Nikolaus777

So Q3/Q4 2021 I started on my garage conversion into a Shrimp Breeding room as the conservatory was getting somewhat crowded with tanks and we decided to move them and use the conservatory for what it is  
 
So the first task was the leaking roof - this was left in place and thick boarding was installed on the roof external and secured to the roof metal joists. Then roofing material to make it water tight. Once I was happy the roof was a success it was time to seal the garage floor and get on with the interior.
 
 

Raccoon tiger and red crystal 
 

It's really a matter of time. 
I've done some walls that took a year to grow in.
 
Is it thick behind the front mesh?
 
I've found that if you have room, you can lay it down flat on the bottom of the tank so it gets direct light.

I was told that the brown leaves have a weakened cell structure, which lets the shrimp break them down easier.
 

Hey there. It's been a while. Like, too long!
 
My name is Scott Fellman- owner of Tannin Aquatics.
 
 
I'm sort of embarrassed. I mean, I started out like gangbusters here, posting blogs like every day. And then, like so many small biz owners, I got caught up in the everyday aspects of running and growing my business! Now, I started out here in 2015-16 with the best of intentions; I was going to never be "one of THOSE" sponsors, who simply has a forum as a placeholder. And after simply "renting my space" here for a couple of years, I realized that it wasn't all that cool to act that way, lol. I concentrated a lot on building out our website from a number of angles. Our blog, "The Tint", is going strong. We post a new blog every day. And since July, we do a daily podcast of the same name, which is available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
 
The Tint Podcast (Spotify)
 
The Tint Podcast (Apple Podcasts)
 
Now, I will be 100% honest with you. Although we have many shrimp hobbyists among our customers and community, we are not primarily a "shrimp-focused" company. rather, we are more of a specialized "aquatics" vendor, with specialization in the natural aquascaping materials sector; stuff which may be used by lots of different hobbyists for numerous applications. That being said, we have all sorts of materials which work really well for shrimp. In fact, we have developed a series of what we call "curated themes" on our website, which focus on different materials available for various aquatic uses. One of our most popular is a collection of materials which is curated (with many suggestions from YOU) specifically for shrimp!
 
Since I've last posted, I must admit that Tannin Aquatics has truly grown rapidly- we've exploded in our presence and, I hop, our influence- on the hobby. It's been pretty exciting, and we're honored that so many of you have embraced us and supported us. Shrimp keepers like most of you have been big proponents of utilizing botanical materials in your aquariums. Blackwater, botanical-style aquariums and shrimp definitely seem to have a "nexus" of sorts, right?
 
So, moving forward, I promise to be more visible here. we'll post links to our blogs, etc. I'll try to highlight more specific shrimp-focused materials and such. However, I do encourage to you to check out our blog on our site; the podcast, and to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. There is a lot going on! 
 
Have you felt a palpable change in our sector of the aquarium world? Have you even noticed, lol?
 
I have! 
 
We're all sort of "travelers" along this path of discovery...
 
The idea of blackwater aquariums, with their tinted color and mysterious aesthetic is hardly "new" to the hobby world. No one really "invented" this. No one was the person who said, "We should all through leaves and seed pods in our tanks..." It just sort of...evolved.
 
Yep.
 
However, it seems to me that in the past few years, we're starting to see the blackwater, botanical-style aquarium move from "freak side show" to a broader, more mainstream acceptance within the hobby- pulling in people from all sorts of disciplines.
 
Something palpable. Something that calls us.
 
I've been at this botanical-influenced aquarium thing for about 18 years now in "personal practice"; however,  at a little over four years old, we're just getting underway with inspiring and motivating hobbyists to "play with pods" via Tannin Aquatics.
 
 
Although it seems a bit premature, and perhaps even self-serving to label the idea as a "movement" within the hobby, a number of fellow fish geeks have pointed out to me that they feel this is what's starting to happen; that this is what we have. I mean, you can sort of "feel" it. A lot of new energy, new ideas, and new exposure for this area previously labeled as a "novelty." A lot of cool people are doing some inspiring, amazing work with botanical-influenced aquariums.
 
We're looking beyond the everyday...
 

 
Okay, we will tentatively call it a "movement"- at least for the sake of discussion amongst ourselves, okay?
Already, we've noticed some interesting "trends" emerging among the growing number of hobbyists who are working with these types of tanks. These represent not only interesting developments in style and aesthetic, they demonstrate the level of open-mindedness and experimentation that's becoming so wonderfully and increasingly common in the hobby today.
 

 
First off, we're seeing hobbyists going beyond yesterday's "blackwater tanks look dirty" mindset, and embracing the aesthetic for what it is: A very natural-appearing "vibe" that replicates conditions found in certain natural environments around the world.
 
And with this acceptance of the "look" and ephemeral nature of botanicals in aquairums, a definite "mental shift" has occurred.  This to me is most significant and important. Many hobbyists who have previously bought into the prevailing "brown is dirty" mindset are giving blackwater, botanical-influenced tanks a try, rather than flat-out dismissing the idea and (in our opinion) antiquated notions pushed around on the web that these aquariums are difficult to manage, unstable, and otherwise simply "fringe" novelties, rather than a legitimate specialty within the hobby.
 
We're also seeing a growing body of science-backed evidence that humic substances, a key component of "blackwater" have significant health benefits for fishes, and may be among the most important factors which contribute to their health in both the wild and in captivity. 
 
This revelation backs up what many aquarists who dabbled with catappa leaves and bark and other stuff in botanical-influenced aquariums, particularly Betta breeders in Southeast Asia, have asserted for years. In particular, it's thought that these compounds, derived from botanicals, have anti-fungal and anti-parastic properties, and offer protection against oxidative DNA damage and from physiological stressors. With these health benefits now more clearly understood, there are more reasons than ever to appreciate the role that an environment which accumulates these humic substances can play in overall fish health.

 
Although the health benefits to fishes are fascinating and actually somewhat of a "game changer", like many hobbyists, my interests lie with the creation of aquarium that present a more natural-looking, functional aesthetic AS WELL as providing the physiological benefits as a sort of "collateral" bonus! And I think we're seeing a lot of hobbyists "getting their feet wet", trying a few leaves and/or botanicals almost tentatively in an aquascape, then "scaling up" to a full-blown, botanical-influenced "blackwater" aquarium.
 
And with it, not only are we seeing an explosion of new ideas and enthusiasm, we're seeing hobbyists enjoying a sort of "freedom of expression" in their aquascaping that, in some quarters has been lacking for so long, as we rigidly adhered to some "imposed rules" from a variety of sources. These "rules" were, in my opinion, stifling experimentation and individuality, resulting in a dearth of aquascapes, particularly in the international competitions, which looked almost "uniform" in appearance, with a trend towards creating an "underwater diorama", as one friend put it, instead of a miniature "slice of the bottom" as many have desired. 
 

 
Look, I'm not implying that blackwater, botanical-influenced tanks are the "savior of the hobby", or even "the way forward." However,  I am implying that seeing a diversity of hobbyists embrace what has been labeled by some as a radical departure from the "typical" style of aquarium (or previously little more than a "fringe sideshow") -and studying and utilizing the idea as a springboard for success with fishes- and as a form of creative expression- is creating a bit of "movement" in an area that was becoming increasingly one directional. It's nice to see new aquariums taking their cues from nature, instead of from the latest competition winner!
 

 
We see tanks set up specifically to create blackwater conditions for breeding. These are typically more "utilitarian" than purposefully aesthetically conceived, yet have a charm of their own. For example, Betta and Apisto keepers, who are creating botanical-influenced tanks for the sole purpose of providing more appropriate conditions for their fishes to spawn and grow in. And, they do just happen to look pretty cool...
 

 
We're seeing aquariums set up in a more "thematic" style- down with a high sense of design- a direct pedigree of the "Nature Style" aquarium, yet with a "blackwater/botanical twist." This has led to the creation of some amazing-looking aquariums that have turned a lot of heads in the planted tank/hardscape/"nature aquarium" community, in both "whitewater" and "blackwater" styles. Many hobbyists  have taken us in exciting new directions, and countless others not even in the blackwater game yet will create works that will help further forge this style.
 

 
By adding a new look to a much-loved aesthetic, we're seeing a whole new group of very talented hobbyists creating gorgeous, aspirational aquariums simply by incorporating botanicals into the mix- with blackwater or otherwise.
 

 
What's really cool is that we are starting to see more and more planted blackwater/botanical-influenced tanks, an area that has previously been shunned by many, with the rationale that plants cannot work in such environments.
Look for a lot more cool developments on this front!
 

 
Perhaps even more exciting is that we're seeing more and more really cool "biotope-style" aquariums, with blackwater and botanicals as the pivotal components. Now, we've addressed before that there is a difference between the 100% true-to-every-stick-and-stone "biotope" aquarium, which seeks to replicate every detail of a specific locale, and a "biotope-type" aquarium, which simply presents an interpretation of a general environment.
 

 
Both have their merits, supporters, and philosophies, and are both fascinating. However, what's really exciting to me as that we've already seen aquariums that have a distinctly natural "look" to them, with less "intentional design" and more embrace of the natural processes which happen when materials like leaves and botanicals begin to soften and break down.
 
This "transitional" or "ephemeral"-style of escaping is the virtual embodiment of Amano's "wabi-sabi" aquatic aesthetic, and is winning over many new followers.
 

 
What I hope we never see in this "movement" are "rules" and rigid, close-minded thinking. Sure, nature may restrict us to what we can and cannot utilize or work with in the botanical environment, and there are some "best practices" in terms of husbandry of botanical systems,  but we don't need to impose a dogmatic set of artificial principles to define and control the self-expression of others.
 
Nature calls all the shots here. She defines what works. She defines how stuff looks and functions. She'll correct you if you break one of her rules, and reward you when you embrace them.
 
Listen to her. Follow her lead. Study her feedback. 
 
And enjoy.
 

 
We simply need to enjoy what we're doing, share with others, and feel free to create as we desire. If we happeninspire and motivate others along the way, that's a beautiful thing. We can try all sorts of stuff; play with aesthetics.
 
We can hope mimic aspects of nature from the outset, with amazing aquascapes and such.
 
But it doesn't have to be strictly by design. Nature will do some of the heavy lifting for us, effortlessly creating via her processes aquatic microcosms as breathtaking as any "diorama" could ever hope to be.
 
If we allow her to do her work.
 

 
Okay, so I'm probably a bit more "attuned" to all of the goings on in our little niche than many others, simply because "my head is in it" all day. 
However, I'm definitely not jaded, nor am I asserting that we've "invented" some incredible thing here. 
 
What I am thinking is that the relentless exposure of some new and different-looking aquariums, thanks to many of you- is creating a new excitement, fostering a slightly different aquatic aesthetic- and promoting more interest in understanding some of the natural processes that influence both our fishes and the environments in which they live.
 

 
We are privileged to have a front-row seat to this evolving hobby speciality (okay, you can call it a movement!), and most important, are honored to be a part of the growing global community of fascinating, creative, courageous, and engaged hobbyists who are forging a dynamic new path in this amazing hobby that we all love so much.
 
And of course, shrimp enthusiasts are right in the thick of things...You always have been. We're looking forward to doing more with you and for you- and we're open to suggestions. We might even have a sale or two just for the Shrimp Spot community! 
 
It's nice to be back; although, we never really left...
 
Thanks for embarking on the journey and supporting our first few years of growth. 
 
Forge ahead. 
 
Stay fascinated. Stay bold. Stay curious. Stay relentless...
 
And Stay Wet.
 
Scott Fellman
Tannin Aquatics
 

Looks cool.
Lets see how you fill it up!
 

Just don't clean your wall
It will come
 

Grant from Garden of Eder is probably top dawg now day.
Everyone else has scattered or gone to facebook in my opinion.
About once a year, we will get a post from some of the OG's.

soothing sold it all

Much more entertaining than most all of the BS "shrimp experts" on youtube!!  Keep it up!!

I keep my Red belly pintos and blue bolts together now. 
Have gotten a few Mischling types, a few TBs and a few crazy looking fishbone/striped patterns have came out so far. 
Think that I am on the 3rd generation so far.
Looks really cool to me.

Finally time to get the botanicals in the tank!  As I was putting them in, the shrimp jumped right on them.
The products from Tannin Aquatics add so much color and diversity to the tank.
 
I'm moving this month, so I have to break down 4 tanks, including this one.  I'm so depressed about the
situation because its so easy to loose some of the shrimp.  Blah.
 

Ive used one for years, I love it.
Its a strip kit, so its not perfect but your water should be spot on anyway

Good luck, hope it misses you!

My girlfriend went out of town and I accidentally drank too much to post the last 2 weeks, oh boy.
She bought me 2 Azoo Mini filters from Buceplant but Im not sure where to position them yet.
More wood from Theshrimptank.
Finally got some Blue Bolts from Sbarbee54, and acclimated them the same way I always do.  Use a chip
clip and the put a 2oz shot of tank water in the bag about every hour until it starts to get full, usually about 4 hours.
Here is my idea for the mesh "wave" to make hiding spots.  Han's snail came with some Subwassertang so I split it
up to propagate it as fast as possible.  Gluing the leaves bunched them up too much in the curves so Im starting with an arch 
and will bend it later once it has grown out some more.
 
 
Running total so far
$89   Tank 
$125 Light 
$0     Stand 
$40   Discobee.com 
$28   Buypetshrimp.com 
$48   Dazalea 
$73   Han  
$36   Theshrimptank.com
$43   Tanninaquatics.com
$34  Theshrimptank.com
$82  Sbarbee54
$38  Buceplant.com
 
$636
 
 

The tank sat in the current state for 2 weeks, with the HOB noise driving my girlfriend
crazy.  So I started shopping for a stand, not and easy or cheap exposition since its a
strange shaped tank  Turns out 36 inch long by 8 inch wide isn't very popular, ha! Caught
a break, someone put a like new glass top computer desk out by the dumpster at my
apartment, so it will work for now.  Anyone know a good stand?
 
Ideas for the layout came from a book I got about 3 years ago, called WildShrimp by Chris
Lukhaup.  Its about a trip to china to see the habitats of wild shrimp.  He talks about
the streams where the shrimp live, and how the enviroments consist of completely leaves,
branches and large river stones, little to no plants or mosses.  This book completely
changed my entire outlook on tanks, scapes, and shrimp altogether, it was like an
epiphany to a reborn shrimper.  Chris Lukhaup in my opinion one of the godfathers. His
writings, photos and products have pushed the hobby to where it is. So if you don't know,
now you know.
 
No driftwood, no Seiryu Stones, no moss trees. Im so tired of seeing these exact same
scapes in aquariums. These layouts are so unoriginal that I want to pull my hair out.
I could tell that creating a good scape that gave the illusion of depth would become
difficult since the width is so small. The flora / fauna were going to be tough because
not many members sell plants. Plus the for sale section on the site has slowed down
dramatically with the auctions completely stopping.
Dazalea came through with some foreground plants and some leaves.  She actually labeled
what each plant was, and that is Amazing.  The plants sit in the tank like 4 little pieces of sushi.
 

The tank sat in the current state for 2 weeks, with the HOB noise driving my girlfriend
crazy.  So I started shopping for a stand, not and easy or cheap exposition since its a
strange shaped tank  Turns out 36 inch long by 8 inch wide isn't very popular, ha! Caught
a break, someone put a like new glass top computer desk out by the dumpster at my
apartment, so it will work for now.  Anyone know a good stand?
 
Ideas for the layout came from a book I got about 3 years ago, called WildShrimp by Chris
Lukhaup.  Its about a trip to china to see the habitats of wild shrimp.  He talks about
the streams where the shrimp live, and how the enviroments consist of completely leaves,
branches and large river stones, little to no plants or mosses.  This book completely
changed my entire outlook on tanks, scapes, and shrimp altogether, it was like an
epiphany to a reborn shrimper.  Chris Lukhaup in my opinion one of the godfathers. His
writings, photos and products have pushed the hobby to where it is. So if you don't know,
now you know.
 
No driftwood, no Seiryu Stones, no moss trees. Im so tired of seeing these exact same
scapes in aquariums. These layouts are so unoriginal that I want to pull my hair out.
I could tell that creating a good scape that gave the illusion of depth would become
difficult since the width is so small. The flora / fauna were going to be tough because
not many members sell plants. Plus the for sale section on the site has slowed down
dramatically with the auctions completely stopping.
Dazalea came through with some foreground plants and some leaves.  She actually labeled
what each plant was, and that is Amazing.  The plants sit in the tank like 4 little pieces of sushi.
 

Hello and Welcome

Hello Everyone
 
I've set up an AquaMaxx 12 gallon long bookshelf tank filled with everything exclusively from Shrimpspot members.
Here is my journal and I will also throw in some tools and tricks that I use in my tanks that I haven't seen on this site.
I love the site and have gotten so much info over the years.  Once some of the big time original posters stopped coming around I decided to quit lurking and join up to spread my two cents here and there.
 
I got the idea after I received the tank as a gift, or I would have gotten an UNS tank from Buceplant, but so is life.
If anyone remembers last year there was a complete drought on Mr Aqua tanks, MD had a sale on tanks so I took the chance on a name that I had never seen.
$89 shipped got me this tank, super deal, so I wasn't expecting much.
As you can see from the pics, the glass in incredibly clear, I was impressed.
 
Also gifted to me was a Finnex 24/7 planted light and I needed to start setting it all up, that's when it hit me that I should make a Shrimpspot exclusive tank.
So first things first I ordered some SL Aqua Nature Soil from Discobee as soon as he had it back in stock.  Best product on the market.  I put a giant scoop of eco complete from an established tank and a HOB from another tank to get the party started.  When cycling a tank I usually only fill it up about 1/4 with water,  just something I have always done after I noticed my nano tanks cycled faster than larger ones.

Hello Everyone
 
I've set up an AquaMaxx 12 gallon long bookshelf tank filled with everything exclusively from Shrimpspot members.
Here is my journal and I will also throw in some tools and tricks that I use in my tanks that I haven't seen on this site.
I love the site and have gotten so much info over the years.  Once some of the big time original posters stopped coming around I decided to quit lurking and join up to spread my two cents here and there.
 
I got the idea after I received the tank as a gift, or I would have gotten an UNS tank from Buceplant, but so is life.
If anyone remembers last year there was a complete drought on Mr Aqua tanks, MD had a sale on tanks so I took the chance on a name that I had never seen.
$89 shipped got me this tank, super deal, so I wasn't expecting much.
As you can see from the pics, the glass in incredibly clear, I was impressed.
 
Also gifted to me was a Finnex 24/7 planted light and I needed to start setting it all up, that's when it hit me that I should make a Shrimpspot exclusive tank.
So first things first I ordered some SL Aqua Nature Soil from Discobee as soon as he had it back in stock.  Best product on the market.  I put a giant scoop of eco complete from an established tank and a HOB from another tank to get the party started.  When cycling a tank I usually only fill it up about 1/4 with water,  just something I have always done after I noticed my nano tanks cycled faster than larger ones.

Hello Everyone
 
I've set up an AquaMaxx 12 gallon long bookshelf tank filled with everything exclusively from Shrimpspot members.
Here is my journal and I will also throw in some tools and tricks that I use in my tanks that I haven't seen on this site.
I love the site and have gotten so much info over the years.  Once some of the big time original posters stopped coming around I decided to quit lurking and join up to spread my two cents here and there.
 
I got the idea after I received the tank as a gift, or I would have gotten an UNS tank from Buceplant, but so is life.
If anyone remembers last year there was a complete drought on Mr Aqua tanks, MD had a sale on tanks so I took the chance on a name that I had never seen.
$89 shipped got me this tank, super deal, so I wasn't expecting much.
As you can see from the pics, the glass in incredibly clear, I was impressed.
 
Also gifted to me was a Finnex 24/7 planted light and I needed to start setting it all up, that's when it hit me that I should make a Shrimpspot exclusive tank.
So first things first I ordered some SL Aqua Nature Soil from Discobee as soon as he had it back in stock.  Best product on the market.  I put a giant scoop of eco complete from an established tank and a HOB from another tank to get the party started.  When cycling a tank I usually only fill it up about 1/4 with water,  just something I have always done after I noticed my nano tanks cycled faster than larger ones.

You only have those 2 soils available to you?

Its a name for a specific pattern.

I would say boxes are one of the best tools to have.  
Keeping the shrimp in the box isn't permanent and be sure to set it up like a regular tank.
I have a pinto project in mine right now, no stress and very active.