I’ve spent years designing aquascapes that look perfect from exactly one angle – front and center, where the client stands to admire my work. It’s the industry standard, really. We create these underwater paintings meant to be viewed like a framed piece of art on the wall. And that approach works beautifully… until someone walks to the side of the tank. Last year, a tech executive hired me to create a centerpiece aquascape for his…
Welcome to the future of aquariums, folks! It’s a world where technology meets tranquility, and where your fish tank does more than just house your aquatic pets. I’m talking about smart filters, lights, and monitors that are revolutionizing the way we run our aquariums.
Imagine having a filter that not only purifies the water but also alerts you when it’s time for a clean-up. Or how about lights t
Ever wondered why your aquarium fish aren’t as lively as they should be? It’s possible that water temperature could be the culprit. Just like us, our finned friends are sensitive to their environment, and the water temperature in their tank plays a significant role in their health and behavior.
In my years of keeping aquariums, I’ve found that understanding and maintaining the right water temperat
I’ll admit it—I used to be a hardscape snob. The type who’d visibly wince when clients would ask about adding those gaudy treasure chests or neon skulls to their otherwise pristine aquascapes. “But what about the aesthetic integrity?” I’d whine internally while smiling through gritted teeth. Then one day, my nephew Jake gave me a plastic pirate ship for my birthday, his eyes wide with expectation. “For your fish tank, Uncle Alex!” he announced, beaming…
Ever dreamed of having a slice of the Amazon rainforest in your living room? Well, that’s what building a paludarium can do for you! It’s a fascinating hobby that combines the best of both aquatic and terrestrial worlds into a single, stunning display.
If you’re like me and can’t decide between a fish tank and a terrarium, why not have both? A paludarium allows you to create a miniature ecosystem
Ever wondered what makes a planted aquarium lush and vibrant? Well, the secret ingredient might surprise you – it’s carbon dioxide (CO2)! As an aquarist, I’ve seen firsthand the difference CO2 can make in an underwater garden.
Just like their terrestrial counterparts, aquatic plants need CO2 for photosynthesis. It’s their food, and without it, they can’t thrive. But in the enclosed world of an aqu
Diving into the world of nano tanks and aquascaping is like stepping into a miniature underwater wonderland. It’s a place where every leaf, pebble, and fish plays a part in creating a breathtaking, living work of art. I’ve spent countless hours immersed in this tranquil hobby, and I’m thrilled to share my experiences with you.
Aquascaping, particularly in small-scale nano tanks, is a delicate blen
Setting up an aquarium is more than just filling a tank with water and fish. It’s about creating a mini ecosystem that’s both visually pleasing and healthy for its inhabitants. One of the key decisions you’ll have to make is choosing the right substrate.
Gravel, sand, or soil? It’s a question I’ve grappled with many times. Each one has its pros and cons, and what works best will depend on the type
Last Tuesday, around midnight, a message pinged on my phone. It was from a client I’d helped set up a…
In a panic, I scrubbed it with hydrogen peroxide while the clock ticked down, ultimately placing it anyway. The judges were kind enough not to mention it in their critique, focusing instead on my “interesting plant choices” (code for “what were you thinking?”). I slunk home with my participation certificate, convinced my competition days were over before they’d properly begun. Fast forward eight years, and I’ve now participated in fourteen competitions, judged six, and even…
I remember the first time I saw Takashi Amano’s Nature Aquarium World book. I was twenty-two, working weekend shifts at…
Let me tell you about my most embarrassing moment as a professional aquascaper. I was giving a workshop at a…
The first time I tried to incorporate mangrove roots into an aquascape, I flooded my apartment. Not a little “oops, grab a towel” spill, but a legitimate, call-the-downstairs-neighbor-to-apologize kind of flood. It happened because I’d failed to properly secure a massive piece of root system that decided—approximately three hours after I’d left for dinner—to shift position, knocking the glass lid into the water and displacing about fifteen gallons onto my hardwood floors. My downstairs neighbor…
The first time I killed an entire tank of fish, it wasn’t because I didn’t care. I cared too much—so…
It is mesmerizing how each aquascape is unique and intricately crafted. An aquascape tells the story of an entire ecosystem…
I hadn’t slept in nineteen hours, and the only thing fueling me was a long-neglected cup of coffee and manic energy from binge-watching Japanese aquascaping videos at 3am. My then-girlfriend (now, just a friend who constantly reminds me of my worst choices) had gone away for the weekend, giving me precisely 53 hours to construct an elaborate gift for her: transform our dull living room into a ‘workshop for crazy people’, to her later describe.…
An aquascape’s background is like a painting’s canvas: it is often overlooked and underestimated, but it is absolutely pivotal to…
My first encounter with a rimless tank was at an international aquascaping competition in Singapore. After a twenty-hour flight, jet…
The first time I encountered an underwater world was when I was seven years old. My interest was not piqued by the huge and mysterious ocean; that would happen later. Instead, my attention was captured by a perfect miniature mangrove ecosystem that was hidden in a corner of the Florida Aquarium. It fascinated me how I could wrap my arms around the tank and become submerged into this world less universe. While my peers pressed…
Only a week ago, I experienced the joy of seeing my prized Anubias bloom for the very first time in…
Every scar tells a story, I got one in my right palm from an incident my wife fondly calls, “The…
When I attempted my first “real” aquascaping project, it literally looked like a madman had taken a glass container filled with rocks and plants, then gave it a good shake. I was twenty-two, fresh out of college, and for some reason convinced that my biology degree entitled me to life-perpetually-inspiring-in-my-society level optimism and that I could spearhead the crafting of deep-sea masterpieces right off the bat. Everything was arranged symmetrically—mountain of lava rock dead center,…
I still remember the first time I saw an aquatic bonsai. Wow, it must’ve been…2016, or 2017? One of those…
What do you think happens in the background while some aquascape is being set up? Well, I photographed the absolute…
Once, I devoted an entire afternoon to the seemingly mundane task of rock searching, submerging myself in a river while my friends mocked my sanity from the shore. That’s right; the rock I was searching for was not ‘any ol’ rock,’ instead the glorious centerpiece to an elaborate competition aquascape I had been salivating over for months. While my friends boldly sipped beer on the shore, shouting insults my way, I was sure I would…
Have you ever found yourself daydreaming while watching your aquarium? This is about how my journey of constructing a water-based…
When I tried my hand at Dutch-style aquascaping, I ended up with an unmitigated disaster. Plant life was strewn across…
There was a time I spent three non-consecutive days arranging a single piece of driftwood. As absurd as this sounds, I picked it up and turned it, placed it in the tank, filled the tank with water, viewed how it looked submerged, drained it, and then started from the beginning… and repeated the process. My roommate at the time thought I had lost it; It’s just a stick,” he said mid-way through my routine with…
I have made a plethora of mistakes throughout the years of this hobby. For instance, I added a school of…
I will never forget how, about a year ago, I set up a Rio Negro blackwater tank in the waiting…
My garage resembles a murder scene… for rocks. The blue tarp on the floor is the specific color of cobalt, chunks of stone lay everywhere, and tools imaginable in a horror film lie in sight: chisels, hammers, and a strange serrated knife that I was foolish enough to purchase from a stranger during a gem show. Tom, my neighbor, came by yesterday to pick my pressure washer, and before even stepping into the garage, he…
Let me shed some light on the Halloween tank catastrophe of 2019. Imagine this: I spent the all the way…
Knowing how to multiply a single plant into multiple plants makes designing an underwater forest easier. After aquascaping for years,…