Aquascaping is a fascinating niche within the aquarium world, sometimes referred to as underwater gardening. In this art form, we use live plants, mosses, wood, rock, and other natural materials to create stunning, submerged landscapes that captivate our senses. It’s not just about the visual aspects, but also maintaining a healthy environment for aquatic life within the aquarium.
As aquarium enthusiasts ourselves, we know the joy and satisfaction that comes from designing a beautiful tank setup that promotes the well-being of its inhabitants. In aquascaping, we aim to arrange aquatic plants, stones, driftwood, and substrates in an aesthetically pleasing manner while also considering the needs of the various species that call these watery worlds home.
Throughout this article, we will delve further into the realm of aquascaping, exploring various techniques, styles, and best practices for those looking to venture into this captivating underwater art form. So, immerse yourself in our collective passion for aquascaping, as we share our knowledge and insights with you in the paragraphs to come.
Understanding Aquascaping
Origin and History
Aquascaping has been around since the 1930s, when the Dutch started to grow lush aquatic gardens in their tanks. But the most popular style today is the Nature Aquarium, which was invented by a Japanese named Takashi Amano in the 1990s. He was inspired by Japanese gardening and Buddhism, and he wanted to make natural-looking scenes that were balanced and harmonious. Aquascaping is not just about aesthetics, though. It also requires a lot of knowledge and skill to keep the plants and fish healthy and happy.
Key Principles
To create stunning aquascapes, we need to follow four key principles:
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The Rule of Thirds: This composition rule suggests dividing the aquarium into three equal vertical sections and placing focal points at the intersections. This creates balance and visual interest, guiding viewers’ eyes through the layout.
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Balance: Achieving balance involves distributing elements, such as plants and hardscape materials, evenly throughout the tank. We can achieve this by placing larger elements at key focal points and smaller ones elsewhere to maintain harmony and proportion.
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Contrast: Incorporating contrasting elements, such as different textures, colors, and shapes within the aquascape, adds depth to the design. We can use various plants, stones, and driftwood to achieve this effect.
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Unity: To establish unity within an aquascape, we should use a consistent theme or style, ensuring that the elements work together as a cohesive whole.
Aquascaping Styles
There are three popular aquascaping styles that we can consider when designing our tanks:
- Nature Style: The Nature Aquarium, originally created by Takashi Amano, focuses on recreating natural landscapes found in the wild. Our goal when designing a Nature Aquarium is to create a harmonious balance between the hardscape (rocks, driftwood) and the aquatic plants. To achieve this, we often use the golden ratio as a guide to place our focal points.
- Dutch Style: Dutch Style Aquascaping is characterized by its heavy emphasis on aquatic plants, creating an underwater garden that showcases different shapes, textures, and colors. The Dutch Style does not focus on recreating a specific natural habitat; instead, it allows us to use our creativity to create a lush, vibrant underwater landscape.
- Iwagumi Style: The Iwagumi Aquascape is a minimalist style originating from Japan, emphasizing the beauty of simplicity. In Iwagumi designs, we focus on the use of stone as the central element. There are primarily three types of stones used, with one larger stone representing the main focal point.
- Jungle Style : As the name suggests, Jungle Style Aquascapes create a dense, wild appearance, reminiscent of a tropical rainforest. This style allows us to experiment with different plants and hardscape materials, creating a vibrant and diverse underwater ecosystem.
Required Materials and Tools
Aquarium Types and Sizes
When starting with aquascaping, the first thing we need to consider is the size and type of aquarium. This will depend on the desired layout and the number of fish we want to house. Here are some common aquarium sizes for reference:
- Small: 30cm – 45cm width tank, ideal for nano-aquascapes or a limited number of small fish species.
- Medium: 60cm – 90cm width tank, suitable for a variety of plants, rocks, and fish species.
- Large: 120cm width tank and above, perfect for creating extensive aquascapes and accommodating a diverse range of aquatic life.
Substrate Selection
The proper substrate plays a vital role in the health of the plants and the overall appearance of the aquarium. Here are a few substrate options:- Aquasoil: A nutrient-rich substrate designed specifically for aquarium plants, which helps promote healthy root growth.
- Sand: Fine-grained and aesthetically pleasing, which usually does not provide any nutrients for some plants.
- Gravel: A popular choice for beginners due to its ease of maintenance, but may need supplementation with root tabs or fertilizers.
Lighting Requirements
Proper lighting is crucial for the growth of aquatic plants and the overall health of the aquarium. When considering lighting options, we need to be aware of the following factors:- Intensity: The brightness of the light (measured in lumens and not wattage), which should be matched with the specific needs of the plants.
- Spectrum: The color temperature and wavelengths of the light, which can affect the coloration of fish and plants.
- Duration: The amount of time the light is turned on each day, typically ranging from 8-10 hours, depending on the type of plants and fish in the aquarium.
Filtration Systems
An efficient filtration system is essential for maintaining the water quality and overall health of the aquascape. Filtration systems can be divided into three main categories:- Mechanical: These filters physically remove debris and particulates from the water, usually accomplished through the use of filter pads or foam.
- Chemical: These filters remove impurities from the water through the use of chemical media, such as activated carbon or zeolite.
- Biological: These filters promote the growth of beneficial bacteria that help break down organic waste, ammonia, and nitrites, typically using porous filter media like ceramic rings or bio-balls.
Designing and Creating an Aquascape
Hardscape Materials
In our aquascaping journey, we focus on incorporating hardscape materials such as rocks, stones, and driftwood into our aquascape. These materials provide structure and support for our plants while adding visual interest to the overall design. We often source our hardscape materials from local aquarium shops, landscaping suppliers, or nature itself – just remember to properly clean and sanitize materials found in the wild! In our aquascapes, we arrange hardscape materials with intention, considering their size, shape, and color in relation to the surrounding plants. We also ensure that the materials complement each other, creating natural-looking scenes inspired by real landscapes.Plant Selection and Placement
Next, is selecting and placing plants. We like to choose a variety of aquatic plants that thrive in our tank’s specific conditions. It’s essential to consider factors such as lighting, water parameters, and tank size when making our plant selection. By arranging these plants according to their size, texture, and color, we create depth and contrast within our aquascape. When placing plants, we keep in mind the “Rule of Thirds” to create visually pleasing arrangements. This involves dividing the tank into three sections horizontally and vertically. We place the focal points of our aquascape at the intersections of these lines for a balanced and harmonious look.Incorporating Fish and Invertebrates
Lastly, we carefully select fish and invertebrates to incorporate into our aquascape. These living creatures not only bring life and movement to our underwater garden, but also play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem. We often choose fish species that complement the plants and hardscape materials we’ve chosen, both in color and behavior. When selecting fish and invertebrates, we also consider their compatibility with each other as well as their specific needs in terms of water conditions and diet. By doing so, we create a cohesive and healthy environment where all the inhabitants can thrive. In our aquascapes, we strive to find a balance between aesthetics and functionality, ultimately creating underwater oases that are soothing, captivating, and truly a joy to maintain.
Maintenance and Growth
Water Parameters
Aquascaping requires us to maintain proper water parameters to ensure the optimal growth and health of our underwater ecosystem. Regular water testing helps us monitor parameters like pH, KH (carbonate hardness), GH (general hardness), ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Here’s a brief guideline of some desirable water parameters for a typical planted aquarium:
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- KH: 2-7 dKH
- GH: 5-8 dGH
- Ammonia: 0 ppm
- Nitrites: 0 ppm
- Nitrates: <20 ppm
We must perform regular water changes, usually around 30-40% on a weekly basis, to ensure these parameters stay within acceptable ranges. This helps maintain the health of the aquatic plants, fish, and invertebrates in our aquascape.
Fertilization and CO2
In aquascaping, it’s crucial for us to provide our plants with the necessary nutrients for their growth. Just like terrestrial plants, aquatic plants need macro and micronutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese, and zinc. We can supply these nutrients by adding liquid or dry fertilizers to the water column or substrate.
CO2 is also vital for photosynthesis in aquatic plants. Supplementing CO2 will help our plants grow better and faster, leading to a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing aquascape. We can inject CO2 into our aquarium using pressurized cylinders or other CO2 systems to maintain a steady level of dissolved CO2.
It’s essential to find the right balance between nutrient supply, CO2 injection, and lighting, as they all play a significant role in plant growth, ensuring a thriving aquascape and avoiding potential problems such as algae blooms.
Pruning and Trimming
Just like gardening on land, underwater gardening requires us to engage in regular pruning and trimming to maintain our aquascape’s aesthetic appeal and health. Pruning helps us control plant growth, maintain the desired style and shape of our aquascape, and remove unhealthy or dead plant matter.
We should get into the habit of regularly inspecting our aquascape and trimming excess or unwanted growth. It’s important to use the right tools, such as aquascaping-specific scissors and tweezers, to handle delicate aquatic plants without causing damage.
By focusing on water parameters, fertilization, CO2 supplementation, and pruning, we’ll ensure our aquascape remains a thriving, beautiful underwater landscape that we can enjoy and share with others.
Conclusion
Aquascaping is a hobby that combines creativity, gardening and aquarium keeping. Aquascaping can be enjoyed by anyone who loves nature and wants to bring a piece of it into their home. In this guide, we have introduced some of the basic concepts and styles of aquascaping, as well as some tips and tricks to get you started. We hope you have found this guide helpful and inspiring. If you would like to know more you are more welcome to come visit our showroom or participate in our aquascaping workshops to learn more. Happy aquascaping!
