February 2019 Meeting
Over thirty people, consisting of both regular members and many new faces, made their way to Josh Wiegert’s house to hear a talk entitled “Planted Aquariums- The Basics”. The presentation was given by Kris Weinhold, who graciously agreed to step in at the last minute.
Kris started at the very beginning of the creative process: what size tank to select, how to make a prototype, and how to use proper ratios to create an aesthetically pleasing aquascape.
He went over what plants are easiest for beginners and what to look out for if you add fish to an aquascape. When adding fish, it is important to remember that there is an equilibrium between the health of the plants and the fish- carbon, light, and nutrients. He also touched on common beginner’s problems: what substrate to select, how to fertilize, and how much light to give the plants.
After covering the basics, he went into more detail about how to physically set up the tank. First, add the substrate and slope it to make the tank appear more dynamic. Next, set up the hardscape, retaining some of the substrate to place on top of the hardscape to help integrate the overall look. Then, plant small nodes of foreground plants in a grid pattern in order to cover the ground evenly. Finally, after about a month, when the carpeting plants have established themselves, add other plants and fill it with water.
Here are some of the secrets to a good aquascape that Kris shared with the group:
- Use a larger amount of fewer species of plants
- Place larger leaf plants in the front, and narrow leaf plants in the back to help with perspective
- Happy plants combat algae!
