Aquascaping - How You Can Beautify Your Aquarium Too
Aquascapers are the painters and sculptors of the aquarium hobby. The glass box of the aquarium forms the space in which a work of art is created, much like a canvas in painting. Above all, landscapes are drawn on this underwater canvas, such as impressions of a mountain range, a forest or a wide grassy plain. This is also reflected in the umbrella term "aquascaping" itself, which is made up of "aqua" (for water) and "scaping" (short for landscape). Instead of paint pots and brushes, aquascaping uses natural materials such as aquatic plants, stones, driftwood and substrate.
Aquascaping became known through the Japanese nature photographer Takashi Amano, who named his style of aquarium design "Nature Aquarium". Through the company he founded, Aqua Design Amano, ADA for short, Takashi Amano also made aquascaping and the matching aquarium products known worldwide.
Aquascaping is closely linked to graphic and artistic aspects and to photography. Contests are regularly held online in which you submit a photograph of an aquascape. These include, for example, the IAPLC and the AGA Contest.
In this section of our Aquascaping Wiki, you'll find a series of articles all about designing aquarium layouts. These include, for example, an explanation of the basic layout shapes in the aquarium, what exactly lies behind the Japanese terms Iwagumi and Wabi-Kusa, and how to create depth in an aquascape. Numerous ADA guides from the series "Let's start with Q" and "Let's start with A" are also available here. We also share lots of tips and tricks on the materials used in an aquascape, such as hardscape and the creative use of aquatic plants, as well as instructions for cleaning glassware in the aquarium. Would you like to photograph your aquascape? We've written matching guides on this topic: "Preparing for the Final Shot", "Photographing an Aquarium, Part 1" and "Part 2". You'll also find new product presentations related to aquascaping in this category.