5 Strange Aquariums that are Clever, Quirky, and Just Plain Weird

This whole week I’ve been focusing on the most popular aquascaping styles.  We’re going to end this week by talking about the most exciting aquascaping style of all: your own!

Dutch aquariums, nature aquariums, and other prominent aquascaping styles are all popular for a good reason – they’re beautiful. But just because everybody else is building Wabi-Kusa or Dutch style aquariums doesn’t mean that you need to jump on the bandwagon. Your aquarium can be as unique as you are! So today we’re going to take a walk of the trodden path by looking at unique, bizarre, and just plain weird custom aquariums.

This stunning home aquarium is fairly close to a nature style aquarium, but the mountain-like protrusion with a twisted bonsai tree give it a truly unique vibe. It’s like the aquascape is 90% aquarium and 10% garden. The comparative simplicity and stark elegance of the actual aquascape was a wise move. If the creator had created a colorful Dutch style aquascape, the bonsai tree would have been visually swallowed by the plethora of vibrant plants.

Many aquascapers aim for visually stunning pieces that capture the very essence of beauty, like aquatic versions of Starry Night or the Venus de Milo. But keep in mind that just about anything that can be artwork, even something that most people would call dirty or ugly. This aquarium probably isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but believe it or not the owner intentionally built it this way. What he created is a true nature aquarium. It doesn’t just replicate nature – it is nature. Rather than attempting to maintain a perfectly manicured aquascape, the beauty of this aquarium comes from how the various species interact in a truly organic and chaotic ecosystem. Is it ugly? Perhaps – many people would call it that. But is it unique and interesting? You bet.

Ever wonder what it feels like to be one of your fish? This rather unorthodox aquarium solves that mystery.

This mini aquarium, an Ecosphere, takes the concept of a self-sustaining ecosystem to a whole new level. These aquascapes are basically tiny little worlds that have everything they need to survive built right in. The shrimp consume algae and other micro organisms. Those micro organisms break down the shrimp waste in a perfectly complete cycle. All they need is a bit of sunlight and the ecosystem can survive for as long as 2 to 3 years.

We’ve seen plenty of aquariums with built-in gardens. How about a garden with a built-in aquarium? This clever aquascape rests precariously among the twisted branches and thick moss.

So, what can we take from these unorthodox aquariums? It’s simple really: Break the mold! Be a trailblazer! Think outside the box! Invent something new! Aquascaping styles are a great starting point, but don’t get bogged down by what everybody else is doing. Let your imagination run wild and come up with a beautiful custom aquarium that is truly as unique as you are!