[Exotica]
Like a tropical paradise, an exotic land in my imagination can be summed up in one word, “colorful”. It is a world where living creatures of various shapes, forms, and sizes coexist in harmony with each other while giving off a sense of presence. In this aquascape, the colorfulness was consciously expressed through the use of aquatic plants and tropical fish with distinctive colors and shapes, creating an exotic atmosphere as a whole. Tropical plants, such as Neoregelia ‘Amazon’ were also placed on the driftwood protrusion above the water surface, adding a unique colorfulness and creating an imaginary world of paradise.

DATA

Shooting date: June 29, 2022 (ADA)
Creator: Daisuke Inoue (Layout creation and text)
Aquarium: Cube Garden W180 x D60 x H60 (cm)
Lighting: Solar RGB x 3, turned on 8.5 hours per day
Filter: Super Jet Filter ES-2400 (Bio Rio G)
Material: Horn Wood
Substrate: Aqua Soil-Amazonia Ver.2, Power Sand Advance L, Bacter 100, Clear Super, Tourmaline BC
CO2: Pollen Glass Beetle 50Ø, 6 bubbles per second via CO2 Beetle Counter (using Tower)
Aeration: 15.5 hours after the light is turned off using with Lily Pipe P-6
Additives: Brighty K, Green Brighty Mineral, Green Brighty Iron
Water change: 1/2 once a week
Water quality: Temperature 25°C, pH: 6.4, TH: 50 mg/L

Plant
Utricularia graminifolia
Glossostigma elatinoides
Hydrocotyle tripartita ‘Mini’
Pogostemon stellatus ‘Dassen’
Rotala rotundifolia ‘Green’
Ludwigia sphaerocarpa
Hygrophila stricta
Hygrophila stricuta Thailand
Hygrophila polysperma
Pogostemon erectus
Ludwigia glandulosa
Polygonum sp. ‘Pink’
Rotala sp. ‘Wayanad’
Cuphea anagalloidea
Cryptocoryne spiralis
Aponogeton crispus
Vallisneria spiralis
Vallisneria neotropicalis
Fissidens fontanus
Microsorum pteropus ‘Windelov’
Thuidium recognitum
Nephrolepis
Nephrolepis cordifolia
Ficus pumila
Neoregelia ‘Amazon’（ ‘Lamberts Pride’ x ‘Gespacho’）

Fish
Pterophyllum leopoldi
Megalamphodus megalopterus
Paracheirodon innesi
Hyphessobrycon sp.
Xiphophorus hellerii
Trichogaster leeri
Caridina multidentata
Crossocheilus oblongus
Otocinclus sp.

Expressing the exotic with the variety of colors and shapes of aquatic plants and fish

Aquatic plants, such as Aponogeton crispus and Ludwigia glandulosa, are used to create a gradation of colors within a single plant to create an exotic aspect. The unique forms of Pterophyllum leopoldi and Xiphophorus hellerii are also used to make the aquascape have more diverse elements.

 

Making a beautiful gradation from green to red

By maintaining the colorful hues with gradations, the exotic atmosphere of the theme is expressed. Ludwigia sphaerocarpa planted in the mid-ground is basically maintained by replanting, and its foliage tends to become lighter in color after replanting. Therefore, in order to make the aquatic plants look more impressive, ECA Plus was continuously added to improve the color of the foliage.

Forming a cluster in the foreground by laying the driftwood and picking some foliage

Driftwood was used to retain the soil in the composition arrangement stage, and by smoothing the substrate in a curved line, the planting area for Hydrocotyle tripartita ‘Mini’ was cleverly created. To give a rounded cloud-like shape to the cluster, it was maintained with a high frequency of picking. By controlling the vertical growth, the new buds spread horizontally while overlapping with each other, resulting in a high-density cluster.

 

Creating a background by planting and maintaining aquatic plants

The large-leaved Hygrophila, such as Hygrophila stricta and Hygrophila stricuta Thailand were planted from the foreground to the mid-ground, and Hygrophila polysperma in the background. By mixing multiple tape-shaped aquatic plants in the background, the composition of the bushes becomes a mixture of colors and shapes. In addition, the overhangs are used to add shading to the entire aquascape, creating a flat composition not to make it monotonous.