[ahem]

I've been using plantedtank.net for a long time and recently have taken an interest in aquascaping. A lot of aquascaping articles reference the plantedtanks's aquascape forum as a resource but I've noticed it is not uncommon for there to be no new post for days. Posting, you might get a reply but if so likely not that day.

Has it always been like this perhaps because aquascaping is not a big topic in relation to the whole hobby? Or do people generally post aquascape questions in the 'general'/other forums? Or are there other sites that are more active right now for aquascaping?

 

[Hector_Hinojosa]

Following along, I’m also a newbie would also be interested in some input.


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[chrisg]

I'm fairly new here too and do a lot more reading than posting, if you check 'Active Topics' there are quite a few posts here daily and some great tank journals that get regular updates. There isn't a constant stream of posts compared to somewhere like r/plantedtank, but there is a core userbase here that has a huge amount of collective knowledge (and the tanks to back it up) that I haven't seen on other sites.

 

[ahem]

I'm fairly new here too and do a lot more reading than posting, if you check 'Active Topics' there are quite a few posts here daily and some great tank journals that get regular updates. There isn't a constant stream of posts compared to somewhere like r/plantedtank, but there is a core userbase here that has a huge amount of collective knowledge (and the tanks to back it up) that I haven't seen on other sites.

Maybe I don't see all the posts? I know the main forums on here are busy, I use them effectively. But on this forum, if I look at the thread list, the next to last one updated was updated 8/23. The one prior to that was updated last 8/16. So several days appear to go between when people post something.

 

[Grah the great]

I'll be honest...this might be the first time I went on this subforum! Yeah, I was more concerned with the plant and fish's care than in how to position those same plants in an attractive fashion in the tank.

 

[gjcarew]

Blame ADA. If you want to compete in IAPLC you can't post your tanks anywhere public for feedback, critique, etc... So "serious" aquascapers have private groups to discuss aquascaping.

There is also significant overlap with the tank journals forum-- even if you are doing an "aquascape" it might as well be in the tank journals section as it's easier to keep track of what you've done and provide context for the tank you're talking about for other users.

Finally, there just isn't much to talk about with regards to aquascaping. Sure, I could write an essay about trends in diorama-style aquascapes both towards and away from natural scenes and landscapes, but there might be only two or three people on here who would actually care, or who follow aquascaping closely enough to have anything to contribute. Add on to that the fact that I can't link IAPLC pictures and everything is a whole lot harder.

 

[Asteroid]

I don't think aquascaping was ever a major topic here. It's more a cultural thing and simply is not as big in North America as it is in Asia and Europe. Off the top of my head I can't even think of an Aquascaping Guru that is from the U.S/Canada. First names that come to mind are Barr (not really a scaper) and Walstad (definitely not a scaper.) Both of these individuals have completely different methods, but they are both about growing plants and not layout and design.

 

[Blue Ridge Reef]

I've been a member of several hobby forums since the late 90's/early 2000's and it's not just this one. As a whole message boards are dying and it breaks my heart. It's just the state of the internet these days. So many people just post on social media/Reddit/Instagram/etc. for the likes and chance to "go viral" even though they all tend to be terrible places for nuanced discussion or learning who individuals are and their experience level. I could post a great photo of a gravid female shrimp on Reddit's R/shrimptank titled "Thicc skripmy boi" and get 200 likes vs. 3 here. But answer thoughtfully -and correctly -that there's no CO2 in "liquid CO2" to someone worried about running an air pump on that godawful place and you'll get downvoted so quickly that nobody will ever see the post. This is why I tend to side with the argument that people should show their aquariums if they are going to criticize others, but that's another discussion.

As for people not noticing posts in the aquascaping subs, I sort by new and assumed most people did. I doubt I ever pay attention to what sub it's in when I decide to read something here. A thread title determines more than anything whether or not I give it a click. Well that and whether I happen to be on the forum that day. It's also summer, and every message board outside of gardening ones I'm on tend to slow down this time of year. Add that ADA "contract" to it, and it cuts down so much content that would be informative and interesting.

 

[ahem]

I don't think aquascaping was ever a major topic here. It's more a cultural thing and simply is not as big in North America as it is in Asia and Europe. Off the top of my head I can't even think of an Aquascaping Guru that is from the U.S/Canada. First names that come to mind are Barr (not really a scaper) and Walstad (definitely not a scaper.) Both of these individuals have completely different methods, but they are both about growing plants and not layout and design.

I can see that, but other side of the coin is that an aquascape is not necessarily a specific thing. You can have an "aquascape" with no plants, neon gravel, a skull and pirate ship bubbler, etc... if that's your thing. And it can still be an interesting/appealing aquascape or an ugly one depending on how well planned and executed. I view it as more about the aesthetic and architecture of the layout of any aquarium.

Bump:

Blame ADA. If you want to compete in IAPLC you can't post your tanks anywhere public for feedback, critique, etc... So "serious" aquascapers have private groups to discuss aquascaping.

There is also significant overlap with the tank journals forum-- even if you are doing an "aquascape" it might as well be in the tank journals section as it's easier to keep track of what you've done and provide context for the tank you're talking about for other users.

Finally, there just isn't much to talk about with regards to aquascaping. Sure, I could write an essay about trends in diorama-style aquascapes both towards and away from natural scenes and landscapes, but there might be only two or three people on here who would actually care, or who follow aquascaping closely enough to have anything to contribute. Add on to that the fact that I can't link IAPLC pictures and everything is a whole lot harder.

That all puts it in some perspective. That's too bad about the ADA/IAPLC, I think those kind of rules detract from a competition and create less awareness about it, thus its kind of self-defeating.

I think there is more that can be talked about with aquascape but can see where many topics can bleed into other forums.

 

[germanblueramlover]

I can see that, but other side of the coin is that an aquascape is not necessarily a specific thing. You can have an "aquascape" with no plants, neon gravel, a skull and pirate ship bubbler, etc... if that's your thing. And it can still be an interesting/appealing aquascape or an ugly one depending on how well planned and executed. I view it as more about the aesthetic and architecture of the layout of any aquarium.

I agree with this - which is in my opinion why this particular subforum is not so busy! As mentioned above, a lot of scaping talk happens in tank journals, and I can't think (personally) of too many situations where I'd want to post specifically about the scape vs overall "here's my setup, do the plants look okay, is anything off balance, etc". The scape is such a comprehensive but also nebulous part of the tank, it fits in naturally with any other topic.

 

[sudhirr]

For aquascaping viewing tank setups, pro tips and techniques is more effective than reading IMO.

So given a choice of a blog/forum post with pics vs a YouTube video of the same, I prefer the YouTube video. (E.g. the green machine they used to have both posts and videos)


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[Jeff5614]

I've been using plantedtank.net for a long time and recently have taken an interest in aquascaping. A lot of aquascaping articles reference the plantedtanks's aquascape forum as a resource but I've noticed it is not uncommon for there to be no new post for days. Posting, you might get a reply but if so likely not that day.

Has it always been like this perhaps because aquascaping is not a big topic in relation to the whole hobby? Or do people generally post aquascape questions in the 'general'/other forums? Or are there other sites that are more active right now for aquascaping?

Have a look at The Aquascapers Collective on Facebook. It's a large group who's sole focus is aquascaping.

 

[madmark285]

What seems to be lost with 'aquascaping', providing a habitat for your fish.

I watched a youtube video of someone setting up a 120 gallon tank with mbuna cichlids, he had a small group of carefully placed rocks in the center of the tank. WTF, the mbuna's were just swimming around in the open water looking for a 'home', a nice cave in the rocks.

Long ago I mbuna setup in a 50 gallon breeder tank (36"x18"). I build a rack using PVC pipe to create a slope of large rocks to the top of the tank. The mbuna's loved it as all could find a home and it was soo much fun watching their territorial behavior in defending their homes. My guess, this tank would finish last in any aquascaping contest.

 

[Karley]

I've posted a couple questions that were answered almost immediately and have found it to still be a helpful and informative corner of the internet, for what it's worth.

 

[Discusluv]

Yeah, some people will not find what they are looking for here. They see a dead/dying forum. Understandable.
Look to Facebook- they will have the fast activity your looking for.

 

[Bandit1200]

In addition to all the previous responses, aquascaping is an entirely subjective topic. What looks good to me may seem awful to everyone else. In the other subforums there's generally a "right and wrong". Things such as: "Why did all my fish die?" which can then be usually be accurately diagnosed by following a logical path. If you can track it down to overfeeding/not enough water changes then you have your "wrong". That can't be done with aquascaping. It isn't "wrong" to put a rock here and a piece of driftwood there. Because of this personally I don't spend a lot of time in this subforum, just pop in and skim through very seldom.

 

[brooklyntankster]

Forums are definitely not as popular as they used to be but I still think that they have a place in our hobby. I only discovered aquascaping less than a year ago and I can see that it continues to grow although it is clear that it is way more advanced in Asia and Europe versus North America. That being said, I just saw today that Steven Chong from the US just placed second in this year's IAPLC! I believe aquascaping lends itself more to visual mediums like YouTube, Reddit and Instagram. But for detailed advice, I still stick to this and other forums.

 

[ahem]

Great posts! I hope I did not come off as complaining, this is a great site and resource. I am trying to find the best resources and best way to utilize those resources for learning aquascaping.

I agree with what many posters stated that images, articles, and especially YouTubes are definitely the way to educate oneself in aquascaping. There are YouTubes that show them built in real time! Those have been super helpful although I am sure it won't be as easy as they show. (my 50g arrives monday, cleaning flourite black sand this weekend, been staging cleaned manzanita and seiyru rock, about to order plants -- the show is on, we'll see exactly how easy ... or not!)

Aquascaping is benefited from a forum due to risk. It's one of the more permanent parts of the tank. You're really sticking it out there. You can redo them but they can be the most difficult, disappointing, messiest and costly aspect to redo, which all lends itself to "let me ask this quick question before I possibly screw this up...bad...".

 

[Greggz]

Funny I have been here for awhile and didn't even know there was an aquascaping forum!:grin2:

IMO, the best way to become involved in the site in general is to start a journal. Folks enjoy following along, and it's a good way to get to know the folks who are regulars on here.

 

[Deedledee]

I have been a not so active member of this forum since 2016. I am on here almost everyday, most of the time just reading other people's posts, but I always find something of interest. I did a planted tank journal & in the beginning I did post frequently, however things changed and evolved over the years & I don't update as often as I did in the beginning. I don't think it's a dying forum because I see newbies everyday. I personally really enjoy scrolling through every day to see what everyone else is up to. I have gained a lot of valuable info ,so I will continue to visit and ask questions when I need some expert advice. :smile2: