Connecting to Nature: An Inspiring Conversation with Tai Strietman on Biotopes, Aquatic Habitats, and Bringing Ecosystems Home

Tai Strietman", Biologist, Aquarist, Consultant

At Happy Houseplants, we are thrilled to bring you this in-depth interview with Tai Strietman, an inspiring aquarist, biotope advocate, and soon-to-be author of Aquatic Habitats. Tai has been a captivating figure in the world of aquatic ecosystems, championing natural biotopes and urging enthusiasts to bring the beauty and complexity of nature into their homes. For years, we’ve been captivated by his work, and we’re excited to finally sit down with him to dive into his journey, philosophies, and vision for a more natural approach to plant and aquarium care.

Tai's upcoming book, Aquatic Habitats, promises to be a true treasure for any hobbyist passionate about creating living ecosystems. Through its 62 curated displays, the book offers step-by-step guidance on recreating natural habitats, sharing Tai's unique insights, stories, and data sourced from scientists, conservationists, and explorers around the globe. His dedication to connecting people with nature shines through every page, and his stories reveal the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems. You can pre-order Aquatic Habitats here and follow Tai’s fascinating journey on his social media pages Instagram and Facebook.

Join us as we discuss Tai's passion for biotopes, his transformative travels, and his thoughts on the potential for houseplant lovers to adopt similar approaches to create thriving, nature-inspired environments within their own homes.

You’ve been a strong advocate for biotopes, offering a refreshing alternative to the more aesthetic-driven styles like nature or high-tech aquariums. What inspired you to promote this approach over the more mainstream trends? How do you feel it enhances the hobby, both for the wellbeing of the fish and for the plants?

I suppose my inspiration comes from the privilege I’ve had of exploring habitats in the wild and understanding that for most aquarium enthusiasts, this remains a dream.

Conservation is about connecting people with nature, and I realised that I would need to bring the amazing ecosystems and species into people’s living-rooms, to help them understand what is at stake, to build a relationship between a public who already have an interest in nature and habitats and animals who are under severe threat from a range of factors.

In terms of wellbeing, people can come to understand the needs of their plants and fishes, giving them the conditions to thrive, which are more ‘natural’. A nice side effect of this is that for the great number of fishes (and some plants) if you keep them in more natural style, or biotope displays, they will reward you with more natural behaviour, or better health and growth, improved colours and so on.

That in turn makes the hobbyists happier and more fulfilled, seeing their displays and charges flourish. So, it’s as much about the wellbeing of the aquarist as the plants and animals.

We’ve noticed how your biotope focus mirrors our own love for bringing natural ecosystems into our homes. Do you think houseplant enthusiasts can benefit from adopting a biotope mindset, perhaps through terrariums or other setups that mimic nature? What advice would you give to someone just starting to explore this crossover?

I would say that if you can give your houseplants conditions which they might experience in nature, they may well do better than if we let them battle the environment of the average suburban living room. That might be as simple as placing them in a bathroom, with indirect light and plenty of humidity, or trying to mimic the substrates they grow in. Tying orchids onto moss poles to let them grow as they might in the wild, as an aroid is a good example. In a terrarium it’s much easier to mimic natural conditions, with foggers and misters and so on, and I’ve seen people create the most amazing scenes with lush plants, exactly because they have used these tools to imitate the conditions of the plants in the wild. As mentioned, for a beginner or someone exploring this path, it doesn’t mean you have to go out and invest in lots of expensive kit; a spray bottle and a large glass jar can be used to grow rainforest species very well, or simply moving plants into a sunlit bathroom. It’s the small, but important changes that can have a large impact over time.

Your travels to natural habitats seem to have profoundly influenced your views. How has seeing ecosystems in their raw form affected your perspective on how we care for aquatic plants and houseplants? Have you noticed any major shifts in these environments due to climate change or habitat destruction that hobbyists should be aware of?

I would say this comes back to that sense of the privilege of seeing wild places and exploring ecosystems; if you are lucky enough to be there, you need to share how important it is to safeguard them. Seeing deforestation (especially for soy production and cattle ranching) in the form of tree-felling and deliberate fires, along with the pollution of habitats from agricultural chemical runoff, is part and parcel of visiting places like the Pantanal in Brazil. Driving through oceans of soy, which was once forest and savannah, with only tiny islands of trees dotted here and there is very sobering, as is finding a tiny killifish in one small area of habitat and returning the next year to find the entire place drained and set up for cattle (and the fish likely extinct) is heartrending. In both cases, you learn how despite these challenges, nature finds a way to live in the margins of what is left and battles hard to survive. It shows that, as mentioned, even a few small changes to how you keep your aquatic plants and houseplants, such as providing close-to-nature conditions, along with appropriate nutrient and water regimes, can cause them to flourish.

Over time, what I have noticed on my travels is the grip of drought, the intensity and length of the dry seasons, the unpredictability of the rains and the way that this totally disrupts the flood-pulse cycle of the Pantanal wetlands for example. Everything feels out of kilter and anecdotally, farmers and rural communities tell you again and again how the changes to climate are disrupting growing seasons, changing migration patterns and impacting species numbers.

More about Pantanal in Brazil:

World’s Largest Tropical Wetland: The Pantanal spans around 140,000–195,000 square kilometres, making it the largest tropical wetland on Earth. It stretches across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, but around 80% of it lies within Brazil's borders.

Incredible Biodiversity: The Pantanal is one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, home to over 1,000 bird species, 400 fish species, 300 mammal species, and 480 reptile species. Jaguars, giant otters, capybaras, and hyacinth macaws are just some of the iconic species found here.

Natural Flood Cycle: Approximately 80% of the Pantanal floods during the rainy season (November to March), creating a dynamic ecosystem where water levels can rise several metres. This cycle supports rich biodiversity by enabling seasonal migrations and fostering unique habitats.

Vital for Jaguar Populations: The Pantanal has the highest density of jaguars in the world. This region provides ideal conditions for these big cats due to abundant prey and vast, interconnected territories. The jaguars here are known to hunt in water, showcasing unique behaviours rarely seen elsewhere.

"Mother of Waters": Often called the "mother of waters," the Pantanal plays a critical role in South America's water cycle. It acts as a massive water filtration system, absorbing pollutants and sediment, which helps maintain water quality for ecosystems downstream.

Key Carbon Sink: The wetlands of the Pantanal act as a significant carbon sink, storing carbon and helping mitigate climate change impacts. However, deforestation, agriculture, and frequent wildfires are increasingly threatening this ecosystem’s ability to store carbon.

A Birdwatcher's Paradise: The Pantanal is one of the best birdwatching spots in the world. Iconic birds include the jabiru stork, the largest stork in the Americas, and the vibrant hyacinth macaw. The variety and sheer number of bird species attract enthusiasts worldwide.

Ancestral Home to Indigenous Groups: The Pantanal is home to indigenous communities, such as the Guató people, who have adapted to the unique rhythms of this wetland. Their traditional knowledge and sustainable practices are crucial to preserving the region’s ecological balance.

In one of your recent articles, you discussed how biotopes create a more balanced environment for fish. How do you think this compares to the artistic focus of Dutch or nature aquarium styles? What advice would you give to aquarists looking to make a shift towards more natural, biotope-driven setups?

Dutch displays are awesome, and as a Dutchman (well, half) I revel in the name and in the strong tradition of plant-keeping in the Netherlands (the Dutch have kept houseplants for centuries and were and are great aquatic plant advocates). However, you are very unlikely to find anywhere in nature that resembles a Dutch-style aquascape. They are ways to showcase the maximum potential of a plant if given huge volumes of light, nutrients and Co2 and ultimately, they are closer to a stunning bouquet of flowers than anything natural. 

For someone willing to make a change to something more natural, I would say, use fewer species (and perhaps more of each), look at creating more natural daylight cycles with timers and lower the co2 and nutrients a little. Be prepared to accept some reduction in growth or colour, maybe even a little die-off, but you can keep a display going a long time in this manner. Additionally, opting for heavy root-feeding plants such as Cryptocoryne or Echinodorus and even doing away with the Co2, while lowering light levels but providing a good quality, nutrient-rich substrate, can produce a very natural, sustainable, long-term and authentic-looking display, without breaking the bank.

You’ve mentioned that emersed growth offers an exciting way to blend houseplant care with aquariums. How can someone new to the hobby experiment with this? Are there certain houseplants or aquatic plants you’d recommend for beginners trying their hand at emersed growth?

Again, Echinodorus are great for this, especially with their lovely white flowers. Persicaria species and a number of Hygrophila (like the H. stricta group) look fantastic growing above the surface and creates two worlds, one above and one below water. Even keeping a small Cryptocoryne, or Anubias species in a classic ‘bell style’ terrarium can produce great results if humidity in maintained.

House plants such as Epipremnum, Pothos and Philodendron work well growing with their roots in the water, as do Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum wallisii) and the creeping Ficus Colombia. They bring a great jungle feel to open-topped aquaria.

We know you’re a huge advocate for paludariums and terrariums as extensions of the hobby. What do you see as the main benefits of these systems for houseplant lovers, and how can they serve as a bridge between aquatic and terrestrial plant care?

A huge benefit is combining access to lots of co2 with humidity, which creates perfect conditions for many popular aquarium and houseplant species. A great number of houseplants which would dry up otherwise, can do very well in a paludarium or terrarium, with warm, damp conditions. The way that benefits us is that the plants thrive and look great, so we feel great!

The satisfaction of seeing the species in your care flourish is surely a boon to our own well-being. Furthermore, maintenance is often reduced to regular pruning, as the plants can grow happily without too much interference. Indeed, such displays can allow people to combine a houseplant interest with a foray into aquatic plants or fishkeeping and vice-versa. For example, a natural-style riparium style display (mimicking a riverbank) for killifish, using Nymphaea, Anubias, ferns and mosses can look amazing if well researched and blends the worlds of terrestrial and aquatic plants.

Your upcoming book, Aquatic Habitats, promises to bring a wealth of knowledge to hobbyists. For those of our readers who may not yet have ventured into aquatic plant care, what insights can they expect from the book? Are there particular principles from your biotope work that houseplant enthusiasts can apply to their care routines?

The book marries my own love for nature with my determination to share it with others, by the way of demonstrating some of the amazing habitats and species found across the world, which we can keep in aquaria. The format includes 62 displays, with step-by-step information on how to create them, including details on equipment, substrates, hardscape and so on. Additionally, there is detailed information about the habitats being represented, and this includes stories, insights, observations, and data provided by scientists, explorers, conservationists, and hobbyists from across the world. There will be many photos and plenty of background information on ecosystems, including the natural and human histories of places such as the Amazon, the Congo and the Australian Outback.

West African Coastal Floodplain Biotope 

All this combines to provide the readers with insights into how best to care for and showcase their chosen plants and fishes. If houseplant enthusiasts (and many do) carried out the same research and assessment of the plants in their care, I’m sure they would find success with many species that might previously have been challenging. I think that the fundamental principle of the book is about bringing a slice of nature into the home and caring for it in a way that it can thrive. This is equally applicable to houseplants; our homes are deeply unnatural and often adverse places for houseplants to survive, so creating the right conditions for them is crucial to success.

Your YouTube and social media presence have become an invaluable resource for hobbyists. How do you see these platforms evolving, and what role do you hope they play in educating both new and experienced hobbyists? What message do you want to leave with your audience as the hobby continues to grow?

Predicting how they might evolve is quite the task! Some will fall by the wayside and others will adapt or be overthrown by new arrivals and disruptors. Look at the trajectory and power of TikTok. It’s scary but also, they are tools to connect people (for good or ill) and if harnessed to celebrate and advocate for nature, they can be allies for conservation and for the natural world. This can come down to people watching videos about aquatic habitats on YouTube or Instagram or wherever, and seeing how fishes and plants live in the wild. There are countless videos on how better to care for your fishes, aquatic plants or houseplants and I think that can only be a good thing, for both beginners and experts; there’s the chance to learn, and often, to learn something new. Online platforms can be incredible tools for education, research, and also community, bringing together people with shared passions.

Furthermore, those searching for material online about caring for certain species or learning about habitats might be exposed to some of the realities such as pollution and habitat destruction, that are easy to ignore because they are not in front of us. How many beautiful orchids in the houseplant trade have seen their native habitats damaged or destroyed? Making people aware of this through online platforms is often the only way of highlighting the perils species and their wider ecosystems face. If you don’t know the full story, how can you act?

This brings me back to my point in the first question; I have been so lucky to explore wild places, and I can’t bring everyone to the Pantanal or the Amazon and show them the environmental destruction, or how species live in the wild and so how best to care for them at home. All I can do is bring a small portion of these places into their lives, their houses, flats or wherever, and hope that in doing so I connect them with the wider natural world and the importance of protecting it. This is not just because I think these species and habitats are beautiful or fascinating, but because without the equilibrium of nature and maintaining ecosystems, of which every animal and plant is a tiny thread of a wider tapestry, humanity will find it very hard to exist on this planet. At this point, humanity has the power to make or break our world, the only one we have. I think we should celebrate and protect it, starting with a tiny tetra from a murky swamp, or a little aroid from high in the forest canopy.

As we wrap up this conversation with Tai, we’re reminded of the invaluable connection between our passion for plants and the natural world beyond our walls. His dedication to sharing the wonders of nature and his insights into ecosystem preservation leave us inspired to care for our own green spaces with renewed awareness and purpose. We hope his words resonate with you as they have with us, encouraging you to look beyond aesthetics and foster a deeper connection with the plants and animals we cherish.

For more interviews, expert insights, and plant care tips, follow Happy Houseplants on social media and explore our houseplant blog. And don’t miss your chance to bring Tai’s world into your home—check out Aquatic Habitats for a guide to creating beautiful, meaningful displays that honour nature.