Aquascaping
by Dr. Adrian Lawler
Extracted from the staff Operational Handbook which Dr. Lawler wrote as Aquarium
Supervisor for the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, of Biloxi, MS
Aquarticles
From the Editor: These notes were written for the guidance of staff at a public
aquarium, but are also relevant to home aquaria.
Aquascaping involves the addition of non-living items to a tank in order to:
- Make a tank less bare.
- Illustrate a habitat.
- Illustrate a type of fishing gear.
- Illustrate an aquaculture technique.
- Get a lesson across (do not litter water).
- Educate the viewer on various other things.
Due to the small volume of most of our tanks, any aquascaping proposed must be
done with much thought to avoid introducing any toxic substances into the tanks. One must
avoid using:
- Toxic sealants (glues) or paints.
- Heavy metals (lead, copper, zinc, and similar metals).
- Copper-treated netting.
- Wood objects that release toxins.
- Rocks containing metals.
- Treated wood.
- Anything else producing toxins.
One must be careful using logs which release acids and decrease pH. Tanks with logs may
need frequent water changes.
Acceptable items that one can use in aquascaping are:
- Silicone cement.
- Vinyl or rubber coated wire.
- Vinyl or rubber netting.
- Tar-coated netting.
- Glass.
- Clay items (if not containing lead).
- Plastic plants, and other plastic objects (if soaked thoroughly).
- Fiberglass (if soaked thoroughly).
- Stainless steel
- Various types of rope.
- Mortar, concrete (if soaked thoroughly).
- Rubber items (if not leaking oils).
- Styrofoam
- PVC products.
- ABS products (ABS = Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene: black plastic piping used in
plumbing, mostly for drain and vent lines)
- Natural items cleaned of organics, as shells, corals, and sea fans.
- Driftwood (if soaked thoroughly and not containing shipworms or other organisms).
Aquascaping should be done to look as natural and accurate as possible, e.g.:
- Plants, rocks, wood, and other decorating objects should be in the proper tanks of the
aquarium (e.g., fake plastic plants that are not represented in Mississippi flora should
not be used).
- Items should be glued so glue does not show.
- Mortar joints should be thin to non-visible in front.
- Tie-downs should be hidden.
Finally, aquascaping should:
- Be fairly easy to move so filter can be cleaned under the aquascaping.
- Not have too many holes or crevices for food to get trapped in, or for animals to hide
in so well they cannot be seen.
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