This Year, Give Your Fishbowl an Upgrade with Aquatecture - Better Homes & Gardens

From kitschens to the return of the jazz aesthetic and moody Western gothic decor, this year in home design is about creating a space that reflects your personality and quirky interests. That same treatment is set to extend to the fishbowl, according to the 2024 Pinterest Predicts report, and the name for it is just as inventive as the decor idea itself: "Aquatecture."

Plastic aquarium plants? Please, that's so 2023. According to the same Pinterest report, this year Millennials and Gen X will explore the fascinating world of underwater gardening (commonly also known as aquascaping) and take their tanks from bland to breathtaking using plants and hardscaping elements like wood and rocks. 

Ready to ~dive~ in? Here's everything you need to know about aquascaping, plus some of the best aquatic plants to get you started, according to an expert. 

What is Aquascaping? 

Put simply, aquascaping is the practice of creating underwater landscapes or gardens using all kinds of plants, mosses rocks, stones, and driftwood. You can apply it in outdoor features such as ponds and fountains or indoor aquariums and terrariums—with or without other aquatic life.

While aquascaping produces stunning aquatic landscapes rich in color and texture, for lovers of the hobby, aquascaping is about more than just aesthetics. It serves as a meditative practice that provides relief from the hustle of urban life, all while creating a living and breathing piece of artwork in your home. 

"Engaging in the process of designing and maintaining an aquascape provides such a huge therapeutic escape from the chaos of daily life," says Alex Vella (@alexscapes on Instagram), an aquascaping expert based out of Toronto, Canada. "It's a little zen garden in your home, and the rhythmic task of planting, trimming, and being able to observe the mini ecosystem you've made increases mindfulness, and it really teaches people to love and care for living things."

It's this combination of visual and meditative appeal that Vella thinks has contributed to the surge in interest.

"While aesthetics certainly hold a lot of significance for me, I do think the surge of popularity of aquascaping is also hugely attributed to its therapeutic benefits," she says. "It encourages people to be present in the moment and provides a huge sense of mental calmness and relief."

Saltwater, Freshwater, and Terrariums

If you're new to the world of aquascaping, there are quite a few ways to work it into your lifestyle and space. Underwater landscaping can be done in saltwater tanks, freshwater tanks, terrariums, and paludariums (half terrestrial and half aquatic—Vella's personal favorite), with or without fish or other animals.

"Saltwater versus freshwater has the same fundamental principles, but they are different in a lot of ways. I find freshwater to be more forgiving, making them an easier choice for beginners," Vella says. 

In contrast to freshwater aquariums, working with saltwater tends to require a more intricate understanding of water chemistry, particularly when incorporating corals. If you're already familiar with maintaining saltwater aquariums, then aquascaping is a fun way to take your tank to the next level, but it can be tricky to dive into for newbies to the hobby.

"While freshwater is more beginner-friendly, I'd really encourage people to not shy away from saltwater," Vella says, "With a bit of research and dedication, maintaining a saltwater setup can be just as achievable as managing a freshwater one."

Alex Vella

Best Plants for Freshwater Aquascaping

For those looking to try aquascaping for the first time or dress up an existing freshwater tank, you may be wondering what plants you should start with. Here are the kinds Vella recommends for beginners dipping their toes into the hobby for the first time (pun intended).

Anubias

Anubias is a genus of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants that are widely considered to be some of the best hardy and low-maintenance plants for freshwater aquascaping. These versatile plants can be grown completely or partially submerged, and herbivorous fish will not eat them.

Generally, varieties of the species Anubias barteri are the most widely used in aquariums. One of their biggest benefits is that they're epiphytic, meaning they do not need to be planted in substrate like soil or sand. Instead, the rhizomes and roots can be wedged in crevices of hardscaping features like rocks or wood where they will happily grow. 

"Anubias are hardy and can thrive in a variety of water conditions, including low light which [also] makes it budget friendly—so you don't have to get a special aquarium light for it," Vella says. "Plus, it's also a slow grower so you don't have to worry about trimming it too often."

Java Ferns

Another hardy and low-maintenance option for freshwater tanks that Vella recommends, java ferns thrive in low to moderate-light conditions, have a slow growth rate, and can tolerate a wide range of water conditions. 

"Like anubias, java ferns are also epiphytic—they don't need any nutrients from the soil, they will get everything they need from the water column, including fish waste," she says. "What people don't realize is that the plants will actually reduce the amount of water changes you need to do to the aquarium because the fish waste acts as fertilizer for the plants."

Matthew Benson Foto

Mosses

You can add mosses to any aquascape—they cover surfaces and creating a beautiful accent. They spread readily, grow quickly, and tolerate a range of different lighting conditions depending on the species.

"Mosses can contribute to water quality by acting as a natural filter, absorbing excess nutrients and providing a surface for beneficial bacteria to colonize," Vella says. "Moss is also a cheap option that is usually readily available at any pet shop with an aquarium section."

For beginners, Vella recommends java moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri) and Christmas moss (Vesicularia dubyana) in particular. These low-maintenance mosses require very little upkeep and can handle a wide range of water and light conditions. 

Utricularia Graminifolia 

"Utricularia graminifolia is known for its ability to create a flawless and visually stunning green carpet in the aquarium, reminiscent of a perfectly manicured golf green when trimmed often," Vella says.

This unique plant has some pretty stringent growing requirements which can make it difficult for new aquascapers, but for those who are up for a challenge or looking to introduce some more advanced plants into their aquascapes, it's worth it.

This groundcover plant thrives in soft, acidic waters that are nutrient poor, and it prefers to be introduced to more mature environments. It's a part of the bladderwort family and is carnivorous, feeding on small aquatic organisms using mouth-like openings in its root system called bladders. Tanks with burrowing fish should be avoided when you're growing it.