BHS Aquascaping

Even though this scape needs a serious clean, we decided to post it anyway. For this scape the dark stones had a mechanical purpose. We knew we were going to move this scape cross country. It's easier to remove stones than add them. So we added support stones to stabilize the main stone. We liked them in the end and left them in. There are two kinds of "Natural" that aquascaping uses from Art Theory; observation and replication or subject idealization. Much of what we get from the legacy of Takashi Amano is "subject idealization", which can be a great guide to creating beautiful work, but also a trap, putting an Aquascaper in a spiral mediocracy. We're more observe and replicate type of artists. Having walked through rivers and streams on 5 continents, from experience, it takes very special circumstances to have a body of water with only one type of stone. So mix those stones up! Size, color, and shape should dictate what stones you use, don't let foolish rules dictate how you scape.

Aquarium: ADA 45P

Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Version 2, Sera Ochre Sand

Filtration: ADA Super Jet ES 600

Hardscape: Frodo Stone, River Stone, Black Hill Stone, crushed Seiryu Stone

Light: ADA Aquasky Moon

Kevin took this picture hanging from a ladder, over the shoulder, right after unloading the shop from the truck. It was a solo 2329m (3748km) drive, done in 3 days. (Never again will we take a truck full of scaped aquariums over the Rockies.) He then unloaded the shop himself. All the scapes were intact and safe of course. We're hoping to offer delivery of fully scaped tanks again in the spring. Contact us if you're interested. Unfortunately, unlike NYC, this service did not take off in Seattle, as potential customers could not imagine such a thing was possible. Which is not surprising, when we left, Seattle was in the midst of an epidemic of Dunning-Kruger syndrome.

If you have a room full of aquascapes, sometimes you get a plant lump. This is our plant lump. And we're fond of her. She'll turn 1 in a week or so. If you went to the shop in Seattle, or watched some of our reels, this sturdy gal was in the back of the studio. Like our UNS 60U, she has been through a lot and will eventually be replaced by a 90S. While the 60U was brutalized by algae because of neglect, the 75P did fairly well. This tank has lived in four states. Each time she traveled, she has been fully scaped. She also managed to survive a hefty kick during a forceful removal of an unwanted guest in our Seattle studio with only minor scratches and a small chip. Truly amazing. We're going to pull the Aponogeton crispus red, and blyxa soon and replace them with stem plants. Making her even more of a lump. We love you lumpy.
UNS Titan I and UNS 75P were provided by . Soil is UNS controsoil.

Nannostomus marginatus dart out from behind Samolus parvifolis and Hyptis Laciniata. Our 60U Ryoboku is almost a year old. Its had a rough go at it over the past year. Kevin wasn't able to keep up with maintenance for a few months and a severe algae outbreak took its toll on some of the plants. Even though it's almost back in fighting shape we've already started planing the hardscape and plants for its replacement. A careless customer put deep gouges in the front panel of the aquarium with her ring. So our 60U will be retired within the next month.
Light, soil, and aquarium are UNS products.
Light and Aquarium were provided by UNS.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Em and Kevin! Kevin is enjoying the last stogie of the year in the new studio. In mid 2023 we moved the aquascape studio 2329 miles (3748km) across the country, whole. Unfortunately life and health got in the way of breaking down those old Seattle aquascapes and creating something new. But the New Year brings new motivation. While we plan some new scapes, we'll do some updates of what we brought with us, (hint; we only broke down one scape) and how they're doing a year+ in.

Testing…1-2…1-2
Testing the lights out in the new studio. It’s been a wild summer, having spent most of my life in a big city and moving to a rural area. Lots of new challenges, shrimp eating tree frogs, a bear, a bobcat, an a$$h%€¥ eagle, porcupines, coyotes, foxes, really big spiders and sandhill cranes. Which are really cool birds. I’m looking forward to getting back to scaping this fall.

Week 6!
Our Ryoboku show scape in our studio.Follow us as we post a journal of it's growth and change!
Light, light stand, soil, and aquarium are UNS products.
Light and Aquarium were provided by UNS.

This fun scape was a live demo for a private class in the studio. The client had a specific request. Light, filter, aquarium, glassware, soil and soil additives are all .

Aquarium: ADA 45P

Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Version 2, Sera Ochre Sand

Filtration: ADA Super Jet ES 600

Hardscape: Frodo Stone, River Stone, Black Hill Stone, crushed Seiryu Stone

Light: ADA Aquasky Moon

Our 40C scape 'Vanguard'. We really are in love with the southern Oregon coast. This is modeled after some of the pine filled cliffs that border the ocean close to the California border.
This scape is using 's MASTERSOIL. Colin sent us a bag, which was stolen, then recovered. We used half a bag for a test scape, which worked out really well. So far we are really happy with the Mastersoil.

Sunday Morning Lights

We're not sure which way we should let the plants grow. Slope from the corners or mound behind the skull.

This fun scape was a live demo for a private class in the studio. The client had a specific request. Light, filter, aquarium, glassware, soil and soil additives are all .

Aquarium: ADA 45P

Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Version 2, Sera Ochre Sand

Filtration: ADA Super Jet ES 600

Hardscape: Frodo Stone, River Stone, Black Hill Stone, crushed Seiryu Stone

Light: ADA Aquasky Moon

Looking forward to seeing how this scape grows out in the next 28 days.
This fun scape was a live demo for a private class in the studio. The client had a specific request. Light, filter, aquarium, glassware, soil and soil additives are all .

Aquarium: ADA 45P

Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Version 2, Sera Ochre Sand

Filtration: ADA Super Jet ES 600

Hardscape: Frodo Stone, River Stone, Black Hill Stone, crushed Seiryu Stone

Light: ADA Aquasky Moon

Still struggling with photographing this scape with the halide with an iPhone, suggestions welcome. The hardscape looks a little better at least.

Our 40C scape 'Vanguard'. We really are in love with the southern Oregon coast. This is modeled after some of the pine filled cliffs that border the ocean close to the California border.
This scape is using 's MASTERSOIL. Colin sent us a bag, which was stolen, then recovered. We used half a bag for a test scape, which worked out really well. So far we are really happy with the Mastersoil.

Hardscape: Seiryu Stone

Soil: MasterSoil from

Filtration: Filtosmart Thermo 200

Tank: 40cm cube

Light: Halide; ADA NAG Green 150w

Sunday morning lights.

One of the prototype stands we have been playing with. Reclaimed wood, with no metal hardware but the leveling feet.
This fun scape was a live demo for a private class in the studio. The client had a specific request. Light, filter, aquarium, glassware, soil and soil additives are all .

Throw Back Thursday post from the shop in Brooklyn over five years ago. A fun planted vase that ran for about 6 months

This great skull shaped stone was given to us by Fiona from . Even though it's almost a month old, it really hasn't had a chance to grown in as we keep poaching plants from it for other scapes. This fun scape was a live demo for a private class in the studio. The client had a specific request. Light, filter, aquarium, glassware, soil and soil additives are all .

There's nothing quite like the first month or so of a new halide bulb. Very intense, very blue. We're using the ADA NAG green bulb.
This is week two of our 40C scape 'Vanguard'. We really are in love with the southern Oregon coast. This is modeled after some of the pine filled cliffs that border the ocean close to the California border.
All but two of the scapes in the shop are using UNS's Controsoil. This scape is using 's MASTERSOIL. Colin sent us a bag, which was stolen, then recovered. We used half a bag for a test scape, which worked out really well. So far we are really happy with the Mastersoil.

Hyptis Laciniata

Using leaf size, shape and color to show subtle depth. Textured Ludwigia sphaercopra mini leads into the stiff Ludwigia glandulosa, complimented by Rotala macrandra varigated, we used Ludwigia inclinata cuba to contrast the unknown red Rotala species, finishing with the soft Mayaca fluviatilis as the background plant.

Hygrophila serphyllum