Let’s move on from what we have discussed earlier on aquascaping.

1. Imagination
Imagination is the key to aquascaping.
Get the pictures of available aquatic plants and aquarium accessories into your mind. Try to combine them in several ways. If you are not able to do this, you’d better start with copying a tank you like. With time you will find it easier to do your imaginative work -you’ve got your picture? Well, then let’s go.

2. Choosing a background
There are some different ways of choosing a background. Some people use cork, others wood, some paint the background and some use self adhesive foliage. No matter what you do: as long as you don’t want your tank to stand in the middle of a room, give it a background. It is very unnatural to see the wall with all the hoses and cables shining through the tank.

When painting, or using foliage: You’d best use black or blue. This will give your tank a wonderful contrast and also make it easy to concentrate on the tank itself. You don’t want the people to focus on the background, just because it is red?

3. Choosing your substrate
It is unlikely that your aquascape will look natural when you use pink, blue or bright green gravel. You’d better choose brown, gray or black. There are many different types of substrate that will assist your plants in growth.

4. Choosing the shape of your future layout

There are several composition types:

The concave setup (high on either side and low in the middle)

The convex setup (the opposite of the one above, so low on either side and high in the middle)

“Convexity” doesn’t need to be produced by aquatic plants only, as you can see.

The triangular setup (high on one side, getting lower to the other)

The rectangular setup (high everywhere). This is the one you should avoid. It doesn’t give you areas of free space. But these are very important to create an illusion of depth. So less sometimes is much more.

5. Choosing the accessories
For a long time, aquarists where looking for the perfect (beautiful) piece of driftwood, or stone. Then they placed it into the planted tank, and…. well, it didn’t look satisfying, did it?

Especially when making a setup with stones it is much more important to use different sizes of the same type, than just take one very beautiful stone. One single stone in a tank will always look artificial, but when you place two or more, that’s what you usually see in nature. OK, OK there is Ayers Rock, but it doesn’t actually look natural, does it (sorry to the Australians, didn’t mean to offend you).

Now take your stones or your driftwood and place them in a triangle (if they are at least three). The biggest one (if really big enough) usually is the main focal point, so take special care where to place it (see golden ratio in main focal points in the following chapter).

Never use different type of stones or driftwood. You can gather the ugliest stones you can think of. They just have to be the same type. Place them correctly in a group: I promise, they will look nice (don’t know if it works for red-bricks though)!

6. Setting the main focal points
To get a smooth aquascape you need to set one or at maximum two focal points. This is usually something that pleases your eye. Either a stone, or a piece of driftwood, or a beautiful (group of) plant(s). This is where the golden ratio comes in.

You sure have tried to put the most beautiful of your aquatic plants right into the middle of your tank. Well, it didn’t look too good, right? That’s because when you have a symmetrical aquascape, your eyes tend to wander from left to right and back, forth and back…. This is not the relaxed atmosphere you are looking for when you sit in front of your tank and watch it for hours.

Greek philosophers and mathematicians found out long ago: the best ratio that pleases your eye is 1:1.618. Eeeeh????? To explain. When you drink your coffee, you mix one part of milk with 5 parts of coffee (just as an idea) You have a ratio of 1:5. So when you place your focal point, you divide your tank length into two pieces. One has the ratio of 1.618 and the other the ratio of 1.

How to do that??? Very simple: just measure the length of your tank and divide it through 2.618. Take the result and measure it from one side of your tank. Mark it. The rest is 1.618 (no math there). This is the place for your very special centerpiece, focal point or whatever you call it.

It is not wise to have two centerpieces in relatively small tanks (under about 60gal). Never try to create more than 2 focal points.

7. Foreground, Midground, Background
To get some depth into your tanks it is most important to use low growing aquatic plants. It is not particularly necessary to have high growing plants as well, because you can have hills or higher stones and driftwood that fulfill their demand. If you don’t have either stones, hills (terraces) or driftwood, you need higher plants as well to give a fine background.

Amano often uses Riccia fluitans and glossostigma elatinoides. While the second one can really be a challenge sometimes even for experienced aquascapers, Riccia is quite easy to cultivate. It is a floating plant that needs a little care.

Hairgrass (eleocharis) is another plant used very often as a foreground. Note: Glossostigma and Hairgrass must not be planted as they come from your lfs. Divide them into very small bundles, and plant them separately. This will make it grow in faster and also reduces the risk of decaying. After planting Hairgrass, prune the plant to a height of about ½ - 1 inch. Eleocharis is grown immersed (above water) in plant nurseries. Until the new shoots will appear, the old ones will rot and get infested with algae.

8. Planting order
First you plant (place) the focal point. Then the lowgrowers and midgrowers and in the end the high plants. Try to always plant very dense.

Especially stem plants are a good way to form your aquascape. Many small leaved species, such as micranthemum micranthemoides, m.umbrosum, mayaca sellowiana or rotala indica to just name a few, can easily be trimmed to a desired shape. But therefore you have to plant it quite dense as I stated. Take two to three stems and plant them with tweezers. About an inch beside: plant the next bundle of two to three stems, and so on. The denser you plant in the beginning, the faster the tank will grow in. Especially in the initial stage it is wise to cut the tops, replant the cuttings between the old ones while you leave the rooted parts in the substrate. So you can easily propagate your plants. The rooted parts will bud new shoots within short time.

9. Plant leaves and colour
It is always wise to use aquatic plants with different leave size and/or color. This again will create more depth and naturalness. If your tank is not too big (under 60gallon) it is wise to mainly use plants with smaller leaves. That will make it look much bigger than it actually is.

Red aquatic plants (e.g. Red tiger lotus) tespecially can help you give your tank more contrast. But be aware: If you use one single red plant it will again work as a focal point. If you already chose a stone to be a focal point, you may get too much tension into your scape and your eyes will wander from one focal point to the other.

10. Fishes
You shouldn’t add fishes right from the start. There are many articles on fishless cycling in the net. IMO (and not only IMO) it is better to choose schools of small fishes than just a few different big ones. A huge school of tetras or rasboras will make your tank look much bigger (especially on pictures you want to take part in an aquascape competition, don’t you?!?).

Choose fishes that won’t disturb your aquascape. Many species tend to dig, not good for your foreground carpet as you can imagine .Also keep in mind that many fishes that are small when you buy it may easily grow to the size of half your tank. This is neither good for your aquascape, nor for the fish, so ask and READ before buying. Sometimes it is better to read, or ask in the net, because many lfs just want to sell. A bargain which was said to stay small may easily grow to size of a small shark.

11. Maintenance
Setting up an aquascape is one thing, but maintaining and enhancing its beauty is completely different. Only regular pruning and water changing as well as getting the right balance of nutrients/light/CO2 will make you achieve your goal. Sometimes when your aquatic plants grow in, you may even have to change a group of plants, cause it doesn’t look like your original imagination. You just have to give it a try and believe in yourself.

This article is contributed by Birgit Fruehwirth

In recent years the term aquascaping has become better known by aquarists all over the world. The big man from Japan, Takashi Amano started with his books, a new style in aquaristic art. The simple gathering of aquatic plants, beautiful stones and driftwood is no longer the goal of many aquarists. Aquascaping has become a valued art.

This article is based on the style and ideas of the Nature Aquarium, combined with my very own opinions and experiences. It is always a question of personal preferences on what type of aquascape you try to achieve. Many people just love those good looking Japanese aquascapes, but they don’t feel able to achieve it. It is not a question of experience whether you can do it or not. It is no more difficult to have a beautiful Nature Aquarium than it is to have a normal planted tank. It is just the careful selection of aquatic plants and accessories that makes the difference. So many people just don´t have enough self confidence to try it. This article will give you a very compact guideline. Follow the rules and you will achieve your goal.

Amanos Nature Aquarium (NA) is often misunderstood. It is not the aim of the NA to reproduce nature biotopes of special regions. It is more the goal of creating an underwater landscape. A landscape seen before in real nature, not under water.
I myself started, trying to copy some of Amano’s works. But soon I realized that you couldn’t copy anything that has to do with living beings. Nevertheless it is good for practicing to start with copying an aquascape you really like. You will automatically use the right plants, place the stones correctly and create some free space, which will give your tank more depth of field. With time, you will develop your own style, and sometimes you will like it even more than the one you tried to copy.

Then you start your new setups by thinking of a landscape you once saw and really liked. This may be just an accumulation of stones in the mountains, or a huge clearance in a wood. Everyone has his own preferences, so everyone will choose another landscape and get his own style.
In Nature Aquarium, plants AND fishes are the centerpiece of a tank. In providing the best conditions for your plants to grow, you usually do the same for your fishes. When the plants have everything they need to grow well, at the same time they provide the best conditions for your fishes. Plants use up excessive nutrients in the water that may cause Nitrate levels to spike, and they produce oxygen, which is indispensable to the life of fishes.

If you wish to know more about creating those beautiful aquascapes you have seen in books or on the net and you never thought you could achieve, please read on more on aquascaping with aquatic plants here.

Aquatic plants require the same vital elements as soil-based flora. An aquarium plant needs food and sunlight to convert that into energy for use by the plant. They also need the proper balance of trace chemicals in the water which the aquarium plants will absorb into their leaves. Sometimes this balance is achieved during the original planting, but sometimes adjustments will have to be made.

Here, you’ll find some worthwhile tips which will help you grow live aquarium plants.

Using aquatic plants helps your tank maintain a viable ecosystem. They absorb waste products given off by fish, and re-oxygenate the water. Aquarium plants also help to prevent algae growth by using the nutrients that algae would use, and filling the natural formation of photosynthetic flora. Tropical fish, by instinct, hide around and among aquatic plants, so having them in the tank promotes healthy fish as well as a healthy environment for those fish.

All flora requires ample lighting. Aquarium plants need from 8 to 12 hours of sunlight or artificial light every day. Natural sunlight is always best, tank lighting is an alternative. Be sure that the tank is set up in such a way that this is available to aquatic plants, but also provide shadowed recesses for nocturnal fish, such as catfish. Too much light will promote the growth of algae, and is detrimental to the health of fish and live aquarium plants. There must be a scheduled light/dark ratio for tank design, because too much or insufficient lighting creates stress in tank life.

This is the easiest aquatic plant care task. When a tank has a variety of well fed fish. Live aquarium plants take in the nitrogen and carbon from fish waste, and absorb trace elements which dissolve from fish food. Tap water offers some required elements to aquarium plants in addition to providing a relatively stable pH and gH balance. As long as your fish are well fed and plentiful, your live aquarium plants will grow well. Perform a weekly check of the acidity of the water, but a well designed tank needs little additional care.

If algae has begun to grow, either inside the tank, or on the plants, it is a sign that one of the three basic aquatic plant care steps needs attention. First, check the tank’s pH and gH levels. If this is fine, determine whether you have enough aquatic plants for the environment. One or two aquarium plants per cubic foot is a rough guide, but needs vary according to factors such as number of fish, and amount of lighting. Make sure that the aquarium plants are experiencing light/dark periods each day, yet not being stressed by exposure to direct light throughout the whole day. Live aquarium plants create a stable tank environment and an enjoyable and entertaining tank layout.

Read on more if you are ready to find out how easy is it to setup a planted tank.

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

The sight of a colourful aquarium in a corner of the room not only adds to the beauty of the room but also has a soothing effect on your mind too.

If you are feeling enthusiastic about having such an arrangement for yourself,you have to start thinking of the tank, the first item towards building your aquarium.

Choice of a tank—its size and shape:

The size of the tank should be determined in relative to the size of your room and the point where you want to keep it.
The size of a tank is measured by its capacity of holding water,and is classified as follows:

Small: This will hold less than 10 gallons
Medium: Its capacity varies from 10 to 45 gallons.
Large: its capacity is more than 45 gallons.

Apart from available space you have to keep your budget in mind and the time you’ll be able to devote to its maintenance, though the initial setting-up of the aquarium will need the same amount of time.
As can be guessed a larger tank will demand more of your time,not to mention the initial and running expenses.

1. While deciding the precise point where you are going to house your tank bear in mind that it should be away from direct sunlight as well from surfaces,which would get damaged by water.

2. Having decided the spot for keeping it,take measurements of the available area and note down the dimensions.You will find these dimensions handy while finalizing the size and shape of the tank and its stand.

It is always better to buy your stand and tank arrangement a little shorter,say by an inch or two than the available floor-space.This will help you to accommodate small accessories associated with filter and lights etc., and offers an easy approach to these items.

3. Having studied the preliminaries,you can step out to visit a store or search on the web for the choice of tanks being offered these days.
Apart from the traditional rectangular tanks,you can get those in a variety of shapes and materials.You may have a round, hexagonal or a vertical tank.While deciding the shape, keep in mind the ease with which corners can be cleaned.

Likewise a vertical tank may be a good idea if you are short of floor space.

But,it has its own drawbacks too.These tanks would hold fewer fish than a conventional tank.Here’s how. To maintain a good health fish need oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.

This exchange of gases is a continuous process-taking place near the top of water surface.As squared tanks offer smaller area for being in contact with air,as compared to rectangular shapes,one can’t have as many fish there as in a rectangular tank.

4. Conventional tanks are made of glass.But the hexagonal shaped or round tanks that you
might come across are molded out of acrylic.

Both the materials have their own advantages as well limitations.

You should realize that an acrylic tank with rounded corners is lighter in weight and would not break as easily like glass.
These tanks may cost more and get scratched and discoloured whereas glass tanks are heavier but harder to get scratched.

Depending upon your priorities you have to compromise on the characteristics of the materials used.

Once you have taken a decision of the tank that you are going to have,please keep the following guidelines in mind with respect to the number of fish you can have in your tank.

Never overcrowd you tank as it causes stress to fish leading to their ill health and makes their maintenance all the more difficult.

Tropical freshwater tanks can hold one inch (tail included) of fish per gallon of water.That means for a 10 gallon tank you should have not more than five fish of two-inch size or ten fish of one-inch size.

Saltwater tanks permit one inch of fish for every 5 gallons whereas coldwater tanks would allow one fish for every 2 gallons of water.

Keeping these fundamentals in mind go ahead to have a live colourful spot in your room.

David
AquaticMagic

Unlike most other living beings that survive on oxygen, aquatic plants essentially live on CO2. As they don’t get enough of it in tanks, we have to inject it there. Another essential item for the aquarium plant survival is light because that is the medium thru which they process their food. This process is called Photosynthesis. NO light means no photosynthesis and thus no food for your plants and their eventual death. So we have to maintain a balanced diet by adjusting these two elements.

As in the case of humans, a deficient diet reflects on their health, so is the case with aquatic plants. In both the cases we look for symptoms to know which nutrient is deficient. If you are already handling plants you might have observed that a low growth is generally caused by insufficient light or co2. In such plants it becomes a bit too difficult to realize other deficiencies as the symptoms are not so apparent. On the other hand in high growth planted tanks with lots of light and plenty of co2, aquatic plants grow so fast that there is a depletion of nutrients.

So far we have not been able to develop a scientific system to accurately measure the quantities of nutrients present in a given aquarium plant. So, we go by the Symptomatic Treatment. Before proceeding further, it will help you know that some of the nutrients are mobile while others are immobile. Mobile means that the plant can reclaim nutrients from old leaves and move them towards producing new leaves. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium magnesium and zinc come in this category. Deficiency of these nutrients appears on old leaves. But immobile nutrients cannot be moved from older leaves. Immobile nutrients comprise of boron, calcium, copper, iron, manganese and sulfur. Deficiency of these nutrients will appear on new leaves.

At times one warning signal may be indicative of deficiencies of more than one nutrient while at other times one insufficiency may disguise the other one. Since leaves are the most visible, you should look for signs of deficiencies around those on the aquatic plant. Next you should observe if the leaves being affected are new or the older ones.

The above observations coupled with a study of the following table may prove to be a good helping hand for you in your analysis of the aquarium plant-related deficiencies.

Any matching symptoms for your aquatic plants? It’s time to get some fertilizers for your plants!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

There are many reasons why you need to start a freshwater aquarium. It tends to reduce stress in our hectic lifestyle. It leads to a better understanding of a world that is as different from our own as the Earth is from the Moon and it’s a great hobby to have that leads to making friends and exchanging views with like-minded people.

A freshwater aquarium is the kind of hobby that starts off well in terms of cost and then can rapidly escalate as you begin to realise that there are probably dozens of different tank decoration variations you need to try, CO2 adjusters to buy, new freshwater tank filters and diffusers, not to mention water conditioners, medication for your fish, skimmers and freshwater aquarium plants.

There is so much in fact that if you are just starting out and are looking for in-depth information which will help you with your freshwater aquarium then you have come to the experts.

At Aquatic Magic we have a variety of plants, freshwater aquarium equipment and livestock which are reasonably priced precisely because we understand that a hobby should give pleasure without costing the Earth.

Dip into our website and check out our Blog and get ready to enter a world where you are the master of an aquatic universe.

It was in the late nineteenth century that fish were first kept at home. Originally they were kept for a short span of time and used for consumption. You would normally find home aquariums in towns along the coast where the fish were easily available. Today, nobody would even think of lowering a net into the tank to cook and serve the pet on the dinner table. Home aquariums are meant to entertain and enjoy. They add color and life to any home. They have a soothing effect on the observers. For this reason they are displayed in physician’s offices and at shopping centers where the kids are kept busy while their parents shop.

Let’s examine the benefits of keeping fish rather than bigger animals as pets.

1. They don’t require much care as compared to other pets like dogs, cats or birds. If you are going away on holiday it is okay for you to leave the fish on its own for even a week or more. You just have to get a kind neighbor to feed them maybe a couple of times.

2. They are low maintenance. Although a home aquarium does need recurring cleaning and other maintenance, it is slight as compared to the larger pets.

3. They become a terrific learning tool for growing children. If the kids are involved in caring for the aquarium they learn to be responsible. You can teach them to feed the fish and clean out the tank. It also helps toddlers develop their language skills as they make conversation with the fish. You can name each fish and educate your kids the fun way by asking them to tell the color of the fish or count them. A fish floating at the top is something nobody would want, but since death is unavoidable this is a simple way to help your children understand it and learn to cope.

4. In today’s world with an endless number of cable channels and video games. An aquarium would add a rejuvenating source of fun to the home. So the next time you gather for dinner, turn their attention from the tv to the aquarium and talk about it. This will lead to a lifetime interest in fish keeping as a hobby.

Why wait? Get your home a planted tank with fish now!

David

Elimination of encrusting algae can be accomplished by simply scouring the aquarium sides or cleansing the rocks occasionally. If you have plastic plants and a gravel bed which is entirely white, it will require more effort as you would need to bleach the gravel to eliminate the algae altogether. But if you use bleach which is very poisonous, you must meticulously wash out the gravel thereafter or else even tiny traces could have an adverse effect on the fish in the aquarium.

Extra light is the main reason for green algae. The first few things you should do to eliminate the algae is to reduce the light, change water fractionally and replace the artificial plants with live aquarium plants. Thereafter, an algae killing formula should make sure that the crisis has been eliminated, not to reappear for awhile. Only make sure you don’t overuse it!

What is even more important is to first eliminate the causes that brought about the algae in the first place. Using live aquatic plants is one of the most successful methods of keeping the algae away. Abundant growth of the aquarium plants will filter out the extra light thus keeping the algae under control. Besides, aquatic plants absorb a lot of nutrients from the water therefore leaving extremely little for the algae to feast on. You will be surprised to learn that the ideal plants to space ratio is about 50 to a square foot.

Green algae is supposed to be tasty and an excellent way of eliminating it is to introduce some algae eating fish like the Suckermouth Catfish, Siamese Algae Eater, Peckoltia, Ancistrus or Otocinlus. Is your aquarium lit continuously? Too much light can promote the growth of algae. By making sure your aquarium is lit for at most ten hours in a day, and removing whatever green algae you can get your hands on, you can restrict the growth of algae quite effectively.

You can control the growth of algae by changing the water time and again. In so doing, you will maintain the nutrient levels in the aquarium, which are vital in restricting the growth of algae. You must introduce suitable live aquatic plants that absorb high levels of the same nutrients needed by algae. This will result in the algae getting starved thereby reducing its chances of survival.

The suggestions mentioned here have to be carried out faithfully if you want to have an algae-free aquarium on a continuous basis.

Read on more tips on anti-algae solutions!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

It is not difficult to deduce why most aquariums have aquatic plants. Having aquarium plants in your aquarium not only adds to its aesthetic beauty but also creates an environment closer to the natural habitat of your pet fish. A lot of species of fish feel secure and comfy when there are plants to hide around and there are some that will just not thrive in the absence of plants. Some species of fish live around rocks and feel safe among rocky and cave-like structures. If you find that the fish are damaging your plants by feasting on them or uprooting them, try using rocks and some bits of wood. Or perhaps you could select floating aquarium plants that don’t need to go into the substrate or plant hardy aquarium plants that grow pretty fast and are none the worse after being nibbled at.

Aquatic plants maintain the quality of water in the tank besides beautifying it and providing shelter to your fish. Just as plants and fish exist together in the wild waters and maintain the ecosystem so also they bring the same benefits while living together in an aquarium. The waste matter let out by the fish serves as a manure to the plants. Thus, instead of floating around in the tank and causing harm to your fish, it will be put to good use if you have live aquarium plants in your tank. However, you must make sure that you trim the plants on a regular basis and remove the dead or rotting parts so that the water does not get polluted. The live aquarium plants use carbon dioxide thus maintaining a healthy level in the tank and produce oxygen which is crucial for the fish. The plants are also home to a variety of micro organisms which help maintain the water content. Having live aquarium plants leaves very few nutrients for the growth of algae.

Several species of fish will just not reproduce in an aquarium having no plants. A few species need the plants just to hide around them and feel safe. Others require leaves to fasten their eggs to. If you are bringing up the baby fish in the same tank as the adult fish, the survival rate of the young ones is found to be much higher if the aquarium is dense with plants, creating a great hiding place for them. Plants with plenty of tiny leaves should work well. Fry that has newly hatched can also use little caves, stones or any artificial decoration as a safe hiding place.

For the process of photosynthesis, plants require light. If your aquarium has only fish, you don’t need much light. But if you decide to plant your aquarium densely, you will need to enhance the lighting. Fluorescent lights work better than the normal incandescent ones. However, although they are comparatively a bit more expensive, they do not give out as much heat and save electricity. Some plants require even stronger light, but to begin with let us stick to rugged aquatic plants like Java Moss and Java Fern. These live aquarium plants can endure a varied series of pH values and water hardness.

Instead of planting Java Fern in the substrate, it is better to fasten it to a bit of rock or wood where it will start giving out roots. Java Moss and Java Fern both multiply easily. Soon you will find that little plants have appeared on the old ones. Just break them off and attach them to some support and watch them grow all over again.

Read on more about setting up a simple nano tank to fit into a small corner of your home, or even in the tidy office space.

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

Water gives life and it is this element more than any other that drives the creativity and passion of aquarium enthusiasts. Contained within a few cubic meters of water enclosed on five sides by glass is the opportunity to create a world that is every bit the outcome of the aquarium owner’s imagination.

You can create a salt-water environment and populate it with tropical fish and tropical plants. You can go for fresh water fish and try a starter’s approach you can spice up your existing tank with plants and decorations and you can work out ways to make your aquarium unique.

Irrespective of what you decide to go for an aquarium is a blank canvas and you, its creator. Within its confines you can imagine infinite worlds of infinite beauty and AquaticMagic gives you all the tools necessary to create. From nice-to-have accessories such as the Mist Maker to essentials like Filters and Water Conditioners.

An Aquarium, properly handled, has the capacity to become an object of infinite beauty, a microworld within which one has the capacity to realize William Blake’s mystical observation: “Seeing the world in a grain of sand/and eternity in an hour”.

You probably realize of course that an Aquarium also has the capacity to become a floating money lake which constantly absorbs money. This is where AquaticMagic is special too. Driven by the philosophy to offer a great product at a great price the AquaticMagic folks source their produce directly from the farmers who produce them, cutting out the middleman and realizing savings which are passed directly to their customers.

With a 100% satisfaction guarantee that gives you a free replacement or a full refund should a mishap happen during shipping, AquaticMagic are dedicated to living up to their billing and helping aquarium enthusiasts across the entire range of fishkeeping to expand their hobby, develop their interest and save money by getting more for their buck.

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