Aquarium Artisans

11/23/2025

11/21/2025

So….. sounds like we will get to see some “real” football tonight at Paycor! 😉😉
Our household bleeds blue since Tristan is a Bomber.
Who are you rooting for?
(There is no wrong answer when it’s kids!)
💙💙🏈🏈💜💜

📸 —- not us lol

11/20/2025

It's coming........... 11/21/25-12/2/25!
Details coming soon 🥳

11/19/2025

Hitchhiker Spotlight: The Blue Dendronotus Nudibranch 💙

(Yes… this beauty hitchhiked into our store yesterday!)

Every once in a while, the ocean sends us something truly wild — a creature so delicate and alien-looking that it stops you in your tracks.
Today’s surprise guest?
A Dendronotus nudibranch, a rare hydroid-eating sea slug that arrived hidden on a piece of imported rock.

This little blue “frilly fern” isn’t a pest at all — in fact:

✨ It only eats hydroids
✨ It’s totally reef-safe
✨ It doesn’t harm corals, fish, or inverts
✨ Its branching cerata (those little blue “trees”) show the pigments of what it’s been munching on

Think of it as a tiny, specialized gardener that keeps hydroids in check. Once the hydroids are gone, the nudibranch’s job is done… and it quietly disappears back into the circle of reef life. We’ve added these 2 to our 215 display where conveniently; we’ve got hydroids!

Finding one this vibrant, intact, and beautifully patterned is rare, even for seasoned reef keepers.
Nature is WILD, y’all — and today she delivered.

📸 Enjoy this glimpse at one of the tiniest, most intricate hitchhikers we’ve seen all year.

11/12/2025

✨ Some requests are special — and this one definitely is. Jeremy and Aiden worked together today to design a custom aquascape for one of our tanks at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, created to bring a little peace and wonder to the kids who pass by every day. 💚

This layout draws from the Iwagumi style — a Japanese-inspired aquascaping approach that focuses on balance, simplicity, and calm. The vertical redwood branches mimic trees reaching through a quiet forest, while the scatter stones and river rock represent grounding and strength. 🌿

When complete, it will be paired with Aqua Natural substrate, soft lighting, and gentle movement to create a tranquil underwater escape — one that reminds us that nature has a way of healing hearts, even in small moments. 💙

11/08/2025

🍁🌿 Fall colors aren’t just for trees — our tanks are showing off reds and greens too. Added bonus... No raking required 😆

We’ve got a full restock of live plants, including our first batch of in-house grown selections, raised right here at Aquarium Artisans. Fully aquatic, healthy, and ready for your tanks. All house-grown bundles are just $4.99 while they last!

Our newest order included several new varieties of plants that we haven’t carried before. 🎉

Oh — and apparently banana plants are trending on TikTok. I wouldn’t know… I’m old 😂 but the staff swears it’s a thing- so we've got em.

Stop in this weekend and see what’s new — your aquascape will thank you.

11/08/2025

We’re officially bursting at the seams with new coral selections this weekend — including locally grown SPS from ARC, Jason Fox, Reef Raf, SBB Corals, and WWC.

You’ll also find Euphyllia galore — from branching hammers to vibrant torches — plus several new colonies that just arrived this week.

Whether you’re looking to fill a gap in your reef or start a new centerpiece, this batch has something worth a closer look.

📍 Available now at Aquarium Artisans — locally sourced, carefully selected, and ready for your system.

11/05/2025

🌿 A sneak peek at our paludarium redesign in progress…

We’re rebuilding this display from the ground up — layering clean white sand as the foundation, then accenting it with fine gray Iwagumi scatter stone and bold river rock formations.

Every piece of driftwood, rock, and substrate has been placed with intention — creating a natural flow that bridges land and water.

It’s still evolving, but the vision is already taking shape: balanced, calm, and beautifully alive.

Living art takes time — and this one’s just getting started.

11/04/2025

🌿 Freshwater glow-up in progress!

Aiden’s been quietly reworking our nano tanks at the shrimp station — mixing live plants, driftwood, and intricate rockscapes to create tiny underwater worlds.

The section’s starting to feel like a miniature botanical garden, and our display paludarium is next in line for a total transformation.

It’s all living art in progress — stop in, see what’s new, and maybe get inspired to start your own little refresh at home.