# Amano's big tank



## aquaessentials (Dec 15, 2004)

Just in case any one hasn't seen this thread, here's the creation of Amano's huge tank at his house.

I wonder how he maintains it!


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## oceanaqua (Oct 24, 2005)

Wow...I have a new goal...
That tank is larger than some rooms at home in japan.


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## jrIL (Apr 23, 2005)

I have alway wondered when I see tanks like that. We see them usually right after they are set up and everything is all bright shinny and new. How will thant tank look a year from now. Will those be the same plants are does he have someone who rips them out when the age and plant bight shinny new ones.

Just wondering.

JR


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## trckrunrmike (Jan 31, 2005)

http://www.pbase.com/plantella/niigata2005amanoshome

Thats what it looks like now


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## jrIL (Apr 23, 2005)

Well,,,,,ok.

I suppose if he keeps working at it he will get it right. 

JR


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## fishdude1984 (Feb 17, 2005)

how dose he do it? i mean that thing is got to be like 36" - 40" onches deep, how do you plant that and work on it, i have a hard time with my 24" inch deep tank, hes the master


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## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

The trick is in the planning. Once planted it's left to grow and the choice and placement of plants allows for a long term between trims, as in years.


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

From the AGA DVD's, Amano states he does not "maintain" it. His goal was to plant the tank and leave it alone. I look at it as a pond with transparent sides.

Tom Barr had the nerve to ask him how much it cost. Amano avoided the question (he pretended to be calculating the cost, then said he'd have to get back to him on it). It's rumored to be around the $800,000 mark.


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## fishdude1984 (Feb 17, 2005)

hows he get the plants in there, thats what i find funny, ps. thats alot of bucks!


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Salt said:


> Tom Barr had the nerve to ask him how much it cost. Amano avoided the question (he pretended to be calculating the cost, then said he'd have to get back to him on it). It's rumored to be around the $800,000 mark.


He very well might knot have known the total, the tank, yes, but all the other various items etc, but still, if you show something like that off, someone, a possible client etc is going to ask.
It's like being a saleman showing off a Ferrari and not knowing the price
But he very well may have not been pretending. I don't pretend to guess at that one.

I'm not sure I have nerve, I just have little issue asking some basic stuff. Cost is an important factor with any hobby, large scale set up etc.
I ask contractors that question all the time. 
I did not mean to put him on the spot at the time but everyone else in the room was thinking how much did all this cost too.

You have to plant any tank over 36" inside the tank FYI.
You must drain the tank down, or snorkel dive etc to trim.
Plant choice is key.

Ferns etc, lilies(leaves can be trimmed at the top), wood, Anubias etc, then some emergents that can be accessed easily.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## brianclaw (May 17, 2005)

I think it's not that he didn't want to answer you, but it's considered to be fairly rude to ask such a question and to answer such a question would seem to be bragging. It's not something to be done in polite Japanese company.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

brianclaw said:


> I think it's not that he didn't want to answer you, but it's considered to be fairly rude to ask such a question and to answer such a question would seem to be bragging. It's not something to be done in polite Japanese company.


Obviously he is *far wealthier than most, if not all of the crowd in attendance*. That was flaunting his wealth and bragging. 
It was not his business, it was his personal home, tank etc. 
Seemed like bragging no more than saying the approximate cost.

You cannot use this polite humble cultural excuse and then flaunt it in the same breath. That's rude in __my culture__ as well as most others.

It makes (some) people jealous. Any culture feels that, it's self evident. 
You do not know that **he** thought it was rude or not, you have assumed that it is. Each person, rather than their culture, education, race, job etc defines who they are.

I was there and I talked with him a number of times, I like him a lot, he's a nice guy. I felt a little bad, I did not mean to make a scene over the simple question. It can be tough to get a decent figure at times if you included the foundation and the exchnage rate for yen/dollars etc. That is why he was squirming with the response. Not because of cultural differences. How do I know, I asked later in private. The amount was actually 400,000 for the tank(not foundation etc) Maybe Amano also lied to me about that also? 
Another Japanese cultural value?

**I asked** about the $$, he was not bragging about it, he was asked. So saying what it cost is not bragging on *his part*. He did not appear offended, he appeared much more trying to calculate the cost for the project.
If you add all the other things into the final cost, it can be complicated.
If he was offended, only he would know the answer but he never indicated anything to that effect to me or anyone else there.

I did not ask him how much he makes a year. But he's not showing his personal portfolio either, he's showing off this project he did to us. You bring that up (he did), you will get asked those types of questions.
I think most everyone in the room wanted to have that item.

Many folks see a large scale dream tank and wonder how much would that cost and what would it take to have that. I suppose if I wanted to hire him to make such a tank somewhere here, that also might be rude to ask?

You cannot have it both ways with the cultural excuse. 
Amano did not indicate that was the case, but you seem to have assumed so.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

A lot of people don't really realize just how wealthy he is... I forget the figure, but the going rate on having a tank professionally designed and installed by Amano is ridiculously high. Maybe someone knows it?

Don't forget his book sales.

He didn't get there overnight though. He established a name for himself and most of the price is paying for the famous name.. kind of like having a famous artist design a mural for the lobby of a rich office building.


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## brianclaw (May 17, 2005)

It's true that I don't know if he thought it was rude, but I also wasn't assuming that he did. No need to get so defensive... Seriously... I'm not trying to offend you and I wasn't saying that you were rude. I was just saying that it is considered rude, in Japanese culture, to ask the price of things when the item is not for sale. It's also considered a little rude to blatantly say how much the item cost. I'm not saying you were in the wrong, you just didn't know. 
I know this is set up in his home, him showing it to you is not him bragging, it's just him being proud of his creation. Like, if you set up a tank and come on this forum to show pics to people... Are you bragging? No, I see it as you just being proud of something you've done that you want to share with others.
Seriously, I wasn't trying to say you were in the wrong and I apologise if it came out that way.


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## SnakeIce (May 9, 2005)

I wonder every time I see pictures of that tank what fish species are in it. The one shot of him in front of the tank shows what look like discus and angelfish. I've also seen a closeup showing a tetra but I've forgotten what that was.

Those of you that have seen the tank what fish did you see in it?


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## |squee| (Feb 3, 2005)

I took this from the data specs in ADA World where that tank is showcased:
Might have some spelling errors.

Plants
Bolbitis heudelotii
Microsorium sp.
Vallisneria nana
Crinum natans "crispus"
Crinum calamistratum
Anubias barteri var. nana
Anubias barteri var. barteri
Scindapsus sp.
Fantinalis antipyretica

Livestock
Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus
Paracheirodon simulans
Arnoldichthys spilopterus
Nematobrycon lacortei
Hyphessobrycon rosaceus sp.
Hyphessobrycon sweglesi
Hemiodopsis sp.
Phenacogrammus caudomaculatus
Dicrossus filamentosus
Oreichtys sp.
Puntius denisoni
Apistogramma agassizii
Apistogramma bitaeniata
Dicrossus maculatus
Puntius pentazona johorensis
Puntius pentazona pentazona
Cicyopeterus lagocephalus
Mikrogeophagus ramierezi
Otocinclus sp.
Caridina japonica


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## thatguy (Oct 16, 2005)

plantbrain said:


> . The amount was actually 400,000 for the tank(not foundation etc)


personally, i find 400,000 hard to believe...you can build an entire house for that much..with more engineering and materials involved...even a foundation for such a tank is nothing expensive, surely not more than 100k..you can have a poured concrete/basement foundation that supports a 2 story 5000 sq foot home with a full basement poured for less than 50k.

the tank is not some phenomenal rimless tank..it has framing around it.
my 2 cents


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## random_alias (Nov 7, 2005)

I like Amano's stuff so I hope my comments don't start another "Is ADA worth the price?" argument.

Maybe 400k is the quote if _he_ does it for you. I don't imagine he would want what he _really_ paid for it floating around the public. Retailers/services don't go around advertising their costs, they don't want the public to know how much of the sale price is comprised of their markup.

Think he would tell you how much a lily pipe costs him? Probably not. But he would tell you how much you can buy one for just like it, from him.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

thatguy said:


> personally, i find 400,000 hard to believe...you can build an entire house for that much..with more engineering and materials involved...even a foundation for such a tank is nothing expensive, surely not more than 100k..you can have a poured concrete/basement foundation that supports a 2 story 5000 sq foot home with a full basement poured for less than 50k.
> 
> the tank is not some phenomenal rimless tank..it has framing around it.
> my 2 cents


I'm not concerned if you believe that or not, that is what he told me.

I've done some large scale tank projects, the folks I work with also have more experience than anyone on any list at doing large scale aquariums.
A Curator and several aquarist at MBA do private work with their own company. They do cost a great deal. This sounds about right to me.
Labor alone would be 50K or more.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

well, labour does cost a mint in japan...unless it's foreign! haha...

i actually like it less planted. the d. wood is extraordinary. pity it's all covered up!

terence, in one of the ADA contest books there was a picture of altums in this very tank. i recognized it by the rock work in the fg.
only later did i see the whole tank. fantastic...


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## kilroy (Aug 6, 2004)

If only I had the resources to put a tank like that together. My turtles would be in heaven!


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## zetaking (Feb 13, 2006)

There is no way that it cost 400,000. It is just like any other industry. Who is going to tell you what true cost on a project like that is going to cost? Its like saying how much it cost for ADA to manufacture some of their products. Of course they are going to say that it cost a bundle. That is just it. Car manufacturers say msrp and we as consumers often get better deals than that. Now for Mr. Amano's name on that aquarium, then it is up to him to charge what he wants to charge because as an artist, they do that. It might be possible he has a bunch of people asking him to design their aquariums for them and are willing to pay a high price. Its similar to some prices being paid for bonzai trees in japan... I have worked in manufacturing and basically if I was in Amano's position, I would say a high amount as well. Because, this also correlates to his products being a high quality and image caliber. Its either that or my theory that he probably messed up on the yen/ dollar exchange? But, honestly, the actual material cost is not as great as can be imagined. I am not here to criticize anybody. But, like the ada scissors being sold for $100. I can send that thing into China and it would only cost $2.... exact quality, exact to the tee. In fact, I work with many japanese companies who buy from China. Do you think mr. amano is going to say the scissors cost him $2? I dont think so.....


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## spcyamada (May 13, 2005)

*Beautiful tank*

I've seen that 'Big Tank' picture many times, but never what became of it. I liked those followup photos the best that someone posted. It must be awe inspiring to be standing next to a tank like that. I wish there were more closeup pictures of the inhabitants in the tank. The whole idea of having plants and fish living naturally in the comfort of your living room is what I think drew me into this hobby. Amano has accomplished that from the looks of it.

Incredible!


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## aquaessentials (Dec 15, 2004)

zetaking said:


> But, like the ada scissors being sold for $100. I can send that thing into China and it would only cost $2.... exact quality, exact to the tee. In fact, I work with many japanese companies who buy from China. Do you think mr. amano is going to say the scissors cost him $2? I dont think so.....


Tell me more  I would love to contact the manufacturer...


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## zetaking (Feb 13, 2006)

What do you want to know about the manufacturer?


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## aquaessentials (Dec 15, 2004)

zetaking said:


> What do you want to know about the manufacturer?


Yes please

you can email me on [email protected]


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## thatguy (Oct 16, 2005)

plantbrain said:


> I'm not concerned if you believe that or not, that is what he told me.
> 
> I've done some large scale tank projects, the folks I work with also have more experience than anyone on any list at doing large scale aquariums.
> A Curator and several aquarist at MBA do private work with their own company. They do cost a great deal. This sounds about right to me.
> ...


thats cool, im still doubtful...i just find 400k cost,for the tank alone hard to believe.
not that i dont belive he told you that.


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## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

Not trying to be a contrarian or anything, but from an industry perspective (I am in the custom aquarium design and installation industry), I'd say $400,000 is about right for that project. (who really cares, though). 
It's at his own house, and he had the whole room the tank is in custom built also. So factor that in, plus high cost of everything in Japan-- sounds about right actually. That glass box (tank) alone is likely pushing $30,000 or more. So $400K is for the whole project-- plumbing, lighting, the room itself, etc. 
There's an awesoem update article in Aqua Journal # 124 - (yet another reason to subscribe!)


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## shake (Feb 26, 2006)

jsenske said:


> There's an awesoem update article in Aqua Journal # 124 - (yet another reason to subscribe!)


How would one subscribe to Aqua Journal. I was looking for a subscription form in a copy that just arrived from Dennis but my Japanese is not that good.

Any help would be appreciated


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## jude_uc (Feb 7, 2006)

Maybe this is a good reason for me to try and relearn the Japanese I've forgotten. I never thought that I'd wind up in a situation where I would be able to use it.

-Adam


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## ChrisGray (Feb 23, 2006)

this is without a doubt the most amazing tank ever created!!
when i first saw this tanks i was shocked at how good it came out even for an amano tank.


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## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

Regarding Aqua Journal subscription: I am designing a new shopping cart site for the ADA products and will have a link "Aqua Jounal and Books" where you will be able to easily and securely subscribe to Aqua Journal. Be advised-- it is not a "$19.95 per year" subscription or anything-- with air freight shipping it runs about $10 per issue (it sells for $5 on the shelf in Japan), but the quality is totally "archival"- I mean the paper stock and everything is just incredible. Anyway, please know that I do not profit on the Aqua Journal subscriptions, I just want more people to subscribe because it is so cool to get this beautiful magazine in filled with so much inspiration every month. You get to see all the latest works in the ADA Gallery and you definitely do not need to be able to read Japanese to thoroughly enjoy it. 

The new e-commerce site should be up in about a week, maybe less. I'll post clearly when it is.


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## shake (Feb 26, 2006)

jsenske said:


> Be advised-- it is not a "$19.95 per year" subscription or anything-- with air freight shipping it runs about $10 per issue. QUOTE]
> 
> Roughly what would each issue cost to get down here to Australia.
> 
> Thanks


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## MikeD (Feb 26, 2006)

I just wanted to show you guys another huge tank. Its more like a Malawi tank, but its amazing.








What do you think of it. I think it looks good, but the blue in the background is too brightly.


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## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

shake said:


> jsenske said:
> 
> 
> > Be advised-- it is not a "$19.95 per year" subscription or anything-- with air freight shipping it runs about $10 per issue. QUOTE]
> ...


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## shake (Feb 26, 2006)

Very Interested


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