The Tint

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!