Aquashella Los Angeles 2025 Recap
Pet Zone SD x Hakkai Bring San Diego Scapes to SoCal ?

Aquashella Los Angeles 2025 was an unforgettable weekend celebrating everything we love about the aquarium hobby — planted tanks, shrimp, nano fish, hardscape, and creative aquascaping.

This year, Pet Zone SD teamed up with our in-house aquascape studio Hakkai to bring a taste of San Diego’s aquascape culture to the Pomona Fairplex. Thousands of hobbyists, artists, and families came through over two packed days, and we were stoked to be part of the lineup.

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? Nature-Style & Pond-Style Aquascapes on Display

Our booth focused on what our shops are known for: approachable, nature-inspired layouts that hobbyists can recreate at home. We featured:

• Lush planted layouts for both high-tech and low-tech aquariums

• Pond-style, shallow scapes mixing submerged and emersed plants

• Textured hardscape builds with Seiryu stone and driftwood

• Nano fish and shrimp that bring movement and balance to planted tanks

The goal wasn’t just to showcase show-tanks — it was to give real ideas you can take back to your own aquariums. Many of the plants, shrimp, and hardscape styles we used at Aquashella are available in-store and online at PetZoneSD.com.

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? Live Aquascaping Demos: Built Like a Real Home Tank

We hosted two live aquascaping demos that ran just like a real build you’d do at home:

Saturday – Pond-Style Aquascape
We set up a shallow, open-top layout inspired by outdoor ponds — perfect for floaters, emersed plants, and that calm, garden-style vibe.

Sunday – Walstad Nature-Style Build
We built a Walstad-inspired tank using soil and heavy plant mass to create a low-tech, self-sustaining system without CO₂ or complicated filtration.

Both tanks reflected the same philosophy we share with customers daily:

Keep it natural, keep it balanced, and let the plants do a lot of the work.

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? Community, Conversation & “Nature in Glass”

One of the best parts of Aquashella is always the people. We talked with:

• New hobbyists setting up their first community tank

• Seasoned scapers dialing in plant selection and hardscape

• Shrimp and nano fish fans looking for livestock ideas

Those conversations — about plant growth, algae control, fish choice, and layout — are exactly what we love doing in our shops every day.

If you took photos or videos of our booth or builds, tag @petzonesd and @hakkaisd on Instagram. We’d love to see your angle of the weekend.

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? Bring Aquashella Inspiration Home

If you visited our booth and want to recreate something similar at home, we’ve got you covered:

• Live Aquatic Plants – Stem plants, carpeting species, epiphytes, floaters & more

• Nano Fish & Shrimp – Rasboras, tetras, corys, dwarf shrimp, snails & cleanup crew

• Hardscape – Seiryu stone, dragon stone, driftwood, branch wood, and accent pieces

• Aquascaping Supplies – Substrates, fertilizers, tools, lighting, and filtration

You can shop online at PetZoneSD.com or visit us in person at our two San Diego locations in the Convoy District and Mid-City. Our team is always happy to help you pick plants, hardscape, and livestock that fit your tank and experience level.

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? What’s Next for Pet Zone SD

We’re bringing the Aquashella momentum back home with:

• New aquascape display builds in-store

• Workshops and demos in collaboration with Hakkai

• Fresh livestock and plant shipments inspired by what everyone was excited about in LA

Keep an eye on PetZoneSD.com and follow us on Instagram @petzonesd and @hakkaisd for updates on events, new arrivals, and future show appearances.

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? Until the Next Show

Huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at Aquashella Los Angeles 2025 — whether you asked a question, watched a build, or just came to hang out and talk fish and plants.

Events like this remind us why we do what we do:
Helping hobbyists of all levels bring a little more nature into their homes, one tank at a time.

See you at the next one. ?

— The Pet Zone SD + Hakkai Team