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Which one are you?

dean

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6 Apr 2012
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Warrington, Cheshire
In my opinion there’s a huge difference between being an aquarist and an aquascaper

Aquarists keep and breed fish, plants are just an accessory or a medium for egg laying or fry protection, the plants have to survive in the water conditions that suit the fish, they are happiest when their fish breed

Aquascapers keep plants or even rocks and wood, fish are a pretty accessory that usually have to live in an acidic environment due to the addition of Co2 or the substrate that is used, they are happiest when plants give off bubbles of oxygen or a plant flowers

In general
Aquarists will keep more fish per gallon than an aquascaper will
Aquarists are not that fussed if algae develop as they see it as part of the filter system
Aquarists usually choose a substrate to suit the fish to enable natural behaviour - to sift sand or dig for food

This is not to start any argument about fish welfare as that’s somewhat personal and this is not the place for that

I am an aquarists

Which one are you ?


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Both.

Healthy very long lived Rainbowfish in acidic conditions. True of many of the top breeders of Rainbowfish as well.

And plenty of plants. You can do both well. No need to choose one or the other.

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I find myself always checking out hardscape first in any shop first . But growing plants succesfully is my aim with fish l like. I look at some of the aquascaping on UKAPS .Stunning. Like to think there is a aquascaper in me trying to get out😂but for now l am happy with my easy jungles and long lived fish
 
These IMO are not mutually exclusive.

I would lean towards aquascaper as my hardscape and planting design came first but I have also adapted both planting and flow to accommodate my fish.

With over 130 fish of 8 types, I wouldn’t consider them ‘secondary’ to the scape, but have chosen fish that suited the tank I designed rather than designed a tank specifically to suit a particular fish species.

I also don’t actively breed.

4th Category - Fish loving aquascaper? I think lots of us would sit here. 😊

Have responded similarly on a similar thread.
 
Perhaps this will help you decide

When you choose a shop to visit is it
Aquascapers shop
known for its plants and hard scape and aquascapes on display

Fish shop
100s of aquariums full of 1000s of different species of fish it will probably have one small cascade tank for plants and the hard scape will be wood for fish to chew on or hide in


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In reply to Zeus (sorry, I don't know how to add a quote). I keep small fish as they are in small tanks, I feel they need to be in proportion. I'm more concerned about overstocking & the fish not having the best environment. Though I think my portly male ram exceeds 3cm in most dimensions!
There's no way I would dare to call my jumble of plants an aquascape!
Not when I look at other people's beautiful, perfectly trimmed displays of vibrantly coloured plants or a grand swathe of bogwood, dripping with flowering buce and mosses to die for clinging to every stone.
 
No I have never had any offspring in this version of the tank..........could be because it's 100% males.

Then you are an aquascaper first and an aquarist 2nd
Because it’s the look of the tank that’s most important to ie the colours of the males
An aquarist would never buy just males




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Hi all,
Aquarists keep and breed fish, plants are just an accessory or a medium for egg laying or fry protection, the plants have to survive in the water conditions that suit the fish, they are happiest when their fish breed
Yes, pretty much for me, but sort of with plants and fish the other way around. Plants are primarily a mechanism for maintaining water quality and then I need to find fish that are happy in the the conditions that the plants create.

cheers Darrel
 
I'm a mixture. I keep fish in an environment that I hope they will thrive in and tailor the parameters to their needs but I do keep plants. I don't care if plants are common species but it's nice if they are as healthy and pristine as can be.

I think plenty of aquarists keep far more lightly stocked tanks than most aquascapers. I often seen really beautiful aquascapes that have probably 3 to 4 times the amount of fish I, as a fish keeper, would want. People who love fish can certainly pack them in but most of the time breeders won't because it complicates matters massively.

Like the others I think nowadays it is pretty common for fish lovers to want an environment where their fish are happiest but also have a tank that looks nice. Breeders might not be as interested at eliminating algae simply because nature isn't sterile and a bit of gunk helps but I think the average aquarist is a hybrid of the two philosophies.
 
In reply to Zeus (sorry, I don't know how to add a quote). I keep small fish as they are in small tanks, I feel they need to be in proportion. I'm more concerned about overstocking & the fish not having the best environment. Though I think my portly male ram exceeds 3cm in most dimensions!
There's no way I would dare to call my jumble of plants an aquascape!
Not when I look at other people's beautiful, perfectly trimmed displays of vibrantly coloured plants or a grand swathe of bogwood, dripping with flowering buce and mosses to die for clinging to every stone.

As you express envy of the plants you definitely fall into the Aquascaper category


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I’ve decided that there’s a 3rd category

The Purest
These are the people who create biotopes where fish, plants and hard scape replicate one specific habit
 
Then you are an aquascaper first and an aquarist 2nd
Because it’s the look of the tank that’s most important to ie the colours of the males
An aquarist would never buy just males




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No actually quite the opposite. I've been keeping Rainbowfish for about 40 years and am actively involved in the Rainbowfish community. In my tank the fish came first and and it will likely always be that way.

Over those years I have kept both mixed sex and all male tanks. There are lot's of myths out there. One I have heard many times over the years is that adult male Rainbowfish will not be as colorful in an all male tank. This is simply not true. My males still display/flash to each other on a daily basis. I've posted hundreds of pics of my fully adult males over the years and people can judge for themselves as to their color.

So your definition of what an aquarist is different than mine. And that's fine. I can tell you I have kept Rainbowfish that live unusually long lives, many times keeping full mature adult males past a decade. If that's not being an aquarist then I guess like I said we just have different definitions.

My tank is featured this month in the Aquarium Hobbyist Magazine. As you will note the main focus is Rainbows. And the funny thing is it well known in the Rainbowfish community that all Rainbows show better color in a planted environment. So again in my opinion you can do both quite well and no need to choose one or the other.
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