Aquascaping is one of the coolest things you can do to affect the WOW factor of your tank. In this article, I am going to be teaching you beginner Aquascaping. I don’t consider myself an expert on this topic, but I have seen and put up some aquascapes myself, so I think I can at least teach for beginners.
#1 Inspiration
The first part of setting up an aquascape is to have an idea or inspiration for your scape. Some ideas would be jungle-themed or maybe mountain-themed, or maybe you just want something that resembles a valley. Either way, you should start with an idea. Once you have your idea, the next step is to find or make an example.
#2 Example
There are a few ways you can get an example. The way I usually use is to find a scape someone has already done and change it up to how I like it. Another way you can have an example is you could sketch out a picture of what you want your scape to look like. In my opinion, drawing it is gonna be harder to do but probably more effective if you’re going for something abstract. The next step after getting/creating your example is to find the right material and plants you want to put in this tank.
#3 Material
The material of an aquascape is extremely important. You don’t want to have the perfect look and drawing, and then when you go to do it, you used the wrong rock, wood, or plant, and the whole scape looks ruined. You want to make sure the materials you’ve decided you’re getting will match well and won’t interfere with the plants or water chemistry. Last time I set up an aquascape, I had bought rocks that changed some of the water parameters and were not good for my tank, so you have to make sure that the material won’t change or harm the water. The next step after you get your material is to put everything in an empty tank and make sure you get the placement you’re looking for.
#4 Placement
After you have collected your materials, experiment with looks till you find the perfect one. You might even want to glue some of the material/decor together to make sure nothing gets moved. Once you’ve decided on the scape, fill the tank with water, preferably gently, so you don’t disturb the scape at all. Your last step is going to be adding fish and plants into your newly scaped tank.
#5 Fish/Plants
Obviously, if you’re going to take the time and effort to make a beautifully looking tank, you’re going to want some beautiful fish to match it. Along with the fish, plants are a super important part of an aquascape. They usually bring the wow factor to the scape. It’s all about placement and color. Having a plant that can make like a rug or maybe a plant that’s red or orange will stand out and make your aquascape look so much better than it already is. Once you have figured out your fish and plants, the only thing left to do is to introduce them to your new aquascaped tank!
Hope you guys enjoyed this article If you have any questions about aquascaping or other questions about fishkeeping let me know in the comments below.