Tannin Aquatics Posted September 3, 2016 Report Share Posted September 3, 2016 We talk about the concept of "substrate enhancement" or "enrichment" a lot in the context of aquatic botanicals (we tend to use the two terms interchangeably). We're not talking about "enrichment" in the same context as say, planted aquarium guys, with materials put into the substrate specifically for the benefit of plants. Rather, "enrichment" in our context refers to the addition of botanical materials for creating a more natural-appearing, natural-functioning substrate- one which provides a haven for microbial life, as well as for small crustaceans, biofilms, and even algae, to serve as a foraging area for our fishes and invertebrates. We've found over the years of playing with botanical materials that substrates can be really dynamic places, and benefit from the addition of leaves and other materials. For many years, substrates in aquarium were really just sands and gravels. With the popularity of planted aquariums, new materials, like calls and other additives, entered into the fray. With the "New Botanical"-style aquarium starting to gain in popularity, now you're seeing larger materials added on and in the substrate. (click to read more) fishface and Kull1337 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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