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Aquatic Botanicals
SOURCED FROM AROUND THE WORLD. HAND-CURATED IN LOS ANGELES, CA.
No one can really claim to have “invented” the concept or process of adding leaves, seed pods, and wood into water…It’s something that has happened in nature for eons…In tropical areas of the world, most famously, the Amazon River system, leaves, branches, bark, fruit pods, seeds, etc. fall off trees in the wind, or tumble into the rivers during rain events, etc., and accumulate in these waterways. We call these materials "aquatic botanicals."
As these items decompose, they impart a brownish tint to the water, and lower the pH from the release of substances known as tannins. These tannins are known to have anti-fungal/antimicrobial properties, a huge plus when you're rearing lots of fish, or even incubating eggs.
Aquatic botanicals are excellent for enriching vivarium and terrarium habitats as well, and provide numerous functional and aesthetic benefits for frogs and other herps.
And the aesthetic provided by these materials is what we're all about: Earthy, organic, natural.
Enjoy our ever-expanding selection of carefully sourced, thoughtfully curated aquatic botanicals. Every piece hand selected and packed to order, by passionate aquatic hobbyists in Los Angeles- just for you.
THE TANNIN AQUATICS BOTANICAL LEXICON:
SUITABLE FOR USE WITH TROPICAL FISHES
MAY BE APPROPRIATE WITH ORNAMENTAL SHRIMP
MAY BE USED IN VIVARIUMS AND HERP/REPTILE DISPLAYS
MAY BE USED IN BRACKISH WATER AQUARIUMS
All of our aquatic botanicals are intended for ornamental aquarium or terrarium use only. Please use common sense and take the time to boil and/or soak and thorougly rinse all botanicals prior to using them, to reduce the possibility of problems. An additional several days submerged in freshwater with a bag of activated carbon is strongly advised. See our "Aquatic Botanical Preparation" Page for details. Always go slow when introducing any botanicals into your systems, so you can judge the effect they have on your fishes and plants. They are not intended for human consumption. DO NOT INGEST!
Ichnocarpus Bark (25 pcs)
Sold Out - $ 8.00
The bark and twigs of Ichnocarpus frutescens from India is an interesting, functionally aesthetic botanical material ideal for all sorts of applications! Long known for it's medicinal properties, Ichnocarpus has...
Shade - Pack of 32
Sold Out - $ 24.00
Imagine if there were an easy way to get the lovely blackwater aesthetics and benefits easily and quickly, with little effort and no mess. Well, there is! Enter "Shade!" “Shade”...
"Bits and Pieces"- Assorted Small Root and Twig Sections (20 pcs.)
Sold Out - $ 5.00
Bits of roots, twigs, and shoots from terrestrial plants are found throughout the aquatic environment. They form a network of "interstitial spaces" on the substrate, where all sorts of...
Catappa Leaves- "Nano" Size (Package of 20)
Sold Out - $ 10.00
The leaves of the Indian Almond Tree, (Terminalia catappa), provide numerous benefits for tropical fish. The leaves, when steeped in water, impart a beautiful golden-brown color, reduce the pH, and...
Red Mangrove Bark Pieces (Package of 4 Pieces)
Sold Out - $ 18.00
One of our favorite wood types for aquarium use is Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), and the bark of this unique tree is no exception. It's texturally interesting, aesthetically beautiful, and...
"Twenty Twigs"- Assorted Small Oak Twigs (20 pcs.)
Sold Out - $ 5.00
Branches and twigs form the basis of many natural aquatic ecosystems, and they're perfectly suited for doing the same in aquariums. I first started playing with oak twigs and...
Selatan Catappa Bark Pieces (Package of 4 Pieces)
Sold Out - $ 12.00
The latest addition to our varied selection of Catappa bark is this larger, chunkier stuff from Selatan, Indonesia. It's harvested from the trees in a sustainable manner from a small...
Swietenia Pod
Sold Out - $ 8.00
We love these pods, because they have some characteristics of a leaf, but have the "heft" that you'd expect from a seed pod. Actually the inner "valve" of the fruit...
Live Oak Leaf Litter (Approx 1.5oz/42.52g Package)
Sold Out - $ 5.00
The beautiful leaves of the Live Oak, Quercus sp. are a real gem for the botanical-style aquarium enthusiast/aquascaper! Not only are they small (typically the largest specimens are less than 3.5"/8.89cm;...
Malaysian Mulberry Leaves
Sold Out - $ 12.00
If you keep ornamental shrimp, you're going to LOVE these leaves! It's long been known that Mulberry leaves provide carbohydrates, fiber, and essential nutrients, such as phytosetrols, which are...
Coconut Palm Stem (Pack of 10)
Sold Out - $ 8.00
Derived from the Coconut Palm, Cocos nucifera, these amazing stems are one of the coolest "accent pieces" we've come across.They have a hard texture on the outside, but do retain...
"Nano" Lotus Seed Pod (Package of 36)
Sold Out - $ 10.00
Like it's larger bretheren, this botanical is part of the "seed head" of the Lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera). However, these little, light-as-a-feather botanicals average only 0.75- 1 inches (approx. 10.9-2.54...
"Substrato Fino" Fine Grade Coconut-based Natural Substrate Enhancement Media
Sold Out - $ 7.00
"Substrato Fino" is a totally natural, sustainably-sourced, and highly functional substrate enhancement media that will give your botanical-method aquarium all the authenticity, aesthetic boost, and functionality that you'd want from...
Borneo Catappa Bark
Sold Out - $ 18.00
Tannin Borneo Catappa Bark offers a rich source of tannins, humic acids, and other substances which are thought to provide some antibacterial and antifungal properties and other health benefits...
Tannin Special Release "Mikolji Bronze Corydoras Biotope 9669" (Ivan Mikolji-curated Botanical Sampler Pack, and Exclusive Signed Limited Edition Print)
Sold Out - $ 68.00
If you're a lover of Corydoras catfish, then this exciting, special release pack is just what you've been waiting for! It was developed in collaboration with world-renowned explorer, researcher, audio/visual...
"Sappanwood" Pod
Sold Out - $ 7.00
"Sappanwood" Pods are the dried fruits of the Biancaea sappan tree, which is native to tropical regions in Asia. It's known commonly as the "Indian Redwood" or "Sappanwood" tree....
Malaysian Yellow Mangrove Leaves
Sold Out - $ 22.00
In the brackish water estuary habitats of Malaysia, the Yellow Mangrove, Ceriops tagal, is quite common, providing shelter, food, and spawning areas for a diverse array of aquatic organisms. Mangroves...
Fishtail Palm Stem
Sold Out - $ 10.00
These little palm stems are some of the coolest botanicals we've seen in a while! They come from the flower of the Caryota mitis Palm, also known as the "Fishtail Palm." This palm...
Kurrajong Pod
Sold Out - $ 12.00
An awesome little find, the Kurrajong Pod comes from the Kurrajong, or "Bottle Tree", Brachychiton populneus, and offers a great combination of durability, texture, and "tint producing capability!" These pods have...
Pygmy Date Palm Frond
Sold Out - $ 4.00
We've long entertained the idea of utilizing palm fronds in aquatic displays, and after seeing our friend Tai Streitman's amazing aquarium, with palm fronds as an integral part of the...
"Sky Fruit" Pod
Sold Out - $ 8.00
These are very interesting, woody pods, derived from the outer valve of the fruit of the Swietenia macrophylla tree, which hails from a wide range of tropical locales (although native to...
Jackfruit Leaves
Sold Out - $ 15.00
The Jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is widely known in some parts of the tropical world, and has been consumed as a food and used in traditional medicines for centuries. They...
Birch Cones (Approx. 4-ounce package)
Sold Out - $ 15.00
These cones are another great "media" for providing beneficial tannins and humic acids, have been utilized by aquarium hobbyists in Europe for some time. When it comes to "tint-imparting" capabilities, the...
Magnolia Leaves
Sold Out - $ 8.00
The leaves of the Magnolia tree are distinctive, attractive, and very useful for aquarium purposes. They're decorative, and make a great supplemental food source/biofilm substrate. They can vary widely in color,...
"Re-Leaf" Leaf Litter Replenishment Pack (40 Pieces)
Sold Out - $ 20.00
If you're a fan of adding leaves to your aquascape to create a cool microhabitat, then you already know that replenishing them as they decompose is just "par for the...
Indian Casuarina Cones
Sold Out - $ 10.00
We're all pretty familiar with the wonderful Alder Cone, which has been widely utilized by aquarium hobbyists for some time. You've probably not seen the incredibly useful cones from the...
Jacaranda Pod
Sold Out - $ 9.00
Looking for all the world like turtle shells, the split fruit capsule of the Jacaranda tree, Jacaranda cuspidifolia, is an awesome little botanical, which will be a perfect supplement to your leaf litter. They...
Nypa Palm Flower
Sold Out - $ 8.00
These are yet another botanical, derived from the useful Nypa Palm. The "inflorescence", or flower, that is part of the fruit cluster of the palm, these are essentially like leaves in...
Pandanus Pod
Sold Out - $ 5.00
If you have frogs and other herps, these are seriously cool pods to play with in your vivarium or terrarium, where they can help create hiding spaces, territories, and even...
Bael Tree Pod
Sold Out - $ 8.00
These unique pods are perfect for all sorts of aquatic applications! Actually, the dried fruit husk from the "Bael Tree", Aegle marmelos, they are reminiscent of the fruits and seed pods...
"Monkey Pot"
Sold Out - $ 8.00
The aptly-named "Monkey Pot" is technically a nut, produced from the abundant tree, Lecythis pisonis, native to South America (most notably, the Amazonian region). The large, woody, gourd-like fruits are a...
Magnolia Seed Pod
Sold Out - $ 5.00
Magnolia seed pods (Ours are from Magnolia grandiflora) are really durable, and stand up very well to the humid vivarium environment, lasting a very long time. With their very "woody"...
Afzelia Pod
Sold Out - $ 7.00
The seed pod of Afzelia xylocarpa from Southeast Asia, is a big, heavy, and undeniably attractive botanical that will serve a variety of uses, ranging from simple hardscape piece, to serving...
"Fundo Tropical" Natural Substrate Enhancement Media
Sold Out - $ 10.00
If you've been following my ramblings here at Tannin, you know that we're big fans of natural-looking substrates in biotope-inspired aquariums. Most of the tropical substrates that we've seen in...
Calotropis Pod
Sold Out - $ 7.00
Another great pod to mix in with your leaf litter! The fruit of the Calotropis gigantea plant, this is a stellar botanical to replicate the tropical stream biotope, where these types of...
Pyrifolium Pod
Sold Out - $ 8.00
We love these botanicals, because they have the appearance of a leaf, but have the "heft" that you'd expect from a seed pod. Derived from the Aspidosperma pyrifolium tree from...
Loquat Leaves
Sold Out - $ 8.00
The leaves of the Loquat tree (Eriobotrya sp.) are not one that you will typically see offered for aquatic use. However, they provide some surprising benefits, including known anti-inflammatory properties in humans,...
Puberula Pod
Sold Out - $ 9.00
Another great botanical to mix in with your leaf litter. Puberula Pods are the fruit capsule of the Brazilian tree, Jacaranda puberula, and have a cool, light-colored leaf-like form on one...
Tannin Aquatics "Enigma Explorer Pack"- Your custom-curated mystery collection!
Sold Out - $ 60.00
YOUR BOTANICAL JOURNEY BEGINS WITH THE CLASSIC "ENIGMA PACK" EXPERIENCE! We're all about the power of "self-curation"- empowering you to create with the widest selection of natural botanical materials around....
Kielmeyera Pod
Sold Out - $ 10.80
These attractive botanicals are pretty respectable in size; ranging from about 2.75"- 4" (6.98-10.16cm) in length, and about 1.25" to 2" (3.17-5.08cm) wide. They're a dense, surprisingly heavy little...
Dregea Pod
Sold Out - $ 6.00
The Dregea Pod has a really unique scoop-like shape, and is reminiscent of the pods and fruits which fall into tropical streams, enriching the waters and providing foraging and protection...
Isoberlinia Pod
Sold Out - $ 8.00
An unusual botanical from Africa, these woody seed pods are actually the fruit of the Isoberlinia angolensis tree. They have a sort of cool curvy look to them. A member of...
Banana Stem Pieces
$ 5.00
Banana stems, (Musa spientum), have a cool, almost "bonelike" appearance and texture, and are quite strong. They make great little aesthetic accents and foraging areas for a variety of aquatic...
"Coco Curls"
Sold Out - $ 7.00
These versatile botanicals are derived from coconut shells (Cocos nucifera), and are really cool-looking "accent pieces" for a tropical stream biotope aquarium! Each one has a very unique shape, and...
Dysoxylum Pod
Sold Out - $ 10.00
The Dysoxylum Pod, the woody fruit capsule of the plant Dysoxylum binectariferum, perfectly represents many of the interesting pods and fruits which fall into tropical streams as part of the "allochthonous...
Mokha Pod Section
Sold Out - $ 7.00
Here we have another amazing little woody pod, actually a fruit capsule, which offers both a cool aesthetic and delightful utility. The fruit capsule of the Shrebera swietenioides (from the...
"Helix Pods"
Sold Out - $ 7.00
"Helix Pods" have a cool curved form and a smooth, woody appearance and texture. The fruit of Caesalpinia pulcherrima, widely distributed throughout the tropics, these distinctive pods make great little foraging...
Cariniana Pod
Sold Out - $ 22.00
A true "gift from the jungle", the Cariniana Pod comes to us from the Cariniana legalis tree from South America. Interestingly, these are some of Brazil's oldest trees, with some...
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