The Tint

Dreaming in water: The mindset behind the dream...

In our botanical-style, blackwater aquariums, we've discovered that there is so much more than just a different look, isn't there? There is an ability to utilize botanical materials in simple ways to create an amazing array of aesthetic vibes.

I learned this recently when I was collaborating with Johnny Ciotti on some of our "Studio Tannin" aquascapes. 

This little adventure arose out of a request from our community. Many asked for "packages" of materials which would create a cohesive hardscape, which could either be set up as is, or used as the basis for a different sort of look. 

And of course, when you have a friend who is one of the top aquascapers in the world, and has mad aesthetic skills, you're all too happy to work with him on the project! 

I've worked with John on many projects before over the years (he's done our amazing You Tube videos), and I've seen him lay out a lot of 'scapes. His "resume" is truly diverse and amazing.

One of the things I am frequently surprised about is just how quickly some 'scapers can zero in on components that they feel will fit the look they have in mind. And interestingly, most of these guys and girls seem to do "more with less." 

In other words, they tend to focus on using 4 or 5 elements really well, as opposed to the "kitchen sink" approach that I have used so often over the years- you know, tossing in a huge variety of materials to set the stage of the tank.

John has this mastered, and it's interesting to see him use just a few botanicals and wood elements to achieve a harmonious look. It's a balance of artistic eye, innate sense of what he's trying to achieve, and a real aesthetic discipline...

And his ability to interpret nature in a truly artistic way has always stunned me.

Watching 'scapers like Johnny in action always leaves me in awe. The discipline is perhaps the most impressive thing to see. The ability to say "Done."

Now sure, there ARE many scenarios where you'd want to use a larger variety of materials. For example, if you're attempting to replicate a habitat like an inundated forest floor, where lots of materials aggregate, this is spot on. Or, perhaps you're trying to replicate a section of a stream bed with a complex array of root tangles, or whatever.

There is a time and place for everything, right? Another important lesson.

The  great aquascapers seem to use exactly what they need to express the vibe they want. Nothing more. Nothing less. That's a mad skill, IMHO. A skill that I am slowly learning after decades!

Cory Hopkins comes to mind when you look at someone who has created some truly complex aquaecapes using botanicals, yet ones which reflect beautifully the scene he is trying to replicate. His aquascapes reflect a deep understanding of the materials he's using.

And yes, Cory has a greed to do some "Tannin Studio" scapes, too, so it will be fun to see a variety of different looks from different 'scapers! Even with his love of intricate detail, Cory's tanks reflect a wonderful simplicity and "vibe" of natural processes in action. 

And then there are guys like George Farmer, who have an uncanny sense of the whole scene; seeing how the tank will look weeks or months down the line. I don't know if it's the way he places materials, the orientations or layouts he chooses, or what, but it just seems that George's tanks become more and more "understandable" as they evolve, and he just knows this from the outset.

I think perhaps it's because he's a very plant-knowledgable 'scaper, and takes a sort of different view, knowing that plants will grow in. There is something about his work that everyone just loves!

Thee thing that always strikes me about studying the work of each of these guys is that they have distinct styles of their own, which I always thought was kind of cool.

Like, you could look at one of John's tanks and not be told it was him, but you'd just sort of know it.

Same with George or Cory, or our friend Jeff Senske of Aquarium Design Group. 

ANd I think they'd be the first to argue that we ALL have style, talents, and vision. Beyond simple humility and the ability to do a classic "Iwagumi" style rock layout, each of them has a huge dose of appreciation for the work of others. They'll all tell you how cool that wood scape you just did was, perhaps offering a suggestion on a slight tweak, but that's it. They appreciate the raw ability and talent that we all have inside ourselves. 

And we all do.

When you share pics of your aquariums with us, we are blown away by the unlimited number of interpretations of the botanical-style aquarium that there are. Some of you want hyper-realistic biotope style aquariums, and your work reflects that. Others simply want to add botanicals to existing "conventional" tanks, and that's fun to see, too. Some of you are very experimental, trying things like all-botanical substrates, where, despite their attractiveness, it's more about the function. Amazing.

We'll keep nuancing the "Studio" line to reflect different styles, tank sizes, "vibes", budgets, and interests. We hope for them to not only provide you with the basis for creating an amazing aquarium, but as a way to inspire you to blaze your own way, utilizing our botanicals and other natural materials to create beautiful displays which  bring you pleasure and enjoyment for years to come.

We all have skills. We all have style. We all have taste.

We dream in water.

Stay creative. Stay original. Stay engaged. Stay excited.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Beauty beneath the surface- the "functional aesthetics" of the flooded forests...

I admit it. 

I'm not the greatest aquascaper in the world. But I do know what I like a certain look. And that look tends to be the seemingly "disorganized", yet remarkably beautiful flooded forests. I find them utterly fascinating and compelling, not only for the way they look, but for the remarkable aggregation of life there.

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

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

We also happen to like the way it looks, of course! 

And yeah, tossing in terrestrial palm leaves and palm fronds is spot-on with this habitat.

Ahh, palm fronds.

They've become one of the most popular botanical items we sell, and for good reason. Not only do they represent this habitat so well- they provide an aesthetic component that is radically different than what has been presented in aquariums over the years. And, as they break down, they function exactly as they do in nature, harboring microorganisms and imparting organic materials into the water. 

Mauritia flexuosa, the "Moriche Palm",  is a species of palm tree which is found commonly in the flooded forests of Amazonia, and unlike many other trees in this habitat, does not require a dry period in order to survive. Rather, it has adapted to existence in swampy conditions.  And in the course of its existence, fronds and other parts of the tree will be blown into the flooded forest floors below by wind and other forces. The materials accumulate, providing food and shelter for the fishes and other organisms which reside there.

(Image by Bernard Dupont, used under CC BY-SA 2.0)

It's a pattern which is not only functional and important to the overall ecosystem- it explains exactly why those of us who like to represent this habitat "throw in" seed pods, plant parts, twigs, etc. into our aquascapes. It is an accurate, if not nuanced- simulation of what occurs in nature.

And of course, nothing is ever wasted in nature.

Fishes commonly feed on the fruits and nuts knocked down from overhanging trees by various animals which reside in the forest canopy, such as birds and monkeys. The primary "fruit-eaters" of the flooded forests are characins and catfishes. Obviously, the larger specimens can consume many fruits whole, whereas the smaller guys we tend to play with will pick at the fruits that cannot fit easily into their smaller mouths. 

So, an aquarium simulation of a flooded forest would simply not be complete if it didn't include at least some palm fronds and some nice thin branches to simulate this complex aggregation of materials. And of course- the leaves and seed pods which we find so intriguing are an integral part of this habitat as well.

And of course, these habitats harbor insects- lots of 'em...and the smaller fishes are voracious consumers of them. Insects such as beetles, ants and spiders make up the largest part of the insectivores' diets in this habitat. It's though that these "bugs" end up I the water because of population density in the tree canopy, as well as the action of wind and rain...And the fishes instinctively know this, and accumulate in this habitat in great numbers.

Interestingly, it's been postulated by biologists that smaller fishes are more adept at catching and consuming the small insects that fall into these waters- a good explanation for the abundance of them in this unique habitat. And a good reason to include lots of smaller Tetras in your flooded forest replication! 

These compelling habitats, and the botanical components which contribute to them, are an endless source of fascination, education, and inspiration for us. Perhaps the key to understanding their function in the wild is to recreate-to some extent- their appearance and function in our aquariums. 

And it's that desire to know, to comprehend- and to appreciate their intricate, if not seemingly random beauty, which keeps us flirting with the flooded forests.

Stay intrigued. Stay creative. Stay open-minded. Stay fasciated...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

There's always "that list", isn't there?

Evertone has a list of "stuff" they're going to do...one day. You know, THAT sort of stuff!

A few from my list of "stuff":

Think of an insanely different idea for an aquarium.

Execute on it.

Go against the grain.

Set up a tank with plastic plants, just... well, because.

Challenge the status quo.

Ask everyone why they are doing it that way.

Share your knowledge...As often as you can.

Throw a few pics of your tank out there...No matter what stage it's at!

Write a manufacturer or vendor and tell them you like their product/service.

Add a few of those "grey" Tetras to your next tank.

Fly off to a regional aquarium club gathering- totally across the country.

Perform an extra water exchange this week.

Clean your aquarium heater during the next maintenance session.

Give the sand an extra rinse before you use it in your aquarium.

Raise "feeder guppies" as pets in a tank of their own- just to enjoy them.

Use an ancient piece of aquarium equipment from your "garage collection" in your next tank. 

Keep the water brown from the wood in your next "Nature Aquarium"- you might just like it.

Devote an entire tank to the fishes of your childhood: Zebra Danios, Glowlight Tetras, Tiger Barbs, Glass Catfish, etc. (Extra points for the "Diving Dog" ornament!)

Buy some extra towels just for your aquariums next time you're at the store.

Change the settings on your LED fixture today- just because.

Purchase an extra pump, heater, or other potentially failure-prone piece of equipment instead of that rare Pleco this month. You might just thank yourself. Besides, there'll be other Plecos...

Laugh at the absurdity of the coral frag names you see on Facebook.

Find a use for that big, awkward stone you have - you know, the one you acquired with great expectations for the last tank, and never used? Yeah, that one.

Figure out a better way to hide the returns from your Ehiem filter.

Perform the full suite of water tests on your tank, once and for all.

Try raising the fry from that pair of Apistos that spawns every other week in your community tank.

Learn what the scientific names of your fishes mean.

Label all of the equipment below your aquarium, in case something fails while your out-of-town and the person taking care of the tank needs to know what's what.

Look at some pictures of wild aquatic habitats for inspiration for your next aquascape, instead of the winning IAPLC entry.

Buy your tolerant spouse/partner/sibling/roommate/tenant a little gift for living with your geeky obsession.

Approach a world-famous aquarium hobbyist with a question. You'll be pleasantly surprised with an answer!

Forgo the "ensuite" bathroom and add the fish room of your dreams instead! You know- the one with floor drains...Yeah, really!

Support your local fish store!

Make a cool "jungle" tank with all of those plant clippings that you can't give away to other hobbyists. Make it a BIG tank, too!

Try creating an aquarium that pushes your skills to the limit. Dance with fear!

Donate to Freshwater Life Project, Project PIABA or some other fish-related conservation group.. Because it matters.

Forget "Iwagumi" today- just throw some rocks together in a way that pleases YOU.

Do a presentation at your local fish club.

Purchase a small refrigerator just for your live food cultures and frozen foods. Your housemates will love you for it!

Take the time to explain to the guy on Facebook who challenges you why you did "it" that way.

Take care of the hobbyist who's struggling. Go to her house and scrape the algae with her.

Compliment someone when they share pics of their beautiful aquarium on the club forum, social media, etc.

Offer honest criticism when asked. If you don't like it, say so, and explain why.

Try something instead of #3 gravel in all of your fishroom tanks!

Change the membranes on your R.O. unit this weekend.

Make sure every one of the 36 Cardinal Tetras you purchase for the big living room display aquarium have all of their fins this time!

Buy the more expensive activated carbon.

Give away the grand prize you win at the next fish club raffle to the guy who just lost his job.

Make your next aquarium more simple.

Get the 40-cube pack of frozen bloodworms this time.

Make sure to invest in a nice power strip for your next aquarium.

Spend an extra 10 minutes each day just looking at your aquariums.

Purchase 5 Gouramis instead of 7, and let them grow bigger!

Order a few more things from us to get free shipping! (sorry, couldn't resist)

Leave the tank lights on a bit longer tonight.

Just move that piece of driftwood a couple inches (centimeters) to the left...

Take a "sick day" from work to play with your fish! You only live once.

Culture microworms and wingless fruit flies.

Let that Rotala, Polygonum, Sword, or other plant break the water's surface.

Share a disaster story with fellow fish geeks. Because it might just spare someone the same agony.

Be generous for no reason- give away 250 killifish eggs to fellow fish geeks this month.

Help the local hobbyist who asks for it on the local club forum. You might just make a new friend.

Stay engaged.

Stay excited.

Stay geeky.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

Reaching the point...

Maybe it's me.

I have this thing about creating what I feel is a good start to my blackwater, botanical-style aquariums, then reaching a point where I leave them to "evolve." It's like a fundamental practice of mine- perhaps even a "cornerstone" of the work I do.

There is a point when you're like, "Oh, I really like this hardscape"- and you set in your initial botanicals...and then you sort of just "walk away" and let it evolve for a bit. 

I call this "reaching the point."

A "jumping-off" stage, where our initial work is done, and nature takes over for a while, breaking down the botanicals, allowing a "patina" of biocover and biofilm to cover some of the surfaces, removing the crisp, harsh, "new" feeling.  This is where Amano's concept of embracing the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi takes over. Accepting the transient nature of things and enjoying the beauty of the changes that occur over time.

And of course, once stuff starts "softening" or breaking down, it doesn't mean that your job is done, or that you're just an observer from that point on. Nope. It means that you're now in a cool phase of actively managing (and by "managing", I am emphasizing observation more than "interfering!") the aquarium.

Making minor "tweaks" as necessary to keep the aquarium healthy and moving in the direction-aesthetically, functionally, and otherwise- that you want it to.

A lot of people may disagree, but I personally feel that THIS phase is the most exciting and rewarding part of the whole process!  

A phase when you interact with your aquarium on a very different level; a place where you get to play a role in the direction your 'scape is going, without constantly interrupting the natural progression taking place within the little microcosm you created!

Sure, you might add fishes, move a few things around from time to time; maybe even replace some botanicals, or add to them...But no "wholesale remodeling" occurs. Patience, as always.

Let it evolve...

When you reach "the point."

Today's insanely simple thought.

Stay patient. Stay engaged. Stay excited. Stay creative. Stay inspired...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

What happens in the leaf litter bed..stays in the leaf litter bed?

As you know by now, I sort of obsess over the way the natural habitats of our fishes function, as both a physical environment and food resource. And nowhere do we see these two characteristics come together as completely and elegantly as in the litter beds of tropical streams. 

In areas like Amazonia, these litter beds comprise a significant percentage of the natural aquatic ecosystems, and are home to a surprisingly diverse and dynamic population of fishes. They not only use the leaf litter and accumulated botanical materials in these beds as a shelter from predators, they incorparate it and the materials/organisms within it as a food source.

Commendable restraint...

As I work more and more with botanicals (Now, some decade and half on), I've learned a lot, screwed up more, and have realized just how much there still is to learn about using them in our aquariums. 

One of the cool lessons I've learned is that, in many cases, the old adage about "less is more" is a valuable one. Over the years, my taste in botanical-style aquariums has evolved to where my latest 'scapes will typically have a selection of no more than 2-3, and sometimes only 1 botanical type- and they hit my aesthetic objectives perfectly!

It's not like this is some aquascaping revelation or anything. It's just a realization I came to by working with tanks in the small-to medium-size range. There are many instances where it makes sense to have more of less stuff than to have less of more stuff!  

I've noticed that I'm still achieving the "vibe" I want out my aquariums, even with fewer selections in each scape. In my last two scapes, for example, I've used just larger quantities of two or three types of botanicals in each, in addition to the wood, and quite frankly, I have enjoyed the "richness" of these scapes immensely. 

Now, this might seem a bit at odds with some natural habitats, and it could be. The igapo flooded forests that I admire so much usually have a lot of different materials accumulating upon the substrate, as they are simply an aggregation of what is on the forest floor during the "dry" period- a result of a variety of vegetation growing in the surrounding forest.

Now a typical stream might also have a lot of different materials accumulating on the substrate, as it pics up materials as it wanders through the jungle, yet many of these will "fall out" and re-distribute as a result of currents, etc. So, in our aquascaping, we might chose to represent just a segment of a particular habitat, and adjust the quantity and variety of botanical materials accordingly.

And then, there are those little pools, or "meanders" in water courses, in which you'll typically see aggregations of a large quantity of material, but not a lot of different types of material. Again, this is a function of current and wind distributing and re-distributing materials across the stream. And of course, where rocks or fallen trees occur, or where the waters recede, the accumulation is even more pronounced.

As you can see, there is a lot of natural "precedent" for varying the quantity and variety of botanicals which you utilize to create your aquascape. This gives you enormous flexibility and opportunities for creative expression!

Recently, we've collaborated with my good friend, the extremely talented aquascaper/photographer, Johnny Ciotti, to create some amazing aquaecapes, some of which will be available for purchase on our website! Being an artist, Johnny has a very good sense of design, scale, and composition.

His aquascapes manage to utilize every botanical to its fullest, because he tends to refrain from throwing "everything but the kitchen sink" into his botanical work. Each component seems to make sense and stand as a part of a "whole", without looking excessive in any way.

On the other hand, Johnny will be the first to tell you that, if the situation and aesthetic result desired calls for it, you should absolutely utilize as many different botanical materials as necessary to fulfill your objective. That, I think, is part of the real "magic" in aquascaping...

There is an extreme elegance that may be achieved by embracing a "less is more" mindset, and the great 'scapers, such as Jeff Senske from Aquarium Design Group, just seem to be able to instinctively apply this concept.

Another great 'scaper, Cory Hopkins, also manages to utilize larger quantities of fewer materials when the situation dictates, producing extraordinarily "rich" scapes with incredible depth and "fullness."

Regardless of if you're trying to create a more biopic presentation, or something that is entirely "artistic"- or even a fusion of the two, the idea of using appropriate amounts of restrain makes for some incredibly satisfying work!

Regardless of the way you work, there is no real "right" or "wrong" in this game! It's really about doing what pleases you, meets your goals, and is enjoyable. The big takeaway here is that you don't have to load up your aquariums with tons of materials in order to achieve a rich, fulfilling botanical-style aquarium aquascape.

Stay creative. Stay inspired. Stay curious. Stay excited...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Expectations. Concepts. Mental Shifts- Revisited...

As we get deeper and deeper into this game...learning more about botanical-style aquariums as a community, and trying more advanced and interesting ideas, it's more important than ever to remember a few of the most basic "tenants" of our craft.

What better time than now- at this cusp of explosive growth in our hobby sector- to review these things yet again! For those of you who already "know" this stuff, at best it's a reminder...For those who are still new to the game- seeing a little summary of this stuff could be the "unlock" you need to achieve your goals!

None of this is revolutionary stuff; however, based on the many questions we receive that seem to revolve around some of these ideas, I've summarized a few of the key items we need to get into our minds...In no particular order, of course! 

Prep is PRIMARY: Yes, we say it over and over again- it's really important to utilize some form of preparation for any botanical materials you add into your tank. Preparation, in most cases, consists of rinsing, boiling/steeping, and soaking in freshwater before adding them. Now, materials like leaves and such require varying degrees of this (I used to be hardcore about boiling the crap out of everything, when the reality is that. steep in boiling water will do. Why boil or steep? Two reasons: First is that boiling helps "sterilize" to some extent the external tissues of the botanicals, and serves to release any surface contaminants (ie; dirt and dust) present. Second is that the water will soften the external layers of the botanicals' structure, allowing them to admit more water and saturate and sink more quickly.

Now, there are a lot of hobbyists who use botanicals who do next to no prep on anything, and never have a problem. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me, "You know, in the Amazon, seed pods don't get cleaned before they fall into the water..." I wouldn't be selling "twigs and nuts" for a living! My simple response? "Your aquarium is not the goddam Amazon." Just adding botanicals in a "clean" state adds to the bio load that your aquarium's bacterial population (and fishes!) need to contend with, so why make it more stressful by adding "dirty" stuff to save 30 minutes or so of prep time? A closed system has only so much ability to adjust to and absorb an increasing bioload. 

Please make use of our ever-evolving, yet pretty comprehensive "Aquatic Botanical Preparation" section on our website! It has comments on prep for every item we offer, and I do go back in and edit it regularly to reflect our evolving "best practices!"

Go S-L-O-W-L-Y: If there is one "rule" that you need to follow, and should never break- the "go slow" run is it. As alluded to above- you are adding materials which add organics- bioload- into your aquarium. It is entirely possible to "nuke" your tank and stress or kill your fishes if you dump the entire contents of your "Vibrante Morichal" or "Geo Pack"  or whatever, into your established aquarium at one time. The CO2 levels can increase, you could see an ammonia spike, or any number of bad things can happen if you do this- none of them good. I mean, it's common sense- adding a lot of ANYTHING into an aquarium quickly can have an adverse effect on the resident life forms.

What is the rush? We talk about the joy of watching our aquariums "evolve" to some extent...It's a slow process that nature dictates as it hs for eons. There are no shortcuts in this game. No real "hacks" or magic formula that you can use to cut to the "head of the line" and have a "finished" tank in a week...or even a month- or 6 months, for that matter. Enjoy every step of the process as much as you enjoy what you think will be the "end goal", and this type of aquarium will captivate you like few others can...

Bring on the gooey stuff: Yes, it's almost inevitable that, when you add these materials to your aquarium, you'll see some fungal growth and biofilms. Now, we've written extensively about biofilms in this blog, and the good and bad and simple realities of them. Bottom line is that they may look nasty, but they are some of nature's most elegant organisms. Their presence in your aquarium is completely natural and normal. Many fishes and invertebrates can utilize them for a supplemental food source. 

Sure, these are not exactly what we've envisioned when we think of an awesome-looking aquarium- in fact, I'd argue that the (IMHO) oddly-named "Nature Aquarium" idea which is so popular, just eschews things like decomposition. biofilms, etc. altogether in favor of a more "contrived" look that, although stunningly gorgeous and remarkable, has more in common with a garden than a wild habitat.  

We have to look at underwater videos and pics of natural habitats, such as the Amazon region and elsewhere- for inspiration. Natural habitats are just filled with biofilms, fungal growth, decomposing leaves and such- anything but the highly conceptual "nature aquarium" that we've come to accept as the ultimate in aquascaping.

Free your mind. Enjoy the beauty of nature as it really is. Enjoy the processes which occur and celebrate your tank at every phase. And yeah, the larger bursts of biofilms and fungus and such are a "stage" your aquarium will go through. Typically, the major growths of this stuff subsides over time...Sure, you could remove it if it just becomes too disturbing..or you could admire it for what it is. "Mental shift."

No such thing as "set and forget":  Like almost any aquarium, botanical-style blackwater/brackish aquariums require attention, management, and maintenance. Water exchanges are important, like they are in any aquarium, providing the same benefits. Water testing is important, particularly in situations where you're starting out with soft, acidic water, as the impact of botanicals is far more significant in this environment. 

Besides, actively-managing any aquarium gives you the opportunity to observe and intervene if necessary. Partnering with nature, as opposed to fighting against it, is a real key to a successful botanical-style aquarium. The opportunities to study the dynamic natural processes which occur in these types of environment are limitless, and the chance for lasting, important hobby discoveries and breakthroughs is huge!

It's an evolution- NOT a revolution:  The blackwater, botanical-style aquarium is an amazing sector of the hobby, in which we're learning new stuff each and every day. By incorporating nature's beautiful botanical materials, letting her "do her thing" in our tanks, while employing the century-old concepts of aquarium management, we're embracing this... This is a natural extension- a development- of many years of aquatic practice. 

Yeah, an evolution.

Make the mental shifts. Manage expectations. Learn the concepts. Contribute to the body of knowledge. Share.

Stay humble. Stay engaged. Stay curious. Stay on course...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Following the food, and aquascaping with the feeding habits of our fishes in mind...

If you know me well, you kind of figured by now that I obsess over strange details of our fishes' dietary preferences, habitats, and behaviors relative to their environment.

And as a dedicated blackwater/botanical-style aquarium enthusiast, I spend a fair amount of time trying to figure out how we as hobbyists can "outfit" our aquariums to provide feeding opportunities similar to those encountered in the fishes' wild habitats.

A few of my favorite fishes, such as the awesome Crenuhus spilurus, the "Sailfin Tetra", have broad dietary preferences. It's been observed that the fish feed freely during daylight hours, and grab most of their food as it falls though the water column. What do they eat? Well, this is interesting to me: A lot of particulate matter that sinks; specifically, stuff like fruits, terrestrial insects, and very young tadpoles made uo the bulk of the stomach contents in a recent (2016) study of this fish.So, yeah, a typical consumer of...allochthonous materials (stuff which comes from the environment surrounding the aquatic habitat)!

Now, we've talked extensively in several blog posts over the past couple of years about the idea of allochthonous input (literally, food from the sky, lol) and how it impacts the feeding habits of many fishes, as well as their social and behavioral habits, and what could loosely be referred to as their "migratory patterns." It's long been known that fishes which inhabit the flooded forest floors (igapo) of Amazonia, for example, tend to literally "follow the food" and move into new areas where greater feeding opportunities exist, and will even adjust their dietary preferences seasonally to accommodate the available foods.

In this instance, it typically means areas of the forest where overhanging vegetation offers falling peices of fruit, seeds, nuts, plant parts, and the occasional clumsy insect, like an ant, which falls from the branches of said vegetation. So, here is where the idea gets interesting to me: Wouldn't it make a lot of sense to create a biotope-style aquarium which not only represents the appearance of the habitat, but also replicates, to a certain extent, the function of it?

Of course it would!  (Surely, you wouldn't have expected any other answer from me, right?)

In this case, the "function" being the presence of allochthonous materials! Well, yeah. we've just described our botanical-style aquariums in (pardon the expression) a nutshell! Our tanks are replete with lots of terrestrial plant material (ie; botanicals, leaves, and wood), upon which our fishes and other aquatic animals will forage and even consume them directly over time.

I asked myself which materials would most realistically represent some of these items, and sort of came up with a list of my personal favorites. Now, obviously, you can utilize other stuff- and in terms of actual foods, you might even want to experiment with little appropriately-sized bits of fruit for fishes to consume directly! (back to that shortly)

Here are the botanicals that I think would best serve to represent some of the allochthonous materials we see in these forests:

-Flor Rio Pods

-Capsula Pods

-Teardrop Pods

-Rio Fruta Pods

-Lampada Pods

-Banana Stem Pieces

-Manta Pods

-Couro Casca Curls

Sure, I could go on and on and pretty much cite every botanical we offer as a sort of analog to these materials, making this blog little more than a blatant "infomercial" for our stuff, but you get the idea! 

So, yeah, you could add an assortment of these and/or other materials to your tank, with the sole intention of utilizing them to represent the materials which fall off the trees and are directly consumed by some fishes and shrimp. Because of their physical structure, these selections tend to soften up fairly quickly after submersion, and are also pretty good at "recruiting" biofilms, which serve as a significant supplemental food source for a variety of fishes.

Now, back to my idea of using fruit in your fishes' diets. I'll summarize quickly in one sentence:

It makes sense. 

Anyone who has read scholarly articles on the gut-contents of many of our fave fishes has noticed that during large portions of the year, fruits and seeds comprise a significant part of their diets! Utilizing appropriate fruits like finely-chopped açaí berries, blueberries, strawberries, Passion Fruit, and bananas to represent the fruits of the forest, is something I've played with for a long time with my Tetras and other characins. Believe it or not, they'll actually consume these foods directly, and I've also used flax seed and chia seeds for this purpose as well. 

Passion Fruit ( Image by fir0002   Used under GFDL 1.2)

Many of these will represent the fruits of the Amazon rain forest, such as Camu Camu, Cupuaçu, Passion Fruit, aguaje (fruit of the Mauritia Plam), If you search health food stores and speciality fruit/produce vendors, you might find fresh or packaged versions of some of these unique fruits, or you could use the more commonly available substitutes mentioned above.

Cupuaçu Fruit (Image by BjoemS Used under CC BY-SA 2.0)

And of course, there is a very good commercially-prepared food option available, too!

Look, I'm well aware that I'm not the first to propose this "concept", and I'll receive a half a dozen references to some prepared brands of food specifically developed to represent this- so I'll just cut to the chase:  One food really stands out to me: "Igapo Explorer" by Repashy -it is an amazing idea and a great way to bring the specialized diets of many of our favorite fishes to the aquarium. Every serious characin lover should try this stuff!

Although we don't carry much in the way of "dry goods" on our site, this food has had us re-thinking the idea for some time. Should we? If you're up for a little prep time in the kitchen, I think that it's an extremely valuable supplemental food which can be a real "game changer" for all sorts of fishes which originate form our beloved igapo habitat! 

I could imagine changing up the diet of your fishes seasonally, along with ideas like environmental manipulations and "power dosing" botanicals into the aquarium to represent the "high water" season, to see how this impacts behavior, health, and spawning activities of your fishes from this habitat. We have the technology. We have the knowledge...and we have the food!

What's holding you back? Go for it!

I'd like to hear some of your ideas about creating aquariums based on the feeding ha bits of your fishes- a cool concept that I think deserves- and will receive- more attention and work as we move forward.

Stay curious. Stay innovative. Stay experimental. Stay Bold.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics 

Wading into the current...And swimming.

It's funny how some things make you reflect on your life; the decisions you've made- the changes...or worse, the regrets. I decided a number of years ago not to have any more regrets about my career. What should have been scary as hell was actually one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.

A few days ago,  I received a call from a fellow fish geek who was just burned out on his "unfulfilling" career. He was wondering just how you get into the aquatics industry; just what it is like to do what you love every day. We talked, shared war stories about career changes, satisfaction, and the challenges of balancing life and work. It’s not the first time I’ve spoken with someone who wanted to get the hell out of what they felt was a soul-sucking career and desired to play with fish for a living.

I’m certainly no career counselor. I'm not a guru.  But I have been there. It's sad to be in an unfulfilling career. I know. And, apparently, some of you are in that place from time to time. Today’s little rant is dedicated to you.

The conversation made me think a lot about my own journey.

It wasn’t all that many years ago that I was comfortably rat-holed in my souless, financial-sector job, mid-career-using every spare second to play with, or plot about my aquariums, writing my weekly rants on all things saltwater on forums and in online and print magazines. I would do a lot of traveling to speaking gigs and conferences.

However, my “second career” as a part-time fish geek just wasn’t enough. I had to shake the rusty chains of my dull, but necessary full-time job. It was sucking the life out of me.

 I was deep into the typical “caught-in-the-rat-race- of- life” bullshit…

Of course, when you’re a fish person, you have one thing that the masses don’t always have: PASSION! Unbridled passion for all things aquatic. It permeates your existence, your every move, like wet floors, and your smelly fish towels. Like many of you, I longed to be playing with fishes full time- and I wanted to get paid to do it, too! Audacious? Hell yes!

However, I couldn't handle the unfulfilling career life I was in anymore. I didn't want to leave this earth knowing that I never even tried to do what I love. Regret is poison  so I put out some feelers, and as luck would have it, opportunity found me. I ran out the door into a totally new career: Full time professional Fish Geek! I found a pretty killer gig: My employer actually PAID me to think of crazy aquarium-keeping ideas all day, to solve people’s fish problems, and to spread the insanity that is our beloved hobby.

The only catch was that the job was on the East Coast. A life-changing move to a totally different world, really. But I needed to try this.  My personal journey towards career enlightenment would compel me leave my beloved sun-splashed beaches, laid-back attitudes, and healthy lifestyle of Los Angeles and venture all the way across the continent, to one of the nation’s premiere fish businesses in the New York area, where I got to be the Fish Geek that the universe intended me to be.

Yeah, what a switch! It was pretty crazy. On every level. But I did it.

I cannot believe I did it,  myself, when I look back. Toughest decision of my life. So, for the better part of a year and a half, I helped design custom aquariums for insanely wealthy New York people, acquire uber rare livestock, and help people discover the joy and sheer craziness that aquarium keeping is. It was a great experience for a while.

I loved New York. I was welcomed and it's everything people say that it is.

However, I was desperately home sick for L.A….Like, I was completely messed up about it. But I wanted to stay in this industry.

Good fortune and timing at a reef conference (back in Southern California  no less!) led me back to my native L.A. when the opportunity came to partner up with Joseph Caparata, ironically a New Yorker with a very successful fish store, who was moving to SoCal to re-launch, re-brand, and re-imagine the dormant “Version 1.0” of an online coral vendor company called Unique Corals. Super-telented and driven guy.  After a lot of back-and-forth plane trips, tons of planning sessions, lots of all-nighters, hard work, and serious dollars, we successfully “rebooted” UC, and opened up a large facility dedicated to the importation, propagation, and distribution of corals! 

We created a pretty cool thing there. It gave me great courage and comfort, not to mention satisfaction! And clarity: This was it for me…aquatics is my life gig, baby. I love this stuff, and like many of you, I also love working where I live. Don’t discount that. Work where you want to live. That's another lesson to learn, trust me: Like, bash my city all you want, but I love L.A.! It's where I want to be. They’ll have to pry my cold, dead body out of Los Angeles…I'm never, ever buying a one-way ticket outta this town again! When you have that kind of certainty in life about something- that's huge.

And man, I totally love what I do. I work in the aquarium industry. For myself.

It all started with passion.

I told myself that, if I ever worked in the industry, the last thing I would ever do is pander to the hapless, uninitated and misinformed…Or would I? I wanted to deal with more advanced hobbyists, like I fancied myself. Then I realized that I’m in a great postion to share my love with a whole new set of people…people who may not have previously known the joys of the aquarium keeping world. It’s been pretty rewarding. You should see the look on someone’s face when they get their first aquarium, or when you geek-out a fellow hobbyist when you throw an extra bunch of pods into their package!

Can’t explain the feeling!

In my relatively brief professional aquatics career, I’ve done stuff like had high-level creative meetings in New York and L.A. with all sorts of people who want the same experience- an awesome aquarium! I enjoyed helping design, build and stock the aquariums of my dreams- er, my client’s dreams! It’s a scary symbiotic relationship, actually: I got geeked out, they shared their dream, I shared my dream, and we made it their own. They got a cool tank, I got the joy of helping conceive it and overseeing its “birth” and development…all the joys and heartaches.

At Unique Corals  I played with corals and fishing reef gear all day and keep fellow reefers stoked (okay, that’s a waaay oversimplified description of what I did…but you get what I mean)! And I worked with some talented, amazing people. I even got to support my friends’ aquatic businesses by purchasing from them for my business- something I love to do even now, by the way. It’s rewarding. It’s fun. It’s unreal.

My deep love of everything aquatic, particularly biotope aquariums and a certain aesthetic, made me get the crazy notion of starting my "solo gig"- Tannin Aquatics. I'd been playing with blackwater and brackish and all of this "brown" stuff for decades. I felt that there was something there...And my desire to build a brand and category, and to foster a community built around this stuff was just so alluring.

My reef friends thought I was nuts. I mean, no one turns their back on being one of the top dogs of the splashy coral world for..."granola and tea", as one friend put it. "There isn't even a market for that!" another warned me. 

No shit.

"Well, I'm gonna create it!", I exclaimed.

I figured that if I applied the same level of passion, commitment, and "geekiness" to Tannin as I did to Unique, it might just work...I had to follow my personal dream; I sold my share in Unique and jumped right in to "that Tannin thing."

I worked my ass off. Established vendor relations with suppliers worldwide. Chased a lot of bad leads. Found some cool connections. Spent hours and hours dealing with customs and U.S. Department of Agriculture- stuff like that.  I figured that even if the business didn't work, I was getting a good education, right?

And you know what?

It IS working! Slowly but surely, Tannin is forging its own way in the freshwater world, carving out a tiny, but ever-expanding niche for itself. It's exposing me to a lot of new people and "players" on "the other side of the fence" from the "reef bubble" I was in for so long, and it's beyond cool! 

I blog every day. Interact with our community every day. I've learned that  business like Tannin is as much a "media production company" as it is a purveyor of natural aquascaping materials. It's not just about selling stuff. It's about contributing to the hobby and art of aquariums. About developing relationships and working with people.

It's really cool. And fun. 

And f-ing hard. All at once. 😜

In my daily life as a "professional" aquatics geek, I get to see some of the coolest aquariums, materials, ideas, and fishes in the world, and deal with some of the most awesome aquarium people around. I get to support clubs and charities, contests and conferences. It's super cool! My phone contact list, filled with amazing reef aquarium people with more talent than I’ll ever have, is now expanding to amazing people in the FW world as well.

At Unique, we developed this "A list" following of reef geek "celebs" as customers..It was like a “who’s who” of reef “gliteratti”, as they say here in Hollywood- and, most important, I got to meet new "average aquarium geeks" every day!

And now, the same thing is happening with Tannin.

And even more, because I'm cultivating it...A really diverse "entourage" is forming: freshwater breeders and hobbyists, artists, photographers, surfers, baristas, fashion designers- an eclectic mix of cool people-are emailing and calling me every day...I've even been labeled a "thought leader" in the hobby by some. This world..It's like a party that everyone seems to want to go to..Crazy!

Yeah, it’s my dream career (especially since the pro surfer gig just never worked out for me, LOL). We're going to be evolving more and more, and doing stuff no aquarium related vendor ever has done before- likely because it's simply not a "category" in the hobby, or it's too risky or far out of the mainstream. (As if selling people on the idea of brown water and decomposing botanicals wasn't? LOL) 

But I"m all in. 100% committed. Built a brand "ecosystem" for cool stuff to evolve from. Besides, if I don't...some other person might, right?  F---- that. Not on my watch.

It’s not all fun and games, mind you.

In both ventures, I have had the same struggles as any other small business: You’ve got long hours, bills to pay, employees to manage, tough decisions to make, competition to hate, lost shipments to deal with, vendors to call, dead animals, equipment repairs, taxes, computer problems, mistakes to correct, a high learning curve to work with, lots of inventory to think about, customers to take care of, and a million other things- some in your control, and others totally random. And all of it is your problem. And with Tannin, we literally had to create the market category, along with preparation protocols, "best practices", etc.  I don't fool myself. We're a tiny company in an obscure category in a relatively small industry.

It takes time.

It’s sheer craziness. 

But I do it for a living! And..I love it. 

And I’m not alone…Lots of hobbyists have transformed their love of the hobby into a full-time career. It takes desire, talent, drive, sacrifice, an insane amount of work…and some luck. However, a transition into your “dream career” is entirely possible. 

If you have a passion for things aquatic, I encourage- no- I URGE- you to act on it. Make the sacrifices if you're put to it.  Put in the work. There will always be a place in the aquatic world for passionate, talented, communicative people to share their love with others. It is one of the most amazing journeys I’ve ever taken…And what’s even more cool is that I get to experience the fish world from an entirely different perspective, not just my rather biased hobbyist-eye view. 

Oh, I still have it, as you know- but I also have gained a great appreciation for the guys and girls on "the other side of the counter!" And I’ve developed new opinions, new ideas, and have experienced things that few hobbyists get the opportunity to do, especially while trying to crack into the vast freshwater world. I’ve even developed...humility! There's a lot to learn about this industry! Trust me, when you go from "A list" in one world to "Who the f---- is this Scott Fellman guy?', it wakes you up!  Of course, it’s still fun to poke the bee hive now and again; to tick off the industry a bit…

At Unique, I saw corals that only a few people in the world outside of the collector ) get to see. I remember the first ecolabeled fishes from Papua New Guinea that we brought in, and the first insane Aussie corals we handled. I still get goose bumps when I think about what it is like to open the shipping boxes when they come in! We get really geeked-out! At Tannin, I have friends all over the world who supply me with unusual products and gear, and teach me stuff every day. I get to support seriously talented breeders and speciality hobbyists, like cichlid people, who blow my mind with their talent!

It’s very cool..

My point here is not to brag about how awesome my career is… It's to show you how awesome YOUR life could be when you go for it. It’s to inspire you- wherever you are and at whatever stage of your career you’re at- to take that risk- perhaps against all odds (and even your better judgement) and go for it. To get off of that rock you’re sitting on, the crevice you are stuck in. Change. It’s scary, sure. It was for me. You could go broke.

And it's sobering:

The market couldn't give two shits about you if you fail. It owes you nothing. Period. End of story. It gets to decide. You control some of the variables, but the market decides if you will win. You have to put out a good product that people want, support it like hell- take care of people- and never stop, or you'll simply fail, and deservedly so. And the fall will be hard, humiliating- maybe even financially devastating.

It's not for everyone. It's risky.

However, if you don’t take that risk, won’t you always wonder? The pain of wondering “what could have been” seems far greater than the pain of taking a chance…If you have a dream, skill, and passion for this aquatic world, and you’re longing for a change- GO FOR IT!

You’ll sweat. You’ll cry. You’ll doubt yourself- a lot.  I remember days when I had 8 website visitors  I remember cold-emailing fish clubs to offer leaves and such as give-away items for raffles and was turned down! Now, they send me requests! I remember sending out box after box of free stuff- blowing through inventory and money- to "influencers" and clubs and industry people- hoping- praying- to gain some traction. Just a mention. A pic somewhere. Maybe a video...For a long time,  I Simply hemmoraged money, time, and energy. It was tough. Sad, even. I remember almost wanting to cry one day as a sent out yet another box of free stuff to a supposed "influencer", which yielded no "review"- no mention on anyone's blog...Nada.

But I kept at it.

I wrote a blog every single day on my website. I figured that 7 people reading it on my obscure site was better than zero! I had a platform to build my world and my brand, and I really couldn't care if I received criticism on it. I'd "find my tribe", so to speak. I did podcast interviews, Facebook "events", club appearances, guest authored blogs, shared stuff with clubs...I heard a lot of ideas, criticisms, "big shots" telling me that people could collect their own leaves, you'd nuke your tank, "I was gonna do that business 10 years ago..." Or,  "You could get this stuff cheaper on e-bay", blah, blah, blah. I got real hardened/determined. I built a brand. I stopped listening to "them" and kept doing me. It got really silent in my head. And it was cool.

I stayed at it non-stop. 

And it paid off.

Clubs and other aquatic businesses worldwide now want to share my blogs. Big-name aquarists want to try my stuff and make videos...People do cool "unboxing videos" on our stuff!  We have re-invigorated burned-out hobbyists who were hungry for something different. Website traffic is huge. Ironically, I now have way more followers than most of the so-called "influencers" I pursued in the early days. I sometimes wonder what I've gotten myself into...It's totally crazy, yet I'm somehow feeling we're really just beginning...I have so much energy for this you can't believe it...and so many ideas!

We're evolving daily!

You'll know this too, when you go for it. If you stay at it. If you want it like I did.

And, there will come a day when you hop in the car one morning, and drive to “work”, realizing that you can’t wait to get there..and that it’s not really “work” that you’re going to. You will smile. Sure, you may walk in the door to the smell of dying corals, a message from DHL about an order held up at British Customs, Discus that end up devouring their whole clutch of eggs,  a message from a ticked off customer, a lost shipment, some unexpected bills…but you won’t mind it so much, because you’re "living the dream."

Your dream.

I hope that my relaying of my struggles and triumphs is taken the right way. I'm not trying to say how cool I am. My story is not a one in a million thing. Lots of people do this way better than I do every day, succeeding beyond their wildest expectations. I'm not a motivational speaker or "biz-dev hacker-expert" guy with a Masterclass or e-book to sell.  I'm simply trying to convey my story, so that anyone who has the idea, courage, commitment, skill, desire, fortitude and determination knows that he or she can succeed in this business- if they want it bad enough. Doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. Your ethnicity, religion, skin color, sexual orientation. None of that matters. Just do good stuff, work hard, and take care of people.

And don't give up.

It’s hard to explain, but I think you’re “picking up what I’m putting down” here. Going back to a career that is unfulfilling, working for someone else, seems like too banal a reality for me to even contemplate now, and I’m sure that you’ll feel the same way if you make the leap.

Follow your dream.

Please.

Here's a great quote often credited to Mark Twain (but apparently never authenticated as such). It works regardless, in our context: 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Today's little piece of inspiration from the guy who goes to work in shorts and flip flops every day, often heading down to the beach for a few quick waves before "work", and loves his brown water, brown fishes, and coffee.

Take my ramblings here with a grain of salt, but I hope it moves you just a bit if you're feeling "stuck."

Jump in the water. Wade out into the current and start swimming. 

Stay focused. Stay the course. Stay happy. But most of all…

Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

"Is brown the only color this comes in?"

As a growing company with a pretty unique little niche, I receive a lot of inquiries from hobbyists wanting to know why I don't carry "x" in our online store, or from manufacturers who tell me that we could increase sales dramatically if I carried their products.

It's kind of cool. 

And after one of these conversations, I reflected on what I've created. How Tannin is positioned in the market. What we do. What I love. And where we operate. I might consider something if it makes sense for our niche...maybe. There are intangibles, brand considerations...keeping the vibe. And that can be a tough thing to calibrate.

Yet it's actually not.

I kind of know what I want. I know what I feel inside. Even as we become more visible and are approached by more and more people with new ideas and requests, it's shockingly "quiet" inside of my head. Focused. And in coming months you're going to see some additions to our inventory, some changes in our offerings and such that might make some of you sort of go, "Huh?"

But it will all make sense. see some thing and in my mind, I just know that it will fit. LOL "Cause I know my niche. I "stay in my lane." I've had an evolving vision for Tannin for years. And...it's evolving...according to plan, lol.

Leaves. Wood. Water. Life

We have a real perspective about what works for us, and we appreciate that so many of you have "gotten" that! I think you will continue to get it.

Some stuff will be in a simply logical direction. 

Some might take us in seemingly new directions. Or will it?

And it's really funny to me how, when you are literally "knee deep" in something, your personal perspective changes, and you start thinking that everything else is a bit "different."

Like, for example, our tinted water.

I am so used to brown, earthy-looking aquariums that when I see a brightly-illuminated clear water aquarium, it's almost like it's this new discovery for me! Like, "Ohmigod, that's crazy! How can you handle it?"

I'm being totally f-ing serious here, too.

And, of course,  I see the other side of the coin, too. I've had people ask why we don't sell that much stuff for "normal" aquariums. 😜

Perspective.

Like, I really adore the high-tech brightly-illuminated, artistically-scape planted tanks that are all the rage. I see how they are intoxicating, challenging, and utterly amazing in every way.

But then I look at one next to a well-executed blackwater, botanical-style aquarium and I'm like, "Hmm...nice. Maybe all try one...SOME TIME." 

What the hell is wrong with me? I have seen some of the most beautifully executed "nature-style" tanks on the planet in person, and, whiclke I drool and exhale them- I have no desire whatsoever to tear down one of my tanks and go for it.

I mean, that's not an earth-shattering concept. We all have our testes. Just like in music or food. Like, I admire the idea of a good steak, but I think the last time I ate meat was in 2015. I appreciate the nuances of classical music, but I don't think I could ID more than one or two pieces. I love fine art, but I couldn't draw a stick figure if my life depended on it!

Now, why am I going down this road?

It's to kind of illustrate my point that tastes vary. Perspectives on what is attractive and interesting are different. Opinions are abundant. And you can appreciate, admire, and even embrace multiple perspectives. That's super cool.

But we all only have one real truth. One thing that motivates and inspires you. I really believe that. Because no matter what type of aquarium you executer, you'll pull in nuances from that perspective. You'll develop your own point of view. Your own style. You see it in every aquarist. Every aquascaper. Every fish breeder.

Yes, you can do all sorts of stuff. You should. Try all sorts of techniques, styles, and executions. But you'll know what really speaks to you.You'll always come back to it- subconsciously or not.

Really.

It's pretty cool.

I stopped fighting it a long time ago. Sure, occasionally, I'll get distracted by a shiny object or two-personally and in business, but for the most part, I have found that everything I do, aquatics-wise...seems to fall into a certain feel and style.

In are case, there are a LOT of shades of "brown", right?

And I'm okay with that. And I'm finding that a lot of you are, too. We have some similar tastes. And we differ a lot, as well. I like that.

Glad we hooked up!

Stay unique. Stay bold. Stay creative. Stay excited. Stay YOU...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics