Badlands is a Brazilian-style Iwagumi planted aquarium in the UNS 45U rimless tank. Unlike traditional Iwagumi, this aquascaping style calls for a wider variety of aquatic stem plants, so a range of colorful Rotala species were selected to naturally intertwine with other stems and a classic carpeting plant, HC.

This aquascape replaced our previous nature-style aquarium, Green Haven, swapping Malaysian Driftwood for Icelandic Lava Stone. Similar to classic black lava rock, Icelandic Lava Stone features more texture and shapes that work wonderfully for Iwagumi layouts. Fissidens Fontanus was attached in random spots, eventually anchoring and spreading along the stone. Its deep green hue and feathery appearance, combined with the natural blending of plants, tied the entire layout together perfectly!