The Story of a Planted Tank Owner

Intro 

Well! Well!! I started to blog after a long long time. A decade ago using the keyboard with some lucky pictures was the way of expression!! Seems like, the good ol' days decided to return for a while. Anyways, lets get to the topic - "The Story of a Planted Tank Owner".

2015

Back in 2015 when I moved back to Kolkata, during my evening walk near Acropolis, I happened to come across a store named "Ripples". I walked into the store and was mesmerized by their glass boxes. "Aquascapes" - so they are called!  They were splendid aquariums flourishing with greenery, life and light!! One could not take their eyes off them. Couple of images of what they looked like - 

A "Ripples" Aquascape in 2015

A part of a "Ripples" Aquascape from 2015

Trust me! In person, they were one of the best things you could keep at home and stare at them - as good as meditation! Upon enquiring about how to get one, I came across figures like 60k, 1 lac, 5 lacs and so on. Poor me - I had to move on.

2013

Reminding myself a few years back, what I had known as Aquariums was a glass box with a couple of fishes in them. When I worked in Delhi, I did get one for myself. I was quite happy with it until in 2015, I realized what a mess that was. Care to see a few messy snaps?

Messy Aquariums by me in 2013

Fishes thinking they have teleported to "Hell"

Coming back to 2015, life caught on. New job in Kolkata and a Travelling spree that gave birth to a vlogger named "One Living Life". That's ain't gonna die ever, tho! Mark in your mind and watch the channel on top of this page, later.

2021

Now, Time Travelling to 2021. Bitch Covid caught up, I sat at home doing nothing, googled and decided to build a planted tank for myself. It was just an experiment and the ugly figures of 60k & lacs still lurked on my mind. Nah, I didn't facebook all my thoughts!

So, I went out with a small budget and an experiment at hand. Google & its sister aka Youtube told me, there are lots of things to know. I learnt whatever I could and dived in. The aquarium glass box was the cheapest available at an old guys shop - Rs. 500. He ain't old but his business is. He is literally called "Buro Da" meaning an old guy. A snap of what I made - 

My First Scape in 2021

Yes. It was a beginner's Planted Tank and I scaped it with an adventurous offroad of white boulders. :D

 But, it was fun and I was learning scientific names for them - aquarium plants. There ain't almost any common name available, which pricks a lot. So, I learnt, learnt and learnt a lot and came to know once again that knowledge has no end. However, my experimental planted tank was not a failure at all. A few snaps from the same.

My First Aquascape in 2021

Another closeup from the same

Me and "Poco" spent hours watching the outcomes!

Watching Scape 101

And, I did build a DIY Chiller too. Lockdowns - They were majorly a bane with a sprinkle of boon! 

Making a DIY Chiller with Peltier Blocks

Woot! It worked well.

32 degrees to 25 degrees!

So, I became a carpenter to a electronic guy to a fishkeeper to a noob Aquascaper, all amidst lockdowns. Surprisingly, I did already spend more than 20k to build this noob setup. But, it did not prick at all, because a 2 feet by 1 feet by 1 feet aquascape at Ripples would have costed anything above a lac. And, on the sidelines I did share my thoughts with my wife that I do intend to build one of their 4-6 lac worth Aquascapes in future.

"Building yourself something has a satisfaction that swipes can't buy." - Chandrajit Rudra, 2022 

Did you think my first Aquascape was a noob one? Yes, I might have been a noob to start but I did grow a lush carpet and a glass box beaming with life - one that could be put aside the Ripples 1 lac Aquascape and I bet I would have a 1000 buyers selling each piece off at twice the cost price and a couple of Ambanis and Adanis going for the Ripple one! :D

2021 Scape with a Lush Green Carpet

A top view of the above!

I meant no ill thoughts about Ripple because they use branded stuff - ADA. That costs a lot.

2022

So, in 2022, I invested more than a lac, just to build a "Dreamscape" for myself. A similar sized scape would cost around 4-5 lacs from Ripple. And, here are a few snaps from today - I just finished building it.

Dreamscape 2022

A closeup

Amano

Oto

Rummy

SAE

Oh! I guess I will continue the story of scapes. But, "Dreamscapes" only, not Aquascapes! 

TO BE CONTINUED...