hey Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I find inspiration for doing aquascapes often in stuff not even related to reef keeping but also many things unrelated as well. Nature, technology, art, emotion and obviously many other things. I wanted to start off this thread as an ongoing place for people to post images of inspiring photos that people can look to when setting up a new aquascape or refining their current. Ideally also for them to post why an image was inspiring to them if it can be put into words. I'll start things off with this and will most likely continue to add many more things as I come across them. I thought this building shape being a hardscape would be amazing. Something I have never seen done and would most likely lend itself to a cube shaped tank. The absence of anything in the center making a dark negative space makes me think of the exact opposite of pillar tanks we often see. Link to comment
hey Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ikebana, an art of flower arrangements I have found always very useful when looking for aquascape inspiration, in many cases they are light and twiggy, others an interesting blend of shapes. I found this one to be particularly pleasing. Has a great element airiness to it I see the branchy stuff being acros/birdsnests surrounding a more meaty forcal point of an lps/softies mix. Link to comment
GHill762 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 you wanna talk about inspiration? I always thought this zen-inspired tank was amazing.. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/302339-calmseasquests-desktop-nano-and-diy-csq-skimmer/ Link to comment
hey Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 you wanna talk about inspiration? I always thought this zen-inspired tank was amazing.. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/302339-calmseasquests-desktop-nano-and-diy-csq-skimmer/ I remember seeing this one a while back, a very different approach to tanks more stores should do frag displays like this imo too lol Link to comment
hey Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 This photo makes me wonder if anyone has tried a vanishing point in their reef tank, obviously most people wouldn't want rock work straight up against their front glass, but I think this could be executed in a way that wouldn't necessarily block scraping glass at the front. Link to comment
hey Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 Heres a good example of framing a composition, I find underwater paintings a good source of aquascape ideas as they are already in a good composition if you find the layout pleasing to your eye. While this may be a bit green for some of your taste in reef tanks it is a good example of how a dominant color repeated throughout a composition can have a big impact. Link to comment
DurocShark Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 In the 90's I used to care for a 225G tank that was built like that painting... Side walls with an island. It was stunning. Link to comment
CatfishSoupFTW Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 In the 90's I used to care for a 225G tank that was built like that painting... Side walls with an island. It was stunning. everything was cooler in the 90's. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Cool thread Hey Well worn Icebergs are something that I find endless appealing to the eye Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Also, all of the Moab area is an inspiration for me. Link to comment
hey Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Something different for anyone brave enough to try using wood in a saltwater tank Link to comment
GHill762 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Reminds me of your tank hey Link to comment
hey Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Reminds me of your tank hey I see the resemblance as well lol, I also see trueisb2's totm when I look at it but his is reversed. Link to comment
hey Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Depth is often overlooked when people aquascape in saltwater I have noticed. Foreground is often ignored giving a tank a very 1D appearance. I think this shot is a good example of rock placement in a foreground to really exaggerate a sense of depth in an image (or in our case an aquarium) Link to comment
farkwar Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I still think Sushi's little Elos was awesome. Its a foundational aquascape for the nano size. You see that image copy and pasted all over the internet, in non reefing environments, still. So im not the only one who thinks so. Picses' Bonsai, above, same thing. Oregon Reef on the large side. Mr Kang's non bonsai Bonsai, of course. Link to comment
hey Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 I still think Sushi's little Elos was awesome. Its a foundational aquascape for the nano size. You see that image copy and pasted all over the internet, in non reefing environments, still. So im not the only one who thinks so. Picses' Bonsai, above, same thing. Oregon Reef on the large side. Mr Kang's non bonsai Bonsai, of course. I glance through bonsai images from time to time as they interest me a bit, ikebana tended to be easier for me to envision as they use similar organic shapes as well as lots of color. When I see bonsai scapes now I tend to imagine them with a single or double coral dominated scape as it would be closer to a tree. Both of the above bonsai scapes actually look like they are trying to stick to a color scheme which is cool. I just saw a pic of sushis posted on another forum and was impressed by how that image travels. Arch's are great dynamic shapes, it also helps that it is at a diagonal back to front adding movement to the scape as well as creates depth. Lots of things going on with a very simple shape laid out in an affective manner. The color scheme in it is greens reds and purples, with a couple vertical elements at the low point of the scape to draw your eye into the negative space as well. Link to comment
GHill762 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I still think Sushi's little Elos was awesome. Its a foundational aquascape for the nano size. You see that image copy and pasted all over the internet, in non reefing environments, still. So im not the only one who thinks so. Picses' Bonsai, above, same thing. Oregon Reef on the large side. Mr Kang's non bonsai Bonsai, of course. Pic or link? Link to comment
hey Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Pic or link? Here's sushi's, I haven't seen the others though Link to comment
farkwar Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Oregon Reef http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_aquascaping.htm Mr Kangs Reef http://reefbuilders.com/2012/03/27/kangs-korean-reef-aquarium/ Pic or link? Link to comment
hey Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 How about the bonsai tank taken to a new level, a tree on a cliffside. Probably pretty difficult to execute a live rock cliff though to look like a real cliff. Link to comment
DurocShark Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 How about the bonsai tank taken to a new level, a tree on a cliffside. Probably pretty difficult to execute a live rock cliff though to look like a real cliff. I think BA's above is pretty close: Link to comment
hey Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 I think BA's above is pretty close: I see it as more of a bonsai in a rock outcropping as the bottom of the tank is going to be covered in matting gsp. I am thinking more of a tall very large structure in a tank, hard to balance something like that. Also, to get the perspective I am thinking of a barebottom would actually lend itself to the tank which is unusual for a nature inspired aquarium. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Very interesting thread. I enjoyed seeing all the different scape inspirations and tanks. Link to comment
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