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Hidden in Pune, Kraken Habitat is a privately curated, multi-floor exhibit created by Shubham Banginwar—just 27 years old (correction-28 years!),a mechanical engineer by qualification, but a naturalist by practice and passion. A full-day pass here unfolds slowly. You begin at the café—designed as a pause, not a pit stop—before stepping into spaces that feature birds, reptiles, and a stunning Mahseer tank that sets the tone for what lies ahead. The first floor introduces you to powerful Channa species, immersive terrariums, and a dedicated room celebrating Indian native fishes, thoughtfully displayed with context and care. The second floor expands the narrative—exotic terrariums, archerfish, brackish water systems, reptiles, and rodents, each habitat built with intention rather than spectacle. This is where design meets deep biological understanding. The third floor houses an exotic fish room that feels global in scope, yet carefully curated—an archive of living systems rather than a collection of showpieces. And when the day circles back to the café, the experience continues—over food, board games, books, workshops, birthdays, and conversations that extend well beyond aquariums. This episode isn’t a walkthrough. It’s a deep dive into the mind, method, and philosophy behind Kraken Habitat. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 00:34 - Ground Floor 04:04 - Native Fish Rom 06:00 - Brackish Water 10:58 - Reptiles 16:20 - Bonus 19:19 - Exotic Fish Room 22:50 - The Cafe 24:47 - The Convo 36:00 - Parting Words 37:34 - Outro 🎬 The Kraken Habitat episode releases on 🗓 10th January 2026 📺 The Weekend Aquarist Podcast | YouTube

Met Debanjan, founder of Pisces at the Aquagic exhibition at Bengaluru today. Here is Debanjan introducing his Bug Team to us. #bugs #critters #arowanakeepers #pisces

Native fishes. Exotics. Reptiles. Thoughtfully built habitats. 🎬 The Kraken Habitat episode releases tomorrow 🗓 10th January 2026 📺 The Weekend Aquarist Podcast | YouTube Don’t miss this one.

We had our 4th Weekly Giveaway today, with 54 magazine subscribers in the race, and the winner of the 4th Discusbook 05 is... Punit Lalbhai from Ahmedabad! Congratulations, Punit Lalbhai!! We will continue with our weekly giveaway till January 26th, when we complete 365 days since launch, and this coming week we have another collectable book as the giveaway - "The Book of ADA"!! So, in case you haven't subscribed yet to India's first and only magazine focused on the aquarium hobby, do so on https://weekendaquarist.in and subscribe to any of our annual subscription plans (Use code INSTA-10 for an instant discount) Your name will be added to the weekly giveaway! Annual Print Subscription - 12 issues with collectibles - Rs.2250/- Annual Combo Plan - (Print & Digital) - 12 issues - Rs.3000/- International Subscribers - Subscribe on Magzter.com and share the screenshot (tag us/DM us on Instagram/theweekendaquarist) https://www.magzter.com/IN/The-Weekend-Aquarist-Media-Co/The-Weekend-Aquarist/Animals--Pets/

🚨 LAST CALL! FINAL GIVEAWAY 🚨 Tonight at 9:30 PM on Instagram — we draw the winner of our last & final Lucky Draw 🎉 Subscribe to any of our Annual Plans in the next few hours and you’re in the running to win Heiko Bleher’s Discusbook 05 📘🐟 ⏳ Time’s running out. 🎁 One legendary book. 📍 One final chance. 👉 Subscribe now: https://www.weekendaquarist.in See you live at 9:30 PM. Don’t miss it! Use code INSTA-10 for an instant discount on our annual plans.

“Kraken Habitat” — maybe it was the name, maybe the Jurassic vibes… or maybe it was the bearded dragon that sealed the deal. Whatever the reason, this long-awaited visit to Kraken Habitat turned out to be far more than I anticipated. From exotic reptiles to Indian native fishes—Kraken Habitat has it all. This on-location conversation with the very young founder of Kraken Habitat offers a fascinating glimpse into passion, purpose, and building something truly unique. 🎙️ Coming soon on The Weekend Aquarist Podcast 📺 Exclusively on YouTube 👉 If you haven’t subscribed yet, do it now—and don’t forget to hit the Bell icon so you don’t miss this episode.

And we had the third lucky draw for the Discus Book 05. Niiranjan Painarkar won the third Discuss Book 05, a rare Heiko Bleher collectable book. One more Discusbook 05 Lucky Draw left and will be on 6th January 2026 at 9:30 P.M India. Subscribe to The Weekend Aquarist magazine on https://www.weekendaquarist.in/product-page/annual-subscription-best-of-both-worlds or https://www.weekendaquarist.in/product-page/annual-subscription-print-edition-only to participate in this final Lucky Draw. Use code INSTA-10 for an instant discount. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Event 03:36 Lucky Draw Announcement and Winner Reveal 05:01 Community Engagement and Support for Local Initiatives

✨ Thank You, 2025 ✨ As we wrap up the year, just one word — gratitude. To every guest, collaborator, researcher, and conservationist who trusted us with their stories. To the hobbyists who read, watched, listened, questioned, and encouraged us. And to our friends and colleagues across the aquarium trade — retailers, breeders, exporters, and professionals who stood by us through the highs and the lows. 2025 wasn’t without its challenges. But together, we crossed the line strong. What began as conversations became stories. What became stories grew into a community. As we look ahead to 2026, we do so with renewed energy, deeper purpose, and an even stronger commitment to this hobby and the people who make it special. Thank you for being part of the journey. Let’s keep growing — one aquarium, one story, one conversation at a time. 🌊 #TheWeekendAquarist #AquariumCommunity #Grateful #YearEnd #Aquascaping #IndianNativeFishes #AquariumTrade #LookingAhead