I’m not a militant biotope aquarium enthusiast, however, obsessed with matching every twig, rock, and leaf in my tank to the wild aquatic habitat I’m trying to represent. Rather, I’m “biotope inspired”- obsessed with creating aquariums which replicate the function and form of unedited Nature. I think that it’s an interesting approach for many of us…

Every once in a while a get a- well- a “bug up my a- - and have to plead with like minded aquarium people to do stuff! Here’s an idea for you entrepreneur types. It’s something that’s literally been “bugging me” for years about aquarium foods.. who’s gonna act on this?

It’s a lot of fun to get some new fishes to add to your collection, isn’t it? Except, if you’re like me- you’re thinking about the tasks that lay ahead- acclimation, feeding, quarantine, etc. The stuff we need to do; the stuff that causes just a little stress for everyone involved, right?

A lot of you ask to hear some story’s about the early days and ideas behind Tannin Aquatics and the botanical method aquarium movement as we know it now. So, here’s one about the origins of our products and their names, and how a decision to be more accurate ranked among one of the best we’ve made!

If you’ve been in the aquarium hobby long enough, there may come a time when you just aren’t “feeling it” any more; when, for whatever reason, it’s healthy to step aside and take a little break. Or, there are some things you can do to stay in the game.. here are a few recommendations from an aquarist who’s been there myself…

Sometimes, when I work with newer hobbyists, I’m reminded of some of the errors and mistakes in judgement I’ve made in the hobby over the years. Here’s a recanting of a tale from my youth of a painful- yet valuable- mistake and the lessons it taught me.

The third part in an occasional series about how I establish my own botanical method tanks. A look at the first steps, including practical and philosophical approaches. Hopefully, you glean a few bits of knowledge from this one!

Aquatic plants. My old nemesis. Until very recently, they’re the one part of the aquarium hobby that never really resonated with me. Yet, so many of you ask about planted botanical method tanks and tinted water that I just HAD to talk about them again! Let’s talk about them from a philosophical, practical, and “ecology first” perspective. Let’s discuss the oft-misunderstood teachings of Amano and reconsider the magic that’s possible when “green meets brown” in our aquariums!

As the botanical method aquarium movement evolves, we’re starting to develop “best practices”, ideas, processes, and classifications that help us communicate within our growing community. Let’s discuss my simple system for classifying botanical materials, and how they influence the chemical, physical, and ecological parameters of our tanks. It’s an exciting time, and everyone can contribute to this amazing hobby specialty!

I love fish breeders. The employ mad skills, create great systems, and do awesome things, all in efforts to control the process. I can’t help but wonder if just doing what we do- creating environmentally focused natural aquariums- can accomplish some of the same things…with a little luck thrown in?