Aquarium, what a wonderful word, it simply rolls off the tongue with the efficiency of textured silk. While of course the words 'fish tanks' conjours up a bleak and hostile environment for the well being of our fishy friends.
Aquariums when installed and maintained correctly from the offset will often attract praise and admiration from passing visitors, whilst fish tanks rarely get a second look, unless of course being viewed in their aquatic store surroundings.
Aquariums should be a veritable feast to the eyes as well as being a home from home for the fish that occupy them. Aquariums should be filled with colour and life that mimics and possibly reproduces a small section of the real thing.
Fish tanks on the other hand are simply glass boxes for the keeping of fish. Devoid of plants, rocks and wood, the fish tank world is definitely not where I would choose to hang out if I were a fish. However, they are a means to an end for the aquatic supply store where you will find a feast of fish contained within their glass walls ready and willing, even pleading to be taken away by their new owners and to the comfort of well planted, aquascaped aquariums.
To begin turning fish tanks into aquariums it all begins with a suitable floor. Carpets are definitely not found at the bottom of rivers, lakes or estuaries and therefore for the purpose of growing aquarium plants for fish to hide, play and spawn a careful decision must be made by the aquarist (aquarium enthusiast) as to the types of substrate that is suitable. For the purpose of this article I shall be attempting to assist you in those decisions for the more popular community tropical fish.
I suggest you begin by laying a layer of 'aqualit', a plant medium with nutrients to help sustain the growth and rooting needs of your future aqaurium plants. This should be about 1" deep and spread fairly evenly across the aquariums base. On top of this we suggest a layer of 'medium' grade gravel of between 3-5mm (3/16th inch). The gravel should be applied so that towards the front of the aquarium the thickness is of approximately half and inch, sloping gradually towards the rear of your aquariums to a depth of up to one and a half inches.
Next to be added would be either some decorative rock or our preference of 'bogwood'. The choices regarding decor is vast and this is where some artistic licence is permitted by the aquarist. All we would suggest is that you allow sufficient open water spaces for you to be able to view your fish in their more extrovert moments. Now you are ready to add the plant life to your aquariums.
Begin by choosing smaller species to give the front of the tank a feeling of perspective, gradually choosing larger plants for the recesses of the aquarium. Again the choice is simply staggering and totally at the preference of the buyer. Bushy plants are particular favorites of most tropical fish, since they can seek a quiet area to rest and for the livebearing species available, a place to give birth to their young.
Our wish is that you choose to keep you fish within aquariums rather than fish tanks so that the fish contained within them have a happy home to live in, and that you gain the respect and admiration of your friends and family for having such a beautiful picture of moving, living colour within your home.
David 'Goldie' Edwards is managing director of Garden, Aquarium & Pond Supplies Ltd. based in the UK. His Pond Supplies website gives clients the opportunity to further enhance their Aquatic skills
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