The Tint

June 06, 2018

Form. Function. Aesthetics. And the stuff in between.

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

This is a very interesting change.

I mean, sure, almost by default, a blackwater, botanical-style aquarium tends to look much like the natural habitat which it represents, but more important, it functions much like it, too. Perhaps that's the biggest key to success with this approach. Yet both are unique and important.

Aquarium keeping, thankfully, isn't a "zero sum" game.

You don't either "win" or "lose."

Nope, success in the aquarium game -winning, if you will- is based on many factors. For some of us, just having an aquarium is a victory of sorts. For others, acquiring that much sought-after Pleco is it. For others, it's creating that perfect Aquascaper. Still for others, it's about keeping a group of fishes alive for an indefinite period of time.

I think that we as aquarists tend to define "success" in the aquarium game on our own terms, which is awesome.

We've talked an awful lot about the psychological game of creating a blackwater, botanical-style aquarium system. Early on, when discussing the concept, I dwelled extensively on the idea that stuff is going to start decomposing and breaking down in our aquariums, which will influence the carefully conceived aquascape that you've developed. So, the concept that the tank will literally evolve itself daily as botanicals break down, and accepting the aesthetic transformation is one of the core concepts of this approach.

Yeah, for a good part of the first couple of years of Tannin's existence, I spent a great deal of time worrying about how the idea of a carefully conceived hardscape slowly transforming by the actions of fungi, bacteria, and decomposition would "play" to my fellow hobbyists. I was worried about potential mistakes and disasters that would befall fellow hobbyists if they pushed too hard, freelanced a bit. Ignored the processes behind the aesthetics.

There was more than just a different look. There was a need embrace a mindset that embraced form and function.

It was a big "ask."

For decades, I found the truly "ephemeral" nature of the botanical-style aquarium as compelling as any. Not everyone found this "look" to be attractive- or even slightly interesting. The near-dominant prevalence of aquatic plants and the rigid interpretation of the "Nature Aquarium Style" movement seemed to leave little room in the hobby's collective psyche for a tinted tank full of randomly-placed decomposing leaves and seed pods.

Or did it?

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

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

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

I think that he simply wanted to give aquarists a way to incorporate art into aquascaping, and to allow the aquarium to evolve and grow based on nature's whims, once the framework was set.

Yet, it kind of settled in a bit differently in popular aquarium culture.

"Wabi-sabi", the Japanese philosophy which embraces the ephemeral nature of the existence of things, was/is a key concept in Amano's approach, and it still is. I think it fell into a bit of "disuse", though, in the "Nature Aquarium" movement, as aquarists aspired to replicate his works, perhaps trying to by-pass what seemed to be a less exciting -or immediately rewarding- part of his approach. The emphasis seemed to be on achieving a certain style quickly and manipulating nature- "helping it along", if you will- to achieve an ultimate look.

You know- the 6-month competition aquarium thing. Aquariums as a form of kinetic art.

So..against this backdrop, I was preferring a less-controlled, less high-concept approach to setting the stage for nature to do what it's done for eons without doing as much to "help it along." Rather, the mindset here was to allow nature to take it's course, and to embrace the breakdown of materials, the biofilms, the decay...and rejoice in the ever-changing aesthetic and functional aspects of a natural aquatic system- "warts and all."

Leaves. Wood. Water. Life.

A "mental shift."

Some three years in, it looks like it's actually playing pretty well.

The initial skepticism and resistance to the idea of an aquarium filled with biofilms, decomposition, and tinted water has given way to enormous creativity and discovery. Our community has (rather easily, I might add!) accepted the idea that nature will follow a certain "path"- parts of which are aesthetically different than anything we've allowed to occur in our tanks before- and rather than attempting to mitigate or thwart it, we're celebrating it! There's been almost no drama, dogma, or judgement.

Rather, there's been excitement, support, collaboration, and sharing.

No rigid "rules" have emerged- only guideline "best practices", intended to help aquarists avoid disasters. Most involve fundamental aspects of aquarium husbandry that we've played with for the past century: Observation, consistency, and above all- patience.

All of the stuff we see happening in our tanks now? It was there before in nature.

For eons.

It's just that now, instead of freaking out about stuff like brown water, biofilms, and detritus, and worrying about the "damage" they might inflict on our aquariums, we're studying them. We've made a tangible mental shift. Appreciating their role in a functional closed ecosystem. Embracing their form and function. Rather than siphoning out some of this stuff in horror, we're admiring it and appreciating why it's there, and the functional role it plays in our little aquatic worlds.

A "mental shift", indeed.

With the knowledge that we can manage systems with biofilms, decomposition, detritus, etc., and achieve remarkable success with spawning fishes, propagating plants, and long-term stability, aquarists are now thinking of new applications for the blackwater, botanical-style approach. It's always been there. for eons. It's just that perhaps we've been bypassing it for a while, on the way to somewhere else.

There is so much to learn when we slow down and stare for a bit.

And that's the real exciting part.

Thanks for appreciating this stuff, and contributing to an ever-evolving segment of the aquarium hobby. We're proud that Tannin Aquatics may have played a tiny role in helping to "mainstream" this stuff.

Keep pushing. Keep learning. Don't become dogmatic or rigid. Ask questions. Pose answers. Fail sometimes. Realize that trying something a bit different- a bit "unconventional"- won't necessarily change the "rules."

But it might just change the world.

Stay bold. Stay proud. Stay diligent. Stay original. Stay devoted...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

June 05, 2018

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The strange and geeky glossary of "tinter's terminology!"

You knew it had to happen eventually...Someone had to at least take a crack at defining some of the terminology we use to describe our geeky little area of the hobby...Since being the first involves sticking your head on the proverbial chopping block- I might as well volunteer to be the guy, right?

Well, why not?

Here is my first run at this...done for no apparent reason, mind you...feel free to update, annotate, and modify as needed. It's all in fun (and in no particular order, of course):

TANNIN: An astringent biomolecule that binds to proteins and other compounds. In our instance, it's plant-derived materials which impart color to the water. Yeah, that's as over-simplified and highly derivative as it gets...but you understand, right?

TINT: We have sort of commandeered this word to describe the color which tannins impart into "colorless" water. There are, of course, "degrees" of "tint", and this is an entirely subjective thing.

TINTER: Hey, that's you...we just sort of had to have a name for ourselves collectively, right? I mean, we tint water! Yup. Also, we call you "Tint Nation" from time to time...'Cause you are...

AQUATIC BOTANICALS: A catch all term that we use to describe botanical (ie; plant-derived) materials which we use in our aquariums to aquascape, influence the environment, and provide ecological diversity.

BLACKWATER: Water which has been influenced by the aforementioned tannins and other materials, which takes on a golden-brown or even dark brown appearance, depending upon multiple factors.

BOTANICAL-STYLE ("New Botanical" style): Our idea of utilizing seed pods, leaves, wood, etc. in our aquariums, and allowing it to break down naturally, influencing the water chemistry and biological diversity within the aquarium.

BOIL: One of the preparation procedures that we use to render botanicals ready for aquatic use. Materials are boiled in a non-reactive pot for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more. The boiling process is used to soften the outer tissues of botanicals, releasing any surface dirt and encouraging the materials to saturate in order to sink.

POST-BOIL SOAK: An extra step in the preparation process; usually an hour to overnight soak in fresh, room-temperature water. It serves the dual purpose of letting these terrestrial materials full saturate, while helping release any initial remaining pollution, etc. bound up in the surface tissues.

POD: Tinter's vernacular for any botanical...usually not leaves; but sometimes used to describe them, too! "I added a bunch of new pods to my tank yesterday..."

EVOLVE/EVOLVING: Yeah, it's what a tank does; particularly, a blackwater, botanical-style tank! The process of an aquarium breaking in, naturally decomposing botanical materials, and entering varying states of biological "richness." This also changes or materially affects the aesthetics of the tank over time. We love this process!

SUBSTRATE ENHANCEMENT: Our fancy word for adding botanical materials to the more traditional substrate materials, like sand, clays, or other materials. Our thinking is that by adding botanical materials to your substrate, you can achieve the dual goals of creating greater biodiversity (via the cultivation of fungi, bacteria, and micro crustaceans) and adding the visual tint and associated benefits of tannins into the water. Win-Win!

BOTANICAL BED: A place on the bottom of the aquarium in which various botanical materials (ie; leaves, seed pods, etc.) are allowed to accumulate and gradually break down, influencing the water chemistry and biological richness of the system. See also "leaf litter bed" (Oh, wait I haven't written that one yet...However, you get the pic, right?)

Okay,. so that's a quick dozen of the most common terms we "Tinters" tend to use when discussing our dark obsession. There are no doubt dozens more. In fact, you probably have much better, cleaner definitions for the ones covered here...Well, it's start, right?

Let's hear some of yours. It's not only a cool niche in the hobby- it's an evolving (yup) "culture" of like-minded fish geeks, filled with ideas and creativity!

Glad to have you along for the ride!

Stay enthusiastic. Stay creative. Stay bold. Stay excited...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 31, 2018

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The call of leaves...and leaves alone...

There comes a time in the hobby when you look at all of your fave ideas and wonder to yourself, "Have I ever done____?"

I can't remember the last time I created a "leaf litter refugium" in an aquatics system...Or just a tank with leaves and nothing else...High concept stuff...

Oh, wait. I haven't recently.

And come to think of it, I haven't seen too many tanks that featured just leaves. maybe it's because no one is really thrilled with the aesthetic. Perhaps it's that no one ELSE has tried this before...or maybe, possibly...we just don't know if we could handle a tank filled with nothing but decomposing leaves?

think I'm geeky enough that I probably could. I mean, I have in the past and was amply amused and happy...my tastes haven't changed THAT much!

Now, we have a fair amount of discussion in our botanical-minded blackwater community about the merits of leaving decomposing leaves in your tank versus taking them out. In fact, the last I’ve checked, over the years there have been a bout a dozen discussion threads and perhaps 15 or so articles here in "The Tint" which touched on this issue! It's a pretty common question, so we touch on it a lot.

Tongue firmly in cheek here, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and state that my meandering here in our blog definitely represents the definitive body of work on decaying leaves in the aquarium. I defy you to find a site which has discussed, analyzed, and- well- beaten the shit- out of this topic as much as we have over the past couple of years!

So, in the finest Tannin Aquatics tradition, let’s add one more piece to the ever-expanding discussion on decomposing leaves! Today, however, let’s think about how leaf litter “behaves” in the wild, and how we could emulate it in our aquariums.

First off, let's think about where the stuff comes from...

Leaf litter comes from a variety of trees in the rainforests of the tropical world. There is a near constant leaf drop occurring, which continuously “refreshes” the supply. In monsoonal climates, large quantities of leaves will drop during the dry season, and many will find their way into streams which run through the rain forest. In other habitats, such as the igapo forests of Amazonia,, the leaves fall onto the forest floor and accumulate, and are seasonally-inundated during the rainy season, creating an extremely diverse and compelling environment that we love so much around here!

The leaf litter layer in an igapo, when inundated, can be as much as 3 feet (1 meter) or more deep, with a huge amount of surface area available to bacteria (which create biofilms) and are often home to surprisingly large populations of fishes like Apistogramma, which use the shelter and “on-board” food offered by these habitats- to their advantage. And they’re vital to some of the small Elacocharax and other “Darter Tetras” which live almost exclusively in these niche habitats. And of course, the more "conventional" characins are found in these habitats with abundance, too.

One interesting observation I’ve made over the years concerning adding leaves to the aquarium and letting them decay: Dead, dried leaves, such as those we favor- don’t have nearly the impact on water quality, in terms of nitrate, as fresh leaves would. I’ve routinely seen undetectable nitrate levels in aquariums loaded with botnaicals. This is largely because dead, dried leaves have depleted the vast majority of stored sugars and other compounds which lead to the production of nitrogenous substances in the confines of the aquarium.

Hence, leaving leaves in situ to fully decay likely reaches a point when the resulting matter and detritus is essentially inert, consisting of the skeletonize sections of leaf tissue which can decay no further. Dead leaves contain largely inert forms of polysaccharides, and are reach in structures like lignin and cellulose. Most of these compounds have little effect on water quality in a well-maintained aquarium, in my experience.

Oh, and if you're stressed out about the idea of decomposing leaves in your tanks, doing regular water changes can’t hurt, either- right?

But, let's get back to the idea of falling leaves, and what happens when they do...

To understand this idea more fully, let’s look at what happens when a leaf dies and falls into the water in the first place. At some point, the leaves of deciduous trees (trees which shed leaves annually) stop photosynthesizing in their structures, and other metabolic processes within the leaves themselves begin to shut down, which triggers a process in which the leaves essentially “pass off” valuable nitrogen and other compounds to storage tissues throughout the tree for utilization. Ultimately, the dying leaves “seal” themselves off from the tree with a layer of spongy tissue at the base of the stalk, and the dry skeleton falls off the tree.

As we know by now, when these leaves fall into the water, or are immersed following the seasonal rains, they form a valuable substrate for fungi to break down the remaining intact leaf structures. And the fungi population helps contribute to the bacterial population which creates the now-famous biofilms, which consist of sugars, vitamins, and various proteins which many fishes in both their juvenile and adult phases utilize for supplemental nutrition. And of course, as the fishes eliminate their waste in metabolic products, this contributes further to the aquatic food chain.

And yeah, it all starts with a dried-up leaf!

Interesting, semi-anecdotal observations from my friends in the know, suggest that the biofilms for decaying leaves form a valuable secondary food for the fry of fishes such as Discus, Uaru, (after they’re done feeding on their parent’s exuded slime coat) and even Loricariid catfishes. And of course, all sorts of other grazing fishes, like some characins and even Cyprinids, can derive some nutrition from the fungi, bacteria, and small crustaceans which live in, on, and among the leaf litter bed.

I’ve seen fishes such as Pencilfish (specifically, but not limited to N. marginatus and N. eques ) spend large amounts of time during the day picking at leaf litter and the surfaces of decomposing botanicals, and maintaining girth during periods when I’ve been traveling or what not, which leads me to believe they are deriving at least part of their nutrition from the leaf litter/botanical bed in the aquarium.

In the aquarium, much like in the natural habitat, the layer of decomposing leaves and botanical matter, colonized by so many organisms, ranging from bacteria to macro invertebrates and insects, is a prime spot for fishes! The most common fishes associated with leaf litter in the wild are species of characins, catfishes and electric knife fishes, followed by our buddies, the Cichlids (particularly Apistogramma, Crenicichla, and Mesonauta species)! Some species of RIvulus killies are also commonly associated with leaf litter zones, even though they are primarily top-dwelling fishes. Leaf litter beds are so important for fishes, as they become a refuge for fish providing shelter and food from associated invertebrates.

So, what are other applications in the aquarium for a leaf litter bed?

Well, let’s say you love the idea, don’t mind the tint, but simply don’t want any damn decomposing leaves in your hardscape (or whatever) aquarium? How about a leaf litter refugium! Yup, a dedicated in-line container (usually an aquarium or commercially-available unit) which receives rich downstream flow from the display aquarium. You could stock it with leaves to your hearts’s content, and make sure that the returns are sufficiently screened off to keep the decomposing botanical materials from clogging the pump(s) or getting shot back into the display in significant quantities.

In a leaf litter refugium, you’d be able to place small fry, or fishes which require specialized feeding surfaces (like “Darter Tetras”) that only leaf litter can provide. It can form the basis of a “nursery”, breeding tank for Apistos and such, or simply be a supplemental display of some unique fishes which would otherwise be overlooked or out competed by the inhabitants of the main aquairum, while giving the display the benefits of tannins and humic substances. Besides, a refugium is an easy way to study and control this fascinating and dynamic niche environment in the aquarium!

Win-win.

As we’ve discussed repeatedly over the past couple of years, there are so many benefits to painting leaf litter in the aquarium in some capacity. Wether it’s for water conditioning, supplemental food, speciality fishes, or simply for a cool-looking display, overcoming our ingrained aesthetic preferences and accepting the decomposing leaves as a natural, transitory, and altogether unique habitat to cherish in the aquarium is a decision that each one of us in “Tint Nation” has to make- but if you look at it from a functional aesthetic perspecitve, it’s pretty easy to appreciate the “beauty”, in my (very biased!) opinion!

Stay creative. Stay open-minded. Stay dedicated. Stay curious...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 30, 2018

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Evolving tanks and emerging tastes...

As this botanical "thing" evolves, and more and more materials are coming into our world, I'm finding that I actually have a desire to use less different botanicals in a given display than I used to.

An evolution of sorts.

I'm not really sure why this is; I think that in the confines of the aquarium, I've come to embrace simplicity. Well, simplicity in terms of the variety of the materials that I utilize in a given display. I still like the complexity of tangled wood. Something about tangles wood and botanicals that works for me at the moment!

Of course, our tastes DO evolve over time, right?

I think that they definitely do. We like to try new stuff. Different stuff. Or even old stuff that we haven't played with in a while...

I mean, think of the fishes that you are into at the moment.

I'll be there are species in your current "active roster" which are significantly different that those which you worked when you first got into this game. Of course, there are many of us who stay with our lifelong love of certain fishes- characins and killies for me, Apistos and Bettas for so many others....

However, we do pick up a few new friends along the way, don't we?

And the cool thing about this hobby, is that, just like physical conditioning, college, or other endeavors, the skills we learn in one arena benefit us as we expand into other areas of interest.

With an almost infinite amount of stuff to learn, and enormous resources at our fingertips, including friendly, experienced hobbyists-there has never been a better time to embark on new journeys in the aquarium hobby. Yes, the usual caveats about taking people’s advice with a grain of salt apply, but with the proper attitude, and the willingness to be humble and “new” at something again, the possibilities for enjoyment in the aquarium hobby are as vast as the oceans, lakes, and rivers of the world.

It’s fun to learn about all of these new (to me) things. And of course, it's fun to acquire new stuff- and new skills, of course!

For everyone- there are products, procedures, trends, and “experts” in specialty areas of the hobby that are completely unknown to us before we jump in…how cool is that? These people have decades of experience with say, South American Cichlids- or even more obscure fishes. Etc., etc., etc.

To know what they know, you simply have to DO stuff for a long time…Or ask those who know and LISTEN- then do your own followup research.

Keep moving.

Sure, you can learn a lot by reading, and more by asking-but in the end, you have to DO stuff in order to get the valuable experience. You can literally spend a lifetime trying new stuff in the aquarium hobby...

...As your tastes change and your tanks evolve.

Today's simple thought about something that you already know.

Stay diligent. Stay enthusiastic. Stay open-minded. Stay enthralled.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 27, 2018

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"Successful failures?" A personal story of hobby persistency...

As a fish geek, you try a lot of ideas.

And not all of 'em work, right? Like the time you tried to create the "mud hole" for those Nothobranchius you acquired at the fish club auction, or the flooded Pantanal biotope you tried to do with those weeds you found out in the local field...you know, that kind of stuff.

Ideas which are really great, and executions which, well, needed some "evolution" to really work out nicely. I can't think of the number of "failures" that I've had occur with aquariums, only to realize that they were actually "micro successes"- little incremental skill-building, experience-gaining events, which served to move me further along the path towards ultimate success.

When I first started keeping blackwater aquariums, some (gulp) 30 years ago, I was utilizing the most commonly available materials ("available" in the fish world, that is...)- like peat moss and maybe leaves. And they worked to "tint" the water, but I could never get the pH of our Los Angeles tap water (which is like as hard and alkaline as you could imagine) to fall more than a point or two if I was lucky.

It took years of research (yeah, pre-Google, mind you) to figure out that the hardness of the water was preventing the peat and such from having any real impact on the pH...SO I had really sexy, tinted aquariums in 1979-1981 that had ridiculously high pH and hard water!). Then, around the mid 1980's, reef aquariums began rearing their heads, and the magazines started talking about "reverse osmosis" systems to soften water. They'd been around a while, but not in the aquarium world...Of course, I pleaded with my parents to get a water softener for the house, touting some kinds of human health benefits...my dad, a fellow fish geek, knew my ploy, however.

I had visions of blackwater streams, and would stop at nothing to achieve them!

Eventually, I was able to afford an RO unit, and finally, the "soft, acidic water" exposed by Axelrod, LaCorte, etc. was attainable. Of course, further experimentation with different types of natural materials led to greater successes. Along the way, I had experienced a few setbacks- like poisoning my fishes, over-doing my botanical additions, etc. But I never viewed them as "failures" to a certain extent. Now, I don't want to sound callous, as there was some loss of life during my experiments...but I think that it steeled my resolve, rather than put a damper on my enthusiasm.

Like many of you, I learned to "perfect my craft" through a lot of trial and error. While I evolved into the reef aquarium world for a couple of decades, I always kept experimenting with my blackwater aquariums. I took a lot of the rapidly-developing technique and hardware available the reef world, and played with it in freshwater. I continuously iterated and tried new stuff. I screwed up a bunch..And I learned a lot, too! Those years were really important in the development of my hobby and aquatics industry experience. I learned the value of "aquatic cross-training", common sense, and just doing.

And failure and perseverance in the hobby also teaches you humility.

Yes, I was very well known in the reef world, speaking worldwide, writing- going to conferences, etc. All the fish geek fame that some people yearn for. It was cool, and helped me when we built up Unique Corals, which had an instant reputation and fanatical following in that sector of the hobby..

When I finally launched Tannin in 2015, and delved back into the freshwater world, the welcome wasn't always as warm and cozy as I was used to on the other side of the salinity line! I would occasionally run into someone on a forum somewhere that would attack me as soon as I posted pics or ideas on blackwater tanks, proudly telling me that I didn't invent the idea....Which was insultingly stupid, as I never laid claim to that! I distinctly remember one guy literally telling me, "Hey reef rock star, what don't you stay in your fake world, where you actually know what you're doing!" (his words verbatim)

I didn't exactly receive a warm welcome.

But what was really cool is that, thanks to being in this game for so long, I couldn't give two f---ks about what anyone thought. I knew what I loved and that it was my passion... I wanted to do my thing and share what I knew, and evolve and attract like-minded hobbyists. By just doing my thing and ignoring haters, I knew we could evolve this obscure niche within the hobby.

And we did.

Sure, I still get the occasional hater, who tells me that I'm not the only place to get leaves and such, and that you can collect you own, and that their friend's new brand is going to blow Tannin out of he water, and...blah, blah, blah.

Whatever. You can't let that kind of stuff get to you.

Hate and submission are the true enemies of innovation.

Try things. Screw them up. Tweak them. Learn from them. Change them.

Everyone wins.

The point of this semi-autobiographical essay is that setbacks, attacks, criticisms...all of that stuff is secondary to just doing. To just learning your craft, perfecting technique, and sharing what you love. The only "failure", in my opinion, is when we are brow-beaten or intimidated by "them" into NOT following our passions and doing what we know to be our thing.

So, the idea of "successful failures" is a huge part of what we do in the hobby- and when we embrace and own them, magic happens.

Stay bold. Stay unwavering. Stay curious. Stay passionate. Stay persistent...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 25, 2018

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Following the food and breaking the trend?

What an interesting time to be in this hobby!

It's truly amazing that we're looking at many long-held beliefs, practices, and even suppositions within the hobby- and asking ourselves "why?"

NOT for the sole purpose of trying to "disrupt" or "upend the status quo" or whatever. Rather, because some of the beliefs and practices that we've adhered to for a century or so in the hobby might not be the ONLY way to approach things...and in fact, might actually be somewhat counter-productive.

It's very hard for many hobbyists to step out of the "mainstream" and openly question this stuff, or even experiment with alternatives. Many fear criticism from our peers- or worse yet, dire consequences for our fishes as a result of "going rogue." I mean, there is a reason why we've been indoctrinated over the years to avoid accumulating detritus, algae, etc.

For the vast majority of aquarium applications, following these "doctrines" is absolutely the right thing to do, and gives us a good "baseline" set of practices that likely create good outcomes in the widest variety of situations. However, a healthy questioning about why we do things, and wondering if there is a better way is never a bad thing, IMHO.

Not long ago, our friend, the extremely talented Rene Claus, posed an interesting thought about feeding our fishes. He indicated that he skips feeding of his fishes for extended periods of time to encourage them to utilize natural food sources in his aquariums. He wonders if there may very well be a benefit to this practice.

I think he's on to something.

I mean, feeing our fishes multiple time a day is great for "conditioning" for spawning and probably for "forcing" rapid growth, and to help sick or injured fishes recover from illness or the rigors of transport...but is it always the "best practice?" Do fishes need to be fed multiple times a day with really rich foods?

I mean, it's long been known that fishes will just eat until they can barely swim. Is this healthy? Is this some sort of "instinctive" behavior that says "Hey- FOOD! Eat up NOW-because there might no be any later!"? (I doubt it's that complete a "thought", but you know what I mean...). I just can't help wonder if fishes simply eat like mad because- well- it's there.

Now, before I get jumped on from all corners with people thinking I'm suggesting starvation and such...All I'm doing is pondering and asking questions. In nature, fishes spend a significant amount of time and energy searching for food, right?

In Amazonian floodplains, for example, the flood cycle of the rivers into the igarapes are the dominant seasonal factor, and fish communities are found to fluctuate greatly over the year. During inundation, fish migrate into floodplain forests to feed on insects, fruits and seeds, among other things.

Studies of blackwater communities showed that, during these cycles, a greater diversity of fishes exists there. Many species were found to be specialized feeders. Fish, detritus and insects were the most important food resources supporting the fish community in both high and low water seasons, but the proportions of fruits, invertebrates and fish were reduced during the low water season.

Are there some "takeaways" here for us fish geeks?

Hmm, what this means to us is that fish sort of "follow the food", right? And that the "seasonal availability" of some food sources actually dictates overall fish behavior.

Would it make sense to alter our feeding habits to mimic these natural occurrences and cycles? In other words, feed a correspondingly more frequent, more intensive diet of say, worms, fruit flies, or Daphnia in a period of time that corresponds with the wet season? And then, perhaps reducing frequency, quantity, and variety of foods at other times- perhaps even doing a several week-long "hiatus" or two, to encourage them to forage on the biocover and natural foods you have encouraged to accumulate within the aquarium?

Is there a benefit to increasing or decreasing the amount and type of botanicals and leaves corresponding with these cycles? Would these practices be a "hardship" for fishes....or, would this attempt at replicating their natural feeding "cycles" in our aquariums lead to other behaviors...like spawning?

Further, would environmental manipulation, like altering the pH, flow, temperature, in conjunction with the "food cycle" be an ultimate trigger for reproduction of fishes? Hobbyists have been manipulating temperature and water chemistry for decades to get fishes "in the mood" for spawning- nothing really new here. However, doing that in conjunction with more specialized feeding (rather than just pounding them with a continuous flow of food) could yield some interesting results!

Again, some of you might simply be thinking, "Why go to all of this effort? We feed our fishes a lot all the time, condition them for spawning...and it works!" To which I respond:"You're 100% right."

However, what if we can do better?

Encouraging more frequent reproduction, or induce spawning in fishes that historically have been difficult or even thought to be impossible to spawn? What if it yields longer reproductive life spans. What if these practices play to the evolutionary adaptations of our fishes to their advantage? Could these practices result in more healthy fishes- or actually be counterproductive? I think the former, but it could be interesting to know.

Once again, we're questioning our age-old practices not to be a pain in the ass...rather, to see if what we're doing IS truly the best practice, and to see if there might be a better way. A more natural way. One which ties in with the way we manage our aquariums as a whole- botanical-style or otherwise. All of these things are potentially interrelated, and all of them are worth taking a look at with a fresh perspective.

The big winners here: The fishes, the hobby, the hobbyist..and of course, the natural habitats-because if we understand how fishes and their habitats are intertwined and related, we will have a better understanding of the need to protect and preserve these priceless ecosystems for future generations to enjoy.

A lot to think about when you reach for that can of pellets this afternoon, but interesting nonetheless, I think. And potentially evolutionary.

Stay curious. Stay persistent. Stay objective. Stay relentless in your pursuit of knowledge.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 24, 2018

0 comments

Our "Unnatural Selection" process and the art of aquarium stocking...

Nature has the advantage over pretty much everything we do with our aquariums, right? Yet, some things that we do, such as creating the overall aquatic environment for our fishes, are totally under our control.

Well, mostly under our control!

We spend a pretty good amount of time studying, scheming, and pondering how to create a compatible, interesting, and attractive community of fishes within our aquariums.

It's probably among the most enjoyable things that we do in the hobby, right?

As a somewhat eccentric philosopher of all things fish, one of my favorite things to ponder is stuff that we do in creating aquariums that is- intentionally or otherwise- analogous to the factors in nature that result in the environments and fish populations that we find so compelling.

When we create our aquariums, we take into consideration a lot of factors, ranging from the temperament and size of our fish selections, to their appearance, right? These are all important factors. However, have you ever considered what the factors are in nature which affect the composition of a fish community in a given habitat? Like, why "x" fish is living in "such and such" a habitat?

What adaptations has the fish made that make it uniquely suitable for this environmental niche? Further, have you thought about how we as hobbyists replicate, to some extent, the selection processes which occur in nature in our quest to create the perfect community aquarium?

Now, if you're an African Cichlid lover or reef hobbyist, I'm sure you have! Social hierarchies and spatial orientations are vital to success in those types of aquariums; you typically can't get away with just throwing in a random fish or coral and hoping it will just mix perfectly.

However, for many hobbyists who aim to construct simple "community tanks", it isn't that vital to fill specific niches and such...we probably move other factors to the forefront when thinking about possible additions to our community of fishes: Like, how cool the fish looks, how large it grows, if it has a peaceful temperament, etc. More basic stuff. However, in the end, we almost always make selections based upon factors which we deem important...again, a sort of near-mimicry of natural processes- and how the fishes work in the habitat we've created for them.

"Unnatural selection?" Or...Is it essentially what nature's does for eons?

Oh, and what exactly is an "aquatic habitat", by the way? In short, you could say that an aquatic habitat is the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics which determine the suitability for habitation and reproduction of fishes.

Of course, these characteristics can determine which fishes are found in a given area in the wild- pretty much without exception.

Approaching the stocking of an aquarium by determining which fishes would be appropriate for the physical characteristics of the tank is not exactly groundbreaking stuff.

However, when we evaluate this in the context of "theme", and what fish would be found within, say, an Amazonian Igarape stream or a Southeast Asian peat swamp, the idea of adding fishes to "exploit" the features of the habitat we've created is remarkably similar to the processes which occur in nature that determine what fish are found there, and it's the ultimate expression of good tank planning, IMHO.

It's just kind of interesting to think about.

Competition is one of the important factors in determining fish populations in the wild. Specifically, competition for space, resources (e.g.; food) and mates are prevalent. In our aquariums, we do see this to some extent, right? The "alpha male" cichlid, the Pleco that gets the best cave, and the Tetra which dominates his shoal.

How we create the physical space for our fishes can have significant impact on this behavior. When good hiding spaces are at a premium, as are available spawning partners, their will be some form of social hierarchy, right?

Other environmental factors, such as water movement, dissolved oxygen, etc. are perhaps less impactful on our community once the tank is established. However, these factors figure prominently in our decisions about the composition of the community, don't they?

For example, you're unlikely to keep Hillstream loaches in a near stagnant, blackwater swamp biotope aquarium, just like you'd be unlikely to keep Altum Angelfish in a fast-moving stream biotope representation.

One factor that we typically don't have in our aquaria is predation. I know very few aquarist sadistic enough to even contemplate trying to keep predators and prey in the same tank, to let them "have at it" and see what happens, and who comes out on top!

I mean, there is a lot to this stuff, isn't there?

Again, the idea of creating a tank to serve the needs of certain fishes isn't earth-shattering. Yet, the idea of stocking the tank based on the available niches and physical characteristics is kind of a cool, educational, and ultimately very gratifying process. I just think it's truly amazing that we're able to actually do this these days.

Fun to think about on a Thursday morning.

Stay excited. Stay curious. Stay thoughtful. Stay resourceful. Stay engaged.

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 23, 2018

0 comments

Enriching substrates and embracing biodiversity- the aquarium world's next evolution?

One of the things I've always found amusing in the aquarium hobby is thinking about the types substrate materials that we've used on the bottoms of our aquariums. It's funny, but looking back on my hobby "career" (really, spanning virtually my entire lifetime), the choices we've had for many decades were surprisingly...well, dull. And actually, kind of "unrealistic", actually.

I mean, the old standby of "#3 Aquarium Gravel" is not exactly reminiscent of the materials found in most of the tropical aquatic environments of the world.

Yet, over the decades, this ubiquitous material became THE standard for aquariums.

Why? Well, "back in the day", the medium particle-sized gravel was anointed "easy to maintain", as it tends not to accumulate a lot of uneaten food and organic debris. A siphon or "gravel vac" could easily penetrate the surface layer, picking up the debris while leaving the substrate itself essentially undisturbed. In addition, many of the gravel materials tend to have some buffering capacity, which is good for many fishes, specifically those like African cichlids, etc.

And of course, there are sands, which are fantastic and far more realistic, in my opinion, than gravel for a broader variety of habitats. You can create some really awesome looking (and functioning) substrates. And I think that in the past decade or so, we've seen an explosion of cool sands and other substrate materials. I think that the explosion of interest in planted aquariums fed this influx of exciting new substrate materials.

Adding fertilizers, various grades of substrate materials, and other additives is something that we see a lot in the planted are of the hobby. There's been some really great work in that area, and a lot of interesting developments in the planted aquarium world.

I think that this same idea of creating "enriched substrates" is applicable to non-planted aquariums as well. I've played a lot with this in my brackish-water aquarium work of late, and it's validating many of the theories I've maintained for many years about substrates and their place in the overall aquarium environment.

When we started Tannin, my fascination with the varied substrate materials of tropical ecosystems got me thinking about ways to more accurately replicate those found in flooded forests, streams, and diverse habitats like peat swamps, estuaries, creeks, even puddles- and others which tend to be influenced as much by the surrounding flora (mainly forests and jungles) as it is by geology.

And of course, my obsession with botanical materials to influence and accent the aquarium habitat caused me to look at the use of certain materials for what I generically call "substrate enrichment" - adding materials reminiscent of those found in the wild to augment the more "traditional" sands and other substrates used in aquariums to foster biodiversity and nutrient processing functions.

I think that these materials can really work well with sands and other more commonly used substrate materials. And in some instances, to replace them (almost) entirely- if not entriely!

Now, adding things like crumbled leaves, fine-particles coconut-derived materials, and such does have pros and cons. The benefits would be that you have "in situ" release of tannins and other compounds into the water column, a rich and diverse substrate in which bacteria and higher organisms (like worms, creatures like Gammarus, and other crustaceans) can thrive and reproduce, processing uneaten food and other materials, which providing the occasional "snack" for foraging fishes.

I suppose the "cons" would be that you could overdo it. You know, adding too much too soon, possibly overwhelming the resident bacteria population in an established aquarium. Potentially rapidly reducing pH or even oxygen with excess enthusiasm! It's possible. Stuff that decomposes in our tanks is bioload, right? Working with ideas like this always requires that we proceed slowly and cautiously- looking at the potential for issues as thoughtfully as we do at the opportunity to do evolutionary things.

Be careful...

And then there is that curious, nagging "thing" I have in my head about the ability of botanical-influenced substrates to foster denitrification. With the diverse assemblage of microorganisms and a continuous food source of decomposing botanicals "in house", I can't help but think that such "living substrates" create a surprisingly diverse and utilitarian biological support system for our aquariums.

With our embrace of "detritus" or "mulm" as a source of "fuel" for creating active biological systems within the confines of our aquariums, I think that the idea of an "enriched substrate" will become an integral part of the overall ecosystems that we create. Considering the substrate as both an aesthetic AND functional component- even in "non-planted" aquariums, opens up a whole new area of aquarium "exploration."

I envision that the future of mainstream aquarium practice may include creating such a substrate as simply part of "what we do." Adding a mix of botanical materials, live bacterial and small organism cultures, and even some "detritus" from healthy aquatic systems may become how we establish systems. I've had some good discussions with my friend Nikolay Kraltchev about this, and he's thought about this from a planted tank perspective as well as an overall biological one. Other botanical-style aquarium enthusiasts have done remarkable things with this idea.

The implications for successful aquariums are manifold.

I mean, it's not THAT crazy- it's long been practice in freshwater and marine aquariums to add some sand or filter media from established aquariums into new tanks to help "jump-start" necessary biological processes. It makes sense, and the overall concept is really not that difficult to grasp. And we probably shouldn't get too crazy into understanding every single aspect of this practice.

The biochemical interactions and such can and should be explored by those with the proper backgrounds, but for most of us, simply observing our aquariums and the way they operate can yield a surprisingly large amount of information. Something about this practice works, for reasons which we already tangentially understand. However, there is lots more to learn.

Interested? I sure am!

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

In the mean time, I'm going to keep playing with different substrate materials, and mixing botanicals and such into my substrates. It's too irresistible for me not to do this!

I hope it's the same with YOU!

Stay progressive. Stay thoughtful. Stay curious. Stay experimental...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

May 21, 2018

0 comments

Everything in context...

One of the things I enjoy best (as both a hobbyist and a business owner) is helping fellow fish geeks get indoctrinated into the world of more natural-looking (and functioning) blackwater, botanical-style aquariums. Getting into this little specialty area of the hobby requires a lot of self-education, open-mindedness, and a willingness to try something just a bit different!

Now, as part of this process, we have to familiarize ourselves with the appearance, effects, and processes which take place in our aquariums when we utilize botanicals. We've written so much about the unique aesthetics, and the "mental shift" to embracing a more "earthy" tank with decomposing materials, tinted water, and biofilms that you'd pretty much have to be "living under a rock" (okay, THAT'S extreme, but you get the idea...) to not expect this kind of stuff with these materials.

One of the "core principles" we need to think about when we contemplate adding botanical materials into our aquariums is to consider how much and how many of what type and size of materials would work.

I mean, this DOES seem pretty basic; however, adding the right materials can really "make or break" the look of the aquascape.

Did you catch the part about "size" in the earlier paragraph?

Yup, the physical size of the aquarium is, in my opinion, a very important consideration in botanical selection. Larger leaves, for example- Artocarpus- look great in medium to larger-sized aquariums. However, in a 5 or 10 gallon (20-40L) tank, the "scale" of these items is, well..."off", in my opinion.

A far better choice in this context would be "Nano" Catappa or Mangrove leaves, which are, for the most part, considerably smaller than Artocarpus leaves.

Now, there are some situations where you might want larger leaves in a small space. Perhaps you're trying to recreate a specific niche- for example, a forest stream, where larger, old-growth trees might be dropping leaves to the forest floor, and this would be an appropriate setting for them.

Or maybe you just like larger leaves!

That being said, the same concept forks for botanicals. If you're working with a very small tank, it just looks kind of weird, IMHO, to add a bunch of larger materials, such as "Ra Cama Pods", which really are "out of scale" for most smaller tanks.

I mean, smaller botanicals just seem to look a bit better in smaller tanks...And larger ones, too! Again, it's really about scale and context.

Smaller botanicals are more impactful in smaller tanks, obviously, and when used in groups or aggregations.

So, perhaps we're making a BIG deal about a tiny subject- the concept of "scale" in utilizing botanicals in an aquarium- yet the impact of using "appropriately sized" botanicals will have a terrific aesthetic impact on your overall aquascape.

In the end, there are no hard and fast aesthetic "rules" when contemplating the use of botanicals in our aquariums. However, the important considerations are to think about the use of botanicals- and everything- in context.

Something to think about.

Stay curious. Stay creative. Stay thoughtful...

And Stay Wet.

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

« Previous 1 … 95 96 97 98 99 … 175 Next »

The Tint

June 06, 2018

Form. Function. Aesthetics. And the stuff in between.

June 05, 2018

More questions? More answers!

June 01, 2018

The strange and geeky glossary of "tinter's terminology!"

May 31, 2018

The call of leaves...and leaves alone...

May 30, 2018

Evolving tanks and emerging tastes...

May 27, 2018

"Successful failures?" A personal story of hobby persistency...

May 25, 2018

Following the food and breaking the trend?

May 24, 2018

Our "Unnatural Selection" process and the art of aquarium stocking...

May 23, 2018

Enriching substrates and embracing biodiversity- the aquarium world's next evolution?

May 21, 2018

Everything in context...

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