Planted aquarium guides
Practical, research-based guides to setting up and caring for a planted freshwater aquarium, from your first tank to injected CO2.
All guides
A Planted Tank Maintenance Routine
A practical weekly and monthly maintenance routine for low-tech and CO2 planted tanks: water changes, trimming, filters, fertilizers, testing, and equipment.
Aquarium CO2 Systems Explained: A Planted Tank Guide
When injected CO2 helps a planted tank, how each part of a pressurized system works, how to dial it in safely, and the mistakes that put livestock at risk.
Aquarium Cycling and Water Testing for Planted Tanks
How the nitrogen cycle works, how to cycle a tank without fish, how to tell when it is ready, and which water tests matter for planted tanks.
Aquarium Light Intensity and Duration for Planted Tanks
How bright and how long to run a planted aquarium light: a conservative starting photoperiod, ramping up, siestas, and reading your plants and algae.
Aquarium Timers and Lighting Schedules
How to put your planted tank light and CO2 solenoid on a reliable schedule: timer types, load ratings, power cuts, and step-by-step setup.
Aquascaping Styles Explained
A plain guide to the main aquascaping styles, what each asks of you in plants, equipment, and upkeep, and how to choose one for your experience.
Carpeting Plants for Planted Tanks
Common aquarium carpet plants grouped by difficulty, with the light, CO2, and substrate each needs, how densely to plant, and why carpets fail.
Choosing a Filter for a Planted Aquarium
How canister, hang-on-back, sponge, and internal filters suit planted tanks, how to size flow realistically, and how to maintain media without harming the cycle.
Choosing Aquarium Hardscape: Rocks and Driftwood
How to choose and prepare aquarium rocks and driftwood: inert vs. calcareous stone, effects on pH and hardness, tannins, safety, and placement.
Easy Aquarium Plants for Beginners
Forgiving, widely available aquarium plants for a first tank, with placement, light needs, how to plant each one, and the mistakes that kill them.
Essential Aquascaping Tools and What to Buy First
Which aquascaping tools make planting and maintenance easier, what each one is for, how to care for them, and which to buy first versus later.
Floating Plants for Aquariums
How floating plants help a planted tank, common species compared, how they shade plants below, how to contain them, and why they must never be released.
How to Attach Anubias and Java Fern
Why rhizome plants should not be buried, how to tie, glue, or wedge them onto wood and rock, where to place them, and how to divide and propagate them.
How to Choose Aquarium Substrate for a Planted Tank
Aquasoil, inert gravel, or sand: how each affects plants, water chemistry, cycling, and livestock, plus depth, sloping, and how to estimate quantity.
How to Choose Planted Aquarium Lighting
Choose a planted tank light by tank length, water depth, mounting style, and the plants you want, not by gallons or watts per gallon.
How to Set Up a Planted Nano Tank
How to set up a planted nano tank of roughly 2 to 10 gallons: scaled-down equipment, small plants, suitable livestock, and a steady maintenance routine.
How to Set Up Your First Planted Aquarium
A calm, step-by-step plan for a first planted tank: choosing the tank, easy plants, equipment, substrate, planting, cycling, and the first month.
How to Trim Stem Plants
When and how to trim aquarium stem plants: topping and replanting, trimming for bushier growth, fixing leggy bottoms, cleanup, tools, and light effects.
Keeping Shrimp in Planted Tanks
How to keep Neocaridina and Caridina dwarf shrimp with live plants: water parameters, copper risk, aquasoil, filter safety, acclimation, and fertilizer cautions.
Low-Tech vs. High-Tech Planted Tanks
How light, CO2, and nutrients work together, what low-tech and high-tech tanks demand in cost and upkeep, and how to choose or upgrade later.
Planted Tank Algae Troubleshooting
A calm, step-by-step way to identify common planted tank algae, understand what usually drives each type, and bring the tank back into balance.
Planted Tank Fertilizer Basics
What macro and micronutrients do, liquid fertilizers versus root tabs, how to dose for your real water volume, and how to read plant symptoms without overreacting.
Red Aquarium Plants: What Makes Them Red
Why some aquarium plants turn red, which red plants are easier or more demanding, and why reds fade to green or grow leggy in a planted tank.
Rimless Aquarium Buying Guide
What to check before buying a rimless aquarium: glass type and thickness, seams, leveling mats, stand weight, lights, lids, and footprint.
The Dry Start Method for Carpeting Plants
How the dry start method grows a carpet before you flood the tank: setup steps, misting, mold prevention, timing, and flooding safely.
Why Aquarium Plants Melt and What to Do About It
Why new and established aquarium plants melt, how to tell melt from nutrient deficiency, and the calm steps that help plants recover.