Inspired by botanicals and natural ecosystems, one aquarist tries out a self-sustaining aquarium… with mixed results.
ALEX BELL Despite a degree in marine biology, Alex focuses on soft water fishes found in South America and Indonesia.
FOR YEARS I observed and admired, from afar, the tinted waters of botanical method aquariums. However, trying to convince the other members of the household that an aquarium with moulds, fungal growths and biofilms taking centre stage would make a nice centre piece to the living room, was a somewhat difficult task.
Back in October 2021, my conversion of a garage into an insulated box without a hint of daylight was completed. It was then that I began my journey beyond just adding a couple leaves to a planted tank. During the construction of this fish room, I spent as much time as I could reading and listening to other fishkeeping experiences with botanicals. I absorbed the myths, tips, and ideas that they shared online until I could regurgitate them verbatim when anyone asked about my hobby—or sometimes even when they didn’t.
Choosing a study subject
One project that stuck in my mind ever since I began planning these aquaria was by Scott Fellman, who shared his successes keeping green neon tetra without providing any external food source, all while witnessing the fish spawning multiple times.
Despite being infatuated with this idea, I have always provided some sort of additional food source when running botanical-based aquaria. Was I too scared to hand complete control of the aquarium’s sustenance to Mother Nature? Quite possibly, but I am ready to hand it all over now.
The first question was, what species would work in the sort of set up I had? Based on my chemistry and available space, small acidophilic species would be suitable, so I waited until something extra special caught my attention.
My love of small unusual fish is certainly not a secret, especially to the staff at Maidenhead Aquatics at Taunton, who I often pester to try and find certain species for me. Sure enough, when a shopping trip turned into a half hour geek-fest, it did not take long before the genus Parosphromenus (commonly referred to as liquorice gourami) was mentioned.
I already have a species I am yet to properly identify, which was sold under the name of P. deissneri (like many that make their way into shop tanks) but this time there were several different species available on the store’s impo
