How a planted tank works.
Brendan's planted tank, live and explained.
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A view inside
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fishtank.cam
A view from the side
Light looks
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Live controlsWhat am I looking at?
The scape
A planted tank is a small landscape.
It goes together from the ground up: soil, stone, wood, then plants.
Plant soilAquasoil goes in first: soil and volcanic ash pressed into granules. It feeds the roots and keeps the water soft. Piled higher at the back for depth.
Seiryu stoneA blue-grey limestone with fine white veins and sharp ridges, like a mountain range. It can harden the water a little, so the tests watch for it.
The treeBuilt by hand from Malaysian driftwood, its roots spread over a dark stone. Christmas moss is glued and tied along the branch tips to grow a green crown, cover for the fish and a hiding place for baby shrimp.
Monte CarloA carpet plant from Argentina: tiny round leaves that spread from small clumps into a bright green lawn.
Day by day
Watch it grow.
One photo each evening.
But where are the fish?
Fish
But where are the fish?
The fish will be stocked on November 15.
Here's the full stocking plan.
Plan
Stocking takes months, not days.
The dates move with the water tests.
Why so long?
The balance
Why so long?
Keeping fish is a delicate balance. Before any fish go in, the water has to be cycled: made safe for them to live in.
- Plants turn light and CO2 into oxygen.
- Fish breathe it and leave waste.
- Bacteria turn waste into nitrate.
- Plants feed on the nitrate.
- Shrimp, snails eat leftovers, algae.
- Water changes clear the rest.
Sources
The cycle
Why so long?
Before fish go in, the water has to be cycled: bacteria have to grow that make waste safe. It takes a few weeks.
Weeks 1 to 6
Water tests
Clear water can still be harmful, so it is tested.
What does it need?
Care
The rest is a routine.
- DailyOnce the fish are in, one small meal, with one day off a week.
- Every 3 daysTest ammonia and nitrite while it cycles.
- Twice a weekPlant food.
- WeeklyTest nitrate, pH, GH and KH, then a water change. Once the fish are in, every test is weekly.
- Monthly or soRinse the filter sponges.
Water changes
Fresh water resets the balance.
Changes dilute what the plants and filter can't remove. While the tank settles, they come often.
Feeding
Less food keeps the water clean.
A small meal once a day, and one day off a week.
What keeps it running?
The schedule
Plants run on light.
Home Assistant runs the day, so the tank keeps its rhythm on its own.
The gear
The gear behind it.
A rimless tank: frameless glass with polished edges, so nothing hides the view.
CO2
Plants also need CO2.
It goes in as a fine mist while the light is on, and a small glass checker shows how much is in the water.
Sources
Flow
Fish live in their own waste, so the water keeps moving.
It leaves through tiny holes that keep shrimp safe, is cleaned and warmed in the canister, and flows back in, skimming the surface film on the way.
Inside the filter
The real cleaning is done by bacteria.
They live on the sponges and beads inside and turn toxic waste into nitrate, which plants use as food.
Sources
Lily pipes
Two clear pipes do the plumbing.
Clear plastic that looks like glass, so they hide nothing: one takes water out, the other brings it back.
The pipesHooked over the back glass
Intake guardTiny holes keep shrimp out
Surface skimmerPulls the film off the top, no power
RelieverSoftens the water coming back
Temperature
Tropical fish need steady warmth.
Sources
Home Assistant
The tank mostly runs itself.
Home Assistant and a few sensors handle the routine, so the tank keeps its rhythm on its own.
- LightBrightens, holds and dims on its schedule
- CO2Switched on and off with the light by Home Assistant
- TemperatureA probe watches it, with an alert if it drifts
- Leak alertA sensor on the stand's floor
- ShowsStorm and jungle shows on a schedule
- Pixel clocksAWTRIX clocks around the house show the tank's state
- RemindersThe filter left off, a water change due
- Camera privacyGoes private on request
About
Why this tank.
About the tank
I'm Brendan.
This tank is where it all started for me. Jaws is my favourite movie and I love anything to do with fish. I'm allergic to cats and dogs, and I wanted something to care for, so fish felt like the next step.
I loved the iwagumi stone landscapes made famous by Takashi Amano, and diorama-style forest scapes. Seiryu stone with a moss bonsai tree is my middle ground.
Planning started in August: countless hours of research and many trips to the pet store. I picked the tank up on Sep 29 and planted it on Oct 11.
Four more tanks live in the house: two UNS 30A cubes on the bookshelf, one for a short-fin betta and one for a long-fin betta, and two shrimp bowls, Neo and Opae ula.
Special thanks to my local stores, Aquarium & Reptile Depot and Exotic Aquarium.
Reference
The full gear list, resources and credits.
Resources
Where I learn, and where I shop.
Buy local when you can. A good local fish store is worth supporting: healthier fish, real advice. Skip the big-box chains like Petco and PetSmart.
Fish and shrimp
- Seriously FishDetailed species profiles. My go-to.
- FishBaseThe scientific database: range, size, water.
- PlanetCatfishCatfish and plecos, by L-number.
- Shrimp ScienceCare sheets for shrimp colour forms.
- Aquarium Co-OpPlain, practical care guides.
Plants
- TropicaAquarium database: light, CO2, growth.
- FlowgrowA big community aquarium database.
- Buce Plant guidesSetup and aquascaping how-tos.
Forums
- The Planted TankThe big one for planted tanks.
- UKAPSAquascaping, CO2 and plant experts.
- Aquatic Plant CentralPlants, from beginner to expert.
- Aquarium Co-Op ForumFriendly, beginner-heavy community.
- FishloreFish health and general keeping.
- r/PlantedTankPlanted tanks of all sizes.
- r/AquascapeLayouts and hardscape.
- r/AquariumsThe general fish-keeping hub.
- r/fishkeepingQuestions and help, any fish.
- r/NanotankSmall tanks.
Reddit, by fish
- r/bettafishBettas: care, tanks and health.
- r/BorarasPhoenix and chili rasboras, and other tiny fish.
- r/GouramiHoney gouramis and their relatives.
- r/loachesKuhlis and other loaches.
- r/plecoBristlenose and other plecos.
- r/shrimptankShrimp colonies.
Stores that ship, US
West
- Buce PlantFavouriteLos Angeles, CA · Plants, CO2 gear and UNS tanks. Most of this tank came from here.
- Glass AquaFavouriteLos Angeles, CA · Plants, hardscape and beautiful scapes to learn from.
- Aqua Forest AquariumSan Francisco, CA · Plants, hardscape and Japanese gear.
- Aquarium Plants FactoryCalifornia · Tissue-culture plants, lots of them.
- The Wet SpotPortland, OR · A big freshwater fish store, shipped next day.
- Aqua HunaRenton, WA · Fish, shrimp, snails and plants.
Rockies and Midwest
- Aqua ImportsBoulder, CO · Freshwater fish, shipped overnight.
- Aquatic ArtsIndianapolis, IN · Fish, shrimp and plants, many bred in-house.
- The Shrimp FarmBloomington, IL · Freshwater shrimp specialists.
- Flip AquaticsWarren, OH · Nano fish, shrimp and plants.
South
- Aquarium Co-OpLexington, KY · Gear, foods and plants.
- Dustin's FishtanksNicholasville, KY · Plants and tanks.
- Imperial TropicalsLakeland, FL · A fish farm since 1970: buy straight from the breeder.
Local, Sacramento
- Exotic AquariumFavouriteSacramento · The best fish selection around, and high-end aquascaping gear.
- Aquarium & Reptile DepotCitrus Heights · Where the tank came from.
- Splash AquariumSacramento · A solid everyday selection.
Credits
Driftwood photo: Buce Plant, Malaysian Driftwood, cut out from its background.
Stones, driftwood and moss in the tank drawing: 3D scans from Poly Haven (CC0).
Storm sound: a cut of "Good thunderstorm Sept 8 2022" by Jud McCranie, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cut, fades, louder); this cut is shared under the same licence.