Plan. Plan. Plan. 

 

Planted aquariums like most aquariums require prior planning. You should know what pieces of character (drifwood, rocks, plants etc.) you'd like to incorporate and have a general idea of how everything should look together even after it's fully grown out. Most of us will have only a limited options for decorative items so you will want to try to make the most of what you have. In this article we will go over how to incorporate a few decorative pieces like driftwood and rocks to encompass a lot of different settings, the lighting requirements, equipment requirements and general design tips.

 

 

Equipment requirements 

 

 

Plants can be ordered online without difficulty and the variety is endless. So you should have a great variety of plants to choose from. Of course you will have to have the right habitat set up for the plants you want. Some plants require low lighting and dim areas to settle while other plants require very powerful lighting. In an aquarium setting, ideally you want both kinds to set multiple layers to your aquarium.  But you can't mix the two unless you plan on a shaded area specifically for low light plants. So think multiple settings in your aquarium when you're designing them.

 

Low tech planted tank - Low tech planted tanks require much less equipment and end up being cheaper. But this will also limit you on the variety of plants and unless you have a perfect set up, it will be hard to have a flourishing tank. Low tank planted tanks can actually be supplemented with natural sunlight if the situation allows it. This would greatly improve the vibrance of the plants and the likelyhood of success. However, there are issues with this. If you overfeed your tank, you can easily end up feeding algae blooms. You have to remember the sunlight is a very powerful energy source and if you give this energy food and if your plants can't absorb it all, something else (most likely algae) will take up those nutrients and multiply out of control.

 

High tech planted tank - High tech plants usually involve high energy lighting and CO2. CO2 is an essential building block for plants and if supplied in moderation at a target rate, it can be extremely helpful in growing plants. And of course a quality light source would be the engine behind the growth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design Concept

 

When designing an aquarium you have to start with the shape of the aquarium. Start a basic idea of how you want all your ornaments or rocks to fit. For long and narrow tanks you might want tall skinny rocks only sparcely and with a wide tank you can have much more freedom with the design.  

Freedom and a little bit of rebellion is required. Don't try to model your aquarium in what you've seen, try to design it then take a step back. Mark all the changes you want to make then make it, then look back again. You will need to do this process around 5 times to get it perfect.

 

 

 

Maintenance

 

Maintenance planning is crucial. Your aquarium will only thrive as much as you help it. Don't get in over your head. Be reasonable with yourself about maintenance upkeep. Planted aquariums usually require more maintenance than other aquariums, not because the water is dirty but usually you will always have dead leaves and other plant matter floating around that you will have to clean