"Managed Evolution" and a year or so in the life of our office blackwater tank...

[Tannin Aquatics]

One of the things we've talked about a lot here is how botanical-style aquariums, perhaps more so than many other "style" of aquarium, lend themselves to "editing", or more properly, "managed evolution" the longer they're in operation. Since we're dealing with materials such as leaves which decompose, and seed pods and such which soften and slowly change form, the opportunity to replace/supplement/remove them is almost a "constant." Sure, you can simply leave everything alone, and let the leaves disintegrate to nothing, but ultimately, you'll want to replace them. Not only will it keep the level of "tint" consistent, but it gives you the opportunity to create an evolving/varying habitat, just like nature. And of course, it looks kinda cool, too!

I thought it would be interesting to sort of look back at our office aquarium, a 50 gallon (200L) tank, to which we applied this "managed evolution" style, and examine it as a sort of "case study", if you will. (click to read more)