AusBonsai

While not really having anything to do with bonsai, AquaScapes do share many similarities to our art.
AquaScaping is the concept of landscaping an aquarium with rock, wood and aquatic plants. It combines techniques of design, layout and the creation of a mini ecosystem in a confined space.

What do you think?
Photos courtesy of http://www.amanotakashi.net

hi steven this is amazing that you have brought this up! i have a client who is a 15 male, who is right into his tanks and fish. he has asked me to collaberate with him on a new aqua scape for his tank and enter it in an internet aqua scaping competition. personally i was thinking i'd bitten off more than i can chew by accepting his invitation. now im thinking this is a sign.

awesome

i love the fish "flying" around the scape

you could really get into this, but how hard would it be to take care of 200 tanks

super dooper

AquaScapes are truly amazing, creating a unique 'spirited away' feeling

I have been interested in something similar called "Planted Nano Tanks" in the past few years (though I have done nothing to get one going)

Here is a link to a forum http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/
There are some seriously nice tanks there if you browse around =D

I love the aquascapes, but how do these people keep them clean i have a Turtle and i'm for ever cleaning his tank. I would love to be able to do something like that in his tank but i think i would be cleaning it.

It's actually very easy to maintain - you only need to change about 1/4 to 1/3 of the water every week. I used to do this while vacuuming the gravel. The whole process takes about 15 minutes. The trick is to get the right sized vacuum hose. The glass and plants were taken care by a couple of algae eaters. The things to watch out for are too many fish, too much feeding, too much light, or too much plant fertilizer.

I've never had a turtle, I think they are messier than little fish.

I have 5 tanks and a pond, fairly heavily planted but not like those ones. I am very keen on native fish and have kept almost every species in aus. It isnt possible to have good fish and insane plants like that. Heres an underwater photo of one of my tanks.

Steven wrote:While not really having anything to do with bonsai, AquaScapes do share many similarities to our art.
AquaScaping is the concept of landscaping an aquarium with rock, wood and aquatic plants. It combines techniques of design, layout and the creation of a mini ecosystem in a confined space.

What do you think?

Very interesting and thought provoking! Though i cant help but think what would happen if i put my sooty grunter in one of those beautifully aquascaped tanks.
Also.. This brings up thoughts of aqua-ponics for me, i have planned out a ebb and flow system and will be starting to sort it out soon, funds allowing. i will post pics.
Back to aquascapes... man a turtle would be so nice in a planted tank like that, but, like my sooty, it would be a mess in minutes.
Hmmmmm Imagine replicating a river bank! plants, trees, fish and all..

Cheers for the post, got me thinking...
luke

Hello everybody,
Thank you for the images of Aqua Scapes.

Hi,
i am new in the bonsai art, but i have started aqua scaping for around 7 years now.
Aquascaping needs a lot of work, but the imagination is endless. A good plan from the start does help.
a picture of my tank.

very nice borneo!

how do you go with keeping the fish and the plants happy? i have never been able to keep a happy medium with mine, the plants always ended up dead? is the Co2 thing necessary for it all to be happy?

jamie

keeping aquariums has always been a big part or my life i've been keeping fish since tropical and sometimes marine since i was an ankle-biter but have now over that past few weeks decided to change my set up. i have a 6' x 1.5' x 1.5' currently with quite a large red tiger Oscar and 2 silver dollars and have decided to take them to my local pet shop so i an start up a new tank set up i'll post up progress if anyone is interested pics or a video(if that can be done) included. i also would like to hear any suggestions.

Thanks,
Water chemistry plays the biggest role in planted aqua-scape.
The main one is Ph, but there are 3 other water parameters that could effect your tank, mainly: Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Amonia is the first byproduct from the fish excrement, if your filter cycle is established (means there are bacterias to break down), it will break down to nitrite then nitrate. Nitrate is the final component which then used by the plants. As you can see it forms a full cycle, so even adding additional fish (especially in a large number), can disturb the cycle. The imbalance could be castratrophic for the fauna inside.
In terms of maintanance for a planted aquarium, it is recommended to change around 25% of water every week. Fertiliser is a must, the frequency depends on how much plants you have in there. Good lightings around 1.5W per litre. CO2 is required for lush growth , pressured co2 is preffered. DIY Co2 is also possible for say 2ft tank .
let me know if anyone would like to start one

hi borneo, i'm interested in doing a planted aquarium but want the fish to be more the centerpiece i was thinking about 15-20 of each neon's, black neon's and rummy nose with maybe a couple clown loach's or rainbow sharks. what's your take on that please? the tanks 6' x 1.5' x 1.5' with a fluval 5000 filter.

Greenhorn wrote:hi borneo, i'm interested in doing a planted aquarium but want the fish to be more the centerpiece i was thinking about 15-20 of each neon's, black neon's and rummy nose with maybe a couple clown loach's or rainbow sharks. what's your take on that please? the tanks 6' x 1.5' x 1.5' with a fluval 5000 filter.

this is a before shot i'll put up an after one as-well when that's finished.