thE TINT

the art and science of botanical method aquarium keeping.

  • MY “CONFESIONAL”PART 2: FACT, FICTION, ART, SCIENCE- AND THE STUFF IN BETWEEN.

    Yeah, it’s becoming a trend, isn’t it? Me addressing some of the ridiculous stuff I’ve been responsible for introducing into the hobby, and commenting on some of its general absurdities! One of the interesting things about the aquarium hobby is the rather opinionated positions that we often take about subjects which are near and dear…

  • It’s MY FAULT…

    Words matter, don’t they? Okay, I have a confession to make: I think I should have never coined the term “Botanical-Style Aquarium” back in 2015 to describe the approach that we take to our aquariums. It kind of undersells what we all do…and it hung around much longer than it should have. I remember back in…

  • A SHOT AT “IMMORTALITY?”

    I remember an old sayings to the effect that, “…Nothing is ever wasted…” I’ve often applied this adage to my aquarium work. Quite literally, actually. If you’ve been in the hobby for any appreciable length of time, you’ve no doubt heard that one of the best ways to “kick start” the biological process in a new…

  • TRANSITIONING.

    One of the best things about a botanical-method aquairum is that it is a dynamic, evolving, and, well -“flexible” environment to work with. By its very nature, the botanical-method aquarium changes- and can be changed– with relatively little effort on our part, while still embracing natural processes. Case in point: A little tank I created…

  • DOUBLING DOWN ON DETRITUS!

    It’s probably been a few moths since I’ve discussed detritus here, and it’s been on my mind a lot lately. To truly understand the botanical method, one must look at detritus not as “waste,” but as a highly sophisticated biological matrix. When leaves, seed pods, and twigs break down, they transform into a material that bridges…

  • In Situ.

    One of the typical “best practices” of modern aquarium keeping is the “preparation” or “curing” of wood before adding it to your tank. There is very little questioning within the hobby about the need for some preparation before it’s “suitable” for keeping with fishes.  We’re admonished not to simply toss wood into the aquarium. It…

  • MUSINGS ON WOOD.

    As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, the botanical method aquarium approach is a mindset which embraces what we call “functional aesthetics”- a way of appreciating the collateral benefits of the materials we utilize to create our aquariums. A sort of “function first” approach. When I was operating Tannin Aquatics, we often received questions from fellow hobbyists asking…

  • THE FUNCTION OF…FUNCTION.

    Part of what I love about the aquarium hobby is the many different directions that we can choose to take. And, with so many hobbyists getting into this dark and earthy world that we play with, it’s important to look at what we do in the context of aquarium hobby overall, and how this affects our understanding…

  • A NEVER-ENDING JOURNEY.

    We hear a lot of discussions about establishing botanical method aquariums, yet a lot fewer ones about running them over extended periods of time. And, occasionally, someone will ask me when a botanical method aquarium is considered “mature” or “finished.” Like, how do you know, and how long should you expect it to take to get there?…

  • RESPECT FOR THE “CLASSICS.”

    Have you ever obsessed over a fish that, just perhaps, you have kept many years ago- maybe even as a kid- and now have sort of “moved on” or just sort of taken for granted otherwise, because it was one of those so-called ‘beginner’s fishes?” Yeah, well it’s kind of funny to see these staples…