Aquascaping is a fancy word that means to decorate your aquarium. People decorate their aquariums with different types of rocks, wood, plants, etc. Arranging the gravel, decorations, plants and other materials can be an awful lot of fun and also gives you a chance to show off your creative talents. Your fish will appreciate the effort that you put into setting up your tank.
Creating different designs in the inside of your tank can be one of the best aspects of having an aquarium hobby. There are so many different items that are available to help decorate your tank that you could have an endless combination of items for your fish to play in.
Although you can have an awful lot of fun setting up your tank, there are certain things that you should not put in certain aquarium set ups. You need to know what you should buy before you begin to randomly toss things into your aquarium. If you purchase things that are dangerous for your fish, then you are putting your fish at risk.
Some hobbyists enjoy setting up a tank that has many plants and not very many fish. Others prefer a simpler floor plan and they would rather have more fish and fewer plants. The choice is yours.
The most important thing to remember is that you need to create an environment that your fish will enjoy and that will also be safe. You want to make sure that you do not put anything that is dangerous or hazardous into your tank. You also need to take clues from the natural habitat of your fish. This will give you a good idea as to what you should start with.
Gravel is something that you need to start with. Manufactured gravel is the best bet for a freshwater tank. It can be easily cleaned and is widely available in pet stores or in supercenters. You can buy it by the bagger by the pound. Gravel will come in many different colors and levels of shininess. Be sure that you choose gravel that does not contain lime. Gravel that contains lime can raise the pH level in the water.
Choosing the right substrate in aquarium set up is very important. It is equally as important as providing the right water condition. The type of substrate that you use will also be determined by the type of plants that you have in your tank.
You can use different sizes of gravel from large chunks down to very fine particles that are like sand. You do not want to use something that is too fine because it will end up clogging your filter system. Your best bet is to go with the particle size of about 1/8 of an inch. If you simply must go with sand in the bottom of your tank, make sure that you use a very thin layer or have a mesh plate underneath it to stop it from falling into the filter.
