Planted Aquariums
Planted Aquariums
Planted vs Fish Only tanks
The main difference between planted and fish only tanks, obviously, is the inclusion of live plants.
Planting choices can range from a few live plants as accents to the aquascape to a densely planted
Dutch style aquarium.
Planting an aquarium may require equipment changes. Most standard aquarium lights don't provide
enough light for plants to do well. I'm partial to around 2.4 wpg, but anything between 2 and 3 wpg is
excellent. CO2 gives planted tanks a boost and is necessary at high light levels.
With a planted aquarium, there a limits on species of fish that can occupy the tank as many will eat or
uproot plants. It is common for the emphasis to be on the plants rather than the fish.
Why I keep a planted aquarium
I've kept aquariums since I was 10 years old and became seriously interested in planted tanks in my
early 30's. I love the way the aquarium changes as plants grow and fill in. To me the fish are
accents, like birds and butterflies in the garden.
I've been going through a collectoritis stage the last few years. Advances in lighting have let me try
plants I couldn't grow before with lower light. I'm getting ready to shift back into my favorite mode --
creating little slices of living art.
Special Requirements
The successfully maintain a planted aquarium, you will need more light than is standard with most
aquariums. While opinions vary, I feel that between 2 and 3 watts per gallon (wpg) is best (around 2.4
is ideal in my book). At less than 2 wpg plant choices are limited and growth rates can be frustrating.
Beautiful low-light tanks exist, but do require careful planning. At higher light levels, supplemental
CO2 becomes a necessity (to prevent algae) rather than a luxury that gives plants a boost.
At higher light levels, a densely planted tank will use up nutrients faster than the fish can provide
them. You may need to add supplemental fertilizers. Depending on your water supply and frequency
of water changes you may also need to add trace elements.
At higher light levels, CO2 is needed to help plants outcompete algae. At modest, and even low, light
levels CO2 gives plants a boost allowing for lusher, faster growth and fewer algae problems. With
modest light levels, I find DIY CO2 to work well.
Learning More
As a teacher, I love books. Peter Hisock has several books that are excellent for a planted tank
hobbiest. I have 3 of his books and the content is similar, but the depth of detail and emphasis vary
by book.
I'm listing some of my favorite planted web sites below. The forum communities represent a huge
amount of accumulated experience and are an invaluable source of information. Just always
remember there is more than one right way to manage a successful aquarium.
Lessons Learned
This probably needs a website of it's own. It gets it's own page.
My Aquariums
As I get pages made for them, I'll have a journal for each that can be accessed from the images (that
will be) on the sidebar.
