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Which one are you?

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.
 
GreggZ said:
So your definition of what an aquarist is different than mine.
Click to expand...

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


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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
Click to expand...

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

I absolutely hate plastic plants and unnatural colour substrates


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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 . . .
 
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
 
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. !
 
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! 🙂
 
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.

Produkte - Dennerle

dennerle.com 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 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?
 
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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”.
 
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.
 
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