The Tint

Hacks, shortcuts, and “workarounds” aren’t always the best approach, IMHO. Products that encourage “shortcuts” or reward our hobby impatience are not worth celebrating, to me. Here’s a little tale of a product called “Shade”, and why we happily killed it…a story of marketing, philosophy, and staying true to yourself.

Yeah, we get a lot of questions about rocks; specifically, what I don’t use them in most of my aquariums, and why we don’t offer them for sale at Tannin. Well, here’s the long and short answer… it’s a tale of amateur geology, ecology, and appropriateness. This should be interesting! (I hope)

A tree falls in the tropical forest… and becomes a unique and productive part of the aquatic ecosystem which arises when the seasonal inundation occurs. Something to think about and be inspired by when creating your next aquarium!

Dark, tinted water means….Well, what DOES it mean to your aquarium? Other than the fact that your water has a tint to it, it might not mean much. Yet, we in the hobby and industry tend to trade off of assumptions- all too often. Let’s look at the downside to assuming stuff about botanical method aquariums, and how we can do better!

There is a lot of confusion in the mainstream aquarium hobby about the long-term maintenance of botanical method aquariums. A certain pessimism or fear, which leads some to believe that these aquariums are teetering on the bring of failure, flirting with disaster. Must be all of those leaves and decomposing botanicals, right? The reality couldn't be more different: These tanks run remarkably s...

Of all of the crazy ideas we floated around here over the years, none has seemed to capture our community’s attention as much as the “Urban Igapo” approach to recreating a seasonally flooded forest floor in the aquarium. By popular demand, todays podcast is a simple review of the approach and execution of this type of aquarium.

Our hobby speciality of botanical method aquariums is largely based upon our accepting the development of an ecology in our tanks. It requires some patience, study, and understanding. We as a hobby can’t keep “dumbing down” sometimes complex concepts in the hopes of “reaching more people”. We can do better.. to share and educate our fellow hobbyists. Here’s my challenge to you…

Xylophagy- the consumption of wood by animals- is a fascinating process, long attributed to various Loricarridae. And interestingly, it’s a feeding strategy which seems to play right into our botanical method aquarium practices…

Substrate… is more than just the “bottom of the aquarium.” It’s a vital, highly diverse ecosystem within the aquarium- one which has profound impact. For decades, we’ve been just “mailing it in” and throwing sand or gravel on the bottom of our tanks, rather than creating more sophisticated, varied mixes of materials to facilitate biodiversity within our aquariums. Let’s change that.

As I reemerge from my self-imposed “sabbatical”, I think it’s time to explore and shatter some emerging misconceptions in our hobby sector. Let’s tackle on of the biggest ones right here and now!

Everyone’s fave aquarist- the amazing Jen Williams, stops by for another amazing visit! We talk about the hobby, life, what we’ve been up to- and how Scott got his groove back. And, as usual- Jen drops some awesomeness along the way!! A true “Tint” episode for the ages!

Nature provides us with everything we need to manage our aquariums successfully. Let’s talk about ways to embrace natural processes and mechanisms to create amazing natural “filtration systems” within our aquariums!

“Embracing Nature” sounds like typical aquarium hobby/industry marketing hyperbole, I know. However, truly embracing the function of Nature- NOT just the appearance of Nature- is the key to an incredible hobby experience.

Playing with leaves and botanicals in our aquarium is fundamental. It’s a new era of understanding aquatic ecology and it’s impact on our aquariums. It requires some mental shifts, doesn’t it?

As I return from my self-imposed aquarium industry “exile”, I once again am taken by the decidedly superficial approach to “natural” aquariums that has overtaken the popular hobby consciousness. I’m back, and it’s time to keep fighting “the good fight” to convince you to interpret Nature in our aquariums on a deeper level…

Yeah, as I jump back in to sharing ideas on botanical method aquariums in 2023, it’s good for me to just take one more opportunity to discuss the color of the water in our tanks, and what it means…

The legends in the aquarium hobby have provided us with everything that we need to know to be successful. Their knowledge, passed down over the decades, helped foster and refine the techniques which have evolved into the modern aquarium hobby. Simple truths, shared freely…

What’s my all-time fave botanical for use in aquariums? Some exotic South American seed pod or rare tropical leaf? Nope! It’s oak branches and twigs ( oh, and leaves). Let’s talk about oak, and it’s use and benefits in our aquariums!

Ecologists define detritus as,   "... partially decomposed organic matter from plant and animal tissues, in addition to microorganisms and minerals." Note that nowhere in either definition do you see references to the stuff being "dangerous" or "detrimental" to fishes or aquariums. Now, look, having an excess of just about anything accumulating somewhere in the closed environment of an a...

There is something truly remarkable about natural processes playing out in our own aquariums, as they have done for eons in the wild. Understanding, accepting, and celebrating "The Bloom"  (that explosion of fungal growths, biofilms, and the process of decomposition) is all part of that "mental shift" towards accepting and appreciating a more truly natural-looking, natural- functioning aquari...

The hobby can be a pain sometimes. It can be expensive, challenging- difficult. And so we often take shortcuts or make compromises to make things easier; more affordable. These are not panaceas.. they often don’t work out. Life is too short to compromise!

Seasons come and go. Water levels in aquatic environments ebb and flow. Planet Earth goes through cycles. Fishes face constant challenges, yet have evolved over eons to adapt to them. Seasonal changes influence so much of our fishes’ life cycles.. what about approaching the “operation” of our aquariums based upon seasonal changes?

I have this thing about mixing fishes from different geographic locations. It’s a really stupid thing…but let’s talk about it!

The latest on my multi-year obsession for live bearing fishes that come from blackwater habitats. We look at a few promising candidates, and muse on the geekiness of my obsessions…

Land and water are ridiculously intertwined in the natural world. The physical, chemical, and ecological interdependencies between these two habitats is incredible. We should spend a lot more time studying this stuff.