The comparison
- Living wall. Plants on a vertical frame with irrigation. Big visual area for the money, no animals, no glass. Needs irrigation plumbing, drainage, and grow lighting if it is away from windows. Plant replacement is the recurring cost. We do not build these: a landscaping firm is the right supplier, and we will tell you that in the first conversation.
- Aquarium (planted aquascape). An underwater landscape with fish. Calm, quiet, contained. Needs filtration, lighting and a regular water change. No irrigation, no plumbing unless you want it. The one people sit beside.
- Paludarium. Land and water in one glass box, with a stream, and optionally crabs or frogs. The most alive of the three: movement, sound, animals. Needs the same as an aquarium plus a cover and, with animals, a feeding rhythm. The one people stop for.
Upkeep, honestly
- Living wall: irrigation checks, pruning, replacing plants that fail. Usually a landscaping maintenance contract.
- Aquarium: a scheduled visit for water change, trimming and glass. About 15 minutes a week in-house for a desk-scale system; a contract for anything in a public space.
- Paludarium: the same, plus animal care. On a contract, all of it is ours.
For all three, the maintenance line is the honest cost. The installation is bought once; the upkeep is what decides whether it still looks like the render in year three.
Which one, then
- You want a large green surface and have irrigation and drainage: living wall.
- You want calm, contained, and quiet, beside a waiting area or desk: planted aquarium.
- You want the piece people photograph, with water and life, in a lobby or atrium: paludarium.
- You want a statement at architectural scale: a bespoke living installation, designed around the space. See Drifting.
Prices for our ready-to-order systems start from $380 (aquascape) and $520 (paludarium); bespoke work is quoted to the space. The full picture is on the CCS for Business page.
Questions, answered
Can an aquarium and greenery be combined?+
That is a paludarium, or a riparium (plants growing out of the water). It is most of what we build for public spaces.
Which is cheapest to run?+
A planted aquarium on a maintenance visit is the most predictable. Living walls carry plant replacement; paludariums with animals carry feeding and animal checks.
Can we start small and scale up?+
Yes. Many clients start with a ready-to-order system and commission a larger piece later. The care rhythm is the same, so the team already knows what it is living with.
Do you work with our interior designer?+
Yes, and we prefer it. We handle drawings, coordination and installation alongside your designer, architect or contractor.
Talk to us about your space
Send us the space, the intent and a timeline. We come back within one business day with the right next step, usually a site visit. One thing upfront: we don't do free designs. Proposals and concepts are payable work.