Category: Aquariums

Earlier this week, we took a look at the most beautiful aquariums from Japan’s International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest. The IAPLC accepted entries from all countries, but Japanese entreats accounted for about half of the total number of submissions. We don’t want to be too Asia-centric with our recent features on Wabi-Kusa displays and shishi-odoshis, so we’re going to…

One of the most difficult things to tinker with in an aquarium is light and shadow. The reason is quite simple: many of the organisms in your aquarium require light to survive, so prioritizing aesthetic over light requirements could leave your coral and plants near death. But don’t fret: just because it’s difficult to play with light in…

Being a pet is great. They don’t have to worry about being eaten by wild animals, they are lovingly cared for by their owners, and they never have to go hungry. That’s the type of life that most animals in the wild could only dream of. The only catch is that they have to give…

Aquariums are show-stoppers. As soon as you put an aquarium in a living space, every other art piece pales in comparison (well, unless you happen to be the owner of an original Van Gogh). That puts aquarium owners in a tough position. On the one hand, everything else you put into the living space will look…

I love coral, but man are they freaking weird. To start off, they look like some sort of funky alien plant, but they’re actually animal colonies. There’s also very little consistency in how they’re shaped. They’re tall, short, fat, thin, spiky, smooth, colorful, bland, and everything in between. But just how weird can coral get?…

I’ve never been huge on flowers. They’re nice and all, but I’m not the type to go out and get fresh-cut flowers every week. I’m much more of an aquarium type of guy. The only problem is that my better half does like flowers, so my gal and I don’t always see eye-to-eye when it comes to…

Yesterday we covered Iwagumi aquariums, so today’s the perfect time to tackle a subtype of the Iwagumi aquarium, the Sanzon Iwagumi. Both aquarium layouts focus on large stones as the dominant features, but Sanzon Iwagumi aquariums are distinct in that they always feature one large stone flanked by two smaller stones. Such a unique stone formation might seem…

Welcome to the first every Fishy Friday, where I’ll be taking a look at fish and other aquatic wildlife for your home aquarium. We’re going to start things off with a bang by appealing to the weirdos out there. It’s easy to fill your aquarium with bright, colorful fish, but some folks prefer to take a…

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish — that’s not just the title of a Dr. Seuss book, it’s also just a few of the near endless number of possibilities for your freshwater aquarium. There are also yellow fish, black fish, purple fish, shrimp, eels, and thousands of other freshwater aquatic species. But what…

Aquariums are unique in the world of home decoration. Unlike paintings, which are flat and two-dimensional, and unlike televisions and furniture, which generally face in just one direction, aquariums can provide a complete 360 degree viewing experience. It’s common to see aquariums set flush against walls or tucked into the corners of rooms, so it’s easy…