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Planted Freshwater AquariumPlanted Freshwater Aquarium
History
In the early 1900’s as more homes were becoming electrified the aquarium also got the benefit of electricity. Powered air pumps and heating allowed more control over the aquarium environment. Advances in understanding water chemistry through the mid 1900’s and the introduction of CO2 for the aquarium have enabled the creation of underwater masterpieces. Modern planted freshwater aquariums have evolved into a great hobby and have been simplified by some advanced equipment and a basic understanding of the requirements of aquatic animals. Geography Think for a moment of all the places in the world that have fish…all of the lakes, streams and rivers. A freshwater aquarium could be based on an East Asia stream, South American River or an African Rift lake. I usually start my aquarium planning with this in mind and try to replicate one of these locations. I try to choose fish and/or plants from a certain region and make…sort of a biotope aquarium. I don’t always stick to the region 100% but it makes for great conversation when someone asks about your aquarium and may increase your enjoyment of the aquarium hobby. I think that the South American Rivers are my favorite when it comes to planted aquariums (more on this later).
This biotope style planning also helps with compatibility. If you choose your fish this way you will likely avoid problems with water chemistry compatibility. An African Cichlid fish (higher pH, more alkaline) has different water requirements than an Angelfish (lower pH, less alkaline). A modern (high tech) planted tank is a gadget lovers dream. Beyond the basics of the aquarium itself, a filter and heating we have high tech lighting, automated CO2 injection and more. Let’s take a look at some of the equipment we will need for our planted aquarium. Aquarium
Having a good stand for your aquarium will allow you to store accessories and also serve to “showcase” your tank. Choose a solid top stand for an acrylic tank.
Filtration
Heating
Lighting
CO2
The pressurized method uses CO2 gas from a pressurized bottle. This method is very consistent and can last 6-8 months or more before refilling the bottle. This method involves the use of a CO2 regulator with a solenoid valve, a CO2 diffuser/reactor and can be fully automated with a pH controller.
Dosing Fertilizers I have personally had great success using an Eheim Liquidoser and Brightwell Florin-Multi and . This is about the easiest method I have found for keeping the required level of nutrients for aquatic plants. I tried manual dosing for several years but would often forget to dose or would use the nutrients out of proportion. Using an automatic dosing device and a comprehensive supplement with a little extra Potassium (K) is my favorite method. The plants stay happy and I work less at keeping them that way!
Thermometer
I already mentioned that the Amazon River in South America is home to some of my favorite fish. I am a big fan of Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi) and Blue Rams (Microgeophagus ramirezi). Some of the important scavenger and clean up fish are also from South America including Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus affinis), Cory Cat (Corydoras julii) and the Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.). We will discuss more about these fish later.
Amazon Sword Plants (Echinodorus bleheri) are one of the most recognized aquarium plants and make a good centerpiece plant for any planted tank. Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) is a nice South American plant that is has a short growth and makes a good mid-foreground plant. Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) is another good ground cover plant. Several groupings of this species planted a few inches apart will surely cover the bottom of the tank with a lush green carpet. The Amazon also has a large amount of decaying wood or driftwood and decaying plant matter. This decomposition of organics makes the water somewhat soft and acidic. The water also tends to have a slight tea color because of this. Many aquarium hobbyists use small amounts of peat media in their filter to simulate these conditions. Substrate
A planted freshwater aquarium is not that difficult to take care of as far as water chemistry is concerned. I have found that if you maintain a Circle of Balance between Light, CO2 and Fertilizers that the aquarium will virtually run itself. Here is how you can create that balance. The basic water parameters for a freshwater planted tank are as follows:
Light Another important factor with lighting is spectrum. Daylight lamps in the 6700K range are close to natural sunlight and produce a nice broad spectrum light that plants will readily use for photosynthesis. Higher Kelvin (color temperature) ratings contain more blue and are more appropriate for saltwater aquariums. I run my lights for about 10 hours each day using an automatic timer. While photoperiods in nature may be longer at up to 12-14 hours, 10 should be plenty for the aquarium. CO2
CO2 levels in ppm are the numbers in the middle. If your dKH is 3.0 and your pH is 6.8 you will have about 14ppm of CO2. The bold numbers in highlighted green are good CO2 values. You can also use this chart to find a pH set point for a pH controller. We have already discussed the requirements for light (2-3 watts per gallon) and the CO2 requirements (15-20ppm)…so how much nutrients or fertilizers do we use? NPK
With this in mind we can dose the aquarium and maintain a reasonable amount of nutrients for the plants. There is not really a reliable test for Potassium but you can estimate that levels are correct by dosing in ratios of double the Potassium to Nitrate (2:1). If you test Nitrate and it is around 10 ppm you can make a reasonable assumption that Potassium is around 20 ppm (if you are dosing). It is not necessary to dose, test, do correction dosing, then test again as we will likely get too absorbed in the testing part of all of this. I dose the suggested amounts of NPK, watch the plants and simply try to maintain levels of supplements that make the plants look healthy. I know that may sound oversimplified but it really is just about that easy. Look for signs of NPK deficiency in older leaves which includes: chlorosis (yellowing), necrosis (death/browning), and weak stems and roots. Nitrate and Phosphate are usually produced naturally in the aquarium from filtration processes and leftover fish food. This amount of Nitrate and Phosphate may be enough for some algae to grow but is likely not enough to support higher order plant growth. This is why it is important to supplement your plants with these elements. Potassium is not produced naturally in aquariums so it is typical that Potassium is depleted in planted tanks. The plants use Potassium at a higher rate so it may be necessary to adjust your dosing for more Potassium as your tank matures.
Micro and Trace Nutrients
A comprehensive supplement works well for dosing micro nutrients.
Maintaining the Circle of Balance This chart is a timeline describing step-by-step setup of your Freshwater Planted aquarium. After the chart is an explanation of each step.
Research We have several recommendations below for some great plants and fish that will do well together. This also includes some worker fish (and shrimp) that act as a cleanup crew and will help control algae. Equipment and Setup
Wet Test After the aquarium is filled you can install the other equipment including the filter, heater and lighting. Don’t install any gravel or plants as you only are testing the aquarium and equipment. Better to find problems before you add fish and plants. This step also helps to clean the equipment. Plug the equipment into a power strip and then into a GFCI outlet. The use of a Ground Fault Circuit can save you and your fishes from some dangerous shocks. Turn on the filter and heater to check that everything is working. Set the heater for about 75-76 degrees. Use the thermometer to check the temperature. Let the equipment run for several hours to make sure the heater and filter are working. After you are happy with the equipment you can turn everything off and drain the aquarium. Substrate and Aquascaping Add some conditioned water to the tank so that you have about 6” of water depth. This will make planting a bit easier and the water will support the leaves as you work. Use a tap water conditioner to make the water ready for your aquarium.
Start by planting your background (tall) plants at the rear of the tank. Then plant the mid-ground (medium) plants near the middle and sides. Finally add the foreground (short) plants to the front center of the tank. You can also add pieces of driftwood and aquarium safe rocks to your aquascape to make it more natural and interesting.
Starting the Equipment Begin Adding CO2 and Fertilizer Some CO2 injection systems use a power reactor that can be turned on/off at the same time as your lights. Plugging the power reactor plug into your light timer is an easy way to accomplish this. The CO2 should still be allowed to escape into the aquarium but will not be “forced” into the water when the power is off. Use the CO2 chart above to find your levels. Test your pH, dKH and then cross reference your CO2 level. You should test a couple of times a day when first setting up your CO2 system to verify your levels are not too low or especially not too high. Adjust your CO2 bubble rate so that you maintain around 15ppm. Note that the chemical reaction method of CO2 production should not be restricted or closed off. The small (usually plastic) reaction containers can explode if they build up excessive pressure! Fertilizers should also be added in small amounts. Use a basic NPK fertilizer such as Seachem NPK. If there is a smaller dose available, start with it and then move up to a regular dose after several weeks. This will give your plants the necessary nutrients to allow root systems to take hold and leaves to grow and stay green. Micro nutrients should also be added using a comprehensive trace supplement such as Plant Gro Flora Care. Begin adding trace and micro nutrients at low doses initially and then move to a full dose after the first month. Adding the fertilizers from the start will give the plants a boost allowing them to use the nutrients faster than algae. Add Fish Adding this small amount of fish will help start the natural production of Nitrate and Phosphate in the aquarium that will help support the plants. While plants will readily consume these bi-products from fish waste, initially overstocking the tank should still be avoided. This gives the animals and plants time to adjust and promotes a natural balance. Water Changes
Fertilizer Summary About once a month you should check your CO2 concentration by testing pH and dKH. Use the CO2 chart to confirm your levels. You can also look for signs of good CO2 concentration such as pearling. These are the tiny oxygen bubbles that plants produce during photosynthesis. These bubbles are a good indicator that there is sufficient CO2 in the aquarium. If your plants are not pearling there may not be enough CO2 in the aquarium. The South American Rivers are just about my favorite area of the world to re-create in the aquarium…especially the fish. Here is a list of fish from this region that would make an awesome planted freshwater aquarium.
Stocking
Fish larger than 5 inches at adult size should be kept in larger aquariums of at least 36 inches wide and 50 gallons or more. Check the diet requirements of your fish so you will know what is best to feed them. The fish mentioned above are either omnivores (plants and meat eaters) or herbivores (plant eaters). Here is a good omnivore diet for tropical fish:
While the herbivore fish will get some food from eating algae you will need to supplement their diet with a good veggie food.
Water changes are the basis for successful aquarium keeping! This is the easiest thing you can do as an aquarium owner to maintain a healthy environment for your aquatic pets. You will need a few basic pieces of equipment including a large, clean plastic bucket, a gravel vacuum and a thermometer. You should change about 10% (minimum) of the water in the aquarium about twice a month. A good way to remember is to do water changes on the 15th and 30th day of each month. In a 40 gallon aquarium you will change about 4 gallons.
Fill a bucket with about 4 gallons of water and treat it with water conditioner. Test the temp and adjust it to match your aquarium. Drain about four gallons from your aquarium (time for another bucket) and then pour the new treated and temp adjusted water back in. If your tap water pH is drastically different from the pH in your tank you may need to add a pH adjuster to the water. You can also let the water sit for 24 hours with an airstone or powerhead running to stabilize the pH. Filter Maintenance Biological media is somewhat optional and almost unnecessary in a planted tank. The plants actually serve just about the same function by consuming ammonia and nitrate. Chemical media is also optional. Carbon can be beneficial for polishing the water and occasional use but should not be used continuously. Carbon can actually remove some the fertilizers and nutrients you add for your plants. It is also a good idea to periodically check and clean your other equipment especially your CO2 regulator and diffuser. Check the bubble rate and delivery of your CO2 system weekly and make sure the diffuser does not become clogged. Pruning
If you notice any leaves that are beginning to die off go ahead a prune them. Removing dead leaves before they start to decay can help control nuisance algae growth. Cleaning the Glass You also need to wipe down the outside of the aquarium to remove fingerprints and water splashes. I use a water dampened soft cloth to remove the smears and then polish with a dry cloth. We hope you enjoy your freshwater planted aquarium. Check these books and websites for more information. Books Aquarium Plant Paradise Aquarium Plant Manual Websites Aquatic Plant Central - www.aquaticplantcentral.com Sam Pol 30 years ago Sam Pol didn't know he would still be keeping aquariums today...what he did know is that aquariums were fascinating. He used to "collect things" from the Gulf beaches at low tide to take back and stock his trio of 10G "Metaframe" saltwater tanks. That fascination of "fish tanks" continues today. Sam has been sharing his experiences of both freshwater and saltwater aquariums for several years now through his articles appearing here on aquabuys.com. |
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