Driftwood for the ADA style Aquarium

In the primitive age, human beings were part of Nature, and Nature was nothing special for human beings. However, as civilization develops, people are distance from nature and sometimes came into conflict with it. In the working of nature, trees wither, and decay, and only pulp remains. Remains of the trees are drifted by water, and becomes part of the natural landscape. Such a simple landscape moves our mind, because our memory of primitive age might be recalled.

In order to express the natural feeling, the stone and driftwood are necessary materials in the Nature Aquarium. Even the dressing sand at the foreground is a natural river sand. Using those natural materials, we can create a natural feeling effectively. In actual riverbed or riverbank of the mountain stream where trees and plants bristle, water washed clean sand cumulates. In such a river bank, driftwood lied and moss and ferns are growing on it. Imagining such a scenery at time of creating the layout helps to create a natural looking atmosphere. First step should start from selecting the material suiting for your layout image.

Driftwood is the layout material most often used after stone in Natura Aquarium. Basically a few pieces of driftwood is combined and used as a backbone of the layout. Sometimes only one piece of driftwood is used in a tank, but even if it looks like a single piece of driftwood is used, there are many cases several pieces of driftwood are combined in reality. It is normal there is good part and not so nice part in a single piece of driftwood. By combining some pieces of driftwood, it can cover weak points of the driftwood. The most important point for combing driftwood is to choose same color and feeling of driftwood. It makes uncomfortable feeling if it is used different color and feeling of driftwood, even driftwood is collected from same area or same sort of driftwood is used. Keep in mind above point when selecting the driftwood.

Composition of layout materials

Composition before planting:

In order to arrange the driftwood naturally, it is very important to observe the way natural trees grow. Here we placed Yamaha Stones around the driftwood, so that the driftwood looks stable in a natural form. The existence of Microsorum creates a sense of unity in the layout, and it also covers the cluttered under parts of the stemmed plants in the background.

Composition after planting:

The line of driftwood is very impressive. In a tall aquarium tank, power and perspective are skillfully expressed by driftwood. The plants in the fore- and middle-ground were mainly selected from bright green color plants, and the stemmed plants with gentle impression were planted in the background. Bright color Ramirezi is adding a contrasting touch to the plant.