Driven by Life.
Fueled by Passion.
Inspired by Nature.
Tannin Aquatics is just a bit different than what you're used to in the freshwater tropical fish trade, and we think that you'll appreciate that.
My name is Scott Fellman, the owner of Tannin Aquatics. I'm a lifelong tropical fish hobbyist, and I suppose that I'm probably best known in the aquarium world as a reef aquarium author, lecturer, and aquatic industry entrepreneur. Prior to launching Tannin, I was co-owner of a popular marine livestock vendor, Unique Corals. Of course, my eternal love is freshwater, and I can't ever seem to stray from it.
Tannin's story really began with my lifelong love for all things aquatic, and a vision to provide freshwater tropical fishes with the most natural captive environments possible. Environments with a certain
look. A certain
feel. A certain
vibe. Earthy. Organic. Natural.
The name “Tannin” was selected because it’s the substance derived from leaves and wood that tints the life-giving waters of tropical rivers and streams with a beautiful brown color that I find so alluring. The dark waters, tangled roots and earthy-colored leaves found off the shores of tropical “blackwater” rivers, ponds, and streams provide an irresistible subject for hobbyists to replicate in our aquariums.
Our tagline, "Leaves, Wood, Water, Life" perfectly summarizes our aesthetic, our offerings, our point of view- and our mission.
The passion behind Tannin comes from my desire to provide fellow aquatic hobbyists with a carefully curated selection of botanical products, along with information, inspiration, and appreciation for creating representations of the beautiful world that exists where land meets water.
We’re all about fostering aquatic creativity. We offer cool natural materials to create distinctive aquarium displays. We're big believers of
investing the time and committing to the process of real natural aquascaping, biotope replication, and developing dynamic environments for our fishes. We like to think that
doing something with our aquariums is more fun than just looking at them. Your aquarium is-well, live music, art, poetry...it should be an extension of
you, and embodiment of nature. It's your coffee in the morning, the afternoon sun, and the stars at night...a vital, vibrant part of your daily existence.
Our "aquatic botanicals" are intended for use in aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, paludariums, and ripariums, and offer unique aesthetics to help you create memorable displays, somewhat different than what's "currently popular" in the aquascaping world. A different aesthetic and a different approach.
Based in Los Angeles, California, our thing is to share with our fellow hobbyists the kind of stuff that gets
us excited. Whether it’s unusual aquascaping materials, aquatic botanicals, or that hard-to-find fish,
everything that we sell is something that we believe in.
We don't offer everything under the sun. Just stuff that fits our vision, our vibe, our aesthetic. Stuff that comes from quality, reliable, and responsible sources. Stuff that we know will get YOU excited, too. We didn't "invent" this stuff. We've studied it for years. Romanced it. Curated it. Branded it.
Loved it. We're
not a bargain-priced, super-high-volume discount vendor. We offer quality, premium products at a fair price. We know that we're not the only place on planet earth where you can find some of this stuff. We may not be the least expensive. However, we think we're the
best place for it! We'd love it if you choose us, because you get
more than just a bunch of dried seed pods and leaves, or fishes- you get passion, information, and a commitment to the hobby and the growing global "New Botanical" aquarium community.
Each and every aquatic botanical is hand-selected and packed to order, with care and consideration- the same consideration we'd use if we were adding it to our own aquarium. We're constantly searching for new items that fit our aesthetic and vision to add to our collection, and editing our offerings to remove items that don't conform to our evolving vision. Every fish is pre-loved, conditioned, and scrutinized as if it were going in our own aquarium.
And we support all of this good stuff with a level of personal service and information that we know will keep you coming back for more! It's not just about selling stuff. It's building relationships. And it starts with YOU. Your satisfaction is
everything to us, and I promise that we'll do everything possible to give you a great experience when working with us.
Every single time.
I know that passion matters in this hobby. And passion drives
everything that we do at Tannin. We hope to be a reliable, friendly, and useful resource for you to turn to when you want to create unique, natural-looking aquatic displays.
As you may have already surmised- we aren’t your "typical" aquatic hobby vendor.
We don't ever want to be.
And we're just getting started! Come evolve with us.
To check out more of our stories and what inspires us, check out our daily
blog, "The Tint."
Stay excited. Stay passionate. Stay creative.
And most important of all...
Stay Wet!