The Tint
722 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 24 ratings"The Tint" is a podcast dedicated to lovers of natural aquariums. A place to discuss unusual aquarium concepts and ideas; a jumping-off point at the aquarium hobby's "bleeding edge." Join us for inspiration, ideas, and a sometimes provocative point of view! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
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Episodes
The Complexity of making the Hobby “Simple”
June 28, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutes - 9.25 MBWe love technology. And we love using tech to make our hobby easier.. but does it? In our quest to employ technology to make stuff easier- have we actually made it more complex and difficult? Let’s look at the “art” of making things more simple… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Playing with the Dynamics of Botanical Method Aquariums
June 27, 2023 18:58 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBThe idea of working with natural materials to “operate” our aquariums is very appealing and interesting...And it can lead us to replicate some unique aquatic habitats that we may not have considered before. Let’s look at how what we do as part of our process replicates the dynamics of some interesting aquatic niches in the wild! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Nature… Your Partner
June 27, 2023 15:59 - 9 minutes - 8.99 MBWe can plan, execute, and manipulate our aquariums all we want, but the reality is that Nature is in charge. Wether you like it or not, She calls the shots. She can teach you, challenge you, and flat-out school you. Yet, she’s the best partner an aquarium hobbyist can have… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Grand experiments, revisited. Ideas which create “unlocks…”
June 26, 2023 23:26 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBThere are so many things that we can learn from simply observing the way natural aquatic ecosystems and their processes work. There are so many different approaches we can try to replicate them in our tanks…so many philosophical revelations. Let’s review some fundamentals of the botanical method, and even draw on some grand experiments with corals to drive home the point that the aquarium is “the filter”- and the ecosystem… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/...
One fish, two fish…Or, is that fishes?
June 24, 2023 17:00 - 9 minutes - 8.81 MBOne of those “reviews” we get into now and again- taking into consideration how we keep our fishes- as solitary specimens, small groups, schools, or shoals-and what the distinctions between them are… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
The benefits of aquarium “Cross Training”
June 24, 2023 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBWe can and should cross over the “salinity line” in our hobby. Both fresh and marine sides of the hobby benefit from the skills and experiences of the other. There’s never been a better time to “cross train” in both worlds! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Why we question things…
June 23, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.51 MBIt’s important to research, ask questions, and ponder. To push beyond our own self-imposed boundaries.. here’s why. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Thwarting a regrettable hobby “trend…”
June 22, 2023 12:03 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBYeah, it’s editorial time again. I’ve been talking to a lot of “hobbyists” lately who seem to be enchanted with the idea that they can “bypass” Nature’s rules and hobby fundamentals in their quest to achieve a “finished” aquarium as quickly as possible. You know where this is going- but it’s worth a listen! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Stumbling in the dark: Facing our fears while learning the ways of “blackwater!”
June 21, 2023 15:27 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBThe often mis-applied label of “blackwater aquarium” is something many of us would do well to learn more about. Just because our botanical method aquariums have deeply tinted water from an aesthetic standpoint, they’re not “blackwater” in the ecological sense. And that’s okay, but we all need to understand this. However, if you’re really wanting to create a blackwater aquarium, you’ve got some studying to do. Let’s talk about it just a bit… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spot...
The burden of knowing “too much?”
June 21, 2023 15:03 - 8 minutes - 7.54 MBAs experienced hobbyists, setting up a new aquarium is an exciting time…yet, it’s easy to overthink, over worry, and stress out over ridiculous things. After all, we have all of that past experience and knowledge to draw from- stuff that, for better or worse- influences how we do stuff. Perhaps- maybe- beginners in the hobby have it better. Maybe we know too much? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
The man who Brought Darkness Into the Land- And What We Can Learn From Him!
June 21, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutes - 9.11 MBYou can’t always have what you want in this hobby- despite your ability to pay for it. A little lesson from my aquarium industry past… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Focusing…and Freaking Out! Or not.
June 20, 2023 14:00 - 7 minutes - 7.31 MBAs aquarists, we really tend to hyper focus on a few things in our aquariums- we know what’s “normal” for them. And we often freak out at any deviation from what we consider “normal.” It’s a mixed bag of emotions- and something that we should think about more closely now and then --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
“Environmental impacts” and Botanicals
June 19, 2023 22:41 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBAs we dove deeper and deeper into the world of botanical method aquariums, it’s more important to understand a little more about the botanicals themselves, and what it is about them which influences the environments they’re found in… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Wake me up before you “Oto”- The case for caution with a so-called “algae eater…”
June 19, 2023 14:00 - 9 minutes - 8.28 MBThe tiny Otocinculus catfish is an outstanding consumer of algae. Yet, it’s much more of a fish than just a “utility player.” Unfortunately, it’s been relegated to this unfair role for many years. Too many years- with the unnecessary loss of too many of these fishes in aquariums. Let’s rethink this one… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Where DO all of the fishes go?
June 19, 2023 11:52 - 7 minutes - 6.67 MBI ponder stuff... There are millions of aquarium hobbyists worldwide. And hundreds and thousands of aquariums...countless millions of fishes are produced, collected and sold each year. WHO has them all? Where do they go? I can't help but wonder! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
A slightly salty obsession of mine…
June 18, 2023 00:25 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBOh yeah, it’s time to talk more about brackish water aquariums and the fascinating wild habitats they can replicate. It’s time once again to look at brackish differently. It’s time to push further on the call we first made to you back in 2017 for our re-imagined interpretation of brackish. Let’s throw it out there and get back at it! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Leaving safe harbor…
June 17, 2023 23:03 - 6 minutes - 6.3 MBA little quick hit today. A few thoughts for those of you pushing the limits of what we do in the hobby with your bold ideas and experiments… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
A reasonable facsimile, indeed!
June 17, 2023 22:54 - 13 minutes - 12 MBOur botanical method aquariums are what we like to call “biotope-inspired” systems. Aquariums that represent on a functional- and perhaps an aesthetic level- wild habitats from which our fishes come. And that’s a pretty amazing thing in and of itself, isn’t it? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Treasuring every fish…
June 17, 2023 22:27 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBI talk a lot about creating functional and sustainable ecologies within our aquariums. I admittedly spend FAR less time talking about the fishes which reside in them. Let’s focus on this fishes for a minute… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Bringing it home?
June 16, 2023 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.25 MBWell, I did it again: I brought up the discussion about what the possible benefits might be to “repatriating” captive bred fishes to the environmental conditions of their wild habitats…an interesting, compelling topic- and you wanted to hear more of my thoughts on the subject. Here’s more! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Bringin’ it home.. deeper dives into creating for functionally realistic aquariums…
June 15, 2023 23:39 - 13 minutes - 12 MBI’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… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Disrupting the Fish Food game.. A Plea to Budding Aquarium Industry Entrepreneurs!
June 15, 2023 22:51 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBEvery 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? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Yay! You just purchased some new fishes! Now what? Confessions of a Traumatized Fish Geek…
June 15, 2023 22:24 - 6 minutes - 6.19 MBIt’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? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Oh, those stupid names…A little story from Tannin’s history…
June 15, 2023 22:13 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBA 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! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Full stop? Or just a little detour?
June 14, 2023 20:28 - 9 minutes - 8.32 MBIf 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… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
My greatest mistake?
June 14, 2023 20:14 - 10 minutes - 9.7 MBSometimes, 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. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
This is how I do it ( Pt.3) : Establishing a botanical method aquarium- mindset and methodology
June 13, 2023 17:39 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBThe 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! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Green Meets Brown.
June 12, 2023 19:00 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBAquatic 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! --- Support th...
Botanicals: “Classified”
June 07, 2023 19:49 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBAs 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! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/...
Serendipitous Spawning? Or, simply approaching fish breeding from a different angle?
June 06, 2023 18:25 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MBI 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? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Only the bold move forward.
June 02, 2023 00:11 - 10 minutes - 9.67 MBOccasionally, we all need reassurances. Affirmations that this weird approach to aquariums is somehow the right move. The hobby in general doesn’t always understand or even appreciate what we do. That’s what this little segment is all about. A sort of reminder that the practices which we engage in are useful, interesting, and game changing on many ways…if we’re bold enough to keep going. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Fishing…
June 01, 2023 23:54 - 9 minutes - 8.33 MBThere are lots of fishes which are abundant in the wild; yet, which for some reason, we seldom if ever see in aquariums. Yet, these enigmatic fishes keep us searching, hopeful that one day they’ll show up “accidentally” at the LFS. Perhaps some have more common “analogs…” perhaps others, we’ll simply have to keep dreaming of. Here are a few of my “dream fishes”… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
A quick thought for rainy days.
May 31, 2023 18:11 - 4 minutes - 4.08 MBRain is literally the “bearer of life.” And what happens in the wild habitats of our fishes when it rains is compelling and fascinating… and absolutely reproducible in our aquariums! A few quick thoughts on rain… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
What’s the rush?
May 31, 2023 17:54 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBWe’ve talked about deploying what I call “radical patience” with our aquariums for years… but the idea makes sense! Waiting a bit longer to add fishes to our botanical method aquariums can yield real, tangible benefits. We’re developing little ecosystems in our tanks, so why not do it in a way that yields the best possible benefits for the fishes we keep? Let’s talk about some strategies to deploy “radical patience” in your next botanical method aquarium build. --- Support this podcast: ht...
“Operating” your botanical method aquarium to simulate seasons…an idea whose time has come?
May 30, 2023 22:33 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBAquatic habitats in Nature go through profound seasonal changes. The fishes which reside within them have adapted to these changes- altering their spawning and feeding habits to take advantage of the resources available to them at different times of the year. What is there to be gained by replicating seasonal changes in our aquariums- in essence- “operating” them? Let’s talk about it! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Working the web of life…
May 28, 2023 00:46 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBThe concept of “food webs” is an elegant and fascinating ecological construct- one which we’ve talked about a lot over the years. I think that botanical method aquariums are ideally suited to foster and maintain food webs- if we let them occur. Let’s talk a bit more about the idea! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Thinking like a fish; thinking about fishes…
May 26, 2023 00:04 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MB…’cause you know… we love fishes.. so let’s design our next tank around them! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Let’s hear it for… algae!
May 23, 2023 16:34 - 10 minutes - 9.97 MBAlgae. The word conjures up nightmares of “ruined” aquariums in the mind of lots of hobbyists. Yet, to the enlightened botanical method or blackwater aquarium lover, it’s not much of a consideration. We don’t see all that much algae in our tanks, do we? Why is this, and what are the “drivers” of this absence of excessive algae in our tanks? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
When we start…
May 18, 2023 16:15 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBThe startup phase of a botanical method aquarium- or ANY aquarium, for that matter- is an amazing time when we can celebrate and embrace the assembly of an ecological system. It’s so much more than an “ugly” or “annoying” phase that aquariums go through on the route to becoming something “great.” Rather, it’s the foundational part where our little ecosystems establish themselves naturally. We need to discuss and celebrate this more in the hobby.. --- Support this podcast: https://podcaster...
Something old. Something new. Something…Gone.
May 16, 2023 20:14 - 24 minutes - 22 MBHacks, shortcuts, and “workarounds” aren’t always the best approach, IMHO. Products that encourage “shortcuts” or reward our hobby impatience are not worth celebrating, to me. Here’s a little tale of a product called “Shade”, and why we happily killed it…a story of marketing, philosophy, and staying true to yourself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
The”rock question” again!
May 11, 2023 17:15 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBYeah, we get a lot of questions about rocks; specifically, what I don’t use them in most of my aquariums, and why we don’t offer them for sale at Tannin. Well, here’s the long and short answer… it’s a tale of amateur geology, ecology, and appropriateness. This should be interesting! (I hope) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
“Opportunistic Habitats”
May 11, 2023 16:13 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBA tree falls in the tropical forest… and becomes a unique and productive part of the aquatic ecosystem which arises when the seasonal inundation occurs. Something to think about and be inspired by when creating your next aquarium! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
How much of…What? The befits and pitfalls of “speculative biochemistry”
May 09, 2023 17:44 - 15 minutes - 14 MBDark, tinted water means….Well, what DOES it mean to your aquarium? Other than the fact that your water has a tint to it, it might not mean much. Yet, we in the hobby and industry tend to trade off of assumptions- all too often. Let’s look at the downside to assuming stuff about botanical method aquariums, and how we can do better! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Set and Forget?
May 04, 2023 17:20 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBThere is a lot of confusion in the mainstream aquarium hobby about the long-term maintenance of botanical method aquariums. A certain pessimism or fear, which leads some to believe that these aquariums are teetering on the bring of failure, flirting with disaster. Must be all of those leaves and decomposing botanicals, right? The reality couldn't be more different: These tanks run remarkably stable, even when "benign neglected for periods of time. Why? Because they run on ecology! --- Sup...
A return to the flooded forest: A review of the “Urban Igapo” approach
May 03, 2023 18:08 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBOf all of the crazy ideas we floated around here over the years, none has seemed to capture our community’s attention as much as the “Urban Igapo” approach to recreating a seasonally flooded forest floor in the aquarium. By popular demand, todays podcast is a simple review of the approach and execution of this type of aquarium. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
A “Shot across the bow..”
May 03, 2023 17:45 - 9 minutes - 8.94 MBOur hobby speciality of botanical method aquariums is largely based upon our accepting the development of an ecology in our tanks. It requires some patience, study, and understanding. We as a hobby can’t keep “dumbing down” sometimes complex concepts in the hopes of “reaching more people”. We can do better.. to share and educate our fellow hobbyists. Here’s my challenge to you… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
We “wood” eat it if we could!
May 03, 2023 17:30 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBXylophagy- the consumption of wood by animals- is a fascinating process, long attributed to various Loricarridae. And interestingly, it’s a feeding strategy which seems to play right into our botanical method aquarium practices… --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
In the mix…
April 27, 2023 18:20 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBSubstrate… is more than just the “bottom of the aquarium.” It’s a vital, highly diverse ecosystem within the aquarium- one which has profound impact. For decades, we’ve been just “mailing it in” and throwing sand or gravel on the bottom of our tanks, rather than creating more sophisticated, varied mixes of materials to facilitate biodiversity within our aquariums. Let’s change that. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
Shattering a Botanical “Myth”- and Shaping The Future…
April 19, 2023 17:52 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBAs I reemerge from my self-imposed “sabbatical”, I think it’s time to explore and shatter some emerging misconceptions in our hobby sector. Let’s tackle on of the biggest ones right here and now! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support
It’s all gonna be okay… With the amazing Jennifer Williams!
March 17, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 68 MBEveryone’s fave aquarist- the amazing Jen Williams, stops by for another amazing visit! We talk about the hobby, life, what we’ve been up to- and how Scott got his groove back. And, as usual- Jen drops some awesomeness along the way!! A true “Tint” episode for the ages! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-fellman/support