🌾 Reimagining Nature: Creating a Rice Paddy Aquarium with WIO
- Sales
- Jun 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 12
What if your next aquascape wasn't just a layout, but a fresh way of seeing nature through the lens of a rice paddy?
Inspired by the iconic terraced fields of Southeast Asia, this concept challenges traditional aquascaping by drawing from a real-world ecosystem where shallow waters, seasonal flooding, and dense planting create a rich, living tapestry.
Rice paddies are unique environments, carefully shaped by human cultivation yet deeply connected to natural rhythms. Bathed in sunlight and rich in nutrients, they offer a calm, shallow habitat where aquatic plants and life flourish in still or gently flowing waters.
In this guide, renowned aquascaper David Nørholm @dnbiotopes shares his artistic interpretation of a rice paddy biotope. His layout blends structured landforms with soft naturalism, using carefully chosen materials and a shallow design to mimic the essence of this habitat. It’s an invitation to explore a new creative direction layering soil, texture, and plant life in a layout that feels at once grounded and innovative.
1. Substrate and Hardscape Foundation
Bumblebee Sand as the Base Layer WIO's Bumblebee Sand, with its warm yellow and orange tones, gives a natural, earthy feel. Its fine grain makes it ideal for planting rhizome plants and delicate root systems typical of rice-like grasses.
Savage Riverbed for Texture and Depth Spread Savage Riverbed over the Bumblebee base. This mix of pebbles and stream-like gravels and sand mimics a natural riverbed, enhancing biological processes while adding visual richness and realism.
Jade Boulders for Visual Tension Position Jade Boulders to form focal points. These green-dark toned rocks evoke terraced landscapes and provide vertical contrast, creating dynamic shadows and flow within the scape.
Mustard Artist for Color Highlights Add some Artist Mustard Florabed over rocks and hardscape. This soft, mustard-toned substrate adds a painterly finish without affecting water chemistry enhancing contrast and warmth.
Note: For an added touch of realism and a healthy start, David reused Artist Mustard from another established aquarium, taking advantage of its beneficial bacteria it already contained.
Photo Courtesy David Nørholm®dnbiotopes
2. Planting the Scene
At the heart of a rice paddy aquarium are grass-like background aquatic plants such as Cyperus alternifolius, which provide depth and contrast, and Murdannia keisak, which adds cover and detail. Plant them densely to replicate terraced growth. Their gentle sway in the current evokes the serene movement of water through a real rice field.
Photo Courtesy David Nørholm®dnbiotopes
3. Natural Touches & Artistic Detail
Eucalyptus & Holm Oak Leaves Scatter Eucalyptus and Holm Oak Leaves across the substrate. They bring an authentic forest-floor feel and release beneficial tannins as they break down giving the water a gentle amber hue.
Cyca Leaves for Shelter Add Cyca Leaves for a wild, tropical touch. Their slow decomposition creates cozy shelters for small fish and mimics the vegetation found along the edges of natural paddies.
4. Fauna: Life in the Paddies
To complete this miniature world, David selected three fish species that bring color, character, and harmony to the scene:
Trichopsis pumila (Croaking Gourami) This tiny gourami is famous for its gentle "croaking" sounds. Peaceful and full of personality, they thrive in calm, planted tanks and add a fascinating auditory dimension.
Oryzias woworae (Daisy’s Ricefish) Native to Indonesian rice fields, these small fish glow with vibrant blue and orange hues. Hardy and peaceful, they do well in slightly soft to moderate water and temperatures between 22–28 °C.
Boraras brigittae (Chili Rasbora) A nano jewel from Borneo, the Chili Rasbora is barely 1–2 cm long. Its vivid red color shines in planted tanks, especially in shoals. It’s a peaceful, active swimmer that contrasts beautifully with natural tones.
Photo Courtesy David Nørholm®dnbiotopes
🌾 Q&A with David Nørholm
To dive deeper into David's creative thinking, the WIO team prepared a short Q&A, where he shares insights into his design process and his approach to building this innovative setup:
In your layout, you’ve skill fully combined different substrates such as Artist Mustard, Sand, and Biotope Bed. How do you feel this layering contributes to the overall composition?
David Nørholm: Nature is rarely monotonous and uniform. That’s why I like to combine different types of substrate to make it more unpredictable and varied. I find Wio’s many different substrates fantastic to work with and to combine in various ways. In a very simple layout like this one, I find it crucial that the base isn’t just sand or gravel. The substrate becomes an important factor in the overall layout.
Rock placement is often one of the most intricate aspects of aquascaping. How did you approach positioning the stones in this layout, was it a carefully pre-planned arrangement or something that evolved organically during the creative process?
David Nørholm: For me, creativity around hardscape placement always arises spontaneously. I visualize the layout in my mind when I’m holding the stone in my hand. There might be one or two placements needed, but often I feel that there is a “right” spot for each stone. And you can sense your way to it.
Your work achieves a strikingly natural and immersive effect. What advice would you offer to newer aquascapers who aim to replicate this level of realism and depth in their own designs?
David Nørholm: Thank you! First and foremost, you have to know the nature you want to imitate. Therefore, a certain amount of research must always precede these layouts. This can be, for example, YouTube videos from the biotope or descriptions from written sources. Much of the hard work lies in the research process. Additionally, it’s about having the right hardscape materials. For several years, I’ve been searching for materials that stand out and at the same time have a high degree of naturalness. That’s why I’m especially happy to use Wio’s products!
🌱 Design Beyond the Usual: Explore, Experiment, Create
At WIO, we believe that nature is the greatest designer and every layout is a chance to rediscover it in new ways. With our uniquely crafted materials, you’re free to experiment, mix, and innovate transforming familiar elements into something truly unexpected.
✨ Want to see this creative process in action? Don’t miss the full showcase of David Norholm’s rice paddy aquarium and discover how much fun it can be to step outside the traditional and explore new combinations in your next scape.
Video Courtesy David Nørholm®dnbiotopes
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