Aquascaper discusses his hobby
Graham Oliver, a Hartenbos resident, has a unique hobby.
He got into aquascaping when his youngest son was given a fish tank. “Now I like the idea of making my own ecosystem and being able to see it grow,” says Oliver.
Live plants are used, which make the scene look real and they help the fish so you don’t rely on a pump to provide air. A full spectrum light is also needed to help photosynthesis, which makes oxygen.
The fish droppings help the plants grow. You can grow your plants with CO2 or without CO2. Oliver made his own CO2 system and diffuser. The more plants, the more air you create for your fish.
“Aquascaping is only limited to what you believe. You want a map of Africa in your tank you can do it,” he said. Different colour substrates can be used to help define the layout. Rocks and driftwood help with the look of the tank. Planted aquascapes take a lot of knowledge and patience to put together.
Once your plants are thriving and water parameters are exactly where they need to be, adding fish can be the step that throws things out of balance. Water conditions are important for your plants and fish.
Care should be taken with fallen leaves and fish excrement, which give off ammonia and these convert to nitrites which further become nitrates.
Good filter system
“Leaf litter - dried out leaves - are used in breeding and in biotopes. Think of autumn leaves falling in a pond. These, among other things, cause a drop in pH gradually, often triggering fish to spawn. A good filter system is also required. It’s better to carefully consider the best aquascaping fish before stocking your planted set-up,” says Oliver
Common fish used for tanks are endler tetras, neon tetras, green neon tetras, glowlight tetras, galaxy rasboras, chilis rasboras, guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies, gouramis, bettas, cherry barbs, rainbow fish, dwarf chichlids and angle discus.
“Selecting your fish for aquascaped aquariums isn’t always as simple as picking out whatever catches you eye,” he says.
The vast majority of fish used for planted aquascapes are on the small end of the spectrum. Good schools of tetras, danios, and rasboras work well because they provide a burst of colour while having no impact on plants beyond a bit of extra CO2. Nitrogenous fertiliser is always a good idea too.
Small fish are also less in competition with the design of your aquascape for the viewer’s attention.
Schools of six to 12 or more neon tetras are regularly kept even in 100 litre tank natural and Iwagumi-style aquascapes, which place much focus on the placement of plants, rocks and substrate.