Question of the Day You aquarium - home for the fish, plants or both??

[Art]

I was doomscrolling in Facebook (I'm trying to curtail it) and ran into the below post. It's a beautiful picture of a planted aquarium in a dental office.



I know I would feel more relaxed just watching it before going in for my dental visit. So, job well done. However, it got me thinking about the differences we have as aquarists and, more specifically, planted aquarium aquarists. I guess I'm feeling a little philosophical and introspective but let me ask you to join me.

To me, this aquarium can either highlight the fish (it has plenty of open space to showcase beautiful fish) or it can highlight plants (the center style is beautiful and well executed).

What matters more to you with your aquarium? Is your aquarium a home for your fish that you've made beautiful with plants and hardscape? Or, is your aquarium a beautiful garden where the plants are the showcase and there are healthy, happy fish that are a supporting cast?

Or, are you that rare aquarist that truly feels a balance between the fish and the plants with both taking equal attention from you and your aquarium is built to highlight both?

No right or wrong answer here. We won't kick you out of ScapeCrunch either way. I think it's interesting to learn about the different perspectives our members have.

Tell us which one are you and what got you to that place.

 

[Luciën]

Nice looking tank indeed. And good question.
Personally I always make a tank for longer term and with the fish in mind that I want to keep. Like corydoras (and their new genus family) love fine sand and a place for them to sift thru so I include that. Most apisto's love a place to hide so create some cave like structures some where in the scape visible or not depends on the scape. Also most fish like to have a broken line of sight to flee from each other from time to time. These are all small things that is doable in most scapes maybe less in an iwagumi grassfield type ofscape but this not something that I would like to keep..

 

[Koan]

truly feels a balance between the fish and the plants with both taking equal attention from you

Well this is the goal right I am forever and first an animal guy, there are so, so, so many fish out there to keep! And shrimps!! Schooling and foraging and territorial and breeding behaviors that are so endlessly, delightfully engrossing.. Plus, animals are easy to understand and care for, low stress input for such high payoff



Plants on the other hand are mysterious. Challenging, gorgeous, temperamental and so damned finicky until some undefined unpredictable moment at which time in theory they just settle down and grow Endlessly interesting and far enough outside my skill set to be a massive source of new cool information and discussion..

Which is what I hang out with all y'all for

 

[Tim Harrison]

I was bought up in a horticultural family, so I grew up surrounded by plants and learnt how to care for them through osmosis. One of my older brothers kept tropical fish so I was hooked on both from an early age, and sort to combine the two.

The idea was to create a natural environment for fish, but one that was aesthetically pleasing. And I guess it's still where I'm at today. Ironically, I didn't appreciate back then that many biotopes don't have much in the way of plant life, and many so called aquatic plants prefer to not to grow submerged.

But this background sparked my interest in natural history and shaped my entire future. I later studied natural science at uni. So aside from creating an aesthetic showcase for both plants and fish, I enjoy the process and many challenges of trying to grow plants under water.

It's also a continuous learning process, and it can be infuriating and humbling. Just when you think you've got it licked, nature throws you a curveball and you can find yourself almost back at square one. Being able to share the highs and lows with like minded folk on forums such as ScapeCruch adds to the experience.