This blog is an ode to the legacy of Takashi Amano — the visionary who redefined the aquarium as a living expression of nature. Through his Nature Aquarium philosophy, Mr. Takashi Amano taught that true beauty lies in balance, not control; that harmony between art and ecology reveals something deeply human.

His approach inspired a global movement, transforming aquascaping into a form of meditation, a quiet collaboration between creator and nature. Every stone, leaf, and ripple became a reflection of time, patience, and respect for life’s natural order.

In this spirit, we explore the inspirations, rules, and artistry behind creating a Nature Aquarium, a celebration of Mr. Amano’s enduring influence and the world he helped us see anew.

Creating a Nature Aquarium — Rules, Inspiration, and the Language of Nature

The Nature Aquarium is a translation of the natural world into a living composition. Its creation follows no fixed formula, yet it abides by a quiet discipline, a language of balance, flow, and restraint.

To build one is to step into that dialogue between art and ecology, guided by principles that Mr. Takashi Amano refined through decades of observation.

1. Observe Nature, Don’t Copy It

Every Nature Aquarium begins outside the aquarium. Mr. Amano’s process always started with walking — through forests, rivers, wetlands, and meadows.
He studied how stones settled, how roots embraced the earth, how light filtered through canopies.

The goal is not to replicate a scene exactly but to capture its essence, the feeling of being surrounded by unintentional harmony.

When approaching a layout, imagine what natural process might have shaped it: erosion, flooding, or the slow collapse of a riverbank. These imagined forces become your invisible tools.

Tip: Take photographs of natural landscapes and study them for structure. Notice how asymmetry, repetition, and negative space create balance

2. The Foundations — Hardscape Composition

The hardscape is the skeleton of the Nature Aquarium, its bones.
Mr. Amano classified three core layout types, each inspired by nature’s geometry:

• Iwagumi (Rock Formation)
  A minimalist stone composition symbolising mountains or riverbeds. Typically uses odd numbers of stones (three, five, seven) to maintain asymmetry. The Oyaishi (main stone) defines the direction of flow, supported by smaller Fukuishi stones.

• Ryuboku (Driftwood Layout)
  Uses branching wood to mimic the dynamic shapes of roots or fallen trees. It creates vertical rhythm and allows plant growth to soften the structure over time.

• Mizube (Waterside Layout)
  Blends aquatic and terrestrial elements moss, emergent plants, and open space to evoke the shoreline of a river or pond.

Each layout obeys the golden ratio (roughly 1:1.618) or triangular composition, positioning focal points slightly off-centre to achieve a natural visual flow.
Balance is never achieved through symmetry, but through proportion.

Tip: Before adding substrate, experiment with your hardscape dry. Adjust angles, depth, and spacing until the structure feels like something nature placed, not you.

3. Substrate and Ecology — Building the Foundation of Life

In the Nature Aquarium, the substrate is not decoration — it is the biochemical foundation of the ecosystem.

Mr. Amano revolutionised aquascaping by introducing the idea of  nutrient-rich soil substrates, a heavy focus in the substate layer, that support plant root systems and microbial life.

Layered correctly, the substrate becomes a living filter, hosting colonies of beneficial bacteria that stabilise water chemistry and nutrient cycling.
Fine sand in the foreground creates perspective, while ADA Aqua Soil (or similar products) anchor rooted species and release various vital nutrient elements slowly.

4. Plant Selection — Expressing Texture and Time

Plant choice defines the emotional tone of the aquarium.
Mr. Amano grouped species by form and growth behaviour, designing each scape as a dynamic landscape that changes with time.

• Foreground (Carpet Plants): Glossostigma elatinoides, Eleocharis parvula, or Hemianthus callitrichoides.

• Midground: Cryptocoryne, Staurogyne repens, or small-leaved Bucephalandra.

• Background: Rotala, Ludwigia, Vallisneria, or Limnophila species for height and motion.

• Epiphytes: Anubias, Microsorum, and mosses tied to driftwood for texture.

By mixing leaf shapes, sizes, and shades of green, the aquascaper paints with living pigment. Colour accents should be used sparingly like red Rotala or Ludwigia, to create depth and tension.

Tip: Choose plants based on light intensity, CO₂ availability, and maintenance rhythm. Simplicity sustains beauty longer than excess variety.

5. Lighting and CO₂ — The Pulse of Growth

Light and carbon define the rhythm of a Nature Aquarium.
In nature, aquatic plants rely on dissolved CO₂ from decomposition and atmospheric exchange.
In a closed aquarium, CO₂ injection replicates this process, allowing plants to photosynthesise efficiently.

Optimised CO₂ levels (typically 20–30 ppm) paired with a balanced photoperiod (6–8 hours) ensure steady growth without stressing fauna.
Diffusers and regulators should produce fine, even bubbles distributed by gentle flow creating a subtle dance of oxygen and carbon across the leaves.

Observation is science: Watch for signs — pearling, new growth, or changes in leaf tone reveal how well the system is balanced.

6. The Art of Maintenance — Cultivating Harmony

Maintenance in the Nature Aquarium is not routine; it is ritual! And one that must be performed with great care. 

Water changes refresh equilibrium, trimming guides form, and patience allows nature to compose its own patterns.

Mr Amano often spoke of trimming as a form of meditation — shaping without imposing, guiding without controlling.

The key lies in restraint. Allow some imperfection: a stray leaf, a patch of moss. These are reminders that life cannot be polished, only nurtured.

Tip: Maintain consistency rather than intensity. Frequent small interventions sustain stability better than drastic changes.

7. The Invisible Rule — Respect for Time

A Nature Aquarium matures like a forest. In its first weeks, it may appear fragile or incomplete. Algae blooms, fluctuating clarity, or uneven growth are all part of its ecological adolescence.
With patience, the balance stabilises microorganisms flourish, plants root deeply, and the system begins to breathe on its own.

The aquascaper’s role then shifts from creator to caretaker — observing, learning, and adapting as the miniature world evolves.

A Final Reflection

The Nature Aquarium is not built; it is grown.
It teaches that true beauty arises not from control, but from cooperation.
Each tank becomes a living collaboration between art and biology, where the hand of the aquascaper disappears and only nature remains visible.

To create one is to understand Amano’s deepest message:
that by learning to design with nature, we remember that we are part of it.

"To know Mother Nature, is to love her smallest creations"

- Mr. Takashi Amano