Why?

[George Farmer]

Why do you aquascape?

Be as concise or descriptive as you dare.

I am super curious about your motivations; you should be too...

Cheers
George

 

[Yugang]

It is next best to owning a botanic garden

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

It’s not easy sometimes keeping houseplants when you have two cats - unless they’re in an Aquarium. It adds some nice greenery to the lounge.

 

[AlecF]

Having a chronic illness, being unable to move around the world, my aquarium is a world, a puzzling ecosystem of green and light, which I can care for and be part of. I returned to aquariums – not the perfection of aquascapes, for me, but a blend of natural elements in an approximation – after 30 years, a few months into Long Covid. They've bene sustaining and healing, if sometimes also infuriating and mildly tragic.

 

[mlgt]

To learn as I go along for its experiences.
I'm getting back to scaping up my tanks and returned back to UKAPS for inspiration and advice

 

[Ernesto]

I am an architect. Therefore i never had a hobby before in my life.
Last year my sister forced me to take over her old 80p (she upscaled to 120).
At first, the aquarium served as an additional illumination source, in a dark corner of my living room, a month or so.
Then came the day, i somehow typed in „nice aquarium“ in YT. Then my live changed.
Planted tank and fishkeeping is hard drug. 😊

 

[goldscapes]

My wife bought our kids a couple of fish and a tank from the local garden centre, which they soon outgrew. During my research into appropriate replacements I discovered Takashi Amano and heard @George Farmer talking on Gardener’s Question Time, this lead me to the UKAPS and a simple planted tank. I love the challenges and get a real sense of achievement when things go well - I couldn’t have done half of it without the community here and I try and give back a little when the opportunities arise.

 

[Andy Pierce]

It seemed like if I was going to keep live fish it made sense to keep live plants as well.

 

[KirstyF]

A simple and fluffy answer is because it brings me joy!

To create something beautiful.
To watch it grow and evolve.
To rejoice in life’s tiny miracles…..an uncurling spathe, a fish dancing, a shrimps perfect moult.
For the privilege of having a piece of art, and nature in your home and to be able to nurture it…..and to learn sooo much from all the challenges and the cursing and the intricacies of managing an ecosystem.

And finally to be part of a community of likewise passionate, enthused, knowledgeable and oft strongly opinionated folks who are on a similar journey.

What’s not to like. 😊

 

[castle]

I don’t see what I do as aquascaping. For me, it’s creating “natural” looking aquariums I think the fish and I will enjoy.

 

[Witcher]

Digging in the tank and observing the results is like a meditation. Full stop.

 

[Garuf]

It’s extremely unlikely I’ll ever be able to afford a house or a garden so the 60x30ish or so I can afford has to be that substitute.

 

[Sean Scapes]

I started by buying my daughter a fish tank. I'm a big lover of water and gardening. Looked into making the tank natural found @George Farmer, green aqua and other aquascapers and became obsessed. The rest is pretty much history.

 

[Leroy4bz]

Because of you! I’d never heard of it till I came across your videos. I’m a paraplegic who’s body only works from the chest up. I started out over lockdown and I’m now hooked. I’ve managed kill hundreds of pounds worth of plants and battled through every algae out there. But thanks to the community, I now have a tank that i strived for.
Even though I sometimes struggle due to having to work one handed side on to the tank It’s done wonders for my mental health, but wreaked havoc on my bank account.
you may remember me calling you very personable😀

 

[nanootje]

I grew up with aquarium, fresh and saltwater. And i like art, nature and design....put everything together and whalla..... aquascaping. First experience were YouTube videos from Takashi Amano....the compleet package. I was hooked by that moment.😁

 

[PARAGUAY]

For me it was l suppose a natural progression always been interested in nature. After being out of the hobby my son gave me a tank after a relationship break up. Ended up reading a set up done by George and Dan Crawford and reading PFK were George had articles (surprising)were you didn't need high end gear for sucess. Later watched Amano and joined UKAPS which has helpede through some tough times in life

 

[Libba]

I just want to create beautiful and interesting homes for my fish and shrimp to explore and enjoy. A well maintained aquascape is also more pleasurable to observe when I'm spending time watching my fish go about their lives. Having live plants is also a huge benefit to the ecosystem which was the primary reason to use them for me. It was just a natural progression to then arrange them in a way that would be aesthetically pleasing. Those are the things that got me into aquascaping, and I say that with a great amount of humility because I don't think I have any skill as an aquascaper, but I do tend to fall in love my own creations.

The reason that I keep coming back to the hobby is that it is terrific for my mental health. I consider it one of the more healthy forms of escapism that I could indulge in when I feel the need. When I sit down to observe or maintain the tank I'm quite easily able to forget about everything else, which can be a welcome reprieve when life is hard. It brings me a sense of equanimity to a degree that I can only achieve through aquascaping and meditation, both of which are fundamental to my existence at this point.

 

[aquawoman99]

Honestly I see my fish as friends and I want them to have a nice living space to flourish in. Call me cheesy but it brings me more joy than houseplants alone

 

[GreggZ]

Hey George good question.

For me I just really enjoy the entire process. As long as I have been growing plants, I feel like I am constantly learning and evolving. It never ends. A planted tank is like a puzzle you can never solve, so it never gets boring. And when you do think you have it solved, it always comes back to humble you!

And what many consider "work" I actually look forward to . A good session of trimming/pruning and practicing horticulture is very calming and I consider it cheap therapy. I can spend a good couple of hours going at it sometimes and it soothes my mind.

I also enjoy the camaraderie of the community. Through the hobby I have met many outstanding people who I now consider friends.

Of course I also like seeing the results. Sitting back and admiring something that you have spent so much time creating is a great reward.

And it was a pleasure meeting you at the AGA Conference this year. It was a fantastic event and flew by too quickly.

 

[Flukeworld]

Fish is always happy to see me, compared to my teen kids its relieving
Seriously, I love nature, I love science, I love to craft things with my hands, the hobby gives me all of that. I love it.