As I sit down to prepare another customer’s order of botanicals, I find myself thinking that there is something special about every order of botanicals – every single piece of woody seed pod, leaf or thick fruit has its own individual texture, pattern, shape and colour.
This is only one aspect of botanicals that makes them so special. Botanicals are nowadays increasingly used in a large variety of aquariums for different reasons. Some of us try to re-create the fish’s natural habitat whether through the use of leaf litter, dried seed pods, wooden structures or simply by adding botanicals to release tannins in the water – turning it anything from a light yellowish tint to a dark brown/black colour.
A distinctive beauty captured,
a natural story told, and a form-fit-function balance reached.
Botanicals can also be used to condition the water (e.g. to lower the pH). Alternatively, some aquarists use them to create foraging grounds for their invertebrates. Biofilm forms on botanicals after a day or two underwater.
Botanicals are known to have anti-bacterial or anti-fungal properties and can help protect your fish or help them recover faster from disease.
As I finish preparing the customer’s order, I tell myself that there is one undeniable truth about them. They are unique: a distinctive beauty captured, a natural story told and a form-fit-function balance reached.
The above gallery shows the unique pieces prepared in this last order for one of our customers. This set costs €31.25 and is ideal for a 60-80L tank. Next Day Delivery is also possible for circa €4 to any location in Malta. You can also pick up this set from our Fgura hub and get a discounted total price of slightly less than €30.
Thank you all for supporting us – stay safe and take good care of each other!