The Tint

There is something alluring, amazing and altogether incredible about mangroves. They’re much easier to sprout and grow than you might think, and they can be the real highlight of your botanical-style brackish water aquarium!!!

Today, we open up the email and answer a few reader/listener questions on the “Urban Igapo!”

Yeah, stuff breaks down in our tanks.. and if we don’t engage in a mad scramble to remove it, amazing benefits accrue...

Yeah, time for another plea for you to keep the hobby’s most underrated, under-appreciated fishes- The Barbs!

Accepting the inevitable change which occurs to our carefully planned and executed aquariums over time requires us to think more deeply... to contemplate... to embrace the ephemeral and the ever changing...the very essence of the much-discussed philosophy of wabi-sabi. The “philosophy of transience...”

It’s amazing to see those little random areas in our tanks where “stuff” accumulates. The forces which affect the distribution of botanical materials in our aquariums are worth considering- and valuing- for the randomness they bring.

Sometimes, we have to take a chance with our aquarium work. It’s scary, but it’s how we move forward.. it involves risk. Are you up for it?

With all of the cool stuff going on in the hobby, we sometimes have to push further- to try new things or ideas. Sometimes it means forgoing the criticism, the attacks- the “regurgitation” of outmoded generalizations- when Pershing our vision. It takes courage.

An exciting time in the life of our botanical-filled aquariums is when those first biofilms make their appearance. We call this time “The Bloom”- and it’s time for celebration!

Yeah, it’s time once again to discuss the idea of making mental shifts. We as hobbyists need to do things a bit differently; we need to understand how what we do is as impactful on Nature as She is on us...

Buttress roots are large, dynamic features which serve to protect trees in the flooded forests we love so much. Let’s look at them a bit more closely, and consider how they can work in our aquariums as well!

Botanical “style” aquariums.. I maybe shouldn’t have selected the word “style” to describe this methodology. Words have multiple meanings, consequences, and interpretations. We in the hobby need to be a bit more careful with the words we use, how we use them- and the assumptions that arise.

Yeah, it’s about time I dove into this topic. Here are my first few faves. I hope this doesn’t become another one of those morning “top 10” things. Nah, it won’t be- trust me!

Let’s try something a little different with our next aquarium.. a sort of “one way” version of our “Urban Igapo” concept.. huh? Interested, confused...or both? Check it out!

Yeah, we’re obsessed with substrates. You kinda knew that. And our “NatureBase” substrates are becoming pretty popular! And of course, there are a lot of questions about what makes these sedimented substrates tick! Let’s hit on a few!

Bigger is NOT always “better” in the aquarium hobby. In fact, it’s often worse. Let’s look at the pros and cons of “modest sized” aquariums!

Little, shallow, often ephemeral aquatic habitats are compelling, fascinating, and enjoyable to replicate in both form and function in our aquariums! Yeah, we should be doing more of this...

In the aquarium hobby, we need to compromise, accommodate- to be flexible. And that’s not always a bad thing. In Nature, fishes need to be flexible to adapt to a changing environment.. we should, too. Because when we’re open to being flexible, all kinds of good stuff can happen!

The idea of keeping substrate intact as we “remodel” our tanks shouldn’t be seen as “weird.” When you view the substrate as a living, breathing entity, it makes a ton of sense you preserve it and continue with it, right?

Yeah, it sounds a bit “Star Trek-y”, but it’s an important thing to discuss: The idea of truly trying stuff in aquariums that hasn’t been tried before. Questioning “them” and your reasons for ever hesitating. Questioning “conventions” of aquarium practice...not just to be rebellious- but to push the state of the art in aquarium keeping for the benefit of the hobby, our passions- and our fishes!

The idea of “operating” our tanks via environmental manipulation and other practices is not new to fish breeders. However, to the biotope-inspired aquarist, these practices go beyond just recreating a “look”- they’re perhaps the ultimate expression of an aquarium which functions like Nature does...

Fungi. Reviled. Feared. Hated by anyone who’s ever cured a piece of driftwood for their aquarium. We need to change our thinking on these absurdly important and beneficial organisms. We need to get beyond their “looks” and understand them for the elegant and valuable organisms that they are!

We’ve been talking about the “Urban Igapo”- recreating seasonal inundation that occurs to forests and grasslands in South America- for years now. And the idea is catching on- lots of you are playing with this! Amd of course, there are a lot of questions as we explore this fun and fascinating approach to aquariums! Today, in the first of what will likely be many podcasts on the topic- we’ll address...

Natural aquatic ecosystems provide an enormous diversity of foods for our fishes. Their diets adapt to seasonal abundance, and include a wide variety of stuff that we can provide them in our botanical-style aquariums!

We’ve talked about and shared some very different ideas over the years. We’ve talked about mental shifts, unusual aesthetics, and executions. Let’s share a few of our faves here that YOU should run with!