5 top tips for first-time aquascaping

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Interested in trying out aquascaping for the first time? We visited Scaped Nature to find out all about this trendy art. Aquascaping expert George Farmer was in the store, and also features in our episode!

Here’s 5 top tips from the guys at Scaped Nature which should get you started on your journey!

1. Inspiration – Having a clear idea of the kind of aquascape you would like to create makes everything else much easier.  What kind of aquascapes appeal to you most?  If you can find some inspirational examples or a specific aquascape you would like to try to recreate yourself then this will help in choosing equipment, hardscape and plants.

2. Position – Think about where you’re going to put your aquarium in your home or office and measure up to see what size of tank would work best.  In general, you should be thinking about finding a spot where you can enjoy looking at your tank once its up and running, but you should also think about some of the practicalities.  Avoid placing your aquarium where it will receive direct sunlight or beside radiators.  Ensure you can fit (or have available) a good sturdy base for the tank that will comfortably support its weight and remember you will need to have space to maintain your tank once it’s in place.

3. Equipment – If you’re entirely new to aquariums and aquatics then choosing your equipment can be a really daunting task.  Not all aquariums are well suited to aquascaping and the range of products in a typical aquatics shop can be bewildering.  All too often people are poorly advised at their local fish shop and end up with a collection of products that won’t allow them to realise their plans.  The best advice we can give is to visit a retailer with specialist aquascaping knowledge that can give the right product advice or invest the time to undertake your own research from a reputable source such as the UK Aquatic Plant Society (UKAPS).

4. Substrate, Hardscape & Plants – Getting these right will help you to achieve your creative vision and ensure the long term success of your aquascape.  All of these need to work together and again the best advice we can give is to visit a specialist aquascaping store to get the right advice and also to allow you to select the right hardscape materials and plants from their stock.  A couple of golden rules here are to select only one type of wood and one type of rock for your scape and invest in enough plants to plant your tank fully from day one.

5.  Great maintenance – This really is the key to success in aquascaping and will ensure a beautiful and healthy planted tank to be enjoyed.  Be prepared to invest some time and energy in the first month with a schedule of frequent water changes to keep your tank healthy as your plants establish themselves.  After the first month, everything becomes much easier.  A daily dose of plant food and a weekly water change with occasional plant care should be all that’s needed for a healthy and beautiful aquascape.

Check back on 25th August 2019 to listen to this podcast episode!