Proper care of a planted aquarium: features, frequency and life hacks

It takes both art and science to properly maintain a planted aquarium. It all comes down to establishing a healthy underwater ecosystem in which fish and plants live side by side. But consistent care and attention are necessary to reach this equilibrium.

There are a lot of things to take into account, from selecting the right plants to making sure they receive enough light and nutrients. Every maintenance component is essential to maintaining the health and vibrancy of your aquarium.

We’ll go over the essentials of caring for your aquatic plants, how often to do so, and some helpful life hacks to make the process go more smoothly in this post.

Types of planted aquariums

You should focus on the variety of planted aquariums before proceeding with the care instructions, as the upkeep of various kinds of planted aquariums will vary slightly.

Three types of grasshoppers are distinguished by aquarists based on the speed at which plants grow and develop:

Low rate of plant growth in aquariums. This can be accomplished by cutting back on fertilizer dosages and lighting levels, as well as by declining to add more carbon dioxide.

The flora in these aquariums grows and reproduces rapidly, and the population density is high. This calls for increased carbon dioxide supply, higher fertilizer dosages, and intensified lighting.

The number of plants and growth rates are averaged here. The circumstances in this case must therefore be averaged.

The residents of the herbalists can be classified into two groups: mixed, which includes a variety of aquatic organisms, and those that are exclusively plant-populated, devoid of fish and mollusks (underwater flora and fauna). This parameter is also crucial to take into account, particularly in mixed aquariums where you want to create an environment that is ideal for fish and plants alike.

Features and frequency of care for a herbal aquarium

You can create a visual table of the frequency of care for a grass aquarium by compiling the knowledge of well-known aquarists from forums and books, such as M. Bailey, P. Bergress, and M. Makhlin, as well as suggestions from seasoned aquarists.

Every day:

• equipment check;
• checking the condition of plants and fish;
• feeding the fish;
• creation of daylight by turning the lighting on and off;
• visual assessment of the level and condition of the water with tests if necessary.

Every week:

• replace part of the water;
• checking water parameters (acid-base balance, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, etc.);
• washing of prefilters and internal filters (on demand);
• cleaning the glass;
• assessment of the condition of plants and fish;
• checking and adjusting the operating parameters of the equipment;
• fertilizing and feeding;
• thinning, pruning plants, removing fallen or dead parts.

Every month or every few months:

• thinning plants;
• pruning;
• separating shoots;
• cleaning the substrate of the ground;
• cleaning the bottom and changing the water (every other time);
• washing the filters: once a quarter we clean small-chamber filters, once every 5-6 months – large filters;
• preventive replacement of lighting lamps (every six months).

Every year:

• washing the soil with a multi-stage water change using a hose;
• removing dead plants;
• replanting and changing the design of the underwater garden if desired;
• settling new inhabitants of the fish fauna.

Occasionally, every few years:

• complete renewal of the soil and water every 3-5 years and replacing the garden;
• a garden of cryptocorynes can be renewed once every 10 years, it lives longer.

Extra attention as needed:

• replenishment of evaporated water (if necessary);
• cooling the aquarium in hot weather.

Assessment of the condition of the inhabitants and equipment

Completed each day. It’s important to count any fish and other aquatic animals that reside in the aquarium by observing and evaluating their appearance, behavior, and appetite.

Counting fish during feeding is more convenient because every fish rises to the surface at that time. Depending on the breed, feeding takes place one or two times per day. It’s critical to refrain from overfeeding!

It is best to isolate the fish in a different aquarium and to keep an eye on them if they exhibit suspicious symptoms. If any dead fish are discovered, they need to be taken out of the aquarium right away to avoid poisoning the other fish with decomposing materials.

Every day, the plants’ state is also evaluated. It is important to remove any old, fallen, or rotten leaves and to pay attention to the growth zones. Unscheduled weeding is done when needed.

Next, the degree of cleanliness of the aquarium glass is examined, along with the water’s appearance, temperature, and smell. If an external inspection of the water raises any concerns for you, it is preferable to perform ad hoc testing.

Regularly verifying that all equipment (including the carbon dioxide supply system, lighting, compressors, heating elements, filters, and aquarium integrity) is in good working order is crucial. Take quick action if even the smallest malfunction is found, as even momentary equipment malfunctions can cause illness or even death in aquarium occupants.

Disconnect the equipment from the network before inspecting the apparatus and evaluating the aquarium’s state. As soon as the work is finished, turn on all required devices.

Creating ideal conditions by controlling the lighting, temperature, aeration, and carbon dioxide enrichment is another daily task.

Partial water change

The most crucial element in maintaining a planted aquarium. conducted once every 10 days when there is a gradual increase in the nitrate concentration, and once a week when there is a high level of nitrates. Weekly tests are used to determine the concentration.

There are a few guidelines that should be followed when changing water:

• Water is replaced partially: on average by 25-30%.

Refrain from discarding drained water right away. It’ll be useful for cleaning internal filters. To properly maintain their advantageous microflora, this is crucial. You can also use aquarium water to water your houseplants. You’ll be astounded at how they transform and acquire dazzling health.

• The replaced water must strictly correspond to the parameters of the water in the aquarium (total and carbonate hardness, temperature, pH and mineral content).

• Tap water must first be dechlorinated by letting it stand for at least 12 hours, or better yet, a day. If there is no time, you can use dechlorinators sold in pet stores.

Never use the hot water supply system’s water. The aquarium might be destroyed by this.

• When changing the water from the aquarium, you need to drain it gradually. Also gradually add new water. This is important so that the plants and fish can endure the procedure comfortably.

A bucket with a rubber hose or a siphon can be used for drainage:

For this, you can also use a hose and even thinner tubes (like a dropper) to pour water through:

1. Place a vessel with new water above the aquarium.
2. Lower one end of the tube there, placing the other in the planter.
3. Water will gradually begin to overflow into the aquarium.

It is convenient to add liquid fertilizers to the prepared water during the replacement.

Video tips for changing water in an aquarium

Assessing and adjusting water parameters and conditions

It is crucial to check and quickly adjust water parameters on a weekly basis:

This indicator is even more significant to a planter than pH. Carbonate hardness at its ideal range is 3-6 dkh. examined using specialized test systems.

Test strips and specialized kits are used to measure PH. The ideal range for a planted aquarium is 6.5-7.3.

• CO concentration₂. The most important indicator for plants. In nature, it is contained in water in a concentration of 5 to 30 mg / l, and plants feel comfortable. In aquariums, the indicators decrease. Optimal indicator for an aquarium: 15 mg / l. You can measure the concentration of carbon dioxide using the tables of the ratio of kh and ph. Tables are available in many test kits. You can also use a drop checker or tests.

You can add carbon dioxide to small aquariums up to 10–20 liters by adding a tiny amount of clean carbonated water every day.

With specialized cylinder systems or at-home techniques like mashing or an acid reaction, you can change the concentration.

1. To generate CO₂, you will need: a 1.5-2 liter plastic bottle, water, sugar, yeast, plasticine, a flexible hose, a diffuser (a rowan branch or a spray cap).
2. Mix the yeast with sugar and place in the bottle, filling it with warm water, but not completely.
3. Make a hole in the lid for the hose and close the bottle.
4. Insert the tube, and attach a spray cap or a short rowan branch for diffusion to the other end.
5. Seal the connections with plasticine. Lower the end with the diffuser into the aquarium.

For up to three months, the mash can provide carbon dioxide for the aquarium. Because the CO2 content naturally rises at night, it is crucial to remove the hose from the aquarium.

Video tips for generating CO2 using mash

• Mineral composition. Despite the fact that the plants are partially fed from the substrate, they must be fed with liquid fertilizers enriched with micro- and macronutrients. It is advisable to have fertilizers in the form of individual elements (iron, potassium, iodine, etc.) and complex nutritional compositions. The mineral composition is checked by tests. Fertilizers are best introduced into the phase of active plant growth.

There’s no use adding more nitrogen fertilizers to an aquarium once there are sufficient fish there. An abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus will result in undesirable algae.

Check the water for phosphate groups.

• Water temperature. The optimal temperature for plants is +24-26 degrees Celsius. It is important to consider that hypothermia slows down the growth of the underwater garden, and overheating leads to the proliferation of algae and fish diseases.
• Oxygen level control. If it is important to supply carbon dioxide to the grass aquarium during the day, then at night it is important to turn on the aeration system and compressors. This is necessary to provide the plants and fish with the necessary O₂ level at night.
• Nitrate-phosphate balance. It is important to control the content of nitrate and phosphate groups and ammonia in the water using tests, promptly correcting deviations depending on the plant varieties and fish species.
• Lighting. The planted aquarium should be illuminated for no more than 12 hours.

Glass cleaning

Usually, a weekly glass cleaning is sufficient. It is preferable to use sponges and specialized aquarium scrapers for this. Using household sponges is not recommended as they might contain hazardous contaminants.

Using scrapers with a long handle is convenient as it eliminates the need to wet your hands. Furthermore, magnetic scrapers are invaluable. Simply attach the scraper to the inner glass, and the other piece will clean the outside of the glass at the same time.

The right amount of daylight prevents aquarium glass from becoming plaque-ridden. Never leave the lights on for longer than twelve hours.

Maintenance of the filtration system

The type of filter materials and filter model determine how frequently a filter needs to be maintained:

• Mechanical filter elements must be regularly freed from filtered particles to prevent their decay. To do this, they are carefully washed under the duct of the water. From time to time, it is necessary to replace the filter materials: the instructions for the equipment will tell about frequency.
• In chemical filters consumables should also be replaced regularly: for example, coal or peat blocks.
• Care for biological filters requires special care. You can only clean a third of the base at one time, and rinsing is only permissible in water from the aquarium.

It is not possible to disable biological filters for longer than an hour. The helpful bacterial colonies will be destroyed as a result. As a result, it’s critical to finish cleaning during this period, put the cleaned material back where it belongs, and activate the filter.

• In combined multi-section filters cleaning of different types of elements is carried out separately and in relation to a given type of material.

Substrate cleaning

In planted aquariums, the soil substrate needs to be cleaned with extreme caution. If not, you risk harming the plants and eliminating the nitrifying bacteria’s beneficial microflora.

A siphon is used to carefully remove silt, impurities, and dead particles from the soil. Gentle cleaning is more crucial in a herbalist than it is in any other place. A lot of aquarists believe that once a month substrate cleaning is sufficient.

Since the ecosystem has not yet developed, you shouldn’t clean the soil in the first year of starting a herbalist.

Features of plant care

You must check on the plants’ health every day, keeping an eye out for the emergence of new leaves in the growth zones. It is equally important to uproot diseased plants as soon as possible and to remove old, dead leaves.

Underwater plants should be regularly trimmed and thinned (some weekly, some monthly), with an emphasis on the garden’s external condition. Pruning is necessary to produce a lovely design and to let light into the lower layers of plants.

Aquarists offer guidance on how to care for various plant groups:

• For weakly bushing plants with a long stem it is necessary to cut off the top to the length for replanting. The stump can be removed or left and wait for new shoots.
• For strongly bushing plants with a long stem the tops should be cut 4-7 cm below the expected place of the new cap of young shoots that grow on the upper internodes.
• Ground cover and small bush plants if necessary, trim evenly to create a water lawn and landscape.

• For bush plants it is important to remove excess arrows and shoots, overgrown leaves in time. They must be replanted very carefully, since their roots capture neighboring plants. You can even cut the plant out of the ground for this.
• For ferns and anubias for thinning, cut off rhizomes, and sometimes excessively protruding leaves. It is important to remember that Anubias, Microsoriums and Bolbitis do not grow new leaves.

Maintaining a planted aquarium properly entails routine upkeep such as pruning plants, cleaning the tank, and making sure that the lighting and nutrients are balanced to maintain the health of the fish and plants. You may create a vibrant and beautiful low-maintenance aquatic environment that thrives by adhering to a set routine and utilizing easy tips like adjusting light levels and adding natural fertilizers.

Additional points

• Water in open-top aquariums can evaporate, as a result of which the concentration of harmful substances will increase. To prevent this, it is important to add specially prepared water to the aquarium to the required level. It must be dechlorinated and have the same parameters as in the aquarium.
• In hot weather, it is important to cool the aquarium. You can protect it from the sun with a curtain. You can also add cool water when changing it or hang a bag of ice cubes in the aquarium.
• You should regularly monitor the lighting elements and change them about once every six months, without waiting for them to burn out. This is important because over time, the lamps lose brightness and their efficiency decreases.

It is critical to keep an eye on the aeration apparatus, clean the diffusers on a regular basis, evaluate the flexibility of the hoses, and check the state of the pumps, membranes, and detachable components.

The essential elements and guidelines for maintaining a planted aquarium are covered in this article. It all looks complicated at first, but it doesn’t cause unnecessary trouble once it becomes a habit. Your underwater garden’s longevity, appearance, and health are investments worth the time and work you put into its upkeep.

Feature	Description
Lighting	Use moderate lighting for 8-10 hours a day to support plant growth and prevent algae.
Water Changes	Change 25-30% of the water weekly to maintain water quality and nutrient balance.
Fertilization	Add liquid fertilizers weekly to provide essential nutrients for plants.
Trimming	Trim plants regularly to encourage growth and remove dead leaves.
Filtration	Use a gentle filter to keep water clear without disturbing the plants.
Algae Control	Introduce algae eaters like snails or shrimp to keep algae in check naturally.
CO2 Injection	If needed, add CO2 to promote healthy plant growth, especially in high-light setups.

Consistent care is necessary to keep a planted aquarium flourishing, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. You can easily maintain a healthy environment for your fish and plants by learning about their basic needs.

Frequent maintenance procedures, such as changing the water, pruning, and inspecting the machinery, can stop issues before they start. Without taking a lot of time, simple routines help keep your aquarium in top condition.

A few simple life hacks, like selecting the proper lighting and fertilizers, can have a significant impact on the general health of your aquarium. Even novices can enjoy a lush, colorful planted tank with these tips.

Video on the topic

Secrets of keeping a slow planted aquarium

How I maintain my planted aquarium

The intricacies of keeping a planted aquarium

First aquarium with plants or wisdom of a novice planted aquarium!

Five mistakes of novice aquarists

Important! Don"t do this during the period of fish treatment! #aquarium #aquarium #betta #lifehacks #review #guppy

A recipe for an easy-to-maintain planted aquarium without CO2 supply. Plant nutrition.

Creating a slow planted aquarium without CO2 and with a minimum of fertilizers. Basic rule.