Aficionados of freshwater planted aquariums have long understood that observing certain rules of composition when aquascaping with plants, rocks, driftwood, and other features can have a tremendous impact on an aquarium’s overall aesthetic impression. While we reefkeepers haven’t traditionally placed…
What Hobbyists Can Learn when They Visit a Public Aquarium
Here in the US, the summer travel season is well underway, and popular attractions all across the nation are swarming with tourists. For those of us enamored with marine life, vacation travel often involves a visit to major public aquariums,…
Biopod smart microhabitat vivarium ecosystem
Biopod is a new company out of Canada which is taking some inspiration from the diverse number of all in one aquarium available for both and freshwater aquarium systems. We know that this is a reef aquarium blog but every…
What’s Your Aquascaping Rock of Choice?
Today’s marine aquarists have more options than ever before when it comes to the types of rock used to aquascape their tanks—from live rocks, whether aquacultured or wild-harvested, to all manner of dry rocks and even natural-looking man-made rocks. Each…
Wishing I’d Chosen a Wider Marine Aquarium
I wouldn’t exactly say I have major regrets about choosing a standard 125-gallon tank for my current marine aquarium system, but if I had to do it all over again, I might go in a slightly different—rather, slightly wider—direction. For…
The Pros and Cons of Aquascaping Marine Aquariums with Dry Rock
When aquascaping their tanks, marine aquarium hobbyists have the option of using live rock or dry rock (or some combination thereof) to create the foundational reef structure. Each of these options is completely workable but, as with every aspect of…
The Use of Negative Space in the Reef Aquarium Aquascape
One of the more interesting developments in the reefkeeping hobby, in my opinion, has nothing to do with the latest, greatest gadget or advance in water-quality-management methodology. Rather, it’s an evolving aesthetic in aquascaping. Bored with the traditional monolithic stack…
Avoid These 5 Live Rock Aquascaping Pitfalls
Your long-anticipated live rock shipment has finally arrived at your doorstep, and you can’t wait to get it in your tank and start watching as life emerges from those gnarly chunks. Though you’re understandably eager to forge ahead putting the…
RedBonsai Treescape is the latest masterpiece from Filipe Oliveira
You may not have heard of Filipe Oliveira but undoubtedly you’ve seen in his work countless times in aquascaping publications. Mr. Oliveira rocked the aquascaping world in 2008 with his first bonsai tree aquascape which looked so supernatural that it seemed…
Aquatic Experience Aquascaping Live! Contest promises $3,900 in prizes
Aquascaping is one of the most time consuming and frustrating part of building your aquarium. Get it right and you are loving it. Get it wrong and you start wondering if you will ever have your hand outside the aquarium.…
