Dynamic Serenity
For some, a cluttered or dark aquarium may be a turn off, but to each his own. I personally enjoy creating biotopic organic setups. This system would be much cheaper in the long run rather than starting a reef setup considering salt costs, upkeep and extra system requirements. (although a system with an anthias shoal along some brilliant tangs along with brightly colored sps corals would rival any system) Yet, I still haven't conqured all the freshwater tanks in my head. So I'll stick to to them instead.If a good investment was made at the beginning of this project I'm describing, maintenance would be minimal. I was bored tonight and felt like testing my knowledge. So, I'll try to disect the minds of 2 of my most respected aquarists and use them for inspiration. I do tend to overlook these fish I am about to describe. The goal: Serene Dynamics!
I have been a long time fan of the naturalist aquarists like Takashi Amano and Heiko Bleher who try to create as much beauty out of simplicity as possible. Their understanding of natural beauty create perfect balances between captive specimens and beautifully aquascaped aquaria. The elements of artistry must lock into place.
So, I feel like writing tonight, and I'll try my best to describe my understanding of these concepts. For Heiko Bleher, perfect aquaria must replicate exact natural biotopic surroundings down to every life form in the system. He also considers geological and chemical properties relating to exact habitat locations. Bleher attempts to capture the essence of nature in it's most raw and simplistic form. Some may find this concept bland and dull, yet for me, it's pure unadulterated perfection. In contrast, Amano uses nature as an art pallate. He observes the structures of landscapes from a picturesque or photographical perspective. Amano strives to capture the perfect harmonic attributes of the natural world in his aquaria design. With mathematical precision, Amano crafts his oeuvres into perfect symetry by using just the opposite, asymetry. Amano has gained the sovereign knowledge that creates the true artist and philosopher. However,by utilising materials and species alien to absolute biotopian ideas, Amano deviates from the purist prospectives prominent in the pursuits of Bleher. Both of these aquarists achieve true balance, yet they use different methods to achieve it. Thus balance prevents neither angle from swallowing the other.
My idea for a beautiful and dynamic system:
Starting with a bare tank add heating elements to bottom panel of tank. For a substrate layout I favor uneven nonlinear dimension. The foreground is always the deepest. I like depth to be shown as if I am looking up towards an ascending plane towards the shallows or water's edge from the deep. Substrate should flow on an upwards slope towards the back of the aquarium, graduated but still uneven. The lateral depth should also not be even in relation to it's other side. (one side deeper or less emphasized than the other) With the uneven forground carpeting plants like hemianthus callichitroides or glossostigma resemble terrestrial moss one would see growing on the floor of a wet forrest. I have found that I can create slopes in the substrate by forming a mixture of cement, peat, vermiculite, and sand. I'll slap it into the bottom of the tank and make graduated barriers and deep craters for planting and seperating different plant species. (needs to be soaked until the cement stops buffering the water collumn) With this cement mixture one can gain more control over containing certain plant species that normally spread all over the place without meticulous maintenance. If the substrate is just added to the bare tank without stronger reinforcement underneath it will usually level out as water movement, fish, etc. cause it to settle. I'd use some different sized, dark smooth OR jagged (need to use the same type of stone throughout )boulders as the hardscape (need to use the same type of stone throughout placed without symetry in odd numbered clusters)... try and create good feeling of depth with both rocks and plants you might use. The main decorative focus (largest stone, empty space, fullest space, etc.) of the tank should generally be slightly off left center. (or on the right side, also off center) Boulders or other hardscape materials like driftwood will make this even stronger if used as the focal point. Most people seem to naturally gravitate their attention toward the left and move towards the right.... I read that somewhere awhile back!
Ideas of structural arrangements in the aquarium can be reinforced and argued by considering mathematical occurances in natural phenomena. Beauty can be achieved by using the golden ratio, or a ratio of 1:1.68. This ratio occurs all over the place in the natural world, (sunflowers, nautilus shells, rosette growing plants, even the proportions of the human body i.e. Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man) and we naturally percieve this ratio as beautiful. Amano uses this ratio on almost every tank he designs. He also uses abstract ideas of geometric shapes along with theories of movement (sloping and 3 dimensional angles) incorporated into the entire design to create the ultimate sense of depth. Amano sends people on a journy based on predictions of the viewer's sightpath over the aquascape design giving them a visual feast.
No more than 5 different plant species should really be used. Really, only one or 2 species would be visable in a wild aquascape. The tank can loose some of that spectacular natural aesthetic if too many patterns are broken by differing leaves and plant structures. Most natural scenes one might see in the wild would be very minimalistic. Also, in the wild we can adjust our viewing position to find the most beautiful angle. This is why so much study, planning, and design elements should be considered before jumping into a permanent aquascape venture.
Less is more if you want a serene, but naturally dynamic looking aquarium. Well ballanced systems can captivate onlookers for countless hours. They truly have the ability to be hypnotic and relaxing even to the point of causing positive physiological effects such as lowering mental stress and blood pressure (I read this too)
For this idea I more so favor Amano's approach. Bleher's biotopes tend to be sparsely planted in comparison. Light colored sand/small dark contrasting pebbles in the immediate foreground would accentuate more brightness. Into this sand would creap beds of hemianthus calichitroides (dwarf baby tears) softening into a bank of dwarf hairgrass (eleocharis parvula). Moving further back, thickets of tall hairgrass dispersed with taller broader undulating leaves like slender leafed echinodorus and vallisneria species reserving the very back of the tank for flowy large plants sparsely planted (red leafed vallesneria caulescens would be stunning if one could find it), or the taller and flowy narrow leafed aponogetons. (would definately endemic relationships into account) I would try and keep similiar leaf shapes thruought the setup for the most part to make it the most peaceful and tranquil that it could be, however one might want to consider contrasting this with a delicate but flowy leafy plant. No need for any rigid looking plants, the hardscape will take care of that.
I would plant the tank very densely in a rich substrate (varying considering different flora needs... laterite, peat, topsoil, sand... I like ecocomplete mixed with laterite, pool sand, and peat... unplanted sandy areas, sand goes all the way to the aquarium floor) with a substrate heating system to circulate water around roots, pressurized CO2 fed into the intake of the tank's canister filtration system (the Eheim models with internal temperature control are great) for maximum exhorbition, but one must MONITOR THE PH!!! (unles the co2 system has a regulator which I couldn't live without). The outflow should be positioned to break the tension of the water's surface (without creating any splashing) to promote water chemistry stability from gas exchange. 3 175w or 250w daylight colored halide lamps placed at equal intervals should be plenty of adequate lighting for an 8 ft tank. Surface agitation will let these lights sparkle over the aquascape.
Once planted and filled with all systems running, add just enough ammonia to cycle the tank and let it work it's magic. The plants will feed on ammonia and excess nutrients from the substrate, so no fish yet. After ammonia and nitrate readings are down to nil add some ottocinclus catfish, a couple of siamese algae eaters (with caution), and some amano or cherry shrimp and let them go to work on any present algae for a couple weeks. Then finnish the tank by slowly adding one or 2 large schools of small elongated tetras i.e. cardinals, ember tetras, and glowlights along with several corydoras. Smaller elongated tetras show more attractive attributes because they shoal in compact and lively formations. These tetras show their true natural behavior in larger numbers given enough aquarium legnth. They are also more lively swimmers. (Rasboras also a posibility)
Rounder tetras (bleeding hearts, silver dollars, lemons) along with danios just seem to be less consistent as they swim all over the place in nonconsistent schools. Therefore, I'll argue for the smaller and lean characins and rasboras. The more fauna you add to the tank the more likely you will have future algae problems, there is a balance build the fishload up at a snail's pace, do weekly partial 15-20%water changes,and supplement nutrients. I think this would be a very dynamic but balanced and serene system... perfection.
Adam
For those who find supreme beauty in our natural world,
I'd love to hear more ideas on expressive aquascaping that might alter your mood or perception taking you into another world.
For some, a cluttered or dark aquarium may be a turn off, but to each his own. I personally enjoy creating biotopic organic setups. This system would be much cheaper in the long run rather than starting a reef setup considering salt costs, upkeep and extra system requirements. (although a system with an anthias shoal along some brilliant tangs along with brightly colored sps corals would rival any system) Yet, I still haven't conqured all the freshwater tanks in my head. So I'll stick to to them instead.If a good investment was made at the beginning of this project I'm describing, maintenance would be minimal. I was bored tonight and felt like testing my knowledge. So, I'll try to disect the minds of 2 of my most respected aquarists and use them for inspiration. I do tend to overlook these fish I am about to describe. The goal: Serene Dynamics!
I have been a long time fan of the naturalist aquarists like Takashi Amano and Heiko Bleher who try to create as much beauty out of simplicity as possible. Their understanding of natural beauty create perfect balances between captive specimens and beautifully aquascaped aquaria. The elements of artistry must lock into place.
So, I feel like writing tonight, and I'll try my best to describe my understanding of these concepts. For Heiko Bleher, perfect aquaria must replicate exact natural biotopic surroundings down to every life form in the system. He also considers geological and chemical properties relating to exact habitat locations. Bleher attempts to capture the essence of nature in it's most raw and simplistic form. Some may find this concept bland and dull, yet for me, it's pure unadulterated perfection. In contrast, Amano uses nature as an art pallate. He observes the structures of landscapes from a picturesque or photographical perspective. Amano strives to capture the perfect harmonic attributes of the natural world in his aquaria design. With mathematical precision, Amano crafts his oeuvres into perfect symetry by using just the opposite, asymetry. Amano has gained the sovereign knowledge that creates the true artist and philosopher. However,by utilising materials and species alien to absolute biotopian ideas, Amano deviates from the purist prospectives prominent in the pursuits of Bleher. Both of these aquarists achieve true balance, yet they use different methods to achieve it. Thus balance prevents neither angle from swallowing the other.
My idea for a beautiful and dynamic system:
Starting with a bare tank add heating elements to bottom panel of tank. For a substrate layout I favor uneven nonlinear dimension. The foreground is always the deepest. I like depth to be shown as if I am looking up towards an ascending plane towards the shallows or water's edge from the deep. Substrate should flow on an upwards slope towards the back of the aquarium, graduated but still uneven. The lateral depth should also not be even in relation to it's other side. (one side deeper or less emphasized than the other) With the uneven forground carpeting plants like hemianthus callichitroides or glossostigma resemble terrestrial moss one would see growing on the floor of a wet forrest. I have found that I can create slopes in the substrate by forming a mixture of cement, peat, vermiculite, and sand. I'll slap it into the bottom of the tank and make graduated barriers and deep craters for planting and seperating different plant species. (needs to be soaked until the cement stops buffering the water collumn) With this cement mixture one can gain more control over containing certain plant species that normally spread all over the place without meticulous maintenance. If the substrate is just added to the bare tank without stronger reinforcement underneath it will usually level out as water movement, fish, etc. cause it to settle. I'd use some different sized, dark smooth OR jagged (need to use the same type of stone throughout )boulders as the hardscape (need to use the same type of stone throughout placed without symetry in odd numbered clusters)... try and create good feeling of depth with both rocks and plants you might use. The main decorative focus (largest stone, empty space, fullest space, etc.) of the tank should generally be slightly off left center. (or on the right side, also off center) Boulders or other hardscape materials like driftwood will make this even stronger if used as the focal point. Most people seem to naturally gravitate their attention toward the left and move towards the right.... I read that somewhere awhile back!
Ideas of structural arrangements in the aquarium can be reinforced and argued by considering mathematical occurances in natural phenomena. Beauty can be achieved by using the golden ratio, or a ratio of 1:1.68. This ratio occurs all over the place in the natural world, (sunflowers, nautilus shells, rosette growing plants, even the proportions of the human body i.e. Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man) and we naturally percieve this ratio as beautiful. Amano uses this ratio on almost every tank he designs. He also uses abstract ideas of geometric shapes along with theories of movement (sloping and 3 dimensional angles) incorporated into the entire design to create the ultimate sense of depth. Amano sends people on a journy based on predictions of the viewer's sightpath over the aquascape design giving them a visual feast.
No more than 5 different plant species should really be used. Really, only one or 2 species would be visable in a wild aquascape. The tank can loose some of that spectacular natural aesthetic if too many patterns are broken by differing leaves and plant structures. Most natural scenes one might see in the wild would be very minimalistic. Also, in the wild we can adjust our viewing position to find the most beautiful angle. This is why so much study, planning, and design elements should be considered before jumping into a permanent aquascape venture.
Less is more if you want a serene, but naturally dynamic looking aquarium. Well ballanced systems can captivate onlookers for countless hours. They truly have the ability to be hypnotic and relaxing even to the point of causing positive physiological effects such as lowering mental stress and blood pressure (I read this too)
For this idea I more so favor Amano's approach. Bleher's biotopes tend to be sparsely planted in comparison. Light colored sand/small dark contrasting pebbles in the immediate foreground would accentuate more brightness. Into this sand would creap beds of hemianthus calichitroides (dwarf baby tears) softening into a bank of dwarf hairgrass (eleocharis parvula). Moving further back, thickets of tall hairgrass dispersed with taller broader undulating leaves like slender leafed echinodorus and vallisneria species reserving the very back of the tank for flowy large plants sparsely planted (red leafed vallesneria caulescens would be stunning if one could find it), or the taller and flowy narrow leafed aponogetons. (would definately endemic relationships into account) I would try and keep similiar leaf shapes thruought the setup for the most part to make it the most peaceful and tranquil that it could be, however one might want to consider contrasting this with a delicate but flowy leafy plant. No need for any rigid looking plants, the hardscape will take care of that.
I would plant the tank very densely in a rich substrate (varying considering different flora needs... laterite, peat, topsoil, sand... I like ecocomplete mixed with laterite, pool sand, and peat... unplanted sandy areas, sand goes all the way to the aquarium floor) with a substrate heating system to circulate water around roots, pressurized CO2 fed into the intake of the tank's canister filtration system (the Eheim models with internal temperature control are great) for maximum exhorbition, but one must MONITOR THE PH!!! (unles the co2 system has a regulator which I couldn't live without). The outflow should be positioned to break the tension of the water's surface (without creating any splashing) to promote water chemistry stability from gas exchange. 3 175w or 250w daylight colored halide lamps placed at equal intervals should be plenty of adequate lighting for an 8 ft tank. Surface agitation will let these lights sparkle over the aquascape.
Once planted and filled with all systems running, add just enough ammonia to cycle the tank and let it work it's magic. The plants will feed on ammonia and excess nutrients from the substrate, so no fish yet. After ammonia and nitrate readings are down to nil add some ottocinclus catfish, a couple of siamese algae eaters (with caution), and some amano or cherry shrimp and let them go to work on any present algae for a couple weeks. Then finnish the tank by slowly adding one or 2 large schools of small elongated tetras i.e. cardinals, ember tetras, and glowlights along with several corydoras. Smaller elongated tetras show more attractive attributes because they shoal in compact and lively formations. These tetras show their true natural behavior in larger numbers given enough aquarium legnth. They are also more lively swimmers. (Rasboras also a posibility)
Rounder tetras (bleeding hearts, silver dollars, lemons) along with danios just seem to be less consistent as they swim all over the place in nonconsistent schools. Therefore, I'll argue for the smaller and lean characins and rasboras. The more fauna you add to the tank the more likely you will have future algae problems, there is a balance build the fishload up at a snail's pace, do weekly partial 15-20%water changes,and supplement nutrients. I think this would be a very dynamic but balanced and serene system... perfection.
Adam
For those who find supreme beauty in our natural world,
I'd love to hear more ideas on expressive aquascaping that might alter your mood or perception taking you into another world.
