Mangal, Malaysia - Brackish

SELECTIONS INSPIRED BY THE COMPELLING BRACKISH ENVIRONMENTS OF MALAYSIA...

Southeast Asia has dramatic variety of aquatic habitats, which are home to a huge variety of fishes. Among the most compelling are the brackish water habitats known as "mangals." This is term for "mangrove swamp", derived from Arabic. It's the name most commonly associated with these unique communities. As such, it presents us with an amazing opportunity to create a truly unique aquarium display.

Although aquarists have been playing with brackish tanks for decades, in our opinion, what's been missing is a focus on the actual habitat and how it functions.  We think we've been collectively focusing on the wrong part of the equation for a long time- just "salt" and basic aesthetics.  As we've done with Tannin’s Blackwater/Botanical approach, we focus a lot of energy on the functional AND (far different) aesthetic aspects of the brackish environment than has been embraced before.  

Witness the rise of the botanical-style brackish-water aquarium. Less emphasis on "sterile" white sand and crystal-clear water, and more emphasis on a functional representation of a tropical, brackish water ecosystem: Muddy, nutrient- rich, filled with mangrove leaves, botanical materials, and stained a bit from tannins. Beautiful in a very different, yet oddly compelling way. Enter the age of the "tinted" brackish-water aquarium! This collection of botanicals is our recommended starting point for YOUR mangal adventure!