'Aquascaping’ Is Zen-like Underwater Design You’ll Obsess Over
The winners of the 2015 International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest were just recently announced. Yes, you read that correctly: a contest just for underwater plant landscaping in aquariums, aka, “aquascaping” is a thing.
And an beautiful, serene, and inspiring thing at that.
Though these may look like sprawling landscapes ripped from National Geographic, each scene is a meticulously sculpted underwater world created using plant, stone and fish.
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Started in the 1990s by wildlife photographer Takashi Amano, aquarium landscaping (aquascaping) is a niche practice growing in popularity. This year’s contest saw 2,545 entries from 69 countries, with Japan, China, Brazil, and France dominating the top spots. The grand prize winner, took home JPY 1,000,000 (roughly $8,300).
Amano was inspired to start aquascaping after photographing the rainforests of South America, Borneo and West Africa. His approach to these delicate underwater worlds is informed by the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi — a concept that embraces the acceptance of impermanence and imperfection — and the traditional principles of Zen gardening.
The scoring of each aquarium is based on a complex set of criteria: the recreation of natural habitat for fish; the creator’s technical skills; the long-term viability of the habitat; the originality and “wow” factor of the layout; the presentation of natural layout; and the overall composition and planting balance.
Each entry must be completely original. There are strict penalties for stealing ideas from other designs or re-purposing old work.
Does this seem like a lot of work? Um, it is.
If you’re interested in attaining an aquascape of your own from a designer like Amano, you’d best start saving up. According to The Wall Street Journal, a 228-gallon aquarium from Amano will run you around $42,600, “including design, setup and materials ranging from rocks he’s collected himself to lighting. Maintenance is extra, about $600 per month for staff to trim plants and change water.”
No budget for a fish paradise? The scenes make for excellent aquarium inspiration, if nothing else. And you can always stick the good ol’ miniature plastic scuba diver into your tank.
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