elemental-kiss: narelleart: Aquascaping: Artful but Harmful Famous aquascaper Takashi Amano transfor
elemental-kiss: narelleart: Aquascaping: Artful but Harmful Famous aquascaper Takashi Amano transformed simply planting aquariums with live aquatic plants into an art form, which has spawned an entire new sect of the aquarium hobby. While the aesthetic beauty of these works cannot be denied, are they really in the best interests of the fish housed in them? Unfortunately, they are not. Very few fishes tolerate the open space that is common in many aquascaping styles, especially Amano’s signature “iwagumi” style, exemplified by the scapes pictured above. These set ups are exceptionally stressful for the fish they house. There is no where to hide to feel safe, so they must live in a state of constant stress. Stress that has significant harmful physiological effects on the fish. (Read more on stress in fishes here!) You could argue that fish could be placed into these settings just to get that one perfect picture, and live out the rest of their lives in an appropriate aquarium. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tend to be the case. These are typically the long term homes of these animals, as it is common for aquascapers to view their fish not as pets or even really as live animals, but rather as accessories to compliment their plants. This spirals into further harm to fishes when other hobbyists see these scapes and are inspired to try to create their own. Bettas are a very popular pet fish on tumblr, and they in particular should never be housed in an aquascape like those pictured above because they originate from densely planted areas and require that same dense cover to live long, healthy lives. So while these tanks may be very pretty, they are really not good for fish. Please keep the needs of your fishes foremost in mind when you decorate your aquarium! You can aim to make something you will find aesthetically pleasing, but it must be appropriate for your fish as well. The health and comfort of your animals should always come before your sense of aesthetics! (All images from the 2017 AGA Aquascaping competition. Picture sources: [1], [2], [3].) A great form of aquascape for fish such as domestic bettas who need densely planted aquariums is the jungle style. (all following images and quotes from here) “Incorporating traits such as dense plant life and unique focal points, the defining characteristic of a Jungle aquascape is its presentation.” “Unlike other styles, Jungle aquascaping enjoys a natural overall look that is encouraged as opposed to a more organized and formulaic setting like in Dutch styles.” -- source link