AMAZONAS
A tiny, perfect setting for a colony of red Cherry
Shrimp that clamber over the rockwork and
driftwood and graze the surfaces of the Marimo
Balls. This ADA system, illuminated by LEDs, is a
mere 4.6 gallons (17 L).WHEN AMAZONAS MAGAZINE ASKED ME to design an aquarium for a feature on Marimo Balls, I have
to say I was apprehensive. I sell a lot of Marimo Balls at my shop, and their fuzzy appeal always
attracts children and those looking for a bit of a whimsy to add to a Betta bowl or nano-aquarium.
But I rarely think of them as suitable for the high art of a fine aquascape. After some consider-
ation, I realized I’ve been wrong all along— the perfect bright green sphere of a Marimo Ball offers
fine, soft contrast to the angular lines and wild edges of typical aquascaping forms. When used en
masse, Marimo Balls can make a singular and strong statement of their own. In this aquascape, I
used a 4.6-gallon (17-L) rimless ADA 45-F aquarium (18 x 9.5 x 6.3 inches/45 x 24 x 16 cm) and