Aquascaping, Planted Tank and the Future of Fishkeeping

In almost all of the cities you can still find people buying a bowl or jar to keep colorful fishes inside it. Now we know it is crime! You are making the fish's life measurable and it will die withing few days anyway. We have come a long way after this in the fishkeeping hobby. We know the importance of a proper square shaped aquarium and filtration system. We know how to control water temperature and keep the inhabitants healthy. With the advancement of science it is even possible to create an underwater garden with real aquatic plants and made a scenic beauty unparalleled to anything you ever see before! Yes I am talking about aquascaping!

The art of aquascaping is something you can learn from the Mother Nature’s abundant resources that are spread deep under the seas and the oceans. You just create a replica of the same within the limited space of your aquarium. You need natural materials like the driftwood, rocks, soil and sand, and the plants with and without roots. You can also create caves, and the rock designs resembling the gardens, forests, the Wild West, dancing stones, the underwater canyon, and many other structures you can imagine.  

Aquascaping Styles

Most of the aquascaping designers refer to the conventional Dutch style, Japanese style, and the natural style. You can choose from any of them, depending on your choice. But the fact is you need not be limited to only such styles. There are many more innovative styles from Russia, Istanbul, Ukraine, Slovenia, Turkey, and Italy. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open to learn from them adopt them into your own aquarium.  

  

Aquascaping Plans 

The size of the aquarium tank determines the volume of plant species and the number of fish species you can afford to have. The first thing you have to consider is the minimum size of the aquarium tank. It is not possible to have beautiful landscapes with extended rocky structures, canyons, forests and caves within a table top aquarium. So, you will need the aquarium with a minimum length of 30” to 40” and a width of the same size or half of it. The height is a factor which depends on the height of plants and rocks you install. The minimum water capacity of the tank should be 50 liters or more.  Install the aquarium at a location in your home, where plenty of natural light is available during the daytime. Having the artificial aquarium grade lighting is good during the night. The aquarium should get exposed to the sunlight for a minimum of 2 to 4 hours during the early morning hours. It is the only way in which you can preserve the healthy conditions of the plants for a long time.  

Aquascaping Lighting 

The artificial aquarium grade lights you use depend on the types of plants and fish species. You can use the stronger version of the lighting, if there is absolutely no option for the natural lighting and the sunlight exposure. The mineral and the nutrient ingredients you add to the soil and the gravel layer makes a big difference to the growth rate and the freshness of the plants.  LED lights for planted tanks are best these days to go with for an aquascape.

Aquascaping Aquarium Shape 

The most commonly recommended shape for the aquascaping aquarium shapes are square, rectangle and spherical. You can also opt for the other shapes, but you have to ensure large volume of space at the center of the aquarium. Only then you can think of positioning the large volume of the rocks, plants and the design structures to enhance the aquarium’s aesthetic features.  

Innovation 

You don’t need to limit your plant and fish species selection to the range you read here or elsewhere. You can think of your own species and design patterns based on the selection of the water type (sweet or salt water aquascaping can be equally beautiful).  

Passing Thoughts 

You may create the Aquascaping of any style depending on your creativity and the space availability. Just make sure of adding every element that makes it complete and makes you contented. Don’t try to please too many people around you, while deciding on the final design. If a specific model appeals to you, it will naturally be acceptable to everyone, but may take time.  · 

Scalability: Create an Aquascaping design to which you can add new objects, make changes in the existing structure, and remove older elements. This approach keeps the entire architecture dynamic and flexible. You can also emulate some of the distinct features from the award winning Aquascaping designs from the online information sources. Explore the underwater photographs from around the world. Use multiple permutations and combinations. Consult your friends and family members. Try out every possible design on paper before taking a final decision.    

Continuity:  Many of the Aquascaping designers say natural style has no order. But it is not so. Observe carefully and you shall realize the wonderful order and continuity in nature. For example, you can think of using the rocks, soil, stones, plant, fish, aquarium shells, and the other species from a specific region. It could be from the nearest lake, river, or the beach in your neighborhood. If affordable, you can buy the collections from counties like Mauritius, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Hawaii, and elsewhere.