Traditional Japanese gardens, for example, very commonly feature stone lanterns, basins, bridges, Shishi-Odoshi, and other man-made elements that complement the plants and other natural materials and help create a very tranquil, balanced visual impression. The garden analogyīeing an old horticulture and landscaping aficionado, I can even see how one might draw a certain parallel between a marine aquarium that incorporates artificial decorative elements and a terrestrial garden that tastefully incorporates sculpture, bird houses/baths, wind chimes, etc. Granted, this was a freshwater aquarium, but I imagine a similar effect could be achieved in a saltwater system depending on the livestock and decorative elements chosen. For example, I recall a particular planted tank aquascaped to look like a terrestrial jungle with artificial temple ruins, in proper scale, tucked amongst the foliage. One could certainly argue that it complemented-rather than detracted from-the beauty of the aquascape and livestock.Īnd I’ve seen other aquariums that put ornamentation to very tasteful use in a minimalist way. One could easily imagine the amphora was some partially unearthed artifact from an ancient shipwreck, and the visual impression it created was rather stunning. A focal point of this tank was a spot-lit, half-buried amphora (similar to these ancient vase replicas) with bubbles created by a hidden airstone rising from its mouth. My mind goes back to a photo of an aquarium I saw in some book many, many years ago. Can I really support the assertion that ornaments have no place in marine tanks? So this challenge to my long-held viewpoint sort of got me thinking. Nor could I honestly argue that aquarium decorations are just plain ugly because, as the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Not to mention, there aren’t a lot of fish and corals out there in the natural world living in rectangular glass houses (and if there are, they probably shouldn’t throw stones!). My contention that I prefer to keep things natural doesn’t really hold up, since, let’s face it, I’m using artificial means to provide everything from water currents to sunlight to waste removal in my tank. But I have to admit, when pressed to explain why I think this way, I couldn’t really come up with a satisfactory answer. I’ve always favored very naturalistic aquariums, so when an acquaintance recently asked me what I think about using decorations in saltwater systems, my immediate response (more or less) was that I find them tacky and cringe-worthy and that corals and fish should be decoration enough.
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