The Tint

Like all of you, I’ve had all sorts of dreams in my aquarium hobby journey. They’ve taken me in many new and exciting directions. And I’m super happy to have followed them.

Like all of you, I love setting up new aquariums. I love the excitement, the challenges, the unknowns. I mean, I KNOW that stuff like algae blooms, micro bubbles, etc. are just little “bumps in the road” and will typically pass. But I can’t help but overthink now and then.. the burden of my own experience. Something that the beginner in our hobby doesn’t have to deal with! I envy them!

The connection between the aquatic and the terrestrial environments is most eloquently demonstrated by observing what happens to a leaf when it falls into a body of water. The processes which occur that break down leaves carry profound implications for our botanical-style aquariums. Let’s look at the process a bit more closely.

Nature is filled with many amazing ecological niches and aquatic habitats which fishes reside in, which are seldom, if ever replicated in aquariums. Let’s discuss just a few unusual ones that you might want to research more- and create cool aquariums representing them!

The term “blackwater” in the aquarium context is as confusing and misunderstood as it is fascinating and engaging. What exactly IS blackwater, how does it form and what are the keys to recreating the blackwater environment in our aquariums?

On occasion, it’s important to look back at why things might be “off” with your hobby experience. I get a lot of good feedback from hobbyists who were burned out until they “discovered” Tannin... why is this? Let’s dig a bit...

Some fishes get the label of “difficult” or “challenging.” Are they really? Or, could it be that they simply task us to meet THEIR needs instead of ours? Let’s look at how to deal with “difficult” fishes in our work and prove that THERE ARE NO DIFFICULT FISHES!😎

An aquarium is an ecosystem. This is something we have known for a century or more. That’s not new. Yet, the idea of embracing the processes which occurs to build our little ecosystems- to facilitate all of this stuff... is.

Where does aesthetics fit in with the botanical-style aquarium approach? What does it mean, and why are we only now, as a hobby, starting to embrace the idea of truly natural aquariums?

There is something compelling, alluring, and utterly beautiful about the temporary nature of botanical materials when they’re exposed to water. And there is something equally as alluring about ephemeral aquatic habitats. There is so much to learn, embrace, and enjoy about things that are ephemeral in aquatic ecosystems.

Seems like it’s common practice in the hobby to include some Otocinculus or other catfishes and snails as “scavengers” or “cleanup crews”, right? It seems like a cool idea.. but it actually belies a sort of “dark side” that we need to consider...

The idea of embracing the development of food webs within our aquariums to provide supplemental nutrition for our fishes is an integral part of the botanical-style aquarium methodology. It’s an amazing gift from Nature that we as aquarists are only now starting to appreciate!

You know what? Botanical-style aquariums, although not entirely “set and forget” systems, are remarkably forgiving of occasional bouts of “beg in neglect”- assuming you’ve set them up for success in the first place...

We’re getting pretty good at a lot of things in the aquarium hobby... yet, we still spend scant little effort providing fishes environmental conditions which more realistically represent those found in their natural habitats. We seem to make them adapt to what’s easiest for us instead. I think we can and should reverse this trend.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a perfect go to resource for everything aquarium related? If you could get every answer to every obscure question instantly? Well, there isn’t. You have to go deeper. You should want to. It’ll make you a better hobbyist, trust me.

Adding terrestrial botanical materials in our aquariums is more than just an aesthetic thing. It’s a way of creating specialized ecological conditions for our fishes, and facilitating natural behaviors and processes in the aquarium.

We all have that ONE fish that were crazy over. The one that holds a magnetic attraction for us. One we can’t let go of. Here’s a look at mine- the “Guardian of The Spring”- Crenuchus spilurus aka the “Sailfin Tetra!”

Those of us who are into brackish water aquariums are always looking- with great effort-for interesting brackish water fishes. Fortunately, one of our fave all time fishes juts happens to be not only found in brackish habitats, it happens to be a most interesting Cichlid as well! Let’s take a closer look at the venerable Orange Chromide!

The aquarium hobby has lots of rules, opinions, and long-held beliefs. Many are quite good; correct, and useful to follow. Others are just “comfortable” for us to cling to, despite the fact that they could be wrong..it takes courage, conviction, and understanding to chart a new course in this old hobby. Here’s a personal story that might help you plot yours..

The idea of running an aquarium based upon the transition from terrestrial to aquatic is something that we find irresistible. We’ve talked about doing this in the little “urban Igapo” for some time. However, what about trying this in a sort of “one way trip” from terrestrial to aquatic- in a larger aquarium? Intrigued? We are!

Wood, in particular is an obsession of many hobbyists when assembling their aquascapes. It makes sense. However wouldn’t it make more sense to consider the functional role that wood plays in aquatic habitats in both Nature and aquarium, and considering the way it occurs in the wild, and what attracts fishes to it? Let’s discuss this...

The idea of “repatriating” domesticated populations of our tropical fishes to environmental conditions similar to those in which they evolved over eons fascinates me. What secrets can we unlock? What lessons can we learn? What benefits can we gain? It’s a grand experiment- one worth considering, IMHO!

Seriously, can filters be “fun?” Well, not fun in the sense that they’re a blast to put together and maintain; but “fun” in the sense that they can facilitate all sorts of processes which can benefit our tanks. Let’s examine some filter possibilities for the botanical-style aquarium, and push you to do some not-so-wacky experiments on going “filterless!”

Aquariums have no “expiration date”- unless we impose one. Let’s beat the crap out of “old tank syndrome” and the ideas behind it!

As we’ve talked about numerous times, botanical-style aquariums evolve over time. Sometimes-often, actually-the way they start out is far different from how they’ll look weeks-or months later. They evolve. And how we come to accept and understand this requires us to evolve, too- with our aquariums.