Mary Allen
An aquarium is a small wonderland within your own four walls. Not only animals but also plants contribute to the creation of true underwater idylls.
An aquarium can be designed in many different ways. Species aquariums are designed with specific fish and the aquatic plants found in their area of origin. But I’ve always dreamed of an aquarium that resembles paradise, an underwater garden where fish and plants live in harmony.
Lots of light and CO2 fertilization are required for many different types of aquatic plants to thrive. A stable, tropical freshwater environment sets in after a few months, especially in large aquariums. Aquariums with many different aquatic plant species require some care and attention. But they are also a never-ending source of joy.
One of my aquariums has lighting with LED lamps. I illuminate a two-meter pool with four 30-watt lights. Compared to the earlier HQI lamps, this means a considerable power saving. In addition to nutrient-rich soil, aquatic plants need CO2 during the day to grow well. Fish give off CO2 and breathe in the oxygen that the aquatic plants produce during the day through their gills. Especially when many fast-growing plants are being cared for, you also need CO2 fertilization. There are easy-to-use systems available in pet shops that can even be controlled via the light switch and switched off at night.
A tropical aquarium should be continuously lit for at least ten hours a day. In the beginning, a water plant fertilizer should be introduced into the substrate, which consists of commercially available aquarium gravel. Later, certain plants can be fertilized with clay balls. Iron fertilization is done with liquid fertilizer. The start-up period is always difficult, but after a few months, an equilibrium is reached.
Despite Their Different Origins, the Fish Live in Harmony With Each Other
I grow different Echinodorus species. These Amazon sword plants are extremely attractive and form large, sometimes reddish leaves, depending on the breed. The substrate in the front area is populated with the smallest Amazon sword plant, Echinodorus tenellus. But Sagittaria terres also provide plenty of green in the middle area. With their reddish, elongated leaves, Aponogeton Crispus forms a nice contrast to the green Hygrophila species. This “water lover” in particular grows quickly and has to be cut back and replanted again and again because we want to design a planted aquarium as a picture so that the plants grow from front to back.
For this, I have created terraces with bog pinewood roots. A single Crinum species is eye-catching with its long, narrow leaves. Another contrast is the water lily species with its red leaves, which have to be snapped off again and again so that they don’t take away too much light from the other species. The filigree ramifications of the Limnophila Aquatica also contrast here with the round submerged water lily leaves.
Fish also feel comfortable in such an aquarium. It is clear that I do not keep any fish that burrow, such as cichlids or those that even eat plants. They are peaceful fish that do not form territories and live in harmony with each other, even if they come from very different habitats. I have been keeping five clown loaches in this tank for more than 20 years, along with red line algae eaters, Siamese algae eaters, rainbowfish (Melanotaenia affinis), net loaches, dwarf or checkerboard loaches, and numerous swordtails that reproduce themselves. So my dream of an underwater paradise came true. I could no longer imagine an apartment without an aquarium.