AQuarist & Co
About us..
At Aquarist & Co, we design living environments that celebrate the beauty of nature through aquascaping and botanical artistry. We’re not just a brand — we’re a movement to reconnect people with nature, one tank at a time."
Our Motto : Nature is evergreen, design is timeless
When Art & Nature Found Me...
“I didn’t find aquascaping — it found me. What began as a quiet escape soon turned into a mission to recreate natural harmony inside glass boxes.”
The Main Concepts of Aquascaping :
4 Unique Styles / Concept
"Like the seasons of nature, our craft flows through four expressions — the structured gardens of Dutch style, the tranquil simplicity of Iwagumi, the untamed heart of Jungle design, and the serene landscapes of Nature style — each telling its own story of timeless beauty."
Today, we introduce you to four distinct aquascaping styles, each offering its own charm and character :
- 🌿The Dutch Aquascaping Styles : A Classic, Lush Underwater Garden 🌿
- 🌿Iwagumi Aquascaping Style : The Art of Simplicity & Balance 🌿
- 🌿Jungle Aquascaping Concept: A Wild & Natural Underwater Paradise 🌿
- 🌿Nature Aquarium: Definition & Concept 🌿
🌿 Iwagumi Aquascaping Style : The Art of Simplicity & Balance
The Iwagumi aquascaping style is a minimalist and elegant design concept that focuses on rock formations, open space, and harmony. It was introduced by Takashi Amano, the legendary aquascaper, and is inspired by traditional Japanese Zen gardens.
- Stone-Centric Layout (Rock-Only Hardscape)
- Odd Number of Stones (3, 5, or 7)
- Low-Growing Carpeting Plants
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High Lighting & CO₂ Injection Required
- Small Schooling Fish as the Final Touch
🌿The Iwagumi Rock Placement Rules :
- Oyaishi (主石) – The Main Stone
- The largest, tallest stone that defines the entire layout.
- Usually placed slightly off-center, following the Golden Ratio.
- Fukuishi (副石) – Secondary Stone
- A supporting rock, smaller than the Oyaishi but placed nearby for balance.
- Soeishi (添石) – Assistant Stones
- Additional small stones that complement the main composition.
- Suteishi (捨石) – Hidden or "Sacrificial" Stones
- Smaller stones that add natural randomness but do not stand out.
🌿 Jungle Aquascaping Concept: A Wild & Natural Underwater Paradise 🌿
The Jungle Style Aquascape is all about creating a wild, untamed, and lush underwater forest that mimics the dense plant growth of tropical rivers and rainforests. Unlike the structured Dutch style or the minimalist Iwagumi style, the Jungle aquascape embraces random growth, natural flow, and a slightly overgrown look
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Dense, Overgrown Look
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Large Leaf Plants & Bushy Growth
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Dark & Shadowy Areas
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Fish Play a Big Role
- Low Maintenance (But Controlled Growth Needed)
🌿 Best Plants for a Jungle Aquascape
✅ Large Leaf Plants – Amazon Sword (Echinodorus), Cryptocoryne
✅ Tall Background Plants – Vallisneria, Limnophila, Cabomba
✅ Midground Bushy Plants – Java Fern, Anubias, Hygrophila
✅ Floating Plants – Salvinia, Water Lettuce, Red Root Floater
✅ Mosses & Carpet Plants – Java Moss, Pearl Weed
🌿 Nature Aquarium: Definition & Concept
The Nature Aquarium is an aquascaping style inspired by natural landscapes, where aquatic plants, driftwood, and rocks are arranged to create a miniature underwater ecosystem. This concept was introduced by Takashi Amano, the founder of ADA (Aqua Design Amano), and is heavily influenced by Japanese Zen gardens and natural scenery.
🌱 Key Features of a Nature Aquarium
✔ Inspired by Nature – Mimics forests, mountains, rivers, and other natural environments.
✔ Balanced Ecosystem – Plants, fish, and microorganisms coexist harmoniously.
✔ Hardscape & Plants Together – Uses driftwood, rocks, and lush plant growth for an organic look.
✔ Open, Flowing Design – Emphasizes natural asymmetry and movement.
✔ Low Maintenance Over Time – After initial setup, it becomes a self-sustaining ecosystem
Unveil Our Exclusive Collections
Immerse yourself in a living work of art—our aquascapes are exclusively designed and custom-made to bring harmony, beauty, and nature’s essence into your space.
🪨 Aquarist & Co | Signature Iwagumi-Style Aquarium
" ROCK HAVEN "
🧱 Tank Specifications :
- Size: 90 x 45 x 45 cm (approx. 180L)
- Glass Type: Ultra-clear, rimless low-iron glass
- Lighting: RGB LED pendant (full spectrum), 8 hours/day
- CO₂ Injection: Pressurized CO₂ with inline diffuser at 1.8 bps
- Filtration: External canister filter (1000 L/h) with stainless lily pipes
- Substrate: ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia with powdered top layer
- Hardscape: Premium Seiryu stone (also called Dragon Stone) with classic Sanzon Iwagumi layout
🪨 Hardscape Concept – Sanzon Iwagumi
The Sanzon Iwagumi layout is a timeless Japanese rock arrangement symbolizing balance and harmony:
- Oyaishi (Main Stone) – the dominant, tallest stone set off-center
- Fukuishi (Secondary Stones) – smaller flanking stones, angled and sunk into substrate
- Soeishi (Supporting Stones) – naturally placed to enhance flow and scale
- All stones tilt slightly forward, mimicking the feel of age and erosion by time and water
🌱 Plant Selection :
Minimalist but lush — the focus is on texture, proportion, and symmetry, with only 2–3 species to preserve purity:
🔻 Foreground :
- Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC Cuba) – a compact, bright green carpet covering the substrate
- Micranthemum ‘Monte Carlo’ – alternative carpet plant used for denser growth texture
🌿 Midground & Pockets :
- Eleocharis acicularis (Dwarf Hairgrass) – subtle height transition between carpet and background
- Glossostigma elatinoides – optional accents along stone bases
🌴 Background :
- Blyxa japonica – soft background movement and vertical contrast
- (Or kept empty to enhance the open feel, common in classic Iwagumi)
🐟 Livestock :
Elegance and movement complement the layout — never to overpower it:
- Cardinal Tetras (or Ember Tetras) – small schooling fish with bold color
- Amano Shrimp – algae maintenance and subtle movement
- Otocinclus – delicate algae control on hardscape and glass
- Snails: Horned Nerites or Black Racer Nerites for algae control
📐 Design Principles :
- Balance over symmetry – true Iwagumi is about controlled imbalance that feels natural
- Open negative space – essential for scale and breathing room
- Asymmetrical harmony – the golden ratio guides placement
- Stone orientation matters – angle, texture, and grain must flow with substrate slope
🛠️ Maintenance Routine :
- Water change: 2x per week (40%) for the first month, then weekly
- Regular trimming to maintain tight carpet form
- Daily CO₂ check and weekly fertilizer dosing (macro + micro)
- Occasional substrate re-leveling as HC roots dig in
🧘♂️ Identity & Inspiration :
This layout channels the essence of Wabi-sabi — the beauty of imperfection, simplicity, and timeless nature.
The stones are the heroes, the plants play supporting roles, and the fish animate the canvas. Every angle is deliberate, yet appears organic.
Crafted exclusively by Aquarist & Co, this Iwagumi aquascape is not just a tank
🌿It's a meditative space where design and nature become one 🌿
🌿 Aquarist & Co | Signature Jungle-Style Aquascape
" Whispers of the Wild "
🧱 Tank Specifications :
- Size: 120 x 50 x 50 cm (approx. 300L)
- Glass Type: Low-iron, ultra-clear rimless display tank
- Lighting: Twin high-output RGB LED bars (spectrum tuned for plant growth)
- CO₂: Pressurized CO₂ injection with inline diffuser, 2.5 bps
- Filtration: Dual external canisters (1200 L/h each) with stainless steel lily pipes
- Substrate: Layered nutrient-rich aquasoil with sand foreground for riverbed realism
- Hardscape: Driftwood (spider wood & manzanita) + Dragon stones
🌱 Plant Selection & Arrangement :
This layout mimics the natural, untamed beauty of tropical rainforests — asymmetrical, dense, and bursting with life.
🔻 Foreground:
- Helanthium tenellum 'Green' – grass-like spreaders around wood bases
- Cryptocoryne parva – tucked between stone and wood gaps
- Patches of ADA Aqua Sand – to simulate dry river paths
🪵 Midground:
- Anubias barteri mini – attached to driftwood
- Bucephalandra ‘Wavy Green’ – slow-growing epiphyte, rich tone
- Bolbitis heudelotii – lush fern gently moving with the current
- Hydrocotyle tripartita – creeping chaos along wood roots
🌴 Background:
- Hygrophila pinnatifida – textured, reddish-olive tones
- Ludwigia arcuata – fine red-orange contrast
- Rotala 'Vietnam H'ra' – vibrant accents with bushy top growth
- Vallisneria nana – long, waving grass for vertical depth
🐠 Livestock :
- Neon Tetras (25+) – a glowing schooling group weaving through driftwood
- Rasbora espei (Lambchop Rasboras) – orange glints darting through the green
- Amano Shrimp – nature’s clean-up crew
- Otocinclus – algae-eating mini catfish
- Snails: Nerite snails (Zebra & Tiger varieties)
📐 Design Philosophy :
- Nature-inspired chaos — controlled wildness with layering and density
- Shadow & light balance — open gaps contrast with shaded thickets
- Vertical & horizontal driftwood — mimicking fallen branches
- Dynamic planting — low to high with lots of texture variation
💧 Maintenance Routine :
- Weekly water changes (40%)
- Spot trimming every 10–14 days
- Liquid fertilization: all-in-one + iron-rich trace mix
- CO₂ tuning to maintain stable pH and plant vitality
🌿 Identity & Inspiration :
This layout is a tribute to the unpredictable elegance of the jungle — where nature decides the structure and beauty lies in imperfection. Branches twist like vines, shadows dance, and every plant plays its role in this living underwater wilderness.
Crafted exclusively by Aquarist & Co,
🌿wild, alive, and timeless 🌿
🌿 Aquarist & Co | Signature Dutch-Style Aquarium
" THE CRIMSON BLOOM "
🧱 Tank Specifications :
- Size: 90 x 45 x 45 cm (approx. 180L)
- Glass Type: Ultra-clear, rimless
- Lighting: Dual 90cm RGB LED units, 8 hours/day
- CO₂ Injection: Pressurized system with inline diffuser, 2 bps
- Filtration: External canister filter (1000 L/h) with lily pipe in/outlets
- Substrate: Layered nutrient-rich aquasoil with root tabs
🌿Plant Layout & Composition (True Dutch style: no hardscape, 10+ species, emphasis on contrast & structure)
🔻 Foreground :
- Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC Cuba) – tight carpet of lush green pearls
- Staurogyne repens – adds structured bushiness with darker green tone
🔷 Midground :
- Lobelia cardinalis ‘mini’ – compact, purple-tinged leaves
- Pogostemon helferi – rosette curls that contrast against rigid shapes
- Blyxa japonica – grassy feel for movement and flow
🔶 Background :
- Ludwigia repens ‘Rubin’ – deep red tones, adds richness
- Rotala rotundifolia (Green & Red) – bushy columns with smooth transition
- Hygrophila polysperma – fast grower to balance nutrient uptake
- Limnophila aromatica – fine-leaved texture with purplish hue
🟣 Accents :
- Alternanthera reineckii ‘mini’ – focal red bursts
- Proserpinaca palustris – saw-tooth leaves with fiery orange hues
📐 Design Style :
- Dutch “street” layout – Plants arranged in neat rows, layered by height and color
- Color harmony – Greens, reds, and purples arranged for eye movement
- Texture play – Broad leaves vs. needle-like foliage
- No hardscape – Traditional Dutch rule, relying solely on plants for structure
🐠 Livestock (Optional for show tank) :
- Schooling fish: Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras
- Bottom dwellers: Amano shrimp, Otocinclus
- Snails: Nerite snails for algae management
💧 Maintenance Routine :
- 2x weekly water changes (30%)
- Trimming every 7–10 days
- Liquid fertilizers (ADA-style or Estimative Index)
- Daily CO₂ check & pH monitoring
🏷️ Identity & Inspiration :
This aquascape is a homage to the classic Dutch aquarium movement — vibrant, structured, and bursting with botanical diversity. Every plant is given room to shine, and the design guides your eyes across a layered, living canvas.
Created exclusively by Aquarist & Co,
🌿where horticulture meets aquatic design 🌿