My newest hyperfixation (New is relative I’ve been on this for weeks now) is Aquascaping, the concept of taking a fish tank, maybe a small one, maybe large, and creating an artpiece with it from living things. Like LOOK AT THIS
They tell stories with the tanks, worlds contained in a cube of water, entire landscapes with fish like dragons, shrimp like birds
And the community is massively nice, they share tips and tricks, advice on where to find the best plants and animals, they’re insanely dedicated to the health of fish, FISH! I’ve hated the pictures of Bettas in tiny sterile glass jars, where they get sick swimming in circles of their own waste. Aquascapers with a betta?
They make them the STAR of a prized exhibit, water changes once a week, blood worms as a treat and reward for tricks. THEY TRAIN FISH!?!! And they welcome everyone new to the hobby, with a tiny tank and plants, or a massive tank and an axolotl it doesn’t matter, all are celebrated because the more people who get into it the more they can rant and obsess over this artform. What could they talk about? TONS!
There’s different styles of aquascaping!
“Nature Aquariums” are the ones above, and this style was invented by Takashi Amano in the 90s, it emphasizes the beauty of nature both terrestrial and aquatic.
“Iwagumi Style” aquscapes are about simplicity, a field of moss with a single rock to the leftmost side and a school of guppies drifting above or a hardscape made to emulate rocky gnolls with a cover of grass. This style was also invented by Amano in the mid 80s, and although it looks simple, the slow growing moss is hard to cultivate in the perfect way.
And then there’s the Dutch Style, invented in the 1930s by the Dutch Society of Aquarists, this style is about CONTRAST, vibrancy against muted tones, hot and cold colours mixed to draw the eye, a great explosion of planted art.
And there’s so much more! I could rant for ages, about the time it takes to grow the plants and acclimate the water, and test for water hardness or CO2 injection, or ammonia levels, the debate still raging about whether or not you need UV light for optimal growth conditions, the diet planning for different species of fish, it goes on!
I just… I really love this niche hobby that has been around for over a century quietly passing on a passionate love for the beauty of aquatic life.
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