# (Sort of) Budget Aquascape



## Siege (16 Feb 2019)

For those who don’t subscribe to Green Aqua YouTube (why not, it doesn’t cost anything!) budget aquascape video below. Worth watching until the end where you see what can be done for a few Bob more.

Worth watching @Geoffrey Rea !


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## Ady34 (16 Feb 2019)

I love green aqua but this wasn’t one of my favourite videos of theirs. Seemed a bit disjointed and without a real focus tbh. Not really commited to budget aquascaping, it’s like Balasz had gone stir crazy with the late night and floating wood


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## tam (16 Feb 2019)

I'm lost too - seemed like it was saying it's not really worth doing unless you have lots of money to do it 'right'. Or you know, marry a rich man and he'll just buy you a biorb - cos women love those and it will shut them up whilst you get on with the job of aquascaping.


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## Geoffrey Rea (16 Feb 2019)

Well Steve-San... I was going to mention to Sensei Dave today we could do a bit of healthy in-store competition. £500 or less...

Was eyeing up the potential of the AG 60 optiwhite aquariums as the standard. Super tight spacing so detail counts.


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## alto (16 Feb 2019)

I liked the video - a lot - it’s so Balázs 

Though I’d’ve skipped the aquarium bacterial starter and used that part of the budget for plants


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## alto (16 Feb 2019)

Even with soil, sand, and stone, it can slide under the €300 budget, but obviously compromise would be plant volume and type... though I think by sticking with more budget friendly plants, aquarium could still be densely planted

From Green Aqua online shop
Tank, mat, filter, light €158
Soil Amazonia Light 9l €33 (I’d spend the extra €10 for Tropica Powder Soil)
Sand €10
Wood €25 - €30
Dragonstone under €5
Prime €5
Plants €60 - €65 (lots available in the €3 - €5 )

I couldn’t do a similar set up locally


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## Cor (17 Feb 2019)

This is my *low cost setup* and a pic of the final result.


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## Onoma1 (18 Feb 2019)

I really didn't like the last section which implied that the Geeen Aqua way involved spending lots of money to achieve a particular look. Always thought of them as pushing boundaries and trying new approaches. Particularly Balázs' early scapes. I realise that they have a business to run but I thought this video would put aspiring scapers off.


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## Geoffrey Rea (18 Feb 2019)

Onoma1 said:


> I realise that they have a business to run but I thought this video would put aspiring scapers off.



The term 'low budget' is really contentious. What exactly does that mean? If you're on a 'low budget' generally you would assume second hand is the way to go as @Cor 's setup has (Filter... Used...25...etc). Different people have widely varying thoughts on what is a lot of money and what is not.


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## Onoma1 (18 Feb 2019)

Geoffrey Rea said:


> The term 'low budget' is really contentious. What exactly does that mean? If you're on a 'low budget' generally you would assume second hand is the way to go as @Cor 's setup has (Filter... Used...25...etc). Different people have widely varying thoughts on what is a lot of money and what is not.



I agree it is a subjective term but in anyone's money 300 Euros is quite a lot of cash. If you believe the data on the interweb the average monthly salary in Hungary is between 650 and 1200 Euros (OECD) and it has 67% employment. So within that context it's a lot. At the moment in the UK it's not as expensive as our average salary is higher and I realize that they are aiming for an international market.

I guess I was just disappointed,  I watched Balázs interview with George Farmer and have watched all of their videos, marveled at their aquascapes and realized that these seem like a bunch of people having fun, innovating and getting amazing results doing something that they are passionate about.

The end bit seemed to stem from frustration or perhaps exhaustion after pulling an all nighter. Sort of this is how you can put a low budget tank together, however, if you want one that looks like a Green Aqua one then you will need to spend lots more money.  I just thought this could be a bit off-putting, particularly to younger aquascapers or novices.


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## jsiegmund (18 Feb 2019)

That seems to be the issue with a lot of these aquascaper channels on YT, and it's a problem with YT in general. The more popular channels over time all get sponsored by brands who want their stuff promoted. And even when it's not a logo in the video, it's equipment the vloggers get, t-shirts they wear and items they promote in the videos. Green Aqua, Green Machine, George Farmer, Jurijs Jutjajevs etc. etc. are all sponsored it seems to me by brands like Tropica, ADA, Twinstar and others. That makes their videos biased by default even though they might not want to come across as such. They can't really help it either, its just the way these things work nowadays (and they've got to make a living as well, right)? A sponsored channel by a guy that owns an aquascape shop himself and normally only uses top notch equipment... maybe not the one you want to take real serious for a budget set-up.

The aquascaping hobby is like a lot of others out there: expensive. I'm sure some of these companies are making good money of off our backs. But hey if you don't like it; don't buy it


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## Siege (18 Feb 2019)

And there was me just enjoying the fun video.......!


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## Geoffrey Rea (18 Feb 2019)

Siege said:


> And there was me just enjoying the fun video.......!



What have you done @Siege ....


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## Siege (18 Feb 2019)

Geoffrey Rea said:


> What have you done @Siege ....



I know. I’m not getting involved now.  Nothing to do with me.....!

Instead I’m off to watch an old rerun of Top Gear (the best car show in Europe - that I’ll watch for free on YouTube) and complain that the Ferraris are too expensive and question why Michael Schumacher is driving them (advertising them) when my old Nissan micra is just as good.....!

Putting my tin helmet on.......

Ps. Before you start guys the above IS a joke!


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## Geoffrey Rea (18 Feb 2019)

jsiegmund said:


> The aquascaping hobby is like a lot of others out there: expensive. I'm sure some of these companies are making good money of off our backs. But hey if you don't like it; don't buy it



This is true and personally I don’t begrudge it. Advancing things in this hobby is an expensive business as the tech that will take it there is right on the fringe and has to promise a return. LED technology is improving at a staggering rate. Take the Kessil story for example...

Three UC Berkeley graduates; a plant biologist, a computer scientist, and a physicist with a link with DiCon industries back in 2009. Able to design, construct and produce units to acceptable costs to hobbyists... All because of one thing - demand.


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## Onoma1 (18 Feb 2019)

Siege said:


> I know. I’m not getting involved now.  Nothing to do with me.....!
> Instead I’m off to watch an old rerun of Top Gear (the best car show in Europe - that I’ll watch for free on YouTube) and complain that the Ferraris are too expensive and question why Michael Schumacher is driving them (advertising them) when my old Nissan micra is just as good.....!
> 
> 
> Ps. Before you start guys the above IS a joke!



@Siege - can't back out now 

The interesting thing about this hobby is that there are a fair few aquascapers on this forum that seem to have produced scapes with a Nissan Micra budget that outperform those with Ferraris (ADA Equipment).  I think there is one that was even able to grow a luxuriant and mixed variety of Buce in a £20 pound tank.  

I don't deny the need for innovation and high cost/ high end products (we need innovation as @Geoffrey Rea notes) but to coin a cliche "necessity is the mother of invention" and we have seen lots and lots of innovation on the forum based on the necessity to find a cheap workround fixes.


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## jsiegmund (18 Feb 2019)

Geoffrey Rea said:


> This is true and personally I don’t begrudge it. Advancing things in this hobby is an expensive business as the tech that will take it there is right on the fringe and has to promise a return. LED technology is improving at a staggering rate. Take the Kessil story for example...
> 
> Three UC Berkeley graduates; a plant biologist, a computer scientist, and a physicist with a link with DiCon industries back in 2009. Able to design, construct and produce units to acceptable costs to hobbyists... All because of one thing - demand.


Just to be clear; I don't mind at all either. This is how markets work. I simply hope that people are aware and don't blindly assume that what's in the video is the only way to go. 

Keep on scaping!


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## alto (19 Feb 2019)

Green Aqua is an aquarium store that is very hobby supportive, their recent 300€ prize is pretty amazing by my (local and not-so-local shop) standards, their display area is outstanding (& has significant operating cost)

Balázs did a somewhat “tongue in cheek” budget tank based upon items available in their shop - they set up all their display tanks from shop sourced materials ... obviously if one goes the second hand route, a cheaper set up could be done 

Well maybe, as I mentioned, none of my local shop prices would net a similar tank setup within that budget
Looking at Used online ... again ... maybe ... IF I’m patent enough to collect over a year AND have some luck - there isn’t much available close by, and if I’m driving a thousand km (or more) to collect stuff over the year, that’s a significant time/money investment (I’d rather buy plants)

But as so many are dissing Green Aqua’s attempt, let’s see some start to finish video set ups of “real” budget tanks


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## Onoma1 (19 Feb 2019)

alto said:


> Green Aqua is an aquarium store that is very hobby supportive, their recent 300€ prize is pretty amazing by my (local and not-so-local shop) standards, their display area is outstanding (& has significant operating cost)



Completely agree. Inspirational company, very supportive of the hobby and Balázs seems a genuine and really nice guy...as do the rest of his colleagues. I wouldn't dream of questioning any of these points. Also recognise that the budget will be reasonable for many and others can't do it any cheaper. I have a thread with a 60cm tank at £320.

Also noted on the video comments that he didn't want to get into a discussion about second hand etc. 

The only comment was that it was a great video up until the twist.

Perhaps I am over analysing.while off work. Back to bed to nurse my flu!


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## alto (19 Feb 2019)

Get well soon!

You could see he just wasn’t that happy with the first result - maybe due to all those comments he gets re 
“Worst Aquascape by a Pro” (they seem to single out Balázs ) - so he did a rescape 

I really liked that part as well, it was interesting to see the difference in perception 
I’m actually not keen on the (trending) sand zones but appreciate the visual impact


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