To successfully build a complex and interesting aquascape, there are several simple rules that can be followed. Please note, that you should already have the knowledge of how to grow plants successfully before attempting to creat more complex aquascapes.

      There must be an aim in all things, and in Aquascaping, my personal aim is to create an aesthetic piece of art, something the eye will find complex, interesting and most of all, beautiful. To creat this aim, there are some basic concepts, complements, contrasts and tension.

1. Choice of plants

 Choice of plants is extremely important if not the most important factor. Although fast growing plants should be picked to start a tank, thought must be placed on several things - height, leaf shape/size, growth pattern and very importantly colour. The height of plants will be discussed in later techniques. In smaller tanks, plants with smaller leaves should be chosen, as this gives the illusion of a larger space than the tank itself. By including different shaped leaves within the aquatic environment, a complex collage can be created, the different plants working together to create an interesting piece. Do not go wildly different. Intricate leaf shapes like Rotala rotundifola complement simpler ones like Hygrophila polysperma very well.

 That said, large and small leaf shapes contrast one another. As the eye moves around the tank, Complementary and contrasting leaf shapes and sizes create a scene that is interesting and seems larger than it really is. Growth pattern should be known well before hand, Stem plants generally grow up, although under high light, plants like Hygrophila, Ludwigia and Rotala tend to branch out side ways in a "carpeting" fasion. These should be used in the back ground. Plants like Hygrophila difformis, cryptocornes, Echinodorus and lobelia tend to have medium sized leaves that grow low to the ground. In smaller tanks, these leaves can seem quite large so should be used with caution, as points of tension or as centrepieces.

 Colour must be picked carefully. The majority of tank plants will turn pink or red in extremely high light conditions. Under lower conditions most will remain green. A careful balance must be struck when using red or pink plants, as they can sometimes over take the scenery. They should be used sparingly to create "highlights" within the tank. As can be seen the 29 gallon, the highlight of the tank is the Rotala rotundifola in the furthest left corner. In larger tanks, a Nymphae lotus can be used to great profit as a single centrepiece. Placing of plants will be discussed in the next section

Next Section : Planting and Pruning

 

MAIN PAGE