# Which one are you?



## dean (13 Mar 2022)

In my opinion there’s a huge difference between being an aquarist and an aquascaper 

Aquarists keep and breed fish, plants are just an accessory or a medium for egg laying or fry protection, the plants have to survive in the water conditions that suit the fish, they are happiest when their fish breed 

Aquascapers keep plants or even rocks and wood, fish are a pretty accessory that usually have to live in an acidic environment due to the addition of Co2 or the substrate that is used, they are happiest when plants give off bubbles of oxygen or a plant flowers 

In general 
Aquarists will keep more fish per gallon than an aquascaper will 
Aquarists are not that fussed if algae develop as they see it as part of the filter system
Aquarists usually choose a substrate to suit the fish to enable natural behaviour - to sift sand or dig for food 

This is not to start any argument about fish welfare as that’s somewhat personal and this is not the place for that 

I am an aquarists 

Which one are you ? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## GreggZ (14 Mar 2022)

Both.

Healthy very long lived Rainbowfish in acidic conditions. True of many of the top breeders of Rainbowfish as well.

And plenty of plants. You can do both well. No need to choose one or the other.


----------



## Hanuman (14 Mar 2022)

@GreggZ But this begs the question. Are your fish breeding?


----------



## MichaelJ (14 Mar 2022)

I keep two planted low-tech aquariums with fish and shrimps. Both tanks are densely planted. Both my tanks are _lightly_ stocked. I do not breed fish. I definitely do not consider myself an aquascaper, but I am very fussy about algae. 


dean said:


> Which one are you ?


I don't know.

Cheers,
Michael


----------



## The Miniaturist (14 Mar 2022)

I nurture a loose collection of plants with a few fish coexisting alongside. So neither really.
Perhaps you need a third category...."How long do you have to wait before a fish swims into sight"!😀


----------



## Zeus. (14 Mar 2022)

Aquascaper fish are of minor importance in tanks and nothing bigger than 3cm


----------



## PARAGUAY (14 Mar 2022)

I find myself always checking out hardscape first in any shop first . But growing plants succesfully is my aim with fish l like. I look at some of the aquascaping on UKAPS .Stunning. Like to think there is a aquascaper in me trying to get out😂but for now l am happy with my easy jungles and long lived fish


----------



## KirstyF (14 Mar 2022)

These IMO are not mutually exclusive.

I would lean towards aquascaper as my hardscape and planting design came first but I have also adapted both planting and flow to accommodate my fish. 

With over 130 fish of 8 types, I wouldn’t consider them ‘secondary’ to the scape, but have chosen fish that suited the tank I designed rather than designed a tank specifically to suit a particular fish species. 

I also don’t actively breed. 

4th Category - Fish loving aquascaper? I think lots of us would sit here. 😊

Have responded similarly on a similar thread.


----------



## GreggZ (14 Mar 2022)

Hanuman said:


> @GreggZ But this begs the question. Are your fish breeding?


No I have never had any offspring in this version of the tank..........could be because it's 100% males.


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2022)

Perhaps this will help you decide 

When you choose a shop to visit is it 
Aquascapers shop 
known for its plants and hard scape and aquascapes on display

Fish shop 
100s of aquariums full of 1000s of different species of fish it will probably have one small cascade tank for plants and the hard scape will be wood for fish to chew on or hide in 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## The Miniaturist (14 Mar 2022)

In reply to Zeus (sorry, I don't know how to add a quote). I keep small fish as they are in small tanks, I feel they need to be in proportion. I'm more concerned about overstocking & the fish not having the best environment. Though I think my portly male ram exceeds 3cm in most dimensions!
There's no way I would dare to call my jumble of plants an aquascape! 
Not when I look at other people's beautiful, perfectly trimmed displays of vibrantly coloured plants or a grand swathe of bogwood, dripping with flowering buce and mosses to die for clinging to every stone.


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2022)

GreggZ said:


> No I have never had any offspring in this version of the tank..........could be because it's 100% males.



Then you are an aquascaper first and an aquarist 2nd 
Because it’s the look of the tank that’s most important to ie the colours of the males 
An aquarist would never buy just males 




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## dw1305 (14 Mar 2022)

Hi all, 


dean said:


> Aquarists keep and breed fish, plants are just an accessory or a medium for egg laying or fry protection, the plants have to survive in the water conditions that suit the fish, they are happiest when their fish breed


Yes, pretty much for me, but sort of with plants and fish the other way around. Plants are primarily a mechanism for maintaining water quality and then I need to find fish that are happy in the the conditions that the plants create. 

cheers Darrel


----------



## mort (14 Mar 2022)

I'm a mixture. I keep fish in an environment that I hope they will thrive in and tailor the parameters to their needs but I do keep plants. I don't care if plants are common species but it's nice if they are as healthy and pristine as can be.

I think plenty of aquarists keep far more lightly stocked tanks than most aquascapers. I often seen really beautiful aquascapes that have probably 3 to 4 times the amount of fish I, as a fish keeper, would want. People who love fish can certainly pack them in but most of the time breeders won't because it complicates matters massively.  

Like the others I think nowadays it is pretty common for fish lovers to want an environment where their fish are happiest but also have a tank that looks nice. Breeders might not be as interested at eliminating algae simply because nature isn't sterile and a bit of gunk helps but I think the average aquarist is a hybrid of the two philosophies.


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2022)

The Miniaturist said:


> In reply to Zeus (sorry, I don't know how to add a quote). I keep small fish as they are in small tanks, I feel they need to be in proportion. I'm more concerned about overstocking & the fish not having the best environment. Though I think my portly male ram exceeds 3cm in most dimensions!
> There's no way I would dare to call my jumble of plants an aquascape!
> Not when I look at other people's beautiful, perfectly trimmed displays of vibrantly coloured plants or a grand swathe of bogwood, dripping with flowering buce and mosses to die for clinging to every stone.



As you express envy of the plants you definitely fall into the Aquascaper category 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2022)

I’ve decided that there’s a 3rd category 

The Purest 
These are the people who create biotopes where fish, plants and hard scape replicate one specific habit


----------



## dw1305 (14 Mar 2022)

Hi all, 


mort said:


> Like the others I think nowadays it is pretty common for fish lovers to want an environment where their fish are happiest but also have a tank that looks nice.


I think a lot more <"serious fish keepers and breeders"> are keeping planted tanks these days. 

cheers Darrel


----------



## Hanuman (14 Mar 2022)

None of the 2 suggested options. I'm no good at "aquascaping" and definitely don't want to get into breeding. I see myself more like a farmer/experimenter. Fish are there to create some movement and eat some of the algae that may appear on slow growing plants.


----------



## hypnogogia (14 Mar 2022)

I'd rather not put myself in a box - I like plants and fish - always have done, even when many people were putting plastic plants in their tanks and  before 'high tech' and EI became a thing.


----------



## GreggZ (14 Mar 2022)

dean said:


> Then you are an aquascaper first and an aquarist 2nd
> Because it’s the look of the tank that’s most important to ie the colours of the males
> An aquarist would never buy just males
> 
> ...


No actually quite the opposite. I've been keeping Rainbowfish for about 40 years and am actively involved in the Rainbowfish community. In my tank the fish came first and and it will likely always be that way.

Over those years I have kept both mixed sex and all male tanks. There are lot's of myths out there. One I have heard many times over the years is that adult male Rainbowfish will not be as colorful in an all male tank. This is simply not true. My males still display/flash to each other on a daily basis. I've posted hundreds of pics of my fully adult males over the years and people can judge for themselves as to their color.

So your definition of what an aquarist is different than mine. And that's fine. I can tell you I have kept Rainbowfish that live unusually long lives, many times keeping full mature adult males past a decade. If that's not being an aquarist then I guess like I said we just have different definitions.

My tank is featured this month in the Aquarium Hobbyist Magazine. As you will note the main focus is Rainbows. And the funny thing is it well known in the Rainbowfish community that all Rainbows show better color in a planted environment. So again in my opinion you can do both quite well and no need to choose one or the other.


----------



## ElleDee (14 Mar 2022)

This is such a funny question to me because I'm a professional plant person, but I definitely am in the hobby more for the fish. If it were more about the plants, I would stay with a smaller tank, add CO2, and go for something immaculate. Instead I'm going bigger and planning the scape around the livestock and not vice versa. 

The problem is that my fish experience will never catch up to my plant experience. I forget what a rank beginner I am with livestock until I get something new and I am worry about every little thing like a first time parent just home from the hospital. It's a bit embarrassing really. Eventually I will know some about the few species I keep, but not any real depth about freshwater fish in general.


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2022)

GreggZ said:


> So your definition of what an aquarist is different than mine.



Everyone definition can be different that’s ok 
I’m not doubting anyones ability to keep fish 

I’m just saying people come to this forum from different ends of the hobby 
Some stay interested in mainly plants others mainly fish 
Both care about the livestock 
But both have different views on what the main feature or reason to have an aquarium is 

Some people will grow to love both the Aquascape and the livestock equally 

Personally you could give me the worlds best Aquascape and after a week I would get bored with it and go buy more fish to make it interesting for me 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2022)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I think a lot more /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/corydoras-breeder-with-planted-tanks.59723/']serious fish keepers and breeders[/URL]"> are keeping planted tanks these days.
> 
> cheers Darrel



This is great in my opinion 
Definitely more shops are stocking more plants 

I absolutely hate plastic plants and unnatural colour substrates 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Wookii (14 Mar 2022)

For me the fish are the stars of the show, and the plants are the supporting cast. I could never have one without the other, but that doesn't mean the plants can afford to sit back and rest on their laurels, they have to be on point and meet the same high standards as the stars of the show!

Unfortunately though, the casts of the 'shows' I create rarely stick to the script I set out for them as their Director, and rapidly make it their own show and set design, relegating me to little more than passive observer and caretaker! ( . . . an analogy too far? 😂)

I guess that makes me neither Aquascaper nor Aquarist . . .  perhaps a wanna-be Aquarist with Aquascaping aspirations . . .


----------



## MichaelJ (14 Mar 2022)

How about an aquatic gardener. I couldn't imagine having plants only though (I've had plenty of fish only / almost plant-less tanks over the years). The well being of my fish is essential, but so is the well being of my plants. Not as much, but still...  I do not arrange my plants or hardscape (wood only)  with any particular vision in mind - other than perhaps taller plants in the back and shorter and slower growing plants in the front and keeping mostly similar species together. But other than that, its pretty much a hodgepodge. Maybe I am a little bit of a _closet-scaper_. 

Cheers,
Michael


----------



## jasonjleach (14 Mar 2022)

Aquascaper for me, plants fist and smaller number of fish. I like them to be natural so low density. Aquarist perhaps stock fish on the heavy side with them displaying no natural behavoiur. Good to ponder. !


----------



## LondonDragon (14 Mar 2022)

Interesting question and I am not quite sure what I am....
I have my large high tech tank that has been running for almost 2 years now, its more about the plants, but more what is good for me and have a nice feature in my living space and do not care much for aquascaping techniques or rescaping it anytime soon, its intended to be a long term planted tank until it runs it course.
I have 3 low tech Nanos that have been running since around 2010, most of the plants in these are over 10 years old too (my 60l has Anubias that were taken from a tank from the first Aquatics Live event in Earls Court, there are leaves in these Anubias that are a decade old!), also each has a shrimp colony two of which are also over a decade long. My nanos only have shrimp and snails in them. Also maintenance in these is very rare and not over feeding to keep the snail population in check.
Recently also added another low tech nano and a terrarium!
So aquascaper not really, aquarist not really.... so what am I? planted tank enthusiast! maybe!


----------



## zozo (15 Mar 2022)

Sometimes the definition of a (loan) word start living life on their own, what it defines might depend on where you are from. Especially when new words are invented to specify a specific branch. The word "Aquarist" is actually not a word used in my native language dictionary. It could be used but it's not common. It is sourced back to English and translated as "Someone who keeps an Aquarium" - "Aquarium keeper"  Aquascaper also isn't an official word, I'm not sure about English but even the English spell checkers I use go bonkers on this word and yet don't know it.

But travelling back to the roots, by definition an Aquarium is a Vivarium, a tank with at least one transparent panel to look through that holds water to keep flora and or fauna related to water. In the entire definition, it doesn't necessarily stop with fish or invertebrates when it comes to fauna, it could contain amphibians and or even mammals and it remains an aquarium as long as it contains water. So actually if you are at a zoo in a cellar looking through a glass panel watching an ice bear swimming underwater you are looking at a Vivarium/Aquarium. All that is on top above it doesn't change a thing.

In some countries speaking Western Germanic language, the entire hobby or practice of creating it then "Aquaristic" as in "Artistic" and the one performing it is the "Aquarist" as in "Artist" are both legitimate words to use.






						Aquaristik | Dennerle
					

Voraussetzung für ein funktionierendes „Ökosystem Aquarium“ ist eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung. Biologische Kreisläufe, in die Nährstoffe, Kohlendioxid, Pflanzen und Fische eingebunden sind, sollen möglichst naturnah nachgestellt werden.




					dennerle.com
				









						Aquaristiek | Dennerle
					

Voraussetzung für ein funktionierendes „Ökosystem Aquarium“ ist eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung. Biologische Kreisläufe, in die Nährstoffe, Kohlendioxid, Pflanzen und Fische eingebunden sind, sollen möglichst naturnah nachgestellt werden.




					dennerle.com
				




So by this definition, the Aquascaper still is and stays an Aquarist and the way how or to what end he does it doesn't make him any different. I guess that goes for all of us in the entire hobby. At least having a Paludarium doesn't make me a Paludarist, or does it?


----------



## Garuf (15 Mar 2022)

Hmmm. 
Started as a fish keeper. Then went to an aquascaper. Then to a breeder. But then I got tired of looking at ugly tanks. Then went back to an aquascaper. The new tank is going to try and be of a theme. Not a biotope but inspired by with fish in mind first so trying to create more of a habitat that aesthetically might appear “natural”.


----------



## dean (15 Mar 2022)

[QUOTE="doesn't make me a Paludarist, or does it?[/QUOTE]

I think you have just put yourself in a new category


----------



## zozo (15 Mar 2022)

dean said:


> [QUOTE="doesn't make me a Paludarist, or does it?
> I think you have just put yourself in a new category



If I may choose I like to be a Riparist...


----------



## Kerrycarp (3 Apr 2022)

The plants, like everything else, in both in my  tank and my pond are there solely for the purpose of making a healthier environment for my fish. 
I keep and breed fish in captivity therefore I have a responsibility to care for them in the best way I can.
For the purposes of your question then I do and always will consider myself an aquarist.


----------

