May 02 2019
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beginner
fertilizer
fish
guest blog
maintenance
plants
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water
NINE COMMON PLANTED AQUARIUM MISTAKES TO AVOID by: Chris (@shrimpery) Having trouble finding a good balance in your new tank? Can’t understand why your plants won’t take off, but algae is thriving? Setting up a successful planted tank is supposed to be fun, but it can be frustrating when things don’t turn out as planned. I made many errors when I set up my first few aquascapes back in 2015, and I see plenty of people facing similar challenges online. I hope that the following list of mistakes to avoid will help everything go more smoothly! In no particular order: ...
Feb 19 2019
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beginner
guest blog
maintenance
tips
water
Understanding water parameters in the planted tankBy Chris A. Out of all the ingredients that go into a successful planted tank- lighting, filtration, substrate, fertilization hardscape among them - I would argue that the quality of the water used in the tank may be most important. Just like we couldn’t survive breathing toxic air, plants and livestock will have a difficult time thriving in subpar water. The way people talk about water parameters can be confusing, but an understanding of what makes “good water” in a planted tank is critical for maintaining a healthy aquascape. Here is my simple breakdown...
Jun 01 2018
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Trimming Stem Aquarium Plants By: IG@shrimpery What is it that makes a professional-quality planted aquarium look so good? Well-trimmed plants. More than layout or hardscape selection, the plants set the tone for a tank. Nothing looks more amateur than stringy, unbranching stems gasping for air at the surface. Instead, stem plants should resemble colorful, compact bushes. Fortunately, as long as you have a bright light (I’d recommend a Twinstar RGB LED or similar fixture), bushy stems can easily be achieved by anyone with a pair of scissors. It’s all about the trimming. It may seem counterintuitive, but aggressive trimming...
Mar 06 2017
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algae
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One of the greatest concerns of all aquatic plant enthusiasts is algae prevention. Once algae get a foothold in a planted aquarium it can be hard to bring it under control. We’ll take a look at the different kinds of algae that make trouble in planted tanks, what stimulates their growth and how to keep algae under control. But first let’s compare aquatic plants to algae so we can understand the similarities and differences. At the end of this article is an Algae Clean-up Crew list. Plants vs. Algae It is important to understand that both aquatic plants and...