Your First Nature Aquarium [Part III]

This is the conclusion to the three part nature aquarium series. If you haven't read Your Fish Nature Aquarium [Part I] and for the second part click here. Now for the conclusion to Your First Nature Aquarium!

The CO2 system I used was the Hydor CO2 Green NRG Exclusive (thanks to Hydor USA for their generous sponsorship!) which was perfect for my setup. The kit includes a CO2 tank, diffuser, tubing, bubble counter and easy to follow instructions. I can easily change the number of bubbles per minute or increase them without hassle. I was able to have everything installed and working in 30 minutes! After the CO2 was set up, I quickly planted my plants and added water. The following is a list of the plants used in this tank:

Background Plants used: Cabomba furcata, Echinodorus muricatus, and Aponogeten fenestralis.

The Cabomba furcata was picked mainly because I greatly enjoy the purple flowers it produces and the red leaves. I have kept it in the past to have it slowly die and disrupt my water quality. This occurred because Cabomba requires moderate to high light (4 to 5 watts per gallon), CO2 injection, low water turbulence and slightly acidic water. I would not recommend this plant to the beginner in nature aquariums, instead I would recommend possibly Egaria najas (Anacharis), which has a similar appearance and is easier to maintain.

The Echinodorus muricatus, or melon sword was included due to its wide leaves allowing it to cover more background space with only one plant. Its wide green leaves create a nice focal point in the tank while aiding in hiding the back of the aquarium. This plant is fairly easy to maintain only requiring moderate lighting (2 watts per gallon) and little fertilizer.

And last was the Aponogeton fenestralis, or madagascar lace. I love the look of this plant! I have had many guest ask me if it is fake when I include it my tanks. Madagascar lace is very unique due to the leaves resembling lace work and it produces purple flowers. This plant requires high light (5 watts per gallon), CO2 injection, iron supplements and fertilizer. I would recommend this plant to anyone who has the aquatic green thumb!

Midground plants used: Ludwigia, Anubias nana, and Aponogeton ulvaceus.

The broad leaf Ludwigia was chosen for this aquarium because of its dark green leaves and contrasting red leaves. It will fill out any spaces at the corners of the aquairum that the madagascar lace and cabomba cannot reach. This plant requires medium to high light (4 to 5 watts per gallon) and can benifit from fertilizers but does not require them.

All of the Anubias plants are very easy to take care of and can add a multitude of color variation to any aquarium. They require low light and are perfect for filling in dark spaces created by Cabomba, madagascar lace and the melon sword. Another great attribute of Anubias is its planting versatility. You can easily attach it to wood or rock and it will continue to grow. Any beginning nature aquarium hobbyist should start with them to develop their aquatic green thumb.

Aponogeton ulvaceus is normally used as a background plant, but due to their size I used them as midground plants. This plant has vibrant green leaves that are ruffled giving the plant a delicate look. I like the contrast between the madagascar lace and the Aponogeton's leaves once it is large enough. This plant requires moderate to high light (4 to 5 watts per gallon) and is consider easy to maintain.

Foreground plants used: Echinodorus quadricostatus, Hemianthus callitrichoides and Vesicularia dubyana.

The broad leaf chain sword, Echinodorus quadricostatus , is a popular foreground cover plant that grows and multiplies fast. It can easily cover a bare foreground in a month under the right conditions. This plant is usually sold in batches of ten allowing the beginner hobbyist to obtain a luscious planted foreground without having lots of money.

Baby dwarf tears, or Hemianthus callitrichoides, is a plant that will eventually make a carpet of small leaves across the foreground of your nature aquarium. It requires high intensity lighting ( 5 watts per gallon or more), CO2 and fertilizer. A common problem with baby dwarf tears is anchoring them to the substrate. This can be achieved by attaching small pieces of lead weight to the roots of the plant. Under the correct conditions this plant grows very fast making it a great foreground plant.

Last used is the Vesicularia dubyana, or java moss. Java moss is commonly attached to wood or rock in nature aquairums allowing for dynamic and intersting aquascaping to be achieved. It is a very versitlie plant regarding growing conditions making it a perfect plant for the beginner. It can be attached to wood or rocks with clear plastic thread and will quickly take over a aquarium.

The lights I used for this system are Current USA Nova Extreme (special thanks to Current USA aquarium lighting for their generous sponsorship!) which is specifically designed for freshwater aquariums. The fixture has a 24 watt 10,000K daylight T5HO light and a 24 watt freshwater 'soft' T5HO light. I put two Nova Extremes on this planted tank to provide the high lighting that many of the plants require. The lights were easy to setup (less than 10 minutes) and gave the aquarium a modern style.

With the plants planted, CO2 system working and the lights on, here is the final setup!

With this three part series completed, you can now start your own nature aquarium and create a small slice of nature for your own living room!

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