Cheap Scapes: Tips for Budget Aquascaping

Although we look at beautiful sweeping aquascapes in magazines and books and websites in awe, not all of us can afford such an investment. A fully equipped, top of the line aquascape can easily cost in the thousands of dollars, about as much as a fancy reef aquarium. Here are some tips to save cash and have a great looking aquarium at the same time.

1. Buy Used - Getting a brand new tank or brand new equipment may be appealing, but it often costs a fortune. Most of the money in an aquarium is devoted to lighting, filtration, and the actual tank and stand itself. Finding these used can save you a fortune. Sure, you'll have to put up with some scratches in the tank glass or maybe a somewhat noisy filter, but they'll still function just the same. Just make sure everything is in working order before you pay. The best part of this though, is that even if it doesn't work, you end up spending 1/10th what you'd spend on it new, so you can either throw it out or fix it up. eBay, Craigslist, and the For Sale section of fish forums are the best places to look.
2. Smaller is Cheaper - We all know deep down we want a 120+ gallon tank so we can have a sweeping aquascape with hundreds of fish and plant species. Heck, who wouldn't want to follow in Amano's footsteps and create a whole room sized aquarium? The problem is, as the size expands, so does the price. Exponentially, in fact. To support that bigger tank you need a bigger stand (or even a bigger room/apartment/house!), more light, bigger filters, more power to run all the equipment, more substrate, and more money spent on stocking it with fish and plants. Compromise on size. In fact, look at a smaller tank as a challenge. Aquascaping a nano is much, much harder than a large tank. As a benefit, the maintenance won't take a whole day either!
3. Do It Yourself - Love that fancy glass CO2 diffuser? Oops, it costs more than you paid for your second-hand tank! Not to worry, there are often many simple, quick, and best of all FREE (or really really cheap) ways to improve your aquarium. DIY CO2 can save you hundreds of dollars and DIY lighting is effective as well. You can even make a DIY filter if you've got the right tools and don't mind troubleshooting a few leaks and issues (trust me, I've done it). Although some of these DIY adventures will often result in just a temporary solution (like my DIY filter that was replaced by a second hand Eheim after a month) they can be a lot of fun and with persistence can save you money. Check out the DIY section for some example projects. DIY can also apply to the hardscape in your tank. Why buy rocks and wood when you can find it outside for free? Granted, not everyone can find appropriate rocks and wood locally and you have to be careful in what types of wood and rock you put in your tank and what it might introduce. With proper procedures though, you can get an awesome, natural hardscape for free!
   
4. Be Patient - Sure you can rush out to the fish store and buy 20 tetras and splurge on 4 or 5 of each exotic high-light plant and your tank will look pretty good...for a few days. However, very soon you might be faced with a mass die off as ammonia levels spike and plants wither and rot. It's the ultimate tank meltdown as you watch all that money you spent on plants and fish melt into goo. Be patient and hold off on fully stocking your tank and don't get difficult plants right off the bat. Add new fish gradually and fill the tank up with cheap, fast growing, hardy plants to fend off algae and absorb the ammonia. These cheap plants can often be found for free, which brings me to my last point.
5. Leverage the Community - There's a huge community of fish keepers and aquascapers out there. You can find them in aquarium clubs or online in fish forums. Most, if not all, have members who are willing to give away excess plants and fish for FREE. These are usually easy to grow starter plants or fish that are hardy and multiply quickly: perfect for a start up tank. Then, once you get established, you can return the favor and give away your excess and move on to the harder varieties. Once you have an excess of these, you can even sell them back to the community, generating some revenue to offset the cost of the hobby. Try Aquabid for cheap plants and fish; you can sell your own plants and fish there too. You probably won't break even, but it'll help mitigate the ongoing maintenance costs associated with an aquarium.

Hopefully these tips can help you achieve a beautiful aquascape without spending thousands of dollars. Although it can be an expensive hobby, you can get just as much enjoyment out if it for a fraction of the price.

Substrates for the Planted Aquarium

Choosing the right substrate for your planted aquarium is an important decision that will have long term affects on your plants. Although the impacts may not be as immediately visible as say lighting or CO2 choices, the substrate in your planted aquarium is a critical part of your aquarium's ecosystem and vital to the health of your plants. There are many different options, all of which have benefits and drawbacks, but I'll highlight some of the most popular options. Overall, there are a few basic requirements that must be met to be appropriate for a planted aquarium:

• A planted aquarium substrate should not be too large or too small (usually between 3-8mm per grain). This is to accommodate root growth; grains that are too small will suffocate and crush roots while large grains won't provide enough contact with the roots.
• A planted aquarium substrate should not affect the water chemistry negatively. Many substrates are designed for other uses, including salt water use, and may leech minerals and salts into the water. For example, crushed coral leeches calcium into the water of an aquarium. This can raise the pH and KH (carbonate hardness) in a freshwater planted aquarium to damaging levels. Substrates that maintain a constant pH level may also be undesirable, as different plants thrive under different conditions, and changing a substrate is probably one of the most difficult procedures to complete in an established aquarium.

The most valuable input and feedback on popular planted substrate brands comes from hobbyists themselves, and much of this information has been taken from planted aquarium forums. Therefore, you'll get much more information than just what it says on the label. If you have a chance, do a search for planted aquarium substrate or one of the following brands on a planted aquarium forum, such as Aquatic Plant Central. Just remember to take what you find with a grain of salt, as these are often extremely un-scientific reviews.

Planted Aquarium Specific Substrates

Eco-Complete

$20-25 for a 20lb. bag

One of the top planted aquarium substrates today, Eco-Complete is a balanced, easy to use substrate. It comes populated with beneficial bacteria, so if you are starting a new tank, you can jump-start the cycling process. It also doesn't require rinsing, which is a big pain to have to do, and an even bigger pain later if you don't do it! It comes packed with essential nutrients and minerals required for live plants and shouldn't impact your water parameters (Unless you bought a really old bag, as they did have a few quality problems about a year ago. These can be identified by milky white liquid in the bag, but they will replace the bag for free). The grain sizes are within range for optimal root growth and the appearance is of a deep black sandy gravel. It's also rounded gravel, and poses no threat to bottom feeding fish which may hurt themselves on sharp edged substrate. I use Eco-Complete almost exclusively, and for the price, you can't buy a better substrate in my opinion!


Flourite
$15-20 for a 15lb. bag

Flourite has been around for a while and is not as technologically advanced as other substrates available now but is still an old stand by. It is a clay based substrate with a reddish color that comes from its high iron content. The major drawback with Flourite is that is needs to be rinsed extensively before putting it in the aquarium, otherwise it will severely cloud up the water. It's also larger than other planted substrates and may pose a problem for plants with small, delicate roots. It doesn't have as much or as many minerals and nutrients as other planted aquariums substrates available today. However, you can't really go wrong with Flourite: it's tried and true.

ADA Aquasoil
$26 for a normal type 9L bag (roughly equivalent to a 15lb bag) from ADG

Supposedly the best planted substrate money can buy, Aquasoil is researched and manufactured by Takashi Amano's Japanese company, ADA. There are several different varieties, based on biotopes from around the world. These range from Amazonia to Malaya and Africana, all with different colors and properties to simulate the biotope for which they are named. Made up of round grains, the substrate maintains gaps allowing for water circulation to prevent roots from suffocating, although now they also sell a powdered version to make the top level of the substrate more attractive. It's engineered to lower the pH and general hardness (GH) of the water (this effect is not to be confused with the lowering of pH associated with adding CO2; simply lowering the pH using Aquasoil is not adding any CO2!). Most plants grow better at a lower pH of about 5.5-6.5. If that weren't enough, Aquasoil also acts as a passive filter, capturing floating particles. Nobody knows exactly what it's made of, but it maintains its shape long-term and provides nutrients for root feeders. I haven't been feeling wild enough to start a tank with Aquasoil yet (even though the price is now quite competitive) but others who have swear by it. If you don't have a large tank, or like knowing you bought the best money can buy, Aquasoil is for you.

Soil
Cheap!

Diana Walstad's book, Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, is your bible for using regular potting soil. Most people who use soil are following her methods to create a "el Natural" style aquarium. The benefits of this style is that it requires very little maintenance or fertilizing. However, using soil submerged can be very challenging and there are many ways to do it wrong, leading to certain disaster. Like in nature, a soil substrate does grow plants very well. If you plan to use soil, definitely read her book or ask around on planted aquarium forums for advice!

Traditional Substrates

Regular Inert Gravel
$10-15 for a 20lb bag

Believe it or not, regular intert gravel can also be used quite successfully as a planted aquarium substrate. More intensive fertilization will have to be done to maintain more demanding plants, but it is possible. If going this route, try to get smaller gravel as most gravel sold will be large and difficult to root small delicate plants and stem plants with shallow roots. If you already have an established aquarium with gravel, this is ideal, as the fish mulm has already accumulated in the gravel and will act as a fertilizer. If you are starting from scratch, root tabs or other substrate fertilizers can be used to give plants a boost until the mulm builds up.

Sand
$5 for 20lbs or less

Sand must be used with caution as a planted aquarium substrate. It is very attractive, but has many downsides. First, it tends to compact, making it very difficult for roots to grow into it. Secondly, this compacting can lead to reduced circulation and pockets of anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) bacteria thriving, creating toxic gas bubbles. To prevent this, it's best to either layer one of the other planted aquarium substrates underneath the sand or use a very large grain sand. Overall, sand is best reserved for an accent area, creating a sandy beach effect, and is not ideal for growing plants.

Substrates to Avoid

Red Sea FloraBase

I almost bought this planted aquarium substrate as it was attractive and not too expensive. However, I looked up other's thoughts online and found out that although it is a great planted aquarium substrate for the first year or so, it requires replacing (it even says so on the label). Otherwise the granules, shaped similarly to ADA Aquasoil granules, will begin to lose their shape and "melt" into mush. This can be disastrous. Coupled with the fact that changing the substrate in an established tank is all but impossible without totally destroying it, this planted aquarium substrate is one to avoid unless you tear down your aquariums every year.

Laterite (Cat Litter)

This is not really a substrate but more of an additive to substrate. It is a form of clay that contains iron and acts as a sponge to store nutrients, but is meant to be mixed into the existing substrate (usually inert gravel). However, it is clay, and thus gradually softens into a mud-like substance that if disturbed, will cloud your tank dramatically. If, like me, you move plants around frequently, this can mean a cloudy tank all the time.


So these are the top planted aquarium substrates and those to avoid as a planted aquarium substrate. There are many more options, but these are less common and more experimental. You can find an infinite number of combinations of materials and their performances on planted aquarium forums. As for substrate depth, 2-3 inches is generally the rule of thumb. Shallower than that will lead to problems with roots not being able to go deep enough and it will be hard to anchor plants. Much deeper...well why would you make it much deeper? You're keeping a fish tank, not an ant farm! Good luck!

Do's and Don'ts of Water Changes in the Planted Aquarium

I recently received an email from a reader concerning water changes in a small 1 gallon planted aquarium. She was planning on keeping a few Heterandria formosa (tiny live bearing fish, pictured above) and live plants but had some questions about water changes:

But I can't figure out, how often and how much for water changes? Will water changes in this circumstance harm the system more than help it? What do you think?

This got me thinking. Why not write a post on the do's and don'ts of water changes in the planted aquarium? So, here they are:

Do change 30-50% of the aquarium's water every 1-2 weeks. This is variable based on fish load and filtration, but not on the aquarium's size. From 1 gallon to 100 gallons, 30-50% is a good rule of thumb. This removes all the toxins and excess nutrients that build up in the water.

Don't rely on filters to clean the water. Filters don't remove excess nutrients and toxins from the water, they just trap it so it can be removed easier when you clean your filter. However, filters also can't remove many things effectively.

Do make sure the water you use to fill the aquarium back up is the same temperature as the aquarium water. Drastic changes in temperature stress the fish and can lead to disease and even instant death in extreme cases.

Don't forget to add a water conditioner that removes chlorine and/or chloramines if you are using tap water. These can kill fish and even plants if not removed. Water conditioners also often remove heavy metals such as copper that may harm plants and fish.

Do water changes after courses of medication, after stirring up the substrate doing a re-scape, or after accidentally overdosing anything, including fertilizers. Water changes help to "reset" the aquarium by removing dissolved waste and chemicals. They are often a cure-all for many aquarium related problems, and rarely cause harm if done in moderation.

Don't remove more than 50% of the water during a water change if you can help it. Sometimes, more than 50% is needed in extreme cases (such as ammonia spikes or overdoses), but this can put stress on the fish and the beneficial bacteria in the aquarium. It can lead to rapid changes in water parameters (such as pH) that are as stressful to fish as rapid temperature changes.

Dutch Vs. Nature Style Aquariums

In the world of aquascaping and planted tanks, there are two major schools of thought: the Dutch style and the Nature style (also called Japanese style, but not to be confused with the el Natural style which is not a style of aquascaping but an entirely approach to keeping a planted aquarium). Both are popular styles that are based on the arrangement of plants in the aquarium and the way it is aquascaped and are by no means the only way to aquascape a tank. Most hobbyists choose to loosely follow one school based on their own personal preference of what they think looks better.



Dutch aquariums are an older style of aquascaping, dating back to early 20th century Holland. The style focuses on neat rows of plants radiating out from a central focal point, with lower plants in front and taller plants in the back (creating depth). You'll often see this described as "streets" or "avenues" using plants.



Dutch aquascapes also feature more colorful aquatic plants. They can be likened to a well kept garden, where all the plants are arranged with a purpose and kept well trimmed and defined. It may not be the most natural looking, but it is extremely beautiful and visually interesting. A significant hardscape (rock and/or driftwood) is usually not present or visible. Color, contrast, and the beauty of the individual plants is paramount.



The Nature aquarium style was pioneered by Takashi Amano in the last decade. The style of this type of aquascape is very much focused on nature and imitating both natural landscapes and snapshots of natural environments. This means that a Nature style aquascape can look like a miniature version of a mountain range with tree lined slopes, or like a scene under the surface of a small river.


Hardscape usually plays a role in framing the aquascape or helps to create flow. Nature style aquascapes are often also one of three shapes: concave shaped, convex shaped, or triangular. Concave means that the height of the plants decreases to some central low point, then slopes back up. Convex is the opposite of concave, and is often called an "island" shape since the plants are low on either side but high in the middle. Finally, triangular shaped aquascapes are shaped like a right triangle, and the height of the plants slopes gradually from high on one side of the tank to low on the other. In most Nature style aquascapes, there is only one main focal point and it is almost always positioned according to the Golden Rule. Natural appearance, flow, and other Japanese gardening principles are most important

Within each of these styles there are further sub-styles that I'll explore a little further in another article.

Aquascape Analysis #5: ADA Tank 35

This week's Aquascape Analysis is ADA Tank 35 from the ADA Thailand website. This is a beautiful tank with a mossy foreground, tall busy background plants, and a great sense of depth.


If we take a look at the profile, we can see fairly easily that this is a "V" shaped aquascape. In fact, the plants on either side nearly reach the surface of the aquarium. The deep drop in the middle combined with the gradually shorter plants towards the middle create a sense of perspective as well, creating depth.


The focal point of this aquarium is the only red plant in the aquascape, off-center in the background. Since it is the only red plant in the aquascape, it draws the viewer's gaze immediately. A red plant among green is often the easiest way to create a focal point. There are several secondary focal points as well, with the bright green plants on the right and left dominating. However, the small anubias in the midground also serve as a secondary focal point due to the contrast in leaf shape, size, and color against the moss and a dark background.


As for the flow of this aquascape, it tends to originate from the focal point (as in most Amano style aquascapes). It then moves towards the left side of the tank. This is the dominant side of the tank, despite the brightness of the right. It's the depth and contrast of textures on the left side that draws the viewer's gaze. The viewer's gaze then either returns to the focal point or moves to the right side, directed by the moss covered driftwood. A large part of the right side is also dark, adding to the submissive role this side plays in the overall aquascape.


As for the foreground (green), midground (yellow), and background (blue), the foreground is clearly almost entirely moss. This aquascape makes use of moss as a ground cover and it helps at a messy, wild feeling to the aquarium (without actually being too messy or wild, almost a controlled chaos). The midground makes up the bulk of the right side and most of the moss covered driftwood. I included the right side in the midground because I feel that due to a lack of depth, the right side almost feels like it is right up to the glass (and it is to some extent, note the large dark space in the bottom right). The background makes up the remaining part of the tank, including the focal point and some of the plants from the right hand side that are further towards the back of the tank.

The major lesson that can be learned from this aquascape is that the use of depth can affect the flow and composition of the aquascape greatly. By using depth on the right hand side, the aquascape draws the viewer's gaze to this side. The right side is much closer to the viewer, and is thus not as comfortable to look at compared to the left side. Perspective and depth can also be forced in smaller tanks by placing plants in a gradually descending row. This effect has to be fine tuned, but if used correctly, can add depth to even the smallest tanks.

Taking the First Steps Towards a Planted Aquarium

So you currently have a fish only aquarium and you're interested in adding live plants, but you're daunted by all the equipment needed and extra time and money spent on fertilizing and trimming. You barely have the time to maintain your current set up and doubt you'd have any extra time to care for the plants. You read articles about CO2 and NPK and substrates and light levels and it all just overwhelms you to the point of giving up.

If this sounds familiar, read on.

Most people are daunted by planted aquariums, and rightly so. Obtaining a shimmering paradise of lush green plants and vibrant fish is not an easy task. You are emulating nature, and keeping everything in balance is no easy task. The key is to start out slowly. Before spending money on lighting upgrades and CO2 systems and other bells and whistles, try some hardy, low-light plants in your current set up. As long as you have a light, there are certain plants you can grow in any aquarium. Picking the right plants is very important though. This is where a lot of people's dream of a planted aquarium dies as they watch their first (or far from first!) plants slowly wither away and die.

You need plants that are tough and don't need a lot of light. That means they aren't going to grow very fast, but they will probably survive. Here are some options for your first plants in a very low light setup (under 1.5 watts per gallon), and please note that the pictures are of specimens that were probably grown under more light and thus are more lush and green:

Java Fern - an old standby, this plant grows off of a rhizome and should not be planted in the substrate or the rhizome will rot. Simply tie it to a rock or driftwood or anchor it on top of the substrate and it will attach itself via roots. Java Ferns are very slow growers and produce little baby plants on their leaves. These can be separated once large enough and anchored and they will grow into a new plant.

Java Moss - a stringy moss that also grows slowly can be grown un-anchored (it actually naturally sinks) or tied to an object to which it will attach. Not the prettiest plant in a low light environment as it tends to be stringier, but a very hardy plant. It can become somewhat of a pest though if it gets into your filter, though I've never had a problem with this since it sinks.

Duckweed - a floating plant that grows rapidly on the surface of the water, duckweed can often be gotten for free from any pet store, where it is often an unwanted pest. It sucks up nutrients rapidly and can quickly cover the surface of your aquarium blocking most light, so if you have other plants, duckweed is not recommended. It is also quite hard to get rid of once you get it, since the leaves can be tiny and if you leave even just one behind it can turn into hundreds in a short amount of time. Some fish do enjoy eating this plant though, especially goldfish.

Anubias - Most of the Anubias available will grow in almost any light and are quite pretty. However, some grow to be quite large, so you may want to look online for a "petite" variety that tends to stay much smaller. These plants also have a rhizome and should not be buried in the substrate but tied to driftwood, rocks, or anchored above the substrate. Anubias are very slow growers as well.

Aponogetons - These plants grow from a bulb and do well in low light. They can however get quite large as well. Plant the bulb under the substrate just as you would a normal plant. Many come in the form of dried bulbs available as "mystery plants" at less than reputable pet stores. To grow it, simply plant the bulb in the substrate.




Cryptocorynes - Depending on the type of crypt, some can survive in very low light. Most of the commonly available varieties (C. wendtii) are fairly hardy. They grow slowly, but don't like being moved around after they're rooted.


These plants shouldn't need any fertilizers aside from what you regularly feed your fish and should stay alive in almost any aquarium. Growth will be slow, but that's to be expected with these plants and low light. With these plants, you can have a planted aquarium with almost no additional effort on your part. The plants will help to clean the water and add oxygen and should increase the overall stability of the aquarium. Another benefit of these slow growing, hardy plants is that you don't have to worry about trimming back your plants every week (except Duckweed, which may need thinning out every week or so, but all that takes is a scoop or cup).

From there you can slowly add better lights, better substrate, CO2, and fertilizers at a rate that you're comfortable with. I'd recommend adding CO2 first, before brighter lights, only because adding brighter lights with no CO2 can lead to algae problems. That and adding CO2 to an aquarium with low light can till provide a noticeable boost in plant growth (almost as big as a new light).

Or you can simply enjoy it as is. You can certainly make an attractive planted aquarium without any additional technology or effort. So go ahead, add a few hardy plants and take the plunge into planted aquariums!

Benefits of Plants in the Aquarium

While surfing around the other aquarium websites on the internet, most dealing with fish only freshwater aquariums, I noticed that a large part of keeping a fish only aquarium is trying to overcome the drawbacks of not having live plants. It also made me realize how hard it was to actually keep fish when I still had a fish only aquarium. Diseases such as Ich were commonplace, and although the medicine was available to treat the diseases, I still invariably lost a few fish along the way. This never struck me as strange until now. Instead of desperately trying to keep the fish alive, in a planted aquarium the goal shifts to keeping the plants happy. If the plants are happy, the fish thrive. This is due to the immense benefits that keeping live plants in an aquarium can bring, including:

Aeration - Fish only aquariums are often aerated with an airstone in a desperate attempt to keep oxygen levels high so fish can breathe. In a planted aquarium, as in nature, the live plants provide all the oxygen your fish will ever need through photosynthesis. An airstone and air pump (and all the noise and vibration that go along with them) are unnecessary in a planted aquarium.

Filtration - Power filters, sponge filters, and canister filters are the only means of filtration in a fish only aquarium. It's up to these filters to remove all fish waste and waste produced by excess food. This is achieved through mechanical filtration, chemical filtration (via carbon), and biological filtration (via bacteria growing on the filter media). There are many designs of filters out there and some are better than others, but all suffer from one flaw: if not cleaned properly and regularly, their effectiveness drops. In a planted aquarium, on the other hand, only mechanical filtration is truly needed. Plants can handle chemical and biological filtration fairly well. They absorb chemicals that are harmful to fish (in fact they live off of the chemicals produced by fish waste) and provide a perfect medium for beneficial bacteria to grow on. Of course, plants have their limits of filtration as well and most planted aquariums have a back up filter providing mechanical and biological filtration. Chemical filtration in the form of carbon will remove beneficial compounds and fertilizers needed by plants, and is not advised for a planted aquarium.

Protection - In fish only aquariums, the focus is the fish themselves, and their environment can be somewhat neglected. Not having enough protection can cause fish to be stressed and more succeptable to disease. Although artifical decorations and plants can be bought and put in the aquarium to provide protection and cover for fish, they are inferior to real plants in many ways. First, they provide none of the benefits listed so far aside from a location for beneficial bacteria to colonize. Second, they are much more likely to injure fish. Live plants aren't hard and don't have sharp edges like plastic plants can.

Food Source - The only source of food in a fish only aquarium is the owner of the aquarium (aside from algae for algae eaters). That means the fish are entirely dependent on you and the food you give them. If you don't make wise choices and vary their diet, they may not be as healthy and can become more succeptable to disease. Also, if you forget to feed them, they have no alternative food sources. In a planted aquarium, the fish have a choice. Although not all fish will eat plants, most will pick at the leaves and dead or dying plant matter if no other food is available. It also helps to vary their diet. Many fish are omnivorous and need to eat plant material.

Algae Prevention - Algae is often a problem in fish only aquariums, and although keeping algae eaters and scraping the glass with an algae scraper are ways of combatting some algae, other types of algae are more stubborn. Algae occurs because there are nutrients in the water and there is light (even low light). In a planted aquarium, plants can outcompete algae and use up all of the nutrients in the water. Although this can open up a whole other can of worms while you try to get your light levels and nutrient levels right, once you get your planted aquarium balanced, you will most likely never have to clean the glass or pull algae off the gravel again.

And there you have it. These are only the practical benefits I can think of, there are many many more benefits to owning a planted aquarium, and it's easier than you may think. Even just a few floating plants can make a serious impact in the health of your fish and the tank as a whole. So what are you waiting for? Throw out that noisy air pump and dirty airstone, toss the neon pink plastic plants and cheesy castle decoration, and take the plunge into a planted aquarium. Your fish will thank you!

Aquascape Analysis #4: Filipe Alves Oliveira's "Across the River"

This week's Aquascape Analysis is not an Amano aquarium, but that of Filipe Oliveira. This aquarium, "Across the River" won him the 2006 International Aquascaping Contest promoted by the Aquatic Gardner's Association, so it's no small surprise that it's being featured here!


First, it's easily apparent that the profile of this aquarium is that of a mound, or an inverted "V." This creates attention near the center of the aquarium, which is desired for obvious reasons; in this case it is to bring the viewer in towards the focal point and the mysterious darkness right in the middle of the aquarium.


The focal point of this aquarium is the Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba" and more specifically, a section to the right of the center (circled in red). This section is un-obscured by driftwood and is the brightest section in the photograph. Note the use of hardscape to "frame" the focal point to eliminate the creation of too many or too large a focal point. There is also a secondary focal point to the left in the Ludwigia "Cuba" as well. The cove in the middle of the aquarium isn't really a focal point because of its darkness, but it is certainly a point of interest and the dark, somewhat obscured "river" of sand lined by rocks creates incredible amounts of mystery and hence, fascinates the viewer.


The flow of this aquascape is much different from a traditional Amano aquarium in that it does not radiate out from the focal point, but instead brings the viewer's gaze across the Ludwigia "Cuba" and down the driftwood into the Blyxa japonica and also down into the mysterious cove created in the center of the aquarium. This aquascape shows a viable alternative to Amano's radiating flow direction, although the flow here is much more subtle as the aquascape is much less "busy" than Amano's, requiring a much more gentle guidance of the viewer's gaze. Too harsh a flow and the aquascape may look manufactured.


Finally, we can see the foreground (green), midground (blue), and background (yellow). The G. elatinoides makes up the entire foreground, keeping it simple and not drawing attention. The midground consists primarily of the four large Blyxa japonica plants. These plants also serve to block the viewer's gaze of the base of the Ludwigia "Cuba" which like most stem plants, is often less attractive near the base. The Ludiwigia "Cuba" makes up the entire background, bursting with color and texture.

Overall, the major takeaways from this aquascape are that with a simpler scape, you don't need as much influence on the flow to get the viewer's gaze around the aquarium and that major points of interest need not be the focal point. Here, the cove is intensely interesting to the viewer as it is dark and hard to see where it leads, but it is also sheltered, appealing to our primitive instincts. The textures used in this aquascape also complement each other; the long deep green diagonal leaves of the Blyxa japonica contrast nicely with the bright, reddish whorls of the Ludwigia "Cuba." It's not hard to see that Filipe Oliveira has created a masterpiece out of just three types of plants and a very intriguing cove.

Beginner's Guide to Planted Aquarium Supplies and Equipment

I've decided to try to take a stab at an idea suggested by a visitor and create a shopping list of essential supplies and equipment needed to start and maintain a planted aquarium. As I thought about exactly what was needed, I realized that the supplies and equipment needed depends greatly on one thing: the amount of light in the aquarium. As I've mentioned before, the light in the aquarium is the engine driving the mini-ecosystem. The more light you have, the more equipment and supplies you'll need to keep that ecosystem running smoothly.

All planted aquariums need light, obviously. So the number one item on the list is a light. Lights come in all shapes and sizes and powers (see a guide to making your own cheap high powered lights). How much light you have on your aquarium will determine the rest of the list.

For low light aquariums (1.5-2 watts per gallon unless you have a very small or very large aquarium, then read this post on light in the aquarium) the equipment and supplies needed are minimal. Most are required for any aquarium:

• Light (at least 1.5 watts per gallon)
• Filter (biological and mechanical, the plants will take care of chemical)
• Heater
• Substrate (can be plain gravel, though not ideal)

That's really all you need. In a bare-bones setup like this, you won't grow fancy plants or even grow things particularly well, but low light plants should survive just fine. As you can see, as long as you have an aquarium with fish already, you will likely only need a better light.

For medium light aquariums (2-3 watts per gallon) you will start to need to supplement your plants for them to grow healthy:

• Trace element fertilizer (such as Seachem Flourish or CSM+B)

For high light aquariums (3+ watts per gallon) you must add the following items otherwise your aquarium will quickly become an algae farm:

• CO2 system or Flourish Excel
• Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous fertilizers.

As you increase the amount of light on your aquarium, you increase the demands in terms of fertilizers. Once you get into the high light category, you really need to add fertilizers otherwise the plants will suffer and algae will take over.

It is important to remember, if you add fertilizers or CO2 to a low light aquarium in the proper amounts, you will still see an improvement in growth. There's no rule that says that low light aquariums shouldn't have CO2 or fertilizers. You just have to remember that plants aren't going to grow as quickly and won't need as much fertilization as plants in a high light tank.

As a beginner, I'd recommend starting out with low light and working your way up. Diving straight into a high light aquarium can lead to things quickly spiralling out of control. That, and it's fairly easy to upgrade your aquarium as you go.

Aquascape Analysis #1: ADA Tank 21

This will be the first of many aquascape analysis posts, where beginners and even intermediate aquascapers can learn some of the basics of aquascaping. Each post, I'll take an aquascaped aquarium that I feel is an outstanding example of the art form and perform a detailed analysis of just what makes it so special. This week I'll be analyzing "ADA Tank 21" from the ADA Thailand website galleries. Click on the pictures for larger versions.

This is one of my favorite ADA (Aqua Design Amano) aquascapes because of the colors and the flow. The contrast between the red and the green plants is outstanding, and the light gravel further heightens the contrast. First, let's look at the profile of the scape:


As you can see, this aquascape has a "V" profile, where the plants seem to dip down to some point, creating a valley. This creates interest for the viewer, because their eyes are drawn to this dip. It also creates interest for the viewer. The human mind is curious, and we wonder what's through that dip and behind the tall plants. The variation in height also eliminates the "wall of plants" effect that can occur if all background plants are the same height.


Next, the focal point of this aquascape is clearly the red plant in the middle (I can't quite tell what type of plant it is exactly). It instantly draws the focus and attention of the viewer, acting as a "home base" for their gaze. Note well that this focal point is not in the center of the aquarium, but off to one side, following the Golden Rule of Aquascaping. However, there are also two other points of interest (yellow). From the focal point, the viewer's gaze is drawn to the left and to the right to the two groups of bright green plants on either end of the aquarium. This draws the viewer's eyes in a natural flow around the aquarium and back to the middle.


This flow is further enhanced by the placement of the driftwood. All of the pieces guide the eyes in the direction intended, that is either to the left and the right (or back to the focal point). They essentially act as a road map for the viewer's gaze. Eyes that wander uncontrollably or have no guidance in an aquascape create an uneasy, stressful feeling for the viewer. The driftwood pieces also help to separate the foreground from the background and create a defined midground, but at the same time, soften the boundaries between the areas by transecting them.


Here we can see the three seperate areas of the aquascape. The foreground (in green) is low and consists of moss covered rocks. The midground (blue) consists of driftwood and Java Ferns that add contrast to the fluffy moss foreground. The background (yellow) is the "meat" of this aquascape, with vibrant stem plants making up the entire background. Each area contrasts with the other areas, defining them for the viewer without sudden boundaries. This is done through colors and leaf shape/general plant appearance. This helps to create depth in the aquascape.

The name of the game in this excellent aquascape is contrast and the aquascaper uses colors, plant types and leaf shapes, and flow to help define areas, create depth, and guide the viewer's gaze.

Aquarium Beginner's Guides

According to last month's poll, 83% of you wanted to see more beginner's guides. Now my question to you is, what kind of beginner's guides do you want to see? What do you need help with? What aspect of fish keeping or aquascaping mystifies you? I'm not going to put this into a poll only because I want some open ended answers; you can leave yours as a comment to this post! Hopefully I can get some good ideas and write some guides that are valuable to those starting out or those who just want a better understanding of the hobby.

Shrimp in the Freshwater Aquarium

Crystal Red Shrimp

Keeping freshwater shrimp can be extremely rewarding. If you're bored of fish, or want something other than fish in your aquarium that requires less maintenance, shrimp are a great option. In fact, many people keep tanks of just shrimp! There is just as much variety in the types of shrimp you can keep as the types of fish available. They come in all sizes and colors, range from very easy to keep to quite difficult, and are both easy to breed and nearly impossible in a freshwater aquarium. However, there are a few important things to consider when thinking about adding shrimp in general to an aquarium.

Blue Tiger Shrimp

First, you must consider your existing tankmates (should you have any). Shrimp come in all shapes and sizes, but in general are on the smaller side (around an inch or two). This makes them tasty snacks for larger fish. If you have any large fish, like Oscars or other cichlids, you may want to avoid wasting your money. Also, certain fish eat shrimp in the wild and will quickly consume any you may buy for your aquarium. These shrimp eating fish include loaches, puffers, and some gouramis. Mixing shrimp with fish is also not always a good investment due to the fact that if you buy a type of shrimp that does breed easily, baby shrimp will most likely be quickly snapped up. Therefore, your population will not replenish itself and the larger shrimp will die of old age.

Amano Shrimp

Second, the aquarium is filled with hazards for shrimp that don't exist in the wild, namely filter intakes. Most are shielded somewhat, and this does the job for most adult shrimp unless the filter is particularly strong. However, baby shrimp will be sucked into the filter and, depending upon what type of filter you have, either lead very boring lives stuck in a canister filter or be smashed to death in the impeller. To prevent this, you can either put a piece of stocking over the end of the intake and secure it with a rubber band or plastic tie; cut a hole in a sponge like the types you buy for filter media and stick this over the intake, or switch to air-driven sponge filters. The stocking and sponge options will quickly clog with debris and need to be taken out and cleaned every week or two, so they are quite intensive. The sponge on the other hand is guaranteed not to bubble anything to death, but it will disperse CO2 if you are using it in your aquarium, and they tend to be quite large and ugly (not to mention take up valuable space inside the aquarium).

Cherry Shrimp

Third, make sure the type of shrimp you want matches your aquarium. Neocaridina japonica, or Amano shrimp, grow to be up to 2 inches long and eat algae, but the eggs will not hatch in freshwater. These are best suited for aquariums with fish. Crystal red shrimp can be upwards of $50 per shrimp for a good pattern and are very sensitive to water conditions, but will breed quickly if conditions are right. You wouldn't want to put those in with fish unless you like to give your fish very expensive snacks. Do a little research on the type of shrimp you are interested in and make sure it works with your current or planned setup.

Tiger Shrimp

Finally, shrimp should only be put in a mature tank as they are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrates. They are much more picky about water parameters. I've found that adding certain fertilizers containing trace elements will kill off my Cherry shrimp, but not my Amano shrimp (most likely due to the copper or other heavy metals in the fertilizer). A tank should not be medicated when shrimp are in it. They are often much more sensitive to medications than fish: copper being the most lethal. Even foods should be examined to make sure they do not contain copper.

Overall, shrimp are an excellent addition to an aquarium, and will add color, fun, and help clean the tank!

The Golden Rule of Aquascaping

This is the first in a series of posts about the fundamentals of aquascaping. I'm posting these because I've found them very helpful in creating an aesthetically pleasing aquascape. They are by no means the "rules" of aquascaping, just guides.

When you're planning out an aquascape, one of the most important aspects is where it will draw the viewer's gaze. In fact, a viewer's gaze is what the aquascape is all about. The primary goal of an aquascape is to be pleasing, relaxing, and interesting to look at for the viewer. In order to do so, you need to set a sort of "anchor" for the mind. This is called the focal point. It is the point that draws the gaze of the viewer first, from which they can explore the rest of the tank. A focal point can consist of almost anything, from a red leaved plant to a rock or a piece of driftwood. The only thing it must do is d