The Aquarium Everything Podcast

This time I deep dive into the Congo with Thomas Minesi, known on Instagram as Congo Nature Photography. Thomas lives in the city of Kinshasa in the Republic of Congo and has become well known for his personal explorations into the Congo River and his documenting the natural habitats of Anubias. Every freshwater aquarist will know this most hardy and versatile plant and Thomas brings the eye of the hobbyist to his exposure of Anubias and other West African biotopes to aquascapers, aquarium and nature lovers alike. Insights and first hand observations from someone living deep in the heart of one of the great tropical zones can make all of us better aquarists, and Thomas is doing his part to show us the depth and wonder of perhaps the most important plant in the aquarium hobby.In this episode we discuss Thomas' history in the Congo, explore many facets of Anubias in the wild and how it relates to its application in the aquarium, other West African species he's finding, and much more.You can find Thomas here: IG: congo.nature.photography YouTube: @thomasminesi7366

My guest this time is with aquascape lover and YouTuber Ryo Watanabe. Ryo has gained notoriety for his Japanese aquarium store tours, though his channel @RyoWatanabee features a lot of entertaining and useful videos about his own aquariums and his evolving fish room. Being based in Japan– the birthplace of Takashi Amano's Nature Aquarium style of aquascaping– Ryo has access to the hundreds of aquacaping-centric retail aquarium shops throughout the country. Showcasing these stores to a worldwide audience gives hobbyists and fellow aquarium shop owners alike a glimpse into the setups, systems, and practices of the huge Japanese aquascaping market. And Ryo's unassuming and endearing style makes his videos truly fun to watch.In our conversation we discuss his humble beginnings in the aquarium hobby, ADA (Aqua Design Amano) in multiple contexts, Hakkai Stone, the current scene around the hobby in Japan, and of course plenty about Japanese aquascaping shops.You Tube: Ryo Watanabe @RyoWatanabeeInstagram: @ryowatanabee

My guest for episode 7 is aquascaper and YouTuber Mark-Jan Fioole from his popular channel MJ Aquascaping. Based in The Netherlands, Mark has grown up in a culture where aquariums are a much more common fixture in homes and offices, and the overall hobby of aquarium keeping has a long and established history. During the pandemic, Mark made the transition from just posting his aquascaping hobby on social media to starting a committed YouTube channel, which has quickly gained momentum in the wake of Mark's laid back and direct approach to teaching aquascaping basics and more. In our conversation we explore Mark's rise to becoming an aquarium content creator, talk about tips and topics from his many videos, as well as his insightful report on the overall aquarium scene in The Netherlands, and much more. YT: @MJAquascaping IG: @mj.aquascaping

Heiko Bleher is the most prolific tropical fish collector of all time. He has discovered and described literally thousands of species over his 60+ year career, many of which are some of the most commonly kept and globally beloved in all the aquarium hobby. HIs mother and grandfather paved the way for his profound passion for freshwater natural biotopes with his first Amazonian expedition when he was just 4 years old. Now 78, he continues his relentless schedule racking up over a dozen separate expeditions in 2022, and discovering another 14 brand new species. He is an encyclopedia of tropical fish knowledge, a master of some of the most highly prized aquarium fish such as Altum angels (which he fist discovered) and discus, and aquarium hobby historian, world traveller, renaissance man, and all around intensely interesting character. Opinionated and outspoken on topics he has earned the right to be, Heiko Bleher has created his share of controversy over the years. But his obsession with exploration and discovery, tropical fish, and sharing his experiences with the world makes him true living legend of the aquarium hobby and industry. He has left an indelible mark on the entirety of freshwater aquarium keeping, and if you ask him, he is far from done. In our conversation Heiko tells his story from his first experience in the Amazon with his mother at age 4, goes deep into multiple facets of the history of tropical fish collection, shares some momentous discovery memories of species like the rummy nose tetra and Amazon sword, recounts several pivotal moments in aquarium history, and much more.

This time my conversation is with Joey Mullen, widely known as the DIY Fishkeeper, and the The King of DIY. Joey came to rise in early days of YouTube, seeing a platform for expanding awareness and sharing his passion for aquariums. He never thought it would grow into an online empire of exposure, influence, and success at a scale previously unknown in the aquarium hobby. As one of the first online influencers, and before the term "content creator" existed on social media, Joey has seen it all from a unique position– the top. The arc of his online career and growth as a hobbyist has landed him in a coveted place of greater balance and a more intimate connection with his audience, though which he has found his lane and can truly enjoy the ride. From his new famous gallery and studio space where he has created an enviable collection of fresh and saltwater aquarium displays, Joey keeps the fires of inspiration, entertainment, education, and passion burning for tens of thousands of hobbyists around the world. Love him or not, this interview exposes the wit, intelligence and authenticity of one of the aquarium hobby's most recognized individuals.In this episode we discuss a huge array of topics including Joey's early days in the hobby, his true ambitions as an influencer, advice for aquarium content creators, internet trolls, fish behaviors, the state of the industry, and more. Joey even interviews me in the last segment by asking me several burning questions about planted tank aquascaping.

Dennis Wong is the Singapore based founder of The 2Hour Aquarist brand of planted aquarium fertilizers and supplements. His website 2houraquarist.com is more than just a product catalog, but also a highly respected bastion of aquatic plant and water chemistry information. In this episode we discuss his origins in the aquarium hobby and industry, practical applications of The 2Hour Aquarist products, address some specific case study issues and solutions to common aquascaping problems, among other topics.