Biotope One A Study of Flora and Fauna 
Joe Brunner has opened a different type of aquarium store aimed at helping enthusiasts with limited space and time restraints on maintenance. The Planted Vase offers a full range of plants, fish, hardscape, filters, and lighting to create an aquarium to suit most any interest or need.
Nano aquariums, as they are known, often use small containers sometimes no larger than a milk jug and often even smaller. The Planted Vase specializes in cylindrical vases to create a unique 360-degree aquarium.
Joe knows which plants, fish, and other fauna can be kept safely and properly in these small glass enclosures.
“There are several. They are called nano fish. I like gold ring danios, fancy guppies, chili rasboras, ember tetras,” Joe tells us of some of his favorites.
Not only can one keep these nano fish but they also can cohabitate with shrimp and snails. Snails and shrimp are good vase inhabitants and go well in an unheated and unfiltered vase. “Neos and amano shrimp make great vase inhabitants, and I believe that snails are your friend. In my opinion, you can never have too many snails.”
Small micro and nano sized tanks take up a very small footprint. This makes them a great desktop piece. Watching the tiny snails, shrimp, and fish move about the planted vase is both relaxing and beneficial to your health. Relieving stress is one of the major reasons people are attracted to keeping these planted vases. Since they are small they also do not require a lot of maintenance.
It’s great for someone who is busy but wants to enjoy an aquarium. Once the idea came to him, Joe Brunner started designing and planning his new store. “I say it was a whim, but it really wasn’t. I’d been mulling it over for some time. It’s just that when the opportunity came, I jumped,” Joe says.
Those wanting a nano setup can walk into The Planted Vase and come out with every item needed to create it. There’s even an area to work on your design to get your perfect planted vase components together.
Small containers with fish, shrimp, and plants might seem like a very specific market but Joe has faith that non-aquarium hobbyists will also learn about this trend. Many people have desks and spaces in their homes they want to decorate and enjoy and Joe expects everyone to catch on.
Everything you need can be found in the new store in Wichita Kansas and ordered online at ThePlantedVase.com. Designed and set up with an amazing eye for details, The Planted Vase offers something for everyone interested in the aquarium hobby and those wanting something different in an aquarium.
