Whatever it is, these people have created beautiful, living, pieces of artwork.

I'll admit, not all of these are home aquariums. Many are created specifically for competition. But that's not to say they couldn't be used as home aquariums. Given the fact that this is a freshwater aquarium blog, I tried my best to exclude saltwater/reef tanks, but it's not always so easy to tell.

12. Seefu's Freshwater Tank

Very vibrant tank full of cichlids. I also really like the starfish (which I imagine are ornaments).

11. Groovysuvi's 5 Gallon Tropical Community Tank

Cute and colorful.

10. Ewanr's Tropical Aquarium

Simple and bold. Great lighting.

9. Calwhiz' Cichlid Bowfront

Bowfronts are always beautiful especially when decorated with such a nice collection of rocks, perfect for the electric yellow in the picture.

"Decorated with boulder rocks, Texas holey rocks, and a lava rock."

8. Peter Hilt-Klein's 375 Liter Aquarium

7. somenametoforget's 20 Gallon w/ Bamboo and Gate

Very cute tank with small Chinese gate and mini bamboo shoot.

6. 2gallon by nycbone

This 2 gallon tank is very minimalist, with great contrast and lighting.

5. Green Cloud II

The name of this aquarium is so perfectly fitting.
Also an entrant in the AGA 2009 Aquascaping Contest

Massimo Faberi, Aquacube.it

4. Shou Stone Ridge

This beautiful underwater mountainscape is not your average home aquarium, but dang is it gorgeous! It also took 2nd place at the AGA 2009 Aquascaping Contest.

Kam Wong at bubblesaquarium.com
Hong Kong, China

3. The Phoenix & The Dragon

The Phoenix is on the left, Dragon on the right. Looks like there's an assortment of tetras floating around as well. The plant life is really what makes this aquarium shine though.

Kam Wong at bubblesaquarium.com
Hong Kong, China

2. Discus Haven

Michael Milliner, Alexandria VA USA
m.milliner at comcast.net

I don't know what's more impressive, the tank or the discus themselves!

1. Beyond the Nature

I really don't have many words for our number one pick. This fantasy landscape is breathtaking.

This aquarium actually took 3rd, just behind our personal 4th pick, in the AGA 2009 Aquascaping Contest. However, we think this one easily takes the cake for the number one pick.

Click the link for more pics, you won't be disappointed.

Gary Wu Kwok Fai at www.cau-aqua.net

photo credit: Gao Hui

This post is going to be similar to the Goldfish Facts post that got a lot of attention, largely because some things weren't all that accurate. To be honest, I pieced that article together on the fly. Feel free to criticize this article as well. That's one of the reasons the internet is so great. If we didn't have people correcting others, their would be even more false information out there than there is already.

I'd also like to add that the above picture is absolutely beautiful, keep up the good work Sarawut!

Anyway, on to the facts:

1. Betta fish are commonly referred to as Siamese Fighting Fish. This is because they were first discovered in Cambodia, Thailand, once named Siam. Hence the name Siamese Fighting Fish.

2. Betta fish are agressive. If put in a tank with a mirror, they will attempt to fight with the "other fish" he/she sees in the mirror, at the very least they will try to intimidate the "other fish".

3. When a nest of bubbles starts to gather at the top of the water, they are in heat, and looking to mate. However, if you aren't experienced in this area, don't try getting them to mate on your own. Especially for betta fish, this a a very sensitive process.

4. Betta fish require very little space. In pets store you often times see them in itty-bitty jars. Of course if you want your betta to live a full and happy life, at least get them into a small fish bowl.

5. Betta fish can breathe fresh air. The labyrinth organ that develops in certain fish allows them to swim to the surface and take in oxygen directly from the air.

6. Betta fish usually only live up to 3 years, but if you do a really good job of taking care of them they can live up to a decade in some cases.

7. Marble Siamese Fighting Fish were created in a breeding experiment performed by an inmate in a Indiana state prison, who was breeding fish in small jars, and selling extra fish to fellow inmates.

2. Goldfish Have Been Pets for 1000+ Years - Dating all the way back to ancient China, goldfish have been common household pets.

3. World's Oldest Goldfish - The world's oldest recorded goldfish was 43 years old. Which is just amazing for almost any pet really, and he did very well considering he was won at a town fair. His name was Tish, and he died in 1999 in North Yorkshire, UK.

4. Goldfish Don't Have Stomachs - I don't know how interesting people will find this one, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

5. Through A Goldfish's Eyes - Through a goldfish's eyes you would see a lot more color. Goldfish are able to see ultra-violet and infra-red light. This also mean they have a greater spectrum of visual colors.

6. Their Size Depends On Their Space - If you give a 2 inch goldfish a 55 gallon tank, they're going to make good use of the extra space. Of course, giving a single goldfish 55 gallons may be a little over the top. But if this were the case, they would grow to occupy more space then if they were kept in a 10 gallon tank. Sorry kids, but a goldfish in a  55 gallon tank won't grow to be 4 feet and 200 pounds.

Note: Per request of some readers I'd like to mention that this does in fact stunt their growth, they will thrive if given ample space.

7. Number 2 Only - Not just goldfish, but no fish urinates. But as any goldfish owner will tell you, they compensate with poop.

8. Goldfish Can Live In Cold and Freezing Waters - I wouldn't say they like it, but if a goldfish is left in an outdoor pond through the Winter, they'll likely be swimming around again by Spring. When it gets really cold or freezing, a goldfish's body will slow down dramatically, almost like hibernating. As the waters warm up they spring back to life.

Hikari Goldfish Wheat Germ 3.5 Oz. Mini Pellet #6220    US $5.59

Live Fancy Chinese Goldfish -6 of 3.5" Red And White Wakin    US $48.00

Japanese Goldfish pictorial book    US $49.99

Hikari Saki Fancy Goldfish 7 oz #42553    US $17.95

Fish Book Japanese Ranchu Goldfish Elucidation 1    US $49.99

Fish Book Japanese Goldfish Ranchu Catalogue 7    US $39.99