The Tint

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?