A layout with a spacious feeling produced with driftwood that protrudes out from the water surface and aquatic plants with emersed grown leaves.

System Aqua 30 is an aquarium with an integrated filtration system. Since a light fixture is not built into it, it can be combined with any light fixture. Another advantage of System Aqua 30 is that a full-fledged open-top layout can be produced in it despite its small size by combining it with SOL Stand G with an adjustable light fixture. This layout capitalizes on this advantage and produced the scenery of an ecotone that stretches from waterfront to underwater using a Wabi-Kusa Hanger. First, a composition was produced by arranging driftwood to protrude boldly from the water surface. Then, aquatic plants were arranged around the driftwood to let them develop emersed and submersed leaves. This allowed the aquarium to appear larger than its actual size and created a spacious feeling.

The above water section was produced with stem plants that adapt well to life above water, such as Ludwigia and Hygrophila, along with Hydrocotyle leucocephala. The Hydrocotyle leucocephala that hung over the side of the aquarium produced a wild impression.

Since Micranthemum sp., Rotala rotundifolia ‘Green’, and Hydrocotyle leucocephala tend to grow drooping underwater, they filled up the gap that existed between the driftwood and the aquarium.

DATA

Shooting date: June 6th, 2018 (ADA)
Creator: Yusuke Homma
DOOA SOL STAND G
DOOA SOL STAND G Mounting piece
DOOA WABI-KUSA HANGER S
DOOA SYSTEM AQUA 30
DOOA BASE STAND 35
CO₂ Forest Bottle
CO₂ System 74-YA/Ver.2
Clear Stand for CO₂ System 74
DOOA CO₂ COUNT DIFFUSER
NA Control Timer II
DOOA TROPICAL RIVER SAND
DOOA SUIKEI LIQUID

Aquatic Plants:
Wabi-Kusa Stemed Plants Mix 9Ø
Wabi-Kusa Micranthemum sp. 5Ø
Wabi-Kusa Eleocharis parvula 5Ø
Wabi-Kusa Mat Taxiphyllum barbieri

Fish & Invertebrates:
Microdevario kubotai
Caridina multidentata

Enjoy creating an aquascape in System Aqua 30
from a casual layout to a full-fledged one.

The great thing about System Aqua 30 above all is the ease of setting up an aquarium because of its space saving design with an integrated filtration system. It also allows you to create a full-fledged Nature Aquarium layout by combining layout materials and aquatic plants. Let’s look at an aquascape composed primarily of Wabi-Kusa and another one produced with Unzan Stones.

AQUA STYLE 01

Wabi-Kusa were used primarily in this layout to underscore the beauty and the fun of using aquatic plants. Therefore, only Wabi-Kusa and small stones to separate cosmetic sand from Wabi-Kusa were used in this layout. The Wabi-Kusa Karen, which is comprised of various stem plants, becomes amazingly colorful when the red stem plants develop submersed-grown leaves. Green stem plants were placed around them to accentuate their beauty. It is fun to create such a simple layout in an easy-to-setup System Aqua 30.

All of the vibrant red stem plants developed from a couple of Wabi-Kusa Karen. In this layout all Wabi-Kusa were placed directly on top of the thinly laid cosmetic sand. Nutrients were supplied with Suikei Liquid.

The bright green Myriophyllum matogrossense enhanced the beauty of vivid red stem plants. Fine-leaved stem plants impart a soft impression to a layout.

Taxiphyllum barbieri was attached to small stones that separated the Wabi-Kusa and the cosmetic sand. Eye-catching driftwood or stones were not used in this layout intentionally since they tend to give a heavy impression to a layout.

DATA

Shooting date: April 17th, 2018 (ADA)
Creator: Daisuke Inoue
DOOA SOL STAND G
DOOA SOL STAND G Mounting piece
DOOA SYSTEM AQUA 30
DOOA BASE STAND 35
CO₂ Forest Bottle
CO₂ System 74-YA/Ver.2
Clear Stand for CO₂ System 74
DOOA CO₂ COUNT DIFFUSER
DOOA TROPICAL RIVER SAND
DOOA SUIKEI LIQUID

Aquatic Plants:
Wabi-Kusa Karen 6.5Ø×2
Wabi-Kusa Rotala rotundifolia ‘Green’ 6.5Ø×1
Wabi-Kusa Myriophyllum matogrossense 6.5Ø×1
Wabi-Kusa Hemianthus micranthemoides 5Ø×3
Taxiphyllum barbieri

Fish & Invertebrates:
Paracheirodon innesi

AQUA STYLE 02

Although a full-fledged Iwagumi layout is often thought to be difficult to create in a small aquarium, such as System Aqua 30, it can be produced easily in it by using a small Unzan Stone. The key is to choose an Unzan Stone small enough in proportion to the size of the aquarium and combine it with small lava stones that have a similar texture to the Unzan Stone. It is also important to choose aquatic plants with small leaves and small fish to create a good size balance in the Iwagumi layout.

Micranthemum umbrosum was planted behind the Unzan Stone. Planting an aquatic plant with delicate, light green leaves behind the Unzan Stone softened the contour of the stone and lightened the heavy impression.

Wabi-Kusa Eleocharis parvula placed in the depression of the Unzan Stone gave a variation to the appearance. Since the diameter of an undergrowth type Wabi-Kusa is small, it is easy to plant even in a tight space.

A small lava stone was buried in the substrate to strike a good balance with the Unzan Stone. Glossostigma was maintained low by trimming to keep it from hiding the lava stone completely.

 

DATA

Shooting date: November 21st, 2017 (ADA)
Creator: Hayato Ochi
DOOA SOL STAND G
DOOA SOL STAND G Mounting piece
DOOA SYSTEM AQUA 30
DOOA BASE STAND 35
CO₂ Forest Bottle
CO₂ System 74-YA/Ver.2
Clear Stand for CO₂ System 74
DOOA CO₂ MINI COUNTER
DOOA CO₂ MINI DIFFUSER J Ø10
Aqua Soil Powder-Amazonia
DOOA SUIKEI LIQUID

Aquatic Plants:
Micranthemum umbrosum
Glossostigma elatinoides
Wabi-Kusa Eleocharis parvula 5Ø×1
Taxiphyllum barbieri

Fish & Invertebrates:
Axelrodia riesei
Crossocheilus siamensis
Otocinclus sp.
Caridina multidentata