic art", and that you have to actually invest more than just money into it, that tends to knock about 75% or more (my "guesstimate" from years of experiencing this) of these prospective tank owners out of contention.

A good start, IMHO.

And, it addresses a problem that I believe has been created by the shallowness of popular culture about aquariums.

There seems to be a perception among non-aquarists that aquariums and fishes are sort of a "set up and forget" kind of thing... Like home decor...You buy some stuff, set it up, make a few fish selections, and it takes care of itself, other than you tossing in a few flakes of food now and then. Nothing more to it than that, really.

Thanks a  f- king lot, Instagram.

I'm totally guilty of this. Sharing pics of beautiful tanks....Yeah, guilty. However, Like you, I talk a lot about the other stuff. We have to. 

Otherwise, we're simply perpetuating the shallow perception that most people have about aquariums and tropical fishes.

Be honest with yourself, and you'll realize that IS the perception of "aquarium keeping" among many. Thery see the beautiful aquariums in full glory on line, and want THAT. A finished "art piece."

However, they don't want the "hobby" part of it.

And, that's okay.

That's what aquarium design and service businesses are for. They allow those who love the beauty of aquariums but don't want to engage in the deep learning and work themselves. This is a great compromise.

I think we, as serious aquarium hobbyists,  need to ask questions about the mindset of the prospective aquarium owner who's asking us for input even before we talk about the actual tank or fishes. IMHO, it's the most important thing...

For example...

Lots of people want dogs, but really don't want to deal with the feeding, grooming, etc. They just want to put a bow on them and parade them at the local high-end shopping mall to show them off. The dog is more of a social media "prop" to some of these people than anything else.  A bit sad...I mean, they love their dogs, but...Okay, I sort of get it. Its a cultural shift...(Welcome to my hometown, Los Angeles, BTW) I don't agree with it, but I understand it.

Sort of.

And the same mindset exists in the context of aquariums. They want the flash but not the hobby part.

People enjoy aquariums the way they want to. I learned this taking part in purely artistic aquarium installation projects that were not targeted at aquarium people...

There really is nothing wrong with that.

It's not their "fault" that they don't understand or don't want to understand the ins-and-outs of the hobby. Maybe they do, but they're too busy to commit to the time. Not a dead end. It just means that they should approach aquarium ownership in a different way than you or I should. And we need to point this out to them.

Having a custom aquarium set up and maintained professionally is a great thing for many who fall into this category. People still get exposed to the wonders of Nature, share it with their friends, and enjoy it without having to worry about the "details" of it all.

Experiencing aquariums their own way.

I'm not saying that certain people aren't "worthy" of having an aquarium. Absolutely not. I am merely saying that we as serious aquarium hobbyists owe these people the benefit of a full "reality check" so that they don't get into something that they're not prepared for; something that can cost a lot of money, and most important, the lives of helpless animals.

I mean, despite our enthusiasm for sharing our love of the hobby with others, we all know this...

Again, not everyone who simply wants to experience an aquarium in their home and doesn't want to "learn" the hobby stuff is some kind of idiot or something. That's absurd. What I am getting at is that when we as hobbyists are asked to "consult" the uninitiated and unfamiliar with the joys of having an aquarium, we need to paint the full picture. We need to explain to them that there is a lot of responsibility that goes along with it.

It's our duty. It's our obligation...

Sure, it will definitely slow down the "impulse buyers" and affect some consumer behavior. It'll result in fewer "aquarium starter kits" being given each Christmas...Sure, it could slow the growth of the hobby. It will likely upset a few people, too. No one likes a "roadblock"- but we need to be honest about it. 

If someone doesn't want to learn the most basic aspects of aquarium care, they simply shouldn't do it themselves. Period. Why would you want to encourage this sort of thing?

And if you don't want to be "on call" as their "consultant", "personal aquarium trainer", or whatever the hell you want to call it, you should either recommend a good aquarium design and maintenance service to help them out...or just have your friends over more often to enjoy YOUR aquariums.

Perhaps, you could force feed them some "propaganda" by sharing lots of pics and information about the unfiltered beauty, diversity, challenges, and threats of the wild aquatic habitats from which our fishes hail- and that might inspire them to make the effort to learn more about them...and maybe want to replicate such habitats in their own home...

Or not.

Yeah, a sort of warped form of "tough love", but it's also a form of honesty, and a way to keep the hobby stronger, healthier, and filled with people who not only appreciate the beauty of aquariums, but who also understand the responsibility that goes along with them.

That's not a bad thing. Likely, it's not a popular thing. However, it's the right thing to do to assure the future of the hobby, the industry, and most important, the priceless natural habitats and the fishes which live in them.

Yeah, so the bulk of those who casually ask me about "getting an aquarium" in their home typically end up deciding on the potted plant, home theater system, or sculpture instead.

And I'm perfectly okay with that.

You should be, too.

Until next time...

Stay honest. Stay realistic. Stay helpful. Stay empathetic. Stay dedicated. Stay diligent...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

 

 

 

Why should biofilms have all the fun? Bring on the fungi!

With the botanical aquariums that we play with, there is a very distinct set of occurrences and expectations that we're now quite aware of. And even with these expectations, we still find ourselves having to make mental shifts to adjust to them.

As your botanical aquarium breaks in, you almost always encounter our friend (or nemesis, depending upon how you look at it), biofilm. Now, we've discussed the ins and outs of biofilms in our botanical-style aquariums, and how they arise and propagate in our tanks many, many times in this blog.

To many, the biofilms are a source of consternation, frustration, and out-and-out horror. They look kind of- well, yucky to many. Although by no means harmful, they're simply not everyone's idea of high-quality aesthetics. Of course, biofilms have one extraordinary characteristic that makes them even more important for some in our community: They're a rich and important food source for many fishes and invertebrates.

This is one of the most interesting aspects of a botanical-style aquarium: We have the opportunity to create an aquatic microcosm which provides not only unique aesthetics- it provides self-generating nutritional value on a more-or-less continuous basis.

True "functional aesthetics", indeed!

I feel a great affinity for my friends who keep dwarf shrimp, like Caridina, Halocaridina, etc. These hobbyists understand and appreciate the value of botanicals and the biofilms which colonize them as a food source, and put forth a lot of effort to propagate them in their aquariums.

Some fishes, such as gobies of the genus Stiphodon (Sicydiines) are near-exclusive consumers of biofilms in the wild. Most reside in relatively fast-flowing, well-oxygenated streams which are filled with scattered jumbles of boulders and rocks, filled in with leaf litter. The boulders and rocks are covered in biofilms of various densities and composition.

Granted, the bulk of the biofilms in these habitats is on rocks, but the leaf litter which accumulates in pockets in the habitat is also a substrate upon which they propagate. And in many aquatic habitats, submerged branches and logs and such also recruit these biofilms. 

And biofilms are interesting, in and of themselves. Understanding the reasons they arise and how they propagate can really help us to appreciate them!

We've discussed this before; however, let's revisit the process one more time:

It starts with a few bacteria, taking advantage of the abundant and comfy surface area that leaves, seed pods, and even driftwood offer. The "early adapters" put out the "welcome mat" for other bacteria by providing more diverse adhesion sites, such as a matrix of sugars that holds the biofilm together. Since some bacteria species are incapable of attaching to a surface on their own, they often anchor themselves to the matrix or directly to their friends who arrived at the party first.

 

And we could go on and on all day telling you that this is a completely natural occurrence; bacteria and other microorganisms taking advantage of a perfect substrate upon which to grow and reproduce, just like in the wild. Freshly added botanicals offer a "mother load"of organic material for these biofilms to propagate, and that's occasionally what happens - just like in nature.

Of course, we can tell you that a thousand times, and many of you will still be of the opinion that the stuff looks like shit...

And biofilms seem to go hand-in-hand with fungi.

Yeah, those guys.

Not the ones that we vilify for attacking our fish or their eggs, of course. It's easy to just heap them in with the "bad guys" and the nasty implications they have. 

Nope.

Fungi reproduce by releasing tiny spores that then germinate on new and hospitable surfaces (ie, pretty much anywhere they damn well please!). These aquatic fungi are involved in the decay of wood and leafy material. And of course, when you submerge terrestrial materials in water, growths of fungi tend to arise.

Anyone who's ever "cured" a piece of aquatic wood for your aquarium can attest to this!

Fungi tend to colonize wood because it offers them a lot of surface area to thrive and live out their life cycle. And cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin- the major components of wood and botanical materials- are degraded by fungi which posses enzymes that can digest these materials! Fungi are regarded by biologists to be the dominant organisms associated with decaying leaves in streams, so this gives you some idea as to why we see them in our aquariums, right?

And of course, fishes and invertebrates which live amongst and feed directly upon the fungi and decomposing leaves and botanicals contribute to the breakdown of these materials as well! Aquatic fungi can break down the leaf matrix and make the energy available to feeding animals in these habitats.

And look at this little gem I found in my research:

"There is evidence that detritivores selectively feed on conditioned leaves, i.e. those previously colonized by fungi (Suberkropp, 1992; Graca, 1993). Fungi can alter the food quality and palatability of leaf detritus, aecting shredder growth rates. Animals that feed on a diet rich in fungi have higher growth rates and fecundity than those fed on poorly colonized leaves. Some shredders prefer to feed on leaves that are colonized by fungi, whereas others consume fungal mycelium selectively..."

"Conditioned" leaves, in this context, are those which have been previously colonized by fungi! They make the energy within the leaves and botanicals more available to higher organisms like fishes and invertebrates! 

It's easy to get scared by this stuff...and surprisingly, it's even easier to exploit it as a food source for your animals! This is a HUGE point that we can't emphasize enough.

We just have to make that mental shift... As the expression goes, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

Fungi, although not the most attractive-looking organisms, are incredibly useful...and they "play well" with a surprisingly large number of aquatic life forms to create substantial food webs.

Natural habitats are absolutely filled with this stuff...it's like the whole game here- an explosion of life-giving materials, free for the taking...

Another "mental shift", I suppose...one which many of you have already made, no doubt. I certainly look forward to seeing many examples of us utilizing "what we've got" to the advantage of our fishes! AGAIN: A truly "Natural" aquarium is not sterile. It encourages the accumulation of organic materials and other nutrients- not in excess, of course.

Biofilms, fungi, algae...detritus...all have their place in the aquarium. Not as an excuse for lousy or lazy husbandry- no- but as supplemental food sources to "power" the life in our tanks.

Real gifts from Nature...that you can benefit from simply by "enabling the web" of life which arises without our intervention as soon as leaves, wood, and water mix. Rather than siphoning the stuff out or scraping it off of the seed pods, I think it's so important to actually leave them be- to let them fulfill the role that they are best at.

 

Stay the course. Don't be afraid. Open your mind. Study what is happening. Draw parallels to the natural aquatic ecosystems of the world. Look at this "evolution" process with wonder, awe, and courage. And know that the pile of decomposing goo that you're looking at now is just a metaphorical "stepping stone" on the journey to an aquarium which embrace Nature in every conceivable way.

Maybe, as the years go by, we as a hobby will overcome generations of fear over stuff like detritus and fungi and biofilms- the life-forms which power the aquatic ecosystems we strive to duplicate in our aquariums. Maybe, rather than attempting to "erase" these things, which go against our "Instagram-influenced aesthetics" of how we think that Nature SHOULD look, we might want to meet Nature where she is and work with her. 

And we just might see the real beauty- and benefits- of unedited Nature.

And of course, the literal "basis" for all of this stuff is the botanical materials themselves, breaking down in our tanks, as they've done in nature for eons.

We've already started to make a "mental shift" which accepts the transient, subtle beauty of decomposing botanical materials, tinted water, biofilms, fungi, and the like. It goes without saying that taking it a little further and allowing these materials to completely break down to serve as the biological "substrate" for our aquatic ecodiversity is simply the next "iteration" in the management of blackwater/brackish botanical-style aquariums.

These small, seemingly "annoying" life forms are actually the most beautiful, elegant, beneficial friends that we can have in the aquarium...

Stay calm. Stay curious. Stay bold. Stay resourceful...

And Stay Wet.

 

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics