AquaScapingWorldAquaScapingWorld Making Magic In Glass Boxes Aquascape In Focus: Down the River Wabi Kusa Aquascaping Style Pressurized CO2 System Setup Guide Frustrations in Aquascaping IAPLC 2008 Results Siamese Algae Eaters www.aquascapingworld.com VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7 SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 AquaScaping World 1 Letter from the Editor Inside our September Issue The last week of summer approaches this month, but lucky for us aquascapers our planted aquarium hobby has no limits when it comes to weather! The biggest news to hit our hobby this month is the official publication of the International Aquatic Plant Layout Contest 2008 Results. There are some beautiful aquascapes entered into the competition that we will focus in future articles. At this time I would like to extend an invitation to anyone who would be interested in having their aquascape featured. If you’re interested just contact us. The aquascapes featured in the article about the contest offers a sample of the world class aquascapes entered into the competition. Let me redirect your attention to this month’s Aquascape in Focus. United States aquascaper, Sergio Canabal shows us how he grew massive Anubias islands from only a few plantlets to start. His beautiful aquascape, Down the River, is a difficult aquascape to complete, but having an automatic fertilizing doser and water changing system sure helps keep the maintenance time down. Last but not least, if you’re looking for something new to create, you might want to try your hand at the Wabi-Kusa Aquascaping Style. Steven Chong gives us a great overview on the style and describes how Wabi-Kusa is sweeping the aquascaping community. Happy a great month aquascaping! John Nguyen Editor in Chief AquaScaping World Magazine 2 AquaScaping World SEPTEMBER 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Introduction for the seventh issue of AquaScaping World Magazine. By John Nguyen 4 RAISING WILD CAUGHT FISH Wild caught fish are delicate species. There are simple things you can do to keep your fish alive and healthy. By Douglas DuHamel 8 WABI KUSA AQUASCAPING STYLE An aquascaping style that is making headway in the aquascaping world, Wabi-kusa is an interesting way to create a planted aquarium. By Steven Chong 12 FRUSTRATIONS IN AQUASCAPING Are planted aquariums worth the efforts and time required to keep them? By Donald Lee 16 FISH PROFILE: SIAMESE ALGAE EATERS Have no fear, the Siamese Algae Eater is here! That’s right, this fish really eats algae, but be sure you get the right one. By Aziz Dhanani 22 AQUASCAPE IN FOCUS: DOWN THE RIVER This month we feature Sergio Canabal’s, Down the River. Read the complete details on his aquascape, and learn about the gismos that make his aquarium maintenance automatic. By ASW Editor 30 INTERNATIONAL AQUATIC PLANT LAYOUT CONTEST 2008 RESULTS The best of the best come out in this year’s biggest aquascaping contest. Find out more about the contest and enjoy some of the entries and the results. By ASW Editorial Staff 34 CARBON DIOXIDE: A LOOK AT PRESSURIZED CO2 SYSTEMS Carbon dioxide is an important ingredient to any planted aquarium. Don’t know how to setup a pressurized C02 system? This article will walk you through it. By Hector Ortiz SEPTEMBER 2008 AquaScaping World 3 Photo by Charles Raising Wild Caught F Asian Arowana Photo by Fang Hong 4 AquaScaping World SEPTEMBER 2008 Fred Photo by Hazorea Aquatics n today’s aquarium hobby, almost every freshwater tropical fish has been bred I in captivity. Many countries have set up fish farms, also known as aquaculture facilities, in order to avoid depleting fish from their native habitat. It is more cost effective for fish stores to buy livestock from fish farms. Why Wild Caught Fish are Popular • Wild caught fish usually have brighter colors than farmed fish; therefore, they show very well in an aquarium. • Many aquarists are in search of exotic fish because it’s considered a status symbol among their peers. • Wild caught fish have a high re-sell value. For example, a rare Red Arrowana can sell for up to $5,000. • Breeding wild caught fish can be a money-maker for aquarists. Fish • It is perceived as a conservation effort by saving By Douglas DuHamel the fish from predators and other hazards in their habitat. SEPTEMBERJULY 2008 AquaScaping World 5 These raising tanks in a hatchery outside of Mangalore City, India holds hundreds of fry that are protected from predators with a net covering. Angel Fish, Coryadoras, Cichliids, and various livebearers are some of the species breed in captivity here. Requirements for Raising Wild • An inexperienced aquarist Only an experienced Caught Fish may not be able to keep the aquarist should raise wild caught fish alive so the loss of life fish. In addition, the impact of Research and learn all that can also be a financial loss. removing fish from their natural there is to know about the • Some fish naturally have a habitat is something that needs to species. For example: short life span and others are be considered. longer so it’s best to research • Water temperature and water the species. Farm Raised Fish conditions such as the pH • Wild caught fish can harbor Farm raised aquarium fish and hardness more parasites and are not as found in breeding facilities all • Diseases which are common hardy as farmed fish. over the world offer an alternative to the species and the to the wild caught supply. Fish prescribed treatment If you choose to buy wild raised here offer a somewhat • Dietary requirements for caught fish, be sure the seller has sustainable supply of fauna for regular feeding and the correct paper work and the the needs of the hobbyists supplementary meals species of fish is allowed to be without directly effecting actually • Compatibility with other fish, if sold in your country. There are fish populations in rivers and placed in a community tank unscrupulous dealers who are streams. • Tank requirements such as smuggling fish. If you are in The trade and sell of wild hiding places or type of possession of illegal fish, you are caught fish will remain attractive substrate subject to a fine and the seizure to hobbyists who seek the rare of your fish. and exotic species for their The Downside of Raising Wild Wild caught fish are aquariums. Caught Fish attractive because of their vibrant colors and their rarity. This • Fish are being removed from makes each fish and the related their natural habitat; shipping costs extremely therefore, the potential for expensive. They are much more breeding and maintaining the difficult to keep in captivity and fish population is lessened. any losses are very costly. 6 AquaScaping World SEPTEMBER 2008 The picture on the left shows a harvest of Angels being done. Once the fish reach the desired size they are harvested and stocked in tanks for a purging process that ensures a healthy stock of fish. After two days in the holding tanks, the fish are then packed up and shipped out to Aquarium Shops and distributors around the world. Photo Credit Hatchery Photos: www.aquarium.hub.googlepages.com/ SEPTEMBER 2008 AquaScaping World 7 Wabi-kusa Aquasc ｢侘び草｣ 8 AquaScaping World SEPTEMBER 2008 caping Style By Steven Chong Wabi-Kusa “Magic Balls” is an aquascaping style just in now sweeping the world wo years ago when I first heard of ADA’s ｢侘 び草｣ “Wabi-Kusa,” I T was both intrigued and put off at the same time. Creating the appeal of the aquarium’s design by relying on the random growth of the plants grouped in the Wabi-Kusa is undeniably a very nature-esque concept. It also speaks to a part of us aquarium keepers who are not only artists but also fish-nuts as the idea of letting things run wild has a definite allure to those who enjoy tramping through wild ponds and marshes. On the other hand though, it also is a direct attack on the necessity for SEPTEMBER 2008 AquaScaping World 9 the trained skill of a frequent Wabi-Kusa can be placed inside spiritedness. aquascaper. Instead of relying the filled aquarium or in a While it is possible to on the practiced eye and well container with only a small incorporate wood and stones with thought out plans for layout, one amount of water to allow the Wabi-Kusa into a more complex simply places two or three Wabi- plants to maintain their terrestrial design, more often Wabi-Kusa Kusa in the tank, and off it goes. form in a more potted-plant type are featured by ADA alone. A I would be lying if I said I did not existence. Either way, the results few stem-using groups in the have my doubts. After these few can be stunning as the idea is to back laid out on simple sand, or years though, it is apparent the create a natural beauty by using Glossostigma elatinoides idea has taken off, and that the allowing the wildness, the small only Wabi-Sabi to build a power of Wabi-Kusa as a design “chaos” of the mixed plants to foreground. tool is both real and appealing. grow together. While traditionally a plant- For those who do not know, The name Wabi-Kusa is a only layout has the risk of Wabi-Kusa is a product made by reference to the Japanese becoming flat and monotonous Aqua Design Amano. It is aesthetic sense of Wabi-Sabi that (hence traditionally it is left only essentially a ball covered by appeals to the beauty in the slight to skilled Dutch style aquatic plants grown in their chaos of nature.