It’s been a while since we talked about “what to expect” over time with the botanical-style aquarium, what causes algae to appear, etc. let’s have that talk!

What could be more fun than a reclusive, eel-like fish that hangs out in groups and is found in SA oft substrates of s dinner, mud, and leaves? Ahh, the Kuhli Loach is perfect for this kind of cool fish-centric tank!

You don’t need anyone’s permission to try new and exciting things in the hobby. In fact, we’ve come a long way in our world, playing with ideas that, for many years, we’re seen as crazy or foolhardy...

I’ve been really thinking long and hard about how many of our favorite aquatic habitats form, evolve, and function- and how we can replicate this in our aquariums. I think I’ve found a few very simple ways to play with this process..

Okay, sounds like a bad sitcom! The karsts are another fascinating aquatic habitat that we see on talk about or even hear about in the aquarium hobby. So, let’s take a very cursory dip into this amazing ecological system... you might be inspired to replicate one of these habitats in your next aquarium!

For some reason, we feel that it’s necessary to create tanks to showcase the rare, exotic, flashy fishes. What not create an unusual, habitat-specific tank for the most common of fishes? 🤔

The hobby has seen countless inventions, innovations, and ideas come and to over the years. Some of these inventions, in particular, have stood the test of time. Least look at the greatest ones!!

The botanicals and wood and other materials which we use are more than “decor.” They’re areas for microbial growths to take place, fro fungal growths to colonize. They’re “fuel” for establishing an orderly, productive aquatic microcosm.

The peat swamps of Borneo are amazing, diverse, and unique habitats- perfect for replication in aquariums. Of course, there’s more to it than “dark substrate and tinted water”- so let’s look at some of the characteristics of the habitat! Let’s think beyond the superficial aspects to think about how we could represent this habitat in the aquarium!

We’re starting to see a strong mental shift in the aquarium hobby. A desire to break away from convention; to question “best practices”, to express ourselves differently. To embrace Nature as She is- not in some sanitized, artistically conforming way. We’re working our way out of a “fog”- and it’s looking pretty cool.