#is it aqua

[aquabuggy]

Does this count as an Aqua? This plastic pendant is filled with a clear liquid and gold glitter.

Filled with liquid, sealed, with observable movement, you bet it is!

[aquabuggy]

are wet specimens and things stuck/encased in amber considered aqua ?

Back to some more nature based Is It Aqua asks I see! This oughta be fun being a double.

Wet Specimens, are they Aqua?

Rating: Technically Aqua (but shouldn’t be treated like it)

Explanation:

Everyone knows by now that I have a strict personal rule against considering live animals as part of Aqua, as heavy emphasis on aesthetics over the health, well-being, and safety of these animals is far too common. However, this does not necessarily include those that have passed on or elements of them (like shells of sea snails). While I still do think it is something that needs to be done respectfully if it’s actively and purposely being involved in any aesthetic, it technically does count.

BUT, the thing about Wet Specimens is that…they can be a bit fragile. Aqua is all about Movement, and these types of specimens are not really something you want to be jostling around a ton to witness this movement, both because it can potentially damage the specimen as well as the fact that it’s not really respectful towards the animal, even if it is deceased.

It should also go without saying but it’s worth noting, that I am completely against live animals being killed solely for the purpose of being integrated into something that could be considered Aqua for aesthetic purpose alone. (Not at all saying that’s what Wet Specimens are doing, but it’s ground I felt the need to cover here.)

Moving on to the second part of the question:

Amber Fossils, are they Aqua?

Rating: Not Aqua

Explanation:

Though once liquid at one point in time, Amber Fossils have completely solidified. There is no remaining liquid and thus no movement to observe.

Unless a rare circumstance has occurred that has allowed water or some other fluid to become trapped within the solid amber, Amber Fossils are essentially just rocks. Very pretty, very cool rocks, with a neat and important history to them, but rocks all the same.

[aquabuggy]

Would you consider reusable ice cubes aqua? Like the colorful plastic cubes (or other shapes- I’m partial to the fruit ones myself) filled with water?

Ahhh I remember reusable ice cubes! Used to have some myself ages ago, the fruit ones as well! This ask made me consider buying them again sometime…

Reusable Ice Cubes, are they Aqua?

Rating: Conditionally Aqua

Explanation:

With modern reusable ice cubes, they’re filled most often with distilled water. What does this mean? Well, it means when you stick them in the freezer, that liquid’s gonna freeze. This making it so it’s no longer a liquid, but rather a solid instead. Why am I saying this? Everybody knows this! Well you see, part of the conditions for determining if something is Aqua or not is if it’s full of liquid that you can observe moving, it’s the most important aspect! And when these reusable ice cubes are frozen, that’s not really something you can observe. So in essence, these wouldn’t qualify as Aqua in their frozen state.

However! Once the water inside has melted back to room temperature, you totally could consider these Aqua! Especially since there’s a good bit of air in them that allows for the water to expand as it freezes, it’s very easy to observe the water moving around when it’s not frozen. And as long as the plastic’s clear enough to observe this, you’re golden!

[aquabuggy]

Do these snow “globes” count as aqua?

I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk about these guys here! From my knowledge, they seem to be a newer (or at least recently revived) type of decoration, appearing in the last few years. I tend to refer to them as Animated Water Decor.

Animated Water Decor, is it Aqua?

Rating: Definitely Aqua

Explanation:

As you and many retailers of these have mentioned, these guys are a lot like snow globes, and snow globes are arguably the oldest example of Aqua! The main immediate difference of course being the shape, but there’s more; these are essentially automated snow globes, meaning you just install batteries or plug them in and get to enjoy the result of shaking a snow globe without any of the shaking needed. A small water pump in the base will keep a consistent flow of water cycling, making all the snow and glitter rise and settle at a constant rate. Many of these light up and play a song too, they’re pretty pleasant pieces!

Now why does all that matter? Well the light and sound may not, but the key is in the movement here. Animated Water Decor is sealed and FULL of observable movement. And they’re quite efficient at it too!

[aquabuggy]

hello there wonderful person! i was wondering: would enhydro quartzesezses (whats the plural of quartz..?) technically be considered aqua..? 0:

Hello there dearest asker!

Wonderful question! I had totally forgotten such a natural phenomenon existed, and I’m delighted to be aware of it once more. Nature is so fantastically strange isn’t it? Also! I do believe the plural for a bunch of the same quartz is simply quartz, but many different ones would be quartzes. Just like the fish vs fishes usage! To the question at hand though-

Enhydros/Fluid Inclusions, are they Aqua?

[ gif credit- KingOfQuartz on YouTube ]

Rating: Definitely Aqua

Explanation:

From all the examples I’ve seen of this, they hit all the marks! They’re sealed, filled with fluid, and there’s observable movement. The only case in which I wouldn’t accept one of these as Aqua is if you couldn’t really tell there was movement due to a lack of air bubble. This seems quite rare however, so I think I’ll take the majority here.

Very cool example of Aqua, and a natural one at that!

[aquabuggy]

Hi Bug! I found out from a YouTuber that there's a toy fish tank called "Playful Fish" by Mimi World. Does it count as aqua? While you can interact with the fish tank using the buttons, you can still open the lid and remove fish with the plastic "net" that comes with it. In a video I saw, it looked like the tank responded by making fish noises when one of the fish were taken out. I don't know if the net is needed to play with it or not.

Hiya!

Another great question! I think now would be a good time for me to start labeling these sorts of asks as “Is It Aqua” posts, because I can see more of these coming in the future and frankly I love to answer them.

Playful Fish by Mimi World, is it Aqua?

Rating: Dubiously Aqua

Explanation:

I know I mentioned in a previous ask about the Mutsu Water Looper’s Aqua status that something I took into count was the breaking of this supposed “separate world” by being able to easily touch the items inside the tank, and this toy does have some play features that allow you to directly interact with the play pieces and liquid inside, but the inclusion of a sealing lid really does save its Aqua status for me.

I had to think back on some items I definitely do consider Aqua that have lids or plugs, and what makes them so similar or different to the Playful Fish tank. The Electric Jellyfish Mood Light I feel is most comparable, it too is modeled after an aquarium tank and uses the movement of water to give the illusion that the marine animal shaped pieces inside are moving by themselves.

The main difference in function is that the Playful Fish tank invites you to remove the lid and scoop out or pet the fish, but that it’s not necessary (to my knowledge), while the Jellyfish Lamp doesn’t. And I ask myself, is this a meaningful enough difference? If both items were missing their lids, would I still consider them Aqua? Is it more the intended design at that point that matters most? …Lots to ponder.

Really though, I don’t find a meaningful enough difference between the two, especially since I’m sure you can play with the Playful Fish tank plenty without ever having to remove the lid, but, that function very much is built in as a feature. So, in my eyes, it is Aqua! Albeit dubiously. Maybe I’ll change my mind sometime, but for now that’s what I feel.

What do you guys think?

[aquabuggy]

Would you consider the "mutsu water looper" to be aqua, even though they aren't sealed?

Hi Anon!

Hmm… This is a good question, and not gonna lie I was looking forward to discussions like this!

Firstly, here’s the toy for anyone curious,

https://youtu.be/OrAeRXvpnzw

Alrighty. So. The Mutsu Water Looper is a very cute toy, and I definitely see why one might consider this Aqua. Now this is where opinions may differ from mine.

I personally do not consider this to be Aqua, I find it to be an aesthetic adjacent to Aqua rather. It’s still a Water Toy of course, just not an Aqua Toy.

Now hear me out right, a big part of the reason I often mention “A sealed transparent area” is because of some theoreticals: Imagine, if you will, a bowl of cereal. It’s full of liquid. It even has some little floaty bits that move with the liquid if jostled. And you can easily watch that movement! Without the sealed area rule, this bowl of cereal is, by all technicality, Aqua. An open can of soup? Aqua. A pothole in the street full of rainwater and some leaves? Aqua. That’s where the problems lie.

This next one is a bit of a weird one and definitely more of a me thing but I thought I’d include it anyway. Another thing to consider is that an example of Aqua kind of acts as almost a separate world to ours because of how it’s shut off from our own. It could be based more in our reality like with ring toss games or little floating animals or a snowy moment in time, or it could be more abstract with only glitters or globs of liquid moving about being the center of attention. An item like the Water Looper not being sealed off includes itself more into our sense of the world, you can touch the little animals, you can touch the decorations, you can touch the water, whereas with typical Aqua your only way to interact with anything inside is to stimulate the liquid to start moving.

Now if someone isn’t convinced by this and does consider the Water Looper to be Aqua, that’s fine! I won’t go fighting anybody on that, it just doesn’t exactly fit my personal definition.

It’s still very neat though! And I can totally see people who enjoy Aqua enjoying it as well. I know I had something similar when I was younger, some American version (not the same brand I’m pretty sure) of some kind back in the late 2000’s or very early 2010’s, but the name evades me.