The Tint

The largest wetland on earth, The Pantanal is awe inspiring and fascinating! Our guest, Tai Strietman, the man who provides all of those amazing underwater pics for us, shares his firsthand knowledge of the fishes and the habitat- and how we can recreate it in our aquarium!

Vast, diverse, and fascinating- The Pantanal is one of the most productive aquatic habitats on earth. Many of the fishes we love in our aquariums come from this amazing ecosystem, yet we hardly ever see aquariums based on it. We, as lovers of natural-“, botanical-style aquariums, are uniquely positioned to change that!

It starts with an innocent question: “What are the best fishes to eat algae in my aquarium?” And then it snowballs from there- culminating in an interesting ethical argument and questions about who’s really in charge of your tank!

In the botanical-style natural aquarium, faith and patience are some of the most important “components”- things you need to have an abundance of. What happens when a botanical- style aquarium evolves, and how do we react to the changes which inevitably will occur...?

Like many of you, I love playing with aquascapes. However, UNLIKE many of you, I suck at incorporating rocks into them! What is this? Do I have some bias against rocks? Hmm..

Perhaps our most controversial and passionate podcast yet. An open plea to the accomplished aquascapes of the world to open your minds to a different way of doing things. It might catch your attention. It might piss you off.. or it might just motivate you to get out of your comfort zone and change the hobby in a most profound way. Just listen...

On a practical level, how can we recreate the seasonal changes that occur in Nature, and what impacts can we expect on our fishes? Let’s get after it!

One of the most obvious, yes least-tackled aspects of Nature in our aquariums is...change. Specifically, seasonal changes, which impact wild aquatic habitats. What types of secrets, discoveries, and breakthroughs will come to the aquarium hobby if we approach this dynamic a bit differently?

Some of us crave those seemingly obscure-in-the-hobby, yet abundant-in-Nature fishes. We wait. We search.. and we dream. Why aren’t some of these fishes common in the hobby?

With all of the variables in our aquariums, is there some “grand recipe” for achieving the perfect conditions in your botanical-style, blackwater aquarium?

We’ve all had that ONE “it” fish.. you know- the one that keeps us engaged, actively searching for; inspiring us to create an entire tank for. Here’s a story of my personal “It” fish- Chrenuchus spiritus.. the “Guardian of The Spring.”

I used to be one of those fish people who would simply freak out at every speck of algae; every leaf that was slightly askew...that sort of stuff! Then, I found myself attracted to the “earthy” vibe of natural, botanical-style aquariums, and those little things bothered me no more...

Many are drawn to our unique little niche in the aquarium hobby. Yet, as a beginner, can you succeed in our deeply tinted, earthy world of decomposing leaves and such? Let’s talk about it...

Don’t you just geek out when you order something fish related online, and it’s going to be delivered TODAY? Of course you do. You’re a fish geek!

We realize that a lot of you might love some aspects of botanicals and blackwater aquariums, but you’re not ready to go “all in” on a full-on natural look. What to do? Here are a few simple ideas to fuse “high concept, artistic” aquariums with our laid-back, more literal interpretation of Nature.

Seems like. I matter how we scape our aquariums, fishes will adapt to them. However, what if you “think like a fish”, and create features in your aquarium that they are evolved to “work with?”

In today’s episode, we “have a chat” with Tannin’s “man in The UK”- James Sheen. We cover a bunch of different botanical-related topics! Have some fun with our very first guest!

We revive numerous questions about the best way to achieve a nice, deep tint in our aquariums- and how to maintain it for a long time. In today’s installment we look at the art- and not at all perfect science- of tinting your tank!

In this postmodern, internet-enables hobby world, it seems that the venerable local fish store is under attack from all sides. I say it’s time to rethink and celebrate this most amazing of hobby institutions!

The beginner in the aquarium hobby enjoys a very special mindset. They’re not handicapped by “experience” like many of us “advanced” hobbyists are. Can we learn from beginners?

Nature is not static. It’s transient; ever evolving- constantly in flux. And if you consider this- our aquariums can embrace it. The essence of what is known as “wabi-sabi.”

Occasionally, we become a bit “detached” from the hobby- this thing we love so much. And it’s really a sad thing. Today, a personal journey of how I fell out of touch- and got back into the game stronger than ever. If you’re out there- drifting in the current- this podcast is for you!

Rain is the most transformative element in natural aquatic habitats.. and the effects of rain impact everything. We are at a point where the idea of creating a “365 Dynamic” with wet and dry periods in our aquariums is a logical extension of what we do. Interested? I hope so!

Not everyone has the aquarium hobby “DIY gene.” We need to figure stuff out by reading, watching, referring to a “guide.” Ever noticed our hobby in general doesn’t have one?

I must admit- one of the “foundational” things we don’t touch on enough in our botanical aquarium work is filtration! Yeah, it’s basic... but there are all sorts of unique applications and benefits for botanical systems that can be derived from utilizing various forms of filtration. Let’s take a look at this stuff.. from our unique perspective!