A Tayside duo have opened Scotland’s first shop dedicated to a aquascaping.
Rowan Woods turned to aquascaping as a means of coping with depression and seasonal affective disorder following the death of his original business partner and best friend, Connor Craig, in March 2016, who was just 23.
He and James Richmond have now opened The Aquatic Gardens in Tayport, which is the first shop of its kind in Scotland, reports The Courier.
Rowan and James previously ran a pet supplies store in Dundee before deciding to purse their aquascaping venture.
Rowan said: “Aquascaping started in Japan and became quite popular in the UK. I find it therapeutic. One of the things I suffer from is seasonal affective disorder, there has been a lot of documentation about the therapeutic effects of aquariums.
“When we started out as a pet supply shop, we got more and more interested in aquascaping. People are really tending to lean towards really natural-looking aquariums, more natural environments. It is much more therapeutic to see an animal in its natural environment than a synthetic environment.
“We don’t use as many chemicals. It is all about a closed system using the natural world as an inspiration. We don’t have plastic plants, we are using real, natural environments. It is an art form, aquascaping. You create contained ecosystems where plants are happy and the fish are happy.
“You are not having to do as much as you would in a normal aquarium. You can go a month without a water change.
“Connor and I started the business right at the beginning. A picture of him will be up in the shop. He was my best friend.
“Aquascaping helps me to remove myself from the stresses of the modern world, it is an escape, a very good escape. My work is what keeps me sane.
“I get very nervous, anxious, I go to counselling, again I find the natural world (gives me) focus, gives me the space. We have been through a lot as a business. Connor used to always tell me to do what I enjoy.”
