Adding live plants will always be one of the smartest strategies you can apply to your fish keeping experience. You’ll never go wrong with a planted habitat, and one of the reasons for this recommended practice is related to the ability of aquatic plants to absorb ammonia from the water. As all aquarists know, keeping ammonia levels down to zero is crucial to the survival of fish and invertebrates, so this is a key advantage to keeping freshwater planted aquariums. Here are a few things you should know about this biochemical process. Understanding Plants and the Nitrogen Cycle When you establish a tank before stocking it with fish, you’re in …

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Water temperature considerations for any aquarium will always come down to the species you stock your tank with. Whether you care for an aquascape or a planted tank that includes fish or invertebrates, you can’t assume all plants will thrive at the same temperature. Ornamental fish are largely resilient tropical species that can adapt to a range of temperatures. The same can be said about many plant species, but some happen to be more delicate than others. Recommended Water Temperature for Planted Tanks If you ask for freshwater tank temperature advice from your local aquarium supplier, chances are the recommendation will be around 76 or 78 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature …

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Aquarium sump filtration systems are essentially spaces where fish keepers can consolidate pieces of equipment. Quite a few aquarists design their own sumps, particularly for reef tanks, but these systems can also be used when keeping freshwater species. You’ll rarely see sumps being offered as part of starter aquarium kits. They’re more likely installed along with custom acrylic installations, and they’re often placed under the tank or behind it. In a garden koi pond, a sump drainage and filtration system provides maximum convenience in terms of maintenance. With all this in mind, sumps aren’t common in the aquascaping world, but there’s no reason they should be excluded from freshwater planted …

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In May 2021, British newspaper The Times published a lifestyle feature about a trend observed among middle-aged men across the United Kingdom. Instead of motorcycles and grueling CrossFit challenges, British men of a certain age are taking up aquascaping, the art of keeping lush aquarium gardens. A few celebrities, such as BBC host James Wong, have been chronicling their new hobbies on social networks such as Twitter, and they’re now fielding questions such as whether freshwater aquarium plants can be grown on gravel substrates. The answer is yes, some aquatic plant species will benefit from gravel being part of the ecosystem. The Main Types of Aquatic Plants Without getting too …

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Planted aquariums don’t have to be strict aquascapes. They can also feature a few fish and invertebrates that balance the ecosystem. Fish, shrimp, snails, plants, and even the Nitrobacter colonies that consume nitrates all need oxygen to survive. Respiration is a process all these species share, and this means they need to extract dissolved O2 particles from the water. A planted aquarium can be oxygenated by mechanical and biochemical means. Plants handle the latter process, and the former is achieved by agitation of the water column. Bubbling devices aren’t mandatory in planted tanks, but you still need some sort of mechanical process to oxygenate the water. What Aquarium Bubbling Devices …

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Aquascaping is the art of establishing enclosed ecosystems where aquatic plants are the main focus. Aquarists tend to prefer freshwater tanks for various reasons, and one of them is the diversity of fish they can stock their habitats with. All freshwater tanks should be planted to a certain extent. At the same time, a densely planted tank is more likely to thrive when stocked with the right fish species because of the natural carbon dioxide exhalations plants consume as nutrients. In freshwater planted aquariums where exotic or delicate plants are growing, the key to adding fish is to select species that won’t destroy the plants. Here are some of the …

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At the “cookie-cutter corporate superstores,” aquarium starter kits often include fish and plants species that grow quickly. You may get juvenile rainbow sharks and fancy goldfish along with hornwort and Java moss. This is a pretty clever marketing strategy aimed at getting beginners excited about entering the fish keeping hobby. The idea is to let them see species growing before their own eyes in a matter of days. A similar strategy can be applied with those who want to get into aquascaping. They can start with low-light plants that are known to grow faster before they get into exotics that may grow slower and require more maintenance. Just how long …

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Pretty much all tropical fish species recommended to aquarists come from natural habitats filled with plants, and you can be sure the fish and invertebrates you chose will enjoy having plants as part of the ecosystem. When you visit shops that carry high-quality freshwater aquarium supplies, their showcase tanks are invariably planted because they simply look better. However, the benefits of planted tanks go far beyond aesthetics. We’ll list a few reasons you should aim for at least 40 percent plant coverage in your tank, but we’ll also mention some caveats related to species that may be challenging to keep in a planted tank. Why Fish Love Plants Aside from …

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Most students in North America learn about photosynthesis pretty early as part of their scientific education. We associate this botanical process with the light of the sun, but then we learn about species growing at the very bottom of the ocean. These are aquatic plants that lack chlorophyll and don’t have a reasonable use for sunlight. Plants that typically grow in aquariums can certainly appreciate getting direct sunshine, but this would bring up a problem with regard to algae overgrowth. Unless you’re willing to establish a freshwater tank that requires constant maintenance to avoid algae bloom, you’ll need to purchase an artificial source of light from a trusted aquarium supplier …

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Freshwater planted aquariums, whether they’re strictly maintained for aquascaping or with a few fish to balance the ecosystem, will generally need less upkeep than tanks that lack plant species. Some aquascaping enthusiasts take pride in carefully balancing their ecosystems so they don’t have to worry about large water changes. This is one of the advantages of aquatic plants that fish keepers truly appreciate. They help with water oxygenation and complete with algae for nutrients. Nonetheless, even strict tanks will require water changes to keep the parameters in check. The Need for Regular Water Changes If the water in your aquarium looks clear, if there are no signs of algae, if …

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