Aquascaping or underwater interior decorating , trhoguh history the hobby has grown quite popular and has evolved throughout the ages whether if it’s what types of tanks are used, methods of aquascaping, or even the accessories that function with the tank. I. Fish tanks have come a long way since the traditional fishbowl. They’ve been made into many shapes sizes all for different purposes. A. For more than 4,000 years, men and women have kept fish, first in ponds and later in tanks. The earliest known fish keepers were the Sumerians, who as long ago as 2500 B. C. kept fish in ponds and used them as food. )The first known formal study of fish was conducted by the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B. C. ) by studying there structure and other characteristics; he carefully recorded accurate information on 115 species of fish then living in the Aegean Sea. b). In 1856, the governments established now today as the Division of Fishes of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. c)The next 50 years saw a virtual explosion of interest in fish and their environments. Such famous institutions as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography) were established during this period.
B. Generally there are three types of tanks that break off into several different categories the main types which are brackish water, Salt water, and Fresh water. a. Salt Water tanks consist of entirely Saltwater that can be made with aquarium salt and fresh water or natural salt water. i. Salt Water tank mostly consist of live rock and sea anemone’s and only salt water fish. Their light fixtures mostly consist of white or blue tints and are mainly LED lighting. b. Fresh Water tanks consist of entirely Fresh Water that has dechlorinated as to prevent harm to the fish. i.
Fresh water tanks are mostly stocked with schooling fish, artificial plants and colored rocks or real plants and rocks and sometimes ornaments and drift wood. Lights are mostly white lighting rods. c. Brackish Water tanks are basically the same as Fresh Water tanks except they have a higher ph. and contain a little natural salt or aquarium salt examples of brackish water in natures are where lakes and the ocean meet such as estuaries. i. Brackish Tanks can have some salt water fish and fresh water fish and brackish water fish can only live in this type of water. Lighting and tank decorations can be anything. II. Methods of aquascaping or nderwater interior decorating have had some changes or rules applied to them as they enter a different genre or country. A. The Dutch style was the first style ever used and attempted for a planted aquarium. This style was developed in the Netherlands since the 1930’s, which have been around for quite some time and still exists and used among aquascapers today. a. The principles behind the Dutch style technique consist of using many plants; specifically stem plants of no more than 10-12 species, to create a lush arrangement. B. Takashi Amano introduced the nature or Japanese style to the planted aquarium hobby in the 1980’s. . The principle for creating a nature style planted aquarium is based on the Japanese gardening concept, Wabi Sabi, and the attempt to mimic a vision that one would see in nature. Inspiration for these visions usually comes from viewing mountains, forests streams, grassy fields, or the oceans. C. The Iwagumi style planted aquarium is another form of Japanese gardening, which set rules on rock placement. a. Takashi Amano has also used this aquascaping style in many of his planted aquariums. With the Iwagumi style, there are four type of stones that are used, Oyaishi, Fukuishi, Soeishi, and Suteishi.