Farmer - Aquascaping : A Step-by-step Guide to Planting, Styling, and Maintaining Beautiful Aquariums (9781510753396)

Copyright 2020 by George Farmer

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photograph courtesy of the author

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5338-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5339-6

Printed in China

For Emma

CONTENTS

The authors 85-gallon aquascape in his home, photographed during the final stages of completing this book.

Aquascaping offers a unique way to connect with nature in any living space.

A quascaping is the art of creating beautiful aquariums. I like to explain the term as landscape gardening... but under water. It is well known that aquariums provide therapeutic value to those who view them for any length of time. They can help reduce levels of anxiety and induce a state of relaxation that is so important with todays often stressful modern living. As such, aquascaping allows us the ability to enjoy a unique connection with nature and all of the health benefits it provides.

Sitting in front of an aquarium is well-known to induce a state of relaxation.

The aquarium setting is not just limited to the home environment. They can be found in hospitals, medical waiting rooms, and rest homes, as well as busy offices and school reception areas. In my opinion, if an aquarium is decorated beautifully with natural materials such as live aquatic plants, wood, and rocks, then the therapeutic value is greatly enhanced.

The authors Oase StyleLine 85 aquarium is featured on the popular meditation app, Headspace.

The aim of this book is to show how you can create your own beautiful aquascape with live aquarium plants while enjoying the huge array of benefits this wonderful hobby and art form can provide. The principles can be applied to any form of aquarium, but the main focus of this book involves the use of aquarium plants with details on how you can make them thrive using modern techniques that I have had success with for many years. No matter your experience level, by the end of this book you will have the knowledge to create your own beautiful slice of nature.

The combination of water, wood and rocks, live plants, and fish creates a wonderful slice of nature.

Aquascaping is different from any other art form because it is so rich and diverse. There is the design element where rocks, wood, and plants are positioned in a manner to provide a pleasing aesthetic balance and overall impression. The aquarium is a three-dimensional canvas where consideration needs to be given to where each component relates to one another across the length, height and depth of the layout. The nature of live plants means that they grow at different rates, obtaining different colors and textures that blend into one another as the aquascape matures. It is like a constantly evolving living sculpture that we have an element of control over as both the creator and the maintainer. I think it is this creation process combined with the regular maintenance that really gives us something very special to enjoy. Aquascaping provides a true connection with nature that is so important to experience in todays world where we are spending so much of our working and leisure time on digital devices and social media platforms that are constantly demanding our attention. Simply viewing our aquascape for any length of time helps to restore a sense of peace and the process of maintaining gives a real sense of achievement and element of control over something beautiful that we have had hand in creating. I also believe there is something deeply soothing about being close to water, as it provides a fundamental source of comfort and security. Along with the sense of movement, colors, light, and the living animals that are contained within this wonderful space, I believe an aquascape is the ultimate blend of art and nature that has the potential to enrich everyones life. I am sure it can enrich yours too and my hope is that this book will start you on one of the most exciting, rewarding and relaxing journeys you have ever encountered. My dear friend, Balzs Farkas, co-founder of the world-famous aquascaping store, Green Aqua, says it best at the start of every YouTube video they create: Welcome to the beautiful world of aquascaping!

This aquascape gallery in Poland belonging to Adam Pasczcela is a great source of inspiration and tranquility.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a singlestep.

Laozi

G etting started in your aquascaping journey can be equally exciting and daunting, with a seemingly infinite variety of aquarium equipment, methodologies, and aquascaping styles to choose from. A quick Google or YouTube search can soon lead you to a plethora of well-intended but often conflicting advice from hobbyists of all experience levels, which is bound to lead to confusion. However, the great news is that there are many different ways to achieve success with your aquascapes suiting all levels of budget, skill, and spare time you have. You just have to choose the right path that helps you define and achieve your goals. The aim of this book is to simplify the entire process, providing you with the knowledge and confidence to get the right start, ultimately leading to the goal of being able to plan, create and maintain your own beautiful aquascapes.