How to inspire the next generation of aquatic gardeners?

[Art]

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This is a picture taken 10 years ago by one of my favorite aquascapers, Masashi Ono, a Japanese aquascaper that focuses on the nature aquarium. As a Dad, this image really resonates with me. It made me think about how we are getting the next generations engaged in this beautiful hobby and, in a broader sense, appreciating the gift that nature is to all of us.

Any thoughts on how best to get more and younger people into the hobby?

 

[Phish Tank]

Exposure to freshwater tanks. Either at home, at school, or public aquariums.

It seems like public aquariums are soooo saltwater focused, which isn't a good gateway to a first aquarium. Not sure how to change that.

Next time you are getting rid of an old tank, or plants, or rehoming fish, see if you can find an elementary school that you can donate it to.

 

[Wet Elbows]

Any thoughts on how best to get more and younger people into the hobby?

Start with taking the freaking phone out of their hand and get them outside and into nature.

 

[CincyScaper]

I personally think one of the best ways forward would be to have an inspirational aquascape gallery in LFS. This will inspire more hobbyists and the young in general. I take my kids to the LFS all the time, and they are naturally much more attracted to the fish than to the aquascapes or plant selections. A big reason for that is that most stores display fish far more prominently than planted tanks.

Recently we had a new store open in Cincinnati called Fresh Tides Aquatics, and they seem very interested in aquascaping, ADA-style layouts, and planted tanks. Hopefully they will eventually develop display tanks similar to what you see in Japan or Europe, where aquascapes themselves become the centerpiece and inspire people to get into the hobby.

 

[Koan]

More of this giant teaching installation / exhibits at their local zoos and aquariums

Kids respond to spectacle, tiny tanks do not impress until they have something to try and emulate

Post in thread 'Testing the Aqua Rocks Colorado Acrylic Horizontal CO2 Reactor on a large tank'

Feb 12, 2025

1000 gallon tank in a public aquarium running [the Yugang Reactor] and it works famously

Here's @RickyV's Dallas Masterpiece, utilizing the Yugang Reactor , as of last year:




And featured by MJ Aquascapes at Aquashella 2024!

• Koan

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[JuJuFish]

And on a much smaller scale, I set up a tank for a friend who tutors young students. All the kids who come through her house love it and follow its progress at every session. Just getting them exposed to a planted tank is a good first step.

 

[Mr. Silly Goose]

I think the costs associated likely play a very large part. I do agree that large display tanks at your LFS would be a great draw, but from a business standpoint that's a fairly significant investment when the business itself might be scraping by. I've also noticed a lot of LFS put in minimal aquascaping effort. Some general greenery and design and that's it. I have a very close store that's aquariums and terrerriums that I just find so uninspiring any time I've gone in. I'd love to support them, but there's never a wow factor for me, so I end up online and ordering what people online are doing.

Would love to see more freshwater in zoos and aquariums.

I think aquariums are also one of the first things to "go" when budgets get evaluated. Our local hospital in a VHCOL location had multiple saltwater tanks that they decommissioned. My friend is a teacher and jokingly asked if he could have them for his classroom and they gave him 2 massive tanks that have built in seating around them.

 

[Wet Elbows]

I'm going to expand on my previous post.
Sure kids are in a state of wonder when they go to a public aquarium and see massive beautiful displays. How quickly does that wonder fade once they leave the facility? When they go back to their electronic world of X box, Tiki Tok, and FaceSpace is forgotten. There is no connection to the huge world outside of their device. We can't even get kids to go outside and play these days. When I was a kid you couldn't keep me in the house.

It has to start with a connection and love for nature. A realization how beautiful the natural world is. A sense of how fragile our planet is.
How many times have we seen kids start a sport or pick up an instrument only to abandon it a few months later? Why? Because there's no connection. Young kids aren't watching their favorite sports teams or players religiously like adults do. They aren't exploring every radio station and discovering different genres of music, at least not on their own. Bless the parents that expose their kids to many different things.
But taking a kid outside where they can explore and see with their own eyes, touch, smell the outdoors and learn how everything is interconnected. They get a sense ownership.
This is where it all starts. If you don't love nature and have an appreciation for the world around us, what would ever inspire you to want to bring it into your home?
One only needs to look at the Amano video that @Art posted the other day to see the profound effect it has on a person's life and how it shapes who they are.

 

[SingAlongWithTsing]

the hobby needs to be cheaper for more people to get into it.

• good leds with adjustability and cri are still expensive but we have more options now vs 10 years ago
• petco/petsmart went from $1 per gallon sales to 50% off sucks
• aqua soil is still kinda expensive​
• not sure if hardscape has moved in prices but I wouldn't be surprised if it moved up cuz of tariffs.​

I think are the only things that filters and co2 regulators are the only things that have come down in price and have more options now compared to 10 years ago.

 

[NC AL]

I don't think you can. Although some of it might be due to a new generation, most of it is just due to the interests at the younger age. If you were to have asked me 30-40 years ago if I wanted to play on my bike, basketball, or plant some shrubs. Well you know the answer. Very few children enjoy yardwork. However as you get older, more and more do. The satisfaction of a job well done. Enjoyment in creating beauty in something you own. All these things come with age. I have been around teens for the last ...well basically since I was a teen. Its just a progression that coincides with age.

In my opinion if you want to grow the hobby through the younger generation, it is done through general aquarium hobbyist. Anything that helps promote the keeping of aquariums (any kind) at a younger age. This comes down to cost and maintenance.

Things that would help.

• Don't bash Petco or Petsmart - for many younger people this is what they have and can afford. So less "don't go there..." and more "If you do go there, here is what I would do...."
• Don't bash budget lights and/or filters - same reason as above. Some of those filters/lights turn out to be gems!
• Give younger people a break on local sales.
• Show tanks on forums, social media, etc. with algae. Algae is a natural part of the hobby (salt and fresh). Constant unrealistic views what what a tank should look like discourage younger hobbyists. Tanks without algae are beautiful, but they often can require a lot of $$$ or time spent on maintenance. It's just not realistic for a younger hobbyist.
• Most important and for any age: always welcome and help new hobbyist. Yes, you are going to answer the same question a thousand times. So what? Do it anyway. The first response can't be for them do go do research.