👵🏾 ☎️ 👨🏾‍🔬 Natural aquariums: description, creation, photo 👻 💓 ⛺️

Not so long ago, a new type of design art appeared - aquarium (natural aquarium). Photos of such masterpieces fascinate and delight.

Talented people create incredible, underwater landscapes in aquariums or closed artificial reservoirs. Today it is a decorative art that is developing in different directions.

How it all started

Well-known Japanese photo artist and aquarist Takashi Amano invented a new way to design aquariums. It is based on the beautiful traditions of Japanese gardens and the principles of Zen Buddhism.

Today this style in aquascaping is very popular and gaining momentum. It is based on minimalism. In natural aquariums everything is transparent and as if weightless. This is provided by:

almost invisible high-performance equipment;
elementary, but reliable curbstone;
carefully selected lighting.

All this allows you to see what is happening under water, and enjoy the magical landscape.

Essence of the plan

Translated from English aquascape (aqua - "water", scape - "landscape") - landscape design for closed tanks. Under water, in a limited space, different masterpieces are created, where flora and fauna are perfectly combined. This reflects the creative intent of the author of a small underwater world. To achieve the goal, use:

filter system;
special nutrient soils;
light as close as possible to the sun;
decoration elements (stones, driftwood, vegetation).

A natural aquarium does not have a frame, its amazing design does not involve screeds, so it looks like a picture floating in the air.

Perfectly selected proportions contribute to the unity of a piece of amazing natural beauty with natural elements of decoration.

Styles

Today, there are many opportunities to realize your imagination. Whatever ideas visit the head of creative people, they are faced with the need to develop a design:

external - is fully combined with the interior of the room where the aquarium is located;
internal - decorations and paraphernalia inside are located on the background of a blossoming biosystem.

It is wrong to think that the whole design is based on the splendor of plants. Now they are more simply decorating or complementing the designer’s fanciful ideas in order to breathe life into an aquarium made from natural materials of inanimate origin.

Currently, certain rules and requirements have emerged that have incorporated the basic styles. Three of them are considered key:

Taiwanese - based on an exact copy of the area and its landscape.
Hardscape - supports the rejection of interference in natural processes and makes it possible for them to go their own way.
Dutch is the exact opposite of hardscapes, as it is a flowering garden under water with an abundance of colors and shades.

Fashionable design direction does not leave indifferent artists, photographers, stylists and ordinary people.

Zen garden

The idea is based on the philosophical teachings of Zen Buddhism, it reflects a peaceful atmosphere and complete peace. “Dry Mountains and Water” is a literal translation of the name from Japanese. It is based on an aquascape with snags and stones. These items are placed according to the rules of Zen Buddhism. Such a design of a natural aquarium should fully encourage self-knowledge and should lead to meditation.

Dutch style

It is based on geometric and color contrasts, which embodies the visual implementation. The main element of decoration is the fauna. A set of plants is strictly and according to certain rules placed. They have approximately the same height, shape, and in no case mix.

Iwagumi

Decorated in the spirit of Japanese gardening traditions. When performing the composition, stone structures are used. The literal translation of "ivagumi" is the arrangement of stones. Primary requirements:

correctly put this decor item, and the rest of the garden itself will form;
first arrange the stones, then trees, and then grass;
be sure to follow the rules of placement.

The basis of the design of the aquarium in this style is an odd number of large specimens or fragments of rocks. They select natural stones for aquariums and place them in a strictly defined order, following the clear rules:

stones are never arranged in a row;
all parts must have a strong position in the aquarium;
Do not mix decor elements from other styles;
it should be noticeable that the stones have different dimensions and shapes;
When placing objects, it is better to follow intuition and arrange them the way they would look in nature.

Everything must be taken into account, since it is not easy to make a choice of scenery in the aquarium. In the natural environment, not every stone will be suitable for composition design.

There are types of materials that are completely unsuitable for the decoration of such an aquarium. It:

limestone;
marble;
iron;
calcium;
magnesium.

For example, iron reduces plant growth, although it increases the splendor of algae. Magnesium and calcium make water harder. Species of stones suitable for aquariums are in the ADA catalog.

Wabi Kus Style

Decoration from water-loving herbaceous plants is a style in phytodesign. Wabi Kusa owes its existence to the Japanese art of ikebana - it is from there that it takes its origins.

When creating a style, natural soil for the aquarium can be purchased at the store. Its composition:

peat;
expanded clay;
clay.

There must be moss (in abi-kusa this is a moss bump). It is he who will decorate the soil floating on the surface of the water or partially drowning in it. The fluffy green island located in the middle of the composition imitates the boggy landscape.

Composition

Only from the outside it seems that the world of an underwater aquarium is a continuous mess, where everything is scattered and overgrown with grass. Such a natural environment is the result of persistent trials, mistakes, and strict adherence to the rules of composition design.

When creating, adhere to one of three styles:

rio-side - the main element is driftwood (one or more);
willow-gumi - stones become the main detail;
mizube - decoration elements protrude above the water.

To create a bewitching landscape, it is necessary to make the right choice of scenery from the natural environment. All kinds of driftwood, plants, certain stones, various types of soil will be reproduced in the aquarium. You must also follow the laws of composition. There are three of its main types used in design:

Convex or island. Several stones or driftwood, arranged vertically, form the center of the landscape (in this case, according to the rule of the golden ratio, it is shifted to the edge). The edges themselves remain deserted, except that low algae can be seen here. This type is suitable for tall tanks. The picture can be supplemented by the uprooted root of a fallen tree.
Triangle. The relief of a natural aquarium is created by soil, stones, snags and plants of various sizes. It is built on a top-down basis. From the upper corner, the composition stretches to the opposite lower corner of the aquarium. The right and left parts are not symmetrical, but they necessarily complement each other. The location of soil, snags and stones is also in the form of a triangular figure. Plants are planted from high to low. A view is formed from the upper to the lower with a smooth transition.
Concave. The easiest song to play. The level of relief increases from the center to the edges. This is the exact opposite of the island. You can simulate a river bed or path in the forest.

After choosing a composition, you should think about where to place the place for the focal point, that is, the details that you want to highlight.

Live picture

To build a truly mesmerizing landscape of the underwater world is a work that requires artistic ability, as well as experience and creative uplift. Very useful advice experienced in revitalization and dignity, if conceived a natural reservoir. Aquariums should be equipped only with the most necessary, so that the style is not overloaded:

it is better to use an odd amount of decorative material (stones, driftwood);
fragments of the same species with different shapes and sizes are welcome;
maintaining symmetry is a sign of a novice artist, since symmetry is rare in nature;
driftwood should look up with the rhizome - so the viewer's attention will be scattered on the whole image;
planted vegetation advantageously emphasizes the landscape;
contrasting colors of flora will decorate the overall background.

For a novice inexperienced person, aquascaping seems to be an elementary occupation, which leads to the same type of misses.

The main mistakes in the design

It is better to learn from the mistakes of others, and not from your own - the essence of wisdom. Therefore, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules for creating landscape design, acquire everything you need, and then try it. Creating a natural aquarium with your own hands, you need to consider some important points:

You should not get to work without having at least an approximate sketch of a future picture in your head. The creators of the beautiful carefully think out and prepare everything: they are looking for soil, planting plants and laying out the decor.
Copying the work of professionals is not forbidden, but the result will only be the availability of experience. In creative terms, it will be plagiarism. To grow to the level of a connoisseur will be obtained through labor, perseverance and intuition.
Creeps instead of developing your idea to mix the best elements from the work of professional masters will lead to the fact that errors will increase, like a snowball, either in technology or in technology for creating an image.
Incompetence in some technical issues and poor knowledge of the theory will entail many miscalculations. For example, you need to install, fix the hardscap before filling the underwater aquarium with water.
If there is no specific pattern, the content of the underwater world, especially plants , is often incorrectly selected . And if there is no order for their consistent planting, over time it will be necessary to correct a lot, changing one plant or another.
A chaotic selection of decor on the principle of "it can also come in handy" or a lack of material lead to endless planning and shortcomings. It is better to immediately withstand natural colors, observe the consistency, keep the texture, take into account the shape of the decor. The highlight of any composition is considered to be hardskape: all its details should fit well and proportionally into the dimensions of the tank.
Beginners use multi-colored soil of a heterogeneous structure or that stands out strongly above the color of a hardscap. It is recommended to adhere to natural shades. A striking spot will bulge out of the whole composition.

It is advisable to take into account all these nuances, in order to nevertheless create your own work and please others.

Perspective in a Natural Aquarium

A water tank is a three-dimensional structure, and correctly arranged objects will only enhance the effect and make a significant impression on the viewer.

There are three types of perspective:

Linear All decor items and lines tend to the distance, they become smaller and smaller and converge at one point. An elementary way to realize this effect in an aquarium is to position the soil at an angle to the front wall.
Aerial. The farther the object is, the less clearly its silhouette looms. Everything is blurry and foggy.
Tonal. An object located in the distance seems lighter and cloudier.

It should be noted that the last two prospects are very similar to each other. In practice, this happens very simply, but all the little things must be taken into account:

rear sets are brighter than in the foreground;
the presence of a light background from below is mandatory - it enhances the effect;
background illumination is used.

Thanks to these tricks, in the foreground they get more shadow, which makes the design more voluminous and mysterious.

Background and light

Looking at the photo of a natural aquarium, you can see that the backlight plays a very big role in the implementation of the conceived composition. Choosing the right background will hide flaws and some misses due to lack of experience and knowledge.

Do not make the background too bright. He will draw all the attention of the viewer to himself.

In order for the planned underwater world to look beautiful, you need to take into account the location and theme of its embodiment. It is important to keep in mind:

the tank is near the wall - which means that the black or blue background of the back wall will be the most objective option;
when creating a seascape or demonstrating the world of plants and outlandish fish, rocks or stones will serve as the best background;
freshwater and tropical underwater worlds are shaded by vegetation or foliage on the back of the tank.

The background in the aquarium is revived with the right light. In addition to the beautiful view, it is necessary for the growth of vegetation and photosynthesis. And also for the existence of fauna.

The best solution for lighting an aquarium will be fluorescent lamps. They do not change the temperature of the water, unlike ordinary incandescent lamps. To make it easier to control the necessary lighting, it would be nice to get a special timer. This will facilitate the care and maintenance of flora and fauna in the underwater world.

A natural aquarium is a wonderful work of art. This is an endless creative process, perfection in different styles and experience. And most importantly - a lot of positive emotions. A small piece of nature, a self-made world deflects boredom and routine. Creating, a person learns from God creative skills and care for living organisms, becoming kinder and better.

Natural aquariums: description, creation, photo