5 Tips for Establishing a New Aquascape or Planted Aquarium

[@iRoNiiC_H3R0]

Why is this the only video for this topic. 1000 videos of how to make an aquascape but only 1 video talking about what to do after the scape. Great video

[@LYCAT81]

Probably because most setups aren't sustainable long term and just look really good initially. Harder to find that sweet spot balance.

[@happy1382]

AGREED!!! It's insane.

[@stuartsmith5274]

Purchased 10 pot selection plus 5 singles and then oase filter last week, I will say for sure you are the best online shopping experience I've had, can't get any fresher, top packaging and helpful staff

[@solaire9512]

Nice concise tutorial, well done. I have built two new nano aquascapes recently and used your online ordering system for Ada soil, flat nano lights, various other hardware, and plants. All have arrived well packaged, on time and the plants were all perfect. You are now my one stop shop for my hobby. Keep up the good work and thank you!

[@OfficialEmperor]

Great short and very informative! Need more of these contents

[@aengusfoley6694]

Nice and easy way you put across the tips for people to understand. All the best. Aengus

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks Aengus, glad it came across well :)

[@vijaysaradhi0911]

Good work! Thanks for the efforts.. very useful

[@Hawiiti]

The Aquascaper 900 is very well grown at the moment. Love it!

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks Wouter, the fern is in need of some trimming :)

[@Hawiiti]

How do you get it so bushy? My Ferns always seem to grow pretty compact. Is just patience or some trimming technique I am missing?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Strong light and high CO2 in this tank, really brings out the best in the trident fern :) no special trimming, we either pull chunks out or use scissors to cut away unwanted parts of the plant.

[@imanosmand1517]

Thanks so much for all those tips. That was so helpfull for me as a beginner...🙏

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

No problem, glad to help :)

[@Immortallettuce]

Great vid, Dave. Very useful. Will be over to see you again in a few weeks’ time.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Ben Colbridge thanks Ben look forward to seeing you soon!

[@oscarr.5078]

I'm building my first scape next week, so this video was timely! Thanks! Subscribed.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Oscar R. Great! Glad it helps 👍 thanks for subscribing too 🙂

[@JohnFormstone]

Great video Dave! Lots of great tips. that 900 tank is looking superb.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks John! 900 is ticking along nicely. Stable and mature now 👍

[@sidwellavfc]

Great video Dave, good to see another one so soon! The aquascapes are looking incredible. Interesting to hear about the seachem products, thank you for that.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

🙏 🙂

[@Taila90]

Thank you so much for this great video! Very helpful! :) Question: I can’t change the intensity of my lights (JUWEL Rio 180 led). Should I reduce the Hours even more instead during first weeks (under 6 Hours) or keep langer the 6 Hours? Thank you Very much:) greetings from germany

[@flappinganimal]

Great tips Dave 👍🏻. Need to pay you a visit again soon 🙂

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

flappinganimal cheers Pete, drop by anytime always a pleasure 👍

[@welshweeks01]

Tanks are looking awesome as usual. Great information Dave :-)

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thank you! 🙂 hope it helps!

[@luisribeiro4267]

Great Video Dave, great tips Thks I did learn new tricks today, namely introducing Prestine after Stability ...and of course Purigen which I already use in all my tanks Thks again mate Well done, stay strong, all the success in the world to you Bro

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks again Luis glad you’re enjoying the videos and they’re helpful to you :) till next time! Cheers, Dave

[@glendasteel7573]

SUPERB video Dave!!!!! Could you do a video on how to care for newly planted plants i.e. which need trimming straight away or after a certain amount of time, which you can expect to die back (melt - thinking of crypts here!) etc?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks Glenda! I will add it to the list for futures videos 🙂👌

[@theaquadude5503]

Awesome tips and great point on having enough nutrients. The seeming taboo of having too many nutrients is diminishing

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

👍

[@The_Robert.Fletcher]

Thanks for the suggestions, Dave,

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Robert Fletcher Hi Robert, no problem hope it helps :)

[@YuehAndFriends]

I didn't know about pristine thank you for tip :) I plan on buying some now ty!

[@hopeaquatics6611]

Hello, I just wanted to say Thank you for the tips. Awesome tips. ..........Subscribed and .....Hi from Indonesia :)

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks!

[@bweb6]

This was really helpful. My tank is all cycled now with plants i got from Aquarium Gardens and they're doing great. I didn't know about Seachem Pristine tho, so i'm going to give it a try.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

👍 happy to hear it’s helpful video! Thanks for watching 🙂 also great to hear your plants are doing well!

[@stravinsky140]

Really helps allot

[@liamreast]

will i need a heater for these type of scapes

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

I only started dosing my 240 gallon with Seachem iron and it's done wonders. Some plants like Swords have almost exploded in growth and other touchy plants that grew soooo slow..are growing faster. Is it just me to think that if you don't run Co2,then iron is extremely important to plant health?

[@mitojo60]

Thanks for helpful tip , can I ask the Seachem pristine Instructions say you do a initial dose turning off uv and the like then a dose when you either clean filters ie... What if I do a water changes do you dose each time Dave just wondered how you use pristine thanks

[@hhastekin]

Beautiful looking tanks Dave! I love how big and bushy those ferns are. Are they directly attached to hardscape? Do you sell big bunches like that online? Cheers!

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Harry H thanks Harry 🙏 they were pre attached to wood before adding to tank, but have grown much much bigger since. We used 2 on each side, they’re online here www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/microsorum-pteropus-trident-on-wood-1469-p.asp

[@BURAIANANDRESRAMOS]

Hey hi Dave im following your method for the new tank i just setup. Love this method but im wondering if its possible to not add twinstar sterilizer to maintain such a clean tank like yours.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Yes it is, but it’s easier with the Twinstar 👍

[@continuousself-improvement1879]

In the first few weeks of planting, is it more useful to put in fertilizer tablets in the substrate or liquid ferts? Thank you.

[@beatap6250]

Great video 🐬😘👍

[@pranithmr6108]

Could you please suggest a complete plant food? Is Tropica specialized nutrition is OK for that?

[@Portobello1979]

Great video 👍

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks Oli glad you liked it :)

[@jamesmillard5669]

At 3.05 minutes what switches on over your left shoulder? I'm assuming it's sim sort of CO2 but i can see that bring dosed in the opposite corner of the tank. Thanks

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

It’s the Twinstar steriliser... algae inhibitor 👍

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/twinstar-nano-sterilizer-50-200-litre-2564-p.asp

[@blu3leg3nd]

Hi dave! Great Video! Do you use EI dosing?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thank you! No we use The Aquascaper or TNC Complete Plant Food 👍

[@blu3leg3nd]

@@AquariumGardensAquascaping Thanks Dave, I am just wondering if you are dosing EI levels (=20-30 ppm no3, 20-30 ppm k+, 0,2-0,5 ppm iron/traces etc...PER WEEK) with these fertilizers or have a much leaner approach. Btw. your videos are a real inspiration and i hope there is more to come from you in the future. Your tanks are some of the best on youtube!

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

@@blu3leg3nd We dose our plant food to high levels, similar to EI levels. And thank you! More to come, glad its some inspiration for you :)

[@MrGrantdw]

Do you get a complete cycle from your filters meaning a reduction in nitrates? As using seachem prime, safe and purigen are known inhibitors to a full nitrogen cycle. I stopped using seachem products for this reason after the pond gurus video pointed it out several years ago and now enjoy no algae really low nitrates and less water changes. I also use a particle and carbon filter to remove chlorine and other nasty things from the water when doing a water change, thus no need for prime type products. The only seachem I now use is stability when setting up a new tank or water changes grater than 50% it has always seemed to work where others have not.

[@henrydo2236]

do you use RO water or tap water?

[@ejclydegod]

Great informative video! Do you use re-mineralized RO water in your tanks?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thank you! 🙏 no we just use tap water with Seachem Prime 👍

[@drivwer1]

@@AquariumGardensAquascaping how is your water hardness pls?

[@MisAJGraveS]

Soooo I’m over my head. What about beneficial bacteria and water changed. I dosed my tank with I set it up. Now I need to do my first water change. Do I need to dose it again?

[@mesakaralte6182]

Is there a video of making of this tank?

[@tcwarnaar]

Great video! I was just wondering if you use the heavier fertiliser with ammonia and nitrate or the lighter sort of fertiliser from the start?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

We use a complete fertilizer from the start with nitrogen and potassium 👍

[@RafaelSwit]

One question... are these tips more so for fish-in or fishless setup? I’ve noticed many aquascapers add fish and shrimp almost immediately, so it will obviously increase waste/ammonia production, thus more frequent and larger water changes are needed. However, if you maintain the same water change schedule with a fishless tank, you may be starving out bacteria. But maybe I’m totally wrong

[@iambricko]

Hi Dave, you mentioned doing a 50% water change every other day for the first 2 weeks. Do I dose Seachem Stability, Pristine and TNC complete plant nutrition at 50% or do I do a full dose each time I do a water change?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Yes dose after each water change 👍

[@iambricko]

Aquarium Gardens Thanks for your reply. A full dose or a dose just to replace the 50% of removed water?

[@mellywell]

That is an amazing tank and is one of my favourite looks. I will be attempting to recreate that in my 120 I'm currently setting up. I love love it. Double island look I think it's called. I see you have a constant CO2 on the right hand side, but what is released on the left? Is that more CO2? For a newbie to planted tanks (kept Frontosa for 22 years) can you please explain what that item is on the left and what it does? Thanks so much.

[@grant575mixmaster]

yeah I want to know as well

[@d.b9743]

Just for anyone that runs in to this question a couple years on, the product on the left is a steriliser. No airlines connected it’s just electricity that essentially burns off any algae spores floating in the water column 👍🏼

[@canelami1285]

First time watching a video from you, thank you for the clear explanations. Next time please cut the music while you're talking, on my tablet the volume was almost the same. Question, what substrate do you use? I really like java fern and dwarf hair grass but I'm not sure what substrate to get, thanks for your help!

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Thanks for your comments... all noted! 🙂👍 we use Aquarium Soil, either Tropica, Prodibio or Dennerle Soil are all good choices. Very good bottom layer for plant growth.

[@SC-hk6ui]

Tell me about the contents of that bottled stuff. Is it some kind of magical spell?

[@14arifhidayat]

Do you run your co2 24 hours non stop? Or only before the light on?

[@jscapes782]

Great vid. But would purigen not remove ferts also.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

The impact on fertz is minimal 👍

[@teddylott]

Did you mean 50 percent intensity for first 2 weeks then ramp up 10 percent every 5 days or is that ramping included in the first 2 weeks 6hrs per day period. Thanks

[@michelkraan2431]

Great Video! When do you put the first life stock in de tank? Shrimps and snails first?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Michel Kraan thanks Michel! We add shrimps and snails normally around 2-4 weeks if all is well with the plants. Fish after about 6 weeks 👍

[@aktravels1586]

Aquarium Gardens Thanks for the informative video! Just wondering, do shrimps and snails do better in establishing tanks? What’s the reason for their introduction first?

[@adamkabalec9593]

Hi do you guys used ro water, for water changes?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Just tap water... much easier 🙂

[@brianjones3584]

Thanks Dave! What are the large “bush” like plants in the tank? Thank you!

[@zackbuzza583]

Trident ferns I think.

[@paulshockley8632]

I had a question, can we add corydoras to these aquascapes? I’m starting a 60p and was going to add Pygmy cories. They would not mess up the substrate? Thanks

[@continuousself-improvement1879]

I have a couple of panda corys in my 10G (a community tank with some other fishes), and they don't mess my white silica sand much. I think they are adorable, and they eat up the pellets that has fallen to the bottom so they also help with cleanups. Lol 🥰

[@catarinacastanheira2083]

Great video! Just one question. In the first couple of weeks with frequent water changes, would you add fertiliser every time you do a water change?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

We would normal add fertz after a water change yes 👍

[@nicosajeva]

How many ppm does your tap water have? congratulations for the wonderful channel you are creating!

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

It’s approx 350 TDS, so considered hard water

[@nicosajeva]

@@AquariumGardensAquascaping Thank you. So do you use this for water changes?

[@teddylott]

When would you start stocking the aquarium after dosing with stability?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

We normally add fish after around 6 weeks.

[@teddylott]

@@AquariumGardensAquascaping great thanks

[@winterume]

hello, question, i accidentally rinsed my aquasoil, is there a way to "revive" or something? im sorry i dont know the right word for it.

[@JonasBensimon]

Amazing vid

[@Sweatpea2023]

What tanks and lights are you using and are they available in the USA?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Alex McCoy Twinstar lights and EA Aquascaper tanks 👍

[@lornafletcher6174]

Hi, can i ask what the difference is between Seachem Prime, Stability, Purigen and Pristine? I use Prime after every water change.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Lorna Fletcher Hi Lorna, prime is your water condition for removing chlorine. Stability helps establish bio filtrations. Purigen absorbs organic waste. And pristine also helps reduce organic waste, detritus and improve water clarity.

[@lornafletcher6174]

Many thanks for replying . This has helped loads!! Thanks

[@teddylott]

If its a completely new filter we want ammonia in the aquarium to cycling the filter? If im adding stability etc wont that stop the tank cycling by removing the food for the bacteria to populate? Any good info on cycling a newly planted aquascape?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Yes stability will help populate bacteria and biological filtration in your filter to deal with ammonia. If ammonia becomes to high before it’s dealt with then a high chance of algae.

[@teddylott]

@@AquariumGardensAquascaping ah brilliant ok that makes much more sense thank you so much. Loved the video.

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Ted Lott glad it helped :)

[@rainvictorron2413]

What is that right behind you, something emitting white smoke?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Twinstar Nano sterilizer to help reduce algae 👍

[@daveshanahan3413]

Do you continue to use Purigen for the life of the aquascape?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

Yes, it’s rechargeable up to 4 times before you need to replace

[@daveshanahan3413]

Do you recharge in bleach? I’ve always been sceptical about doing that?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

David Shanahan yep in a light bleach water solution. Normally for around 4 hours then leave dechlorinated water (Seachem Prime) overnight.

[@MiamiBeachNativeInNYC]

How do all you U.K./European aquascapers all have that beautiful trident java fern growing so bushy & close to the wood it’s growing on??? I ordered a bunch here in the U.S. & it came in really tall & leggy with really long stalks before the actual leaves branch out at the tips :(

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

High lighting and CO2 encourages more compact growth form 👍

[@Bradley5106]

Hi, I want to buy a planted aquarium substrate ahh as Amazonia for my new aquarium but I am worried about the substrate lowering my ph and hardness, my water is pretty much liquid rock and I am worried that the condition changes after a water change will fatally stress my fish out

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

We have hard water here too. Dechlorinate (we use Prime) and bring up to temperature and our fish are happy to receive the fresh clean water!

[@twinspark24]

How long does it take till you introduce fish using this method?

[@AquariumGardensAquascaping]

We normally add fish after 4-6weeks

[@diladmazmi4921]

wish id seen this video before i started my new high tech 30gal +1 tip can be to not to put fish in the aquarium alteast a month Gr8 vid

[@happy1382]

I don't think you will have an ammonia problem with 50% water changes every week. Those chemicals seem unnecessary. No?

[@lewisstanley3031]

don't play any music we can't hear what your saying.

[@TheVoyagers.]

You can put on subtitles?

[@MoreChannelNoise]

Great tank, horrible muzak.

[@Matthew.E.Kelly.]

As a musician who's been doing a lot of side projects and per diem work under pseudonyms lately, I've thought of getting into doing KZbin soundtrack work, especially for the aquarium enthusiasts channels.