Enchanted Colors was built on a time crunch! Created for a local aquascaping contest in 2017, we had just four hours to assemble, plant, and fill the entire tank on site. It sounds like plenty of time… until you’re actually doing it!

Because of the tight deadline, a lot of pre-planning went into this aquascape. Before touching any materials, we focused on what type of look we wanted to create. In the end, we settled on a tropical forest island layout that opens out onto a beach. This was inspired by an outdoor hike where a dense forest trail spit us out onto an open shoreline.

Hardscape selection came next. We used a combo of spider Wood and Seiryu stone to create the foundation and transition to the sandy foreground. To reinforce the separation, aquatic plants were strategically placed with growth, size and color in mind. Several aquatic stem plants were selected as a flowing backdrop, while a mix of midground plants and mosses helped tie the layout together and soften transitions.

Enchanted Colors is a reminder that with thoughtful planning and intentional layout material choices, it’s possible to create an aquascape that tells a story.