Years ago, we fell in love with the Konolua aquarium. That beautiful aquascape, shaped like a volcano surprised us with its originality. The rocks were arranged in the center and rose toward the sky, using an ingenious pump system to make water “erupt.” Not only did this create an amazing effect, but it also provided a wonderful habitat for many unique creatures. Now, years later, a new aquarium featuring a volcano has emerged: the one by Manuel Amrein from Zurich.
An interesting fact is that Manuel Amrein’s aquarium is not based on the one by Kyle Verry, the original creator of the Konolua aquarium. “It’s actually funny,” Amrein says. “I’ve spent a lot of time on YouTube—I have my own channel—but I’d never seen the video [of the Konolua aquarium]. A lot of people have asked me about it, and it’s cool to see how others have incorporated this idea [into their aquariums]. I hope I can inspire other people to share their aquariums.”
Amrein set up the aquarium in mid-February—just a month ago. Yet he’s been involved in the hobby for seven years. Like many others, he became interested in the hobby through the internet and began reading up on it diligently. “After all, we’re talking about living animals.”
His first saltwater aquarium, a Red Sea Reefer 250, was a soft-coral-dominated tank with a few fish. Over time, that gave way to the volcano aquarium, an imperfect cube measuring 100 x 100 x 30 cm. “I love shallow reefs, and I knew my new aquarium had to be one too.” Amrein found inspiration in Hawaii, where he spent four weeks on vacation a few years ago. That was the foundation for his remarkable reef.
The marine life sits therefore around the rocks in the middle. A whole host of fish swim around in the 300-liter aquarium. Among others, there are ten Chromis viridis
Chromis viridisGroene JufferDe groene juffer is een populaire, levendige verschijning in het tropische zeeaquarium. Dit kleine, actieve visje valt op door zijn prachtige, iriserende lichtgroene tot blauwachtige kleur die glinstert in het licht. In de natuur leven ze in grote scholen rondom vertakt koraal, waarin ze bij gevaar vliegensvlug schuilen. Ook in het aquarium komen ze het best tot hun recht in een groepje van minimaal 4 à 6 stuks. Ze zijn vreedzaam, relatief sterk en makkelijk houdbaar, wat ze bij uitstek geschikt maakt voor zowel beginnende als ervaren hobbyisten., two Amphiprion ocellaris, one Centropyge bispinosa, one Zebrasoma xanthurum, one Neocirrhites armatus, one Pseudocheilinus hexataenia, one Halichoeres chrysus, five Lysmata amboinensis, and three Lysmata debelius live in the aquarium. A Tridacna crocea adorns the bottom.
Lighting an aquarium from all sides requires quite a few fixtures. The latest generation of Philips CoralCare hangs centrally above the aquarium. Five AquaIllumination Hydra 26HD LED lights are mounted around it. “That’s how I avoid shadows.” The volcano in Amrein’s aquarium isn’t actually an active volcano like the Konolua. Here, a simpler design was chosen—one that doesn’t have any special features but does mimic the appearance of a volcano. This way, Amrein doesn’t have to deal with clogged water dispensers, as the Konolua sometimes did.
More than ten years have passed between the two aquariums. In the meantime, the hobby and the technology have evolved significantly. In this aquarium, a GHL Profilux 4 controls all the equipment. Two GHL dosing pumps carry out the Grotech Balling Basic routine. For this, Amrein uses Grotech Corall ABC trace elements and Vitamino M. A Theiling Rollermat Compact, a Grotech skimmer, a Nyos Torq Dock for activated carbon, and two Maxspect Nano Tech Bio Blocks provide filtration. A Red Dragon circulation pump is the heart of the sump.
As for corals, there are quite a few species to see. Acropora, Scolys, Zoanthus, Montipora, Acanthastrea (Micromussa), Euphyllia, Gorgonia, … all the creatures are snuggled around and on the central rock. What makes this aquarium so special is definitely the four viewing angles, which give us a 360° view of this unique biotope teeming with life.
“Every week, I do a 10% water change. I love the calming effect the aquarium has on me. It’s relaxing to just sit in my chair and enjoy the view. It’s the best hobby in the world.”
Want to see more of the volcano aquarium? Check out Amrein’s Instagram account.
