The Tint

We postulate and theorize a lot about what botanicals do for aquariums. We are beginning to understand some of their implications and impacts in our aquariums. However, we won’t talk about lot about their impact on wild aquatic habitats…Let’s have that talk- and think about the implications for our aquariums, too…including a bit more talk on what we call “blackwater.”

If we observe what our fishes feed on in the wild, we might be pleasantly surprised to find out that we can (and in some instances, already do) provide these same foods in a botanical method aquarium. Let’s take a fresh look at the foods we can produce in our tanks, and the potential benefits they can provide for our fishes!

Our aquariums tell us a lot of things. They literally “speak” to us. By observing, testing, and analyzing the feedback we receive from our tanks, we can set ourselves up for long term success.And often, it’s not as simple as just looking at numbers on a test kit. We need to look at things in context- to see what’s behind the numbers. We sometimes need to affect changes.. and other times, let the aquarium tell us what it wants to be. Feedback.

Yeah, it’s time for my semi annual ass kicking of the contest aquascaping world. Another of my irrational yet passionate rants asking us to do better! Guaranteed to offend a lot of people!😵‍💫

What is this whole botanical method aquarium thing about? Well, my philosophy has evolved a lot over the years. I think a lot of what we are doing with our botanical method aquariums is simply setting the stage for Nature to do something that She does best… create an ecosystem. This philosophy shapes everything in my aquarium work.. I hope that it impacts yours, too!

The history of aquarium keeping is a mix of amazing people, cool ideas, and of course, fascinating fishes. Many of the ideas we take for granted in the hobby have their roots in the 1950s and 60s- arguably the hobby’s “Golden Age.” However, there are all sorts of new ideas percolating in-.. today, a quick romp through hobby history and some personal relief tons and observations that confirm, in my mind at least- that we’re in another “Golden Age” of the aquarium hobby.

After a lifetime in the hobby- I’d venture to say that there are no really “difficult” fish. Here’s why: it’s not that a fish is inherited “difficult”- it simply means that we as hobbysits, if we want to be successful with a species- need to meet its needs. A fish doesn’t arrive in our aquarium with a concept of being “easy” or “difficult.” It arrives with a set of biological requirements.

Embracing the botanical method aquarium means adopting a “low intervention, high control “ philosophy. It requires thoughtful maintenance- perhaps a lot less than you’d expect. Why? Becuase we rely on the population of microorganisms and other life forms to provide the “filtration” for the system, and maintenance involves letting these processes play out instead of interfering with them? Curious? Give a listen!

Let’s talk more about establishing a “benthic habitat” in our reef aquariums via rubble! My continued evolution of an idea that I’ve played with for decades is getting me pretty excited- and giving me a lot of great lessons on how to evolve my reefkeeping! Hopefully some of the lessons I’ve learned will inspire you on your own journeys!

We walk a fine line between aesthetic and function in our world. A world which requires mental shifts, adoption of new techniques, and love of a certain “look.” One of the big discussion points that we have is about the color and “clarity” of the water in our botanical method aquariums…Let’s “clear up” some of the misconceptions about this stuff!

Sometimes, it’s fun to consider some of the absurdities in the aquarium hobby. Like, how some fishes are just ordained by the universe to be a pain to keep.. or how we select our fishes for our aquariums. Today is a light-hearted excursion into the world of fishes that were so obsessed with, and a bit of a laugh at my own personal foibles!

I have a hunch that pretty much all botanical materials from all over the owls pretty much perform the same when submerged in water! So it’s my opinion that you can and should use all sorts of materials that you can collect locally- with a few caveats- because “exotic” doesn’t have to be the only measure of usefulness when it comes to to leaves and stuff we use! Yeah- Use what you’ve got!

Let’s settle into my salty side today. Substrate is sort of out of favor with the reef aquarium hobby, for reasons which are remarkably similar to some of the ones we encounter in the botanical method aquarium world. We’llthe role which subsystems play in both natural reefs and home aquariums… a discussion about why we should reconsider a substrate. This is particularly intersting to botanical method aquarium geeks, because it covers some of the same ideas we play with in our freshwater work!

Fish fry love to eat. What if we could provide them with an almost unlimited supply of natural food, with minimal effort? Well, we can… It’s called the Botanical Method aquarium… And we all know how to build one already! We might just have one of the greatest “nursery tanks” ever!

Few things in aquarium hobby husbandry freak people out like detritus. Vilified, feared, and for too long, simply misunderstood- detritus is not the “bogeyman” we think it is. In botanical method aquariums, detritus is an integral part of how things work!

A sort of “companion” to our last piece- in this episode, we examine how there is a beauty in randomness within our aquariums!, and how we can foster it for our fishes’ advantage!

Instead of viewing botanical materials as “decorations” to be arranged into some sort of “composition” in the aquarium, we should see them as active participants in building the habitat itself! In Mature,,botanical materials don’t simply occupy a habitat- they help create it!

Sport has its heros. Music has its legends. Hollywood has its idols. The aquarium hobby has…gadgets. Gadgets which transcend time and have made generations of hobbysits have a better experience! Let’s take a quick look at some of my fave all-time aquarium gadgets- including the one that I think is truly the GOAT!

One of the central ideas behind botanical method aquariums is that the aquarium itself becomes the “filter.” Hers a fresh look at this idea, and why you might actually have more in common with a reef aquarist than your “ run-of-the-mill” freshwater aquarist!

A little discussion about water quality, pH and other water manipulation frontiers in the botanical method aquarium!

Today is one of those days that I just need to rent a bit. We-especially content creators- have a responsibility to share deeper information instead of drivel. There, I said it. 😆

We all enjoy the aquarium hobby for different reasons t reasons. It took me decades to realize this- and when I did, everything got a whole lot more fun!

We set up aquariums to represent all sorts of natural habitats… Yet, we seldom see aquariums set up to replicate seasonal aspects of these habitats. Why not? I think the benefits of doing so would be incredible!

Wine has it. Coffee has it. Terroir- Environmental conditions- specifically soil and climate, which give grapes and coffee beans unique flavors and aromas. Does this same idea apply to the aquatic habitat which we admire- and to the botanical method aquariums that we create to replicate them? I think so!

In this installment, another plea to get you to consider a botanical method BRACKISH WATER aquarium! A little rant about why most current brackish water aquarium ideas suck, and other stuff likely to piss you off!

The aquarium hobby is filled with risks. Aquarists who take calculated risks are often rewarded, and those who flagrantly ignore Nature’s laws get spanked.. sometimes!

Welcome back to The Tint podcast! Let’s ease back into things with a little discussion about something I’m really good at: Doing NOTHING when your tank doesn’t quite look the way you want, or as it’s evolving…Let’s get into this and celebrate patience and observation!

Yeah, another obsession of mine... I’ve poured through scientific literature, hoping to find a live bearing fish which naturally comes from a blackwater habitat... and here are some of my top candidates! This was the last “Tannin aquatics”-branded episode of “The Tint”! My New “v2.0” episodes will drop soon! Enjoy!

There is something amazing about going to the LFS and stumbling upon fishes that you’ve read about for years, but have never seen.. or just acquiring that fish you’ve been coveting for so long.. hers to the “romance” of our hobby…

When we create aquariums based on that idea in our heads- or that natural ecosystem that we’re enthralled by, we sometimes need to grasp restraint. We need to hold ourselves back.. let’s discuss this and other great ways to bring your dream tank to life!

We as a hobby don’t do enough to share the basics.. there, I said it. We’re too caught up in making cute social media posts without disseminating more than superficial information. There’s a real hunger- and need- for us to go beyond the basics…

Reversing course, changing direction, and rethinking our aquariums are par for the course in the hobby. When is it appropriate to hold on.. or to switch direction?

I have thousands of tank ideas. Why am I not able to find execute on them?

People ask me all the time how Tannin started; what the ideas that drove- and do tie to drive it- are. How lessons I’ve learned along the way validated thoughts I had, and challenged me to improve. And we look at how the mindset I’ve learned on my journey can help you with yours..

As botanical method aquarium fans and vendors, we tend to speculate quite a bit about what exactly is in those botanical we use. One thing we don’t speculate about is what they do ecologically when they’re in our tanks…

Of all of the habitats we play with in botanical method aquariums, few are as compelling as tropical streams. Let’s take another look at streams and the opportunities they offer to replicate them in aquariums..

When we eschew ecology, we’re setting ourselves up for difficulties with our aquariums. It’s a lesson learned throughout hobby history. One which, as botanical method aquarium lovers, we need not be destined to repeat!

There is always risk to trying new stuff in the hobby. There is risk in collecting your own botanicals. Hell, there’s risk in keeping an aquarium, for that matter. Don’t be overly risk adverse!

I’ve pounded it into your heads before: Our botanical method aquariums are little microcosms; beholden to Natural processes just like their wild brethren. And how we manage them and indeed, perceive them, is as important as anything else we do in the hobby.

Your botanical method aquarium is an elegant, simple to manage, yet complex ecosystem. It can run with a minimum of intervention on your part. They key is to understand what’s happening, why it’s beneficial- and to make the mental shifts necessary to make it all work.

For some reason, a lot of people in the aquarium hobby seem to feel that you need to have a large aquarium to be considered a “serious” hobbyist- or a “successful” one. Where the hell did THIS idea come from? Let’s discuss…

How do hobby practices develop? What makes us do things the way that we do? And why are we sometimes hesitant to change, to learn, to evolve? What kinds of changes have we made in the hobby- and what kinds of changes will we do tie to make?

We do this incredible thing- we replicate the function of natural aquatic habitats in our aquariums. And we’ve had to adapt, evolve our techniques, and take criticisms from others to do it. Yet, it’s all worth it.. we just have to look at the “how and why” of what we do sometimes to appreciate it!

Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve talked about tearing fry a more natural way. Fish breeders won’t like this, I’m sure, but for “casual” breeders like me, the idea of incorporating a botanical method aquarium to feed young fish fry is amazing!

The beauty of our approach to aquariums is that they are perfectly optimized for operating indefinitely…if we manage them in a way that’s consistent with our understanding of their ecological function…

We at the stage in our aquariums so to speak. We deliver a “stage” for Nature to perform Her work. We shouldn’t resist this.

We have been preaching for almost a decade about the concept of “functional aesthetics”- an appreciation for the function of natural habitats , understanding that the function contributes to the aesthetics. And it’s time once again to elaborate on my theory..

It’s amazing how adaptable fishes are, isn’t it? However, I’m more convinced than ever that, just because fishes CAN adapt to conditions that are easier for us to provide, doesn’t mean that we should force them to. Let’s discuss..

Okay, it sounds like a bad sci-fi movie, but it’s just a designation given to one of my aquariums..a system that changed my practice and evolved my thinking about botanical method aquariums. Everyone likely has their own “Project 18”- that tank which pushed boundaries for them. Let me share what this tank did for my aquarium hobby practice… then please reflect upon yours…

Our fishes have evolved to consume all sorts of foods. And they often shift their feeding habits throughout the year, as a response to seasonal changes, abundance, etc. And our botanical method aquariums, with their leaves, seed pods, etc. are fantastic producers of supplemental nutrition…