If there is one aquarium company that has embraced the simplicity of a “glassbox”, it is Aqua Design Amano. Commonly referred to as ADA, their cube gardens feature beveled, high clarity glass and minimally visible adhesive, making them some of the most attractive aquariums in the world. The Cube Garden Superior takes that all to the next level.

Using heat resistant glass and molded into shape, the Cube Garden Superior features 100% high clarity glass construction. There is no silicone used on this glass box. Each aquarium is melded into a unique work of art.

Takashi Amano himself says,

“It was produced on a different concept from the conventional aquarium. It was made of special German heat resistant glass, and its construction was totally different. Instead of connecting glass plates with silicone, it was made as one piece like a sphere. I thought it would be necessary to propose that an aquarium can be a work of art like that. I suppose that I did not think of it as a business much because of that mind-set.”

The first ADA aquarium featuring this construction was featured in their ’95 catalog– selling for ¥250,000 for the 60cm aquarium. Such a high price tag remains today on these made-to-order aquarium.

A 4″ Cube Garden Superior cube starts at $400 USD with prices quickly rising. The 24″ x 12″ x 14″ 60-P fetches a price of $3,200.

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New World Transparent Specimens is the latest work from Japanese artist Iori Tomita. Using a method that dissolves an animals natural proteins, Tomita is able to preserve these deceased animals with striking detail–highlighting the finest and most delicate skeleton structures.

To further enhance the visual appeal of these ornate skeletons, Tomita selectively injects different colored dies into hard bones and soft bones to create a 3-d effect. Without the addition of the dye, the animals remain translucent.

Tomita once worked as a Fisherman. Thankfully for us, his ties to that industry and his fondness of marine creatures are ubiquitous through the collection.

New World Transparent Specimens are available for purchase through Tokyu Hands in Japan at price ranging from ¥2,000 – ¥20,000. Additionally, if you can stomach the price, specific animals can be  commissioned.

If you’re in Japan and would rather look than buy, Iori Tomita will be displaying these amazing works at the Tokyo Mineral Show from December 10-13 at Sunshine City.

[cool hunting, nwts]

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Aquaria is art. We have always seen the beauty inside our glass boxes. Now some individuals are making sure that non-aquarists are exposed to this beauty too. Enter The Aquaeous Art Movement, a group of fantastic aquascape artists that have recently shown off their creations at the Maverik Showroom in Shoreditch, London.

The group is made up of James Starr-Marshall, George Farmer, Graeme Edwards and Dan Crawford. Earlier this month (November 4th – 6th) the group showed eight beautiful aquascapes that ranged from 8 – 160l.

We’re thrilled that aquariums can be shown at this level today. We strongly encourage you to checkout the Aqueous Art Movement’s website and watch the videos below. Well done guys. Well done.

[photos via AAM's Flickr]

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Substrate choice in marine aquariums is an endless debate. Some like it fine. Some like it deep. Others hate it and like it bare. As long as your preference includes some type of substrate covering your aquarium’s bottom pane you may want to check out Mame Design’s Calcium Sand. It’s as white as it gets.

Mame states the material is calcium based and will aid in ‘buffering’. How anyone will manage to keep so clean is still up for debate.

We’d love to see this substrate employed on a  small rimless with a solid white background. Add in a Black Long Spine Urchin and some Baby Banggai Cardinals. If there is such a thingas an editorial reef tank, that is it.

[mame]

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This split level corian made box is not your run of the mill aquarium. Swedish designer Karl-Oskar Ankarberg has put his own stamp on aquaria with this simple fish tank named the Archiquarium. Although not aimed at the salty side of the hobby, the contemporary window pane viewing of the split level Archiquarium adds interest and style.

Ankarberg has dubbed the design “modern living for trendy goldfish” and plans to make it available for sale later this year. The Archiquarium was unveiled just weeks ago at Stockholm’s Hem 2010 interior design show where it garnered significant attention.

h/t Brandon

[cool hunting, archiquarium]

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Aquarium DIYers are no slouches–especially when it comes to LEDs. For that reason I’m amazed that more LED lighting hacks have not been done, converting home lighting into aquarium lighting. The low wattage and small form factor of LEDs makes them ideal for turning your significant other’s table lamp into an attractive swing arm Nano Reef light.

There are a handful of modern classics begging to be turned into aquarium lights (e.g. Arco Floor Lamp). Unfortunately many of these are extremely expensive (again, e.g. Arco Floor Lamp). But what about the Ikeas, CB2s and West Elms of the world?

The Swedish assemble-your-own-furniture hus and its ilk, have a wide array of affordable home lights that can easily be retrofitted with your favorite 3w emitter. And they look better than the majority of aquarium lighting fixtures on the market. Here are three models we found that are worthy of your consideration.

At 20″ in diameter, the Kulla pendant would best be used on medium to large aquariums. Include some tight optics on your LED array and this luminaire can sit a good 24″ above your reef, disguising that wire laden heatsink with something a bit easier on the eyes. ($70)

LEDs and Nano Reefs are like PB & J. Unfortunately there are not many attractive, small LED lights on the market at this point. We know the DIY regulars on RC or Nano-Reef could quickly turn this adjustable work lamp into a contemporary and industrial LED PAR monster. Keep the light head, or toss it in favor of a more robust heatsink. ($24)

Going with the screw in LED spotlights? Some LED lamps offer contemporary clean lines through their integrated heatsinks, but need a proper fixture to be shown off. This red wired socket from CB2 does just that. A trio of these fire red utility lights at tiered heights would be a beautiful addition. ($40)

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Jeff Senske of the Aquarium Design Group (ADG) has recently completed the first American Aquascape using Hakkai stones from Japan. Thanks for us, Jeff captured and shared his work in the video above.

For marine aquarists discussing these stones sounds as foreign as Plectranthias does to our fellow freshwater hobbyists–but take note; there is a thing or two we can learn from freshwater’s obsession with stones. Iwagumi hardscapes and Suiseki, the Japanese art of stone appreciation, translates well for aquarium keepers of all water types. That is because, if the aquarium is our canvas, surely the rocks, or stones, we use is akin to paint.

If you’ve ever oggled at the bold, dark mysterious rocks used by Takashi Amano’s (Aqua Design Amano) riveting aquascapes (see here), there is a good chance they are Hakkaiseki, commonly referred to as Hakkai Stones.

Native to the Mountains of Hakkai in Niigata, Japan, a protected and religious space, these stones are prohibited to collect; making them the Ballina Angelfish of the Freshwater Iwagumi world. Years ago Takashi Amano was granted permission to retrieve a limited number of these praised stones adding to his impressive collection of hardscape materials.

Fast forward to today and Jeff Senske has recently received 7 stones from Takashi for his own aquascape–a gift of massive proportions within the aquatic world! Takashi’s only request was that he fly to Japan and pick them out himself. Back in June Jeff wrote:

“The surreal experience of standing in Amano’s massive spread of this ultimate stone was something I’ll never forget. I was a more than a little nerve-racking too because he stood there and watched me. He had to approve whatever I chose along the lines of “not taking anything too primo”, I think. I made pretty conservative choices, not taking the very best rocks I could have, out of respect for the opportunity mostly.”

The result can be seen in the video shown here. If aquarists can appreciate and understand some of the aesthetic principles applied to Iwagumi, we here at GBD strongly believe your personal aquascapes will benefit. Hats off to Jeff and ADG.

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When paired with rockdrilling and / or rod supports, the rock shapes can be literally gravity defying. Over the years I’ve admittedly lost track of the original Thorite and hydraulic cements I’ve used in the past. A large part of this is because the brand name Thorite is no longer used, and the parent company BASF is now the branded name.

A new offering from the guys at Marco Rocks has rekindled my interest in hydraulic cement  / mortars for aquscaping. Their E Marco 400 aquascape material is an obvious play on the more recent Emaco R 400 Architectural Cement that is the new “Thorite”. Literally. It is the closest thing BASF offers to the original quick setting Thorite. While I have not yet used the Emaco 400 in a filled aquarium, the safety data sheet [pdf] is near identical to the original.

In addition to the Emaco 400, some aquarists like to pair this with BASF’s Acryl 60, an acrylic polymer liquid that mixes in with the cement and helps create a stickier, stronger, and more flexible bond. The use of additives like Acryl 60 has been done for years per the advice of BASF and other cement companies. When added the consistency is much improved and makes “sticking” rocks together much easier.

The good news is Marco Rocks (and surely others will join suit) offers this exact combination of products in smaller, ready to use sizes. Their EMarco 400 is paired with two 16oz  containers of a liquid polymer. The 10lb kits will run you $30, with the 20lb kit coming at $20. Yes, you can buy the stuff cheaper in larger sizes (~$60 for 50 lbs depending on your retailer. 12lb cans are also sold), but for the first time that I can recall this is available: 1) Online 2) From an aquarium related company 3) In reasonable sizes.

If you’re considering a new aquascape, look into Emaco 400 / Emarco 400. It can be the difference between a rock wall and a reef.

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The French reef keeping scene has been booming lately, with some of the most creative and clean marine aquariums we’ve seen this year. Bruno’s simple 130 x 75 x 50cm display is no different. This rimless set up has officially given a clinic to aquarists around the world on how to hang pendant lighting. This Elos Manta pairs an eLite LED with two Elos ePower 250w DE Metal Halides sporting Spectra Chrome 14K coral lamps.

And if you were wondering, yes Bruno’s sump and stand wiring is just as clean. Bruno’s filtration boasts a Vertex Alpha 200 cone skimmer, Red Dragon 5000 l/h return pump, Aquatronica controller, with an auto top off system fed by  a Puratek 100 GPD RO/DI unit. Hat’s off to the Frenchmen for this well exectued aquarium. We’ll be watching it progress on Bruno’s blog: Calypso.

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CP Farm recently added these large 1280 x 1024 pixel images to their site. Additional images can be found here. The quality of the images does show their age, still they are terrific representations of modern aquarium design and aquascaping. Enjoy!

Top: One of the most discussed Japanese Reef Tanks

CP Farm sells many aquacultured animals including soft and hard corals, clownfish, clams and liverock. Hats off to them for combining their knack of coralscaping with sustainable operations.

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