The use of plants

Plants add a whole new dimension to the home aquarium. Keep fish alive in your home and you're an aquarist, but establish a thriving planted aquarium and you're an artist.

Choose plants that suit your aquarium's taste. Short, bushy plants such as Sagittaria species make great shelter for community fish while large, big-leaved plants such as the Amazon Sword plant (Echinodorus amazonicus) can withstand the punishment of larger Cichlids. Herbivorous fish such as Silver Dollars will eat plants. In such cases plastic replica plants are available that take the place of real ones quite nicely. They never die, clog the filter or get nibbled on.

Not only do plants work well for the fish, but they help the technical aspect of the aquarium as well. Using plants effectively forms a buffer against fluctuating pH levels, high levels of nitrites and bacterial breakouts.

Keeping your plants alive is a whole other topic. Plants require a 10+ hours of light each day as well as other factors too complex to go into deal with here. It is recommended that you do your research before purchasing any plants for your aquarium.

Driftwood in the aquarium

Another attractive addition to every aquarium is driftwood. It adds beauty, can be arranged to form caves and resting places for bottom feeders, and is very low maintenance. It can be purchased in various shapes and sizes which brings us to its one drawback: price. Driftwood can be quite costly, and while pieces found at a local beach may be free of charge, you can never be too sure if it is safe to put in your aquarium.

If you find a nice piece of driftwood in nature, be sure to quarantine it in a separate tank and do tests on the water no earlier than two weeks after the initial introduction of the wood. Make sure the wood came from fresh waters containing no salt or pollution. Quite often the wood will cause the water to turn yellow and drop the pH. If this occurs, transfer the wood to a bucket and make frequent water changes until the wood has nothing left to give. Make sure there are no other factors in the quarantine tank that may lead to such changes in water chemistry. If all looks good, try adding a fish to the aquarium. If the driftwood was found dried out you may need to anchor it down in the tank with large rocks. Remember to scrub even store bought wood clean with a strong brush before introducing it to any aquarium.

Using rocks to your advantage

Rocks are an important part to aquascaping any aquarium. They provide us, or rather the fish, with caves and territories that make up their own "spaces". They're easy to find, easy to clean and your fish will love you for them. The key is selecting the right rocks for the job.

Soft rocks that can break or crumble easily will deteriorate like a piece of metal in a can of coke, poisoning your fish and hardening the water. Igneous rocks such as granite and basalt work very well in the aquarium. Pre-cleaned pieces may be found at your local pet or garden shop. Slate is an old aquarium favorite due to its unique flatness that can be stacked or arranged easily to form caves in the aquarium. Sharp rocks such as lava rock should be avoided as fish could injure themselves rubbing against it or while grazing on algae. If you are not sure whether a piece of rock is chemically safe or not, quarantine it in its own bucket and test the water afterwards. Pay particular attention to water hardness when dealing with rocks.

Aquarium-safe silicone sealant can be used to bond dry rocks together which can then be placed in the aquarium. This is a safe alternative to stacking heavy rocks that may eventually collapse onto that unsuspecting Pleco that makes the cave its home.

Other factors worth mentioning

The substrate is another name for the aquarium's gravel, and choosing a proper substrate for your aquarium is not a decision to be overlooked. Some fish prefer a sandy substrate while others prefer course gravel or even small stones. Undergravel filter users are restricted to medium or large sized gravel as sand will sift through the filter plates. Colored aquarium gravel is just plain not for the serious aquarist.

Research your fish's needs and choose the substrate that is right for your aquarium. Store bought sand or gravel is the best way to go about acquiring your substrate. Anything you find in nature is generally either dirty, polluted or too sharp which can lead to bottom feeders injuring their mouths.

Aquarium background paper can be bought at your local pet shop. They add life behind the aquarium glass and give the tank a more "active" look. It also helps to calm the fish, in which case you may wish to put background on the sides of the aquarium as well.

Store bought decorations such as the bubbling sunken ships or swimming divers are a nice touch to the aquarium so long as it fits the type of "look" you are going for with your aquascaping.

Putting it all together

So you've gathered your rocks, acquired some driftwood and decided on plants or no plants. Where do you go from here? It's really quite simple. Use your imagination, try different layouts. Generally a big centerpiece such as a large rock, cave or piece of driftwood in the middle of the tank is a great way to start aquascaping.

As a rule of thumb put smaller objects in the front leading up to tall plants near the back. Big rocks near the corners of the tank may lead to lost fish bodies or decaying, uneaten food gathering in piles. In a cluttered aquarium a powerhead will help keep a horizontal current to the water to prevent such problems.

Use the information you've learned along with your imagination and let your mind to the rest. Aquascaping is 10% skill and 90% imagination. Take a look at a friend's tank as well as pictures in books or on the web. Learn what works best for you and your fish and you'll have a beautiful tank that will be the envy of anyone passing by.