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Growing Beautiful Aquatic Mosses
2007-07-01 17:38:00
Aquatic mosses can be some of the most beautiful aquatic plants if grown correctly and given the right environment. Wispy fronds of all shapes and configurations can add texture and detail to any aquascape. However, one unique aspect of most aquatic mosses is that their appearance is highly dependent on their environment. This can make the difference between a lush, full wall of Christmas moss and a stringy tangled mess. Here are some tips to get the most out of your aquatic moss, whether it be simple Java Moss or Peacock Moss:- Mosses love light. Although they will survive in minimal light (especially the ever hardy Java Moss) they will grow scraggly and stringy and grow very slowly. The more light you give your moss, the faster and fuller it will grow.- Mosses grow best attached to something. This is their epiphytic nature. They can attach to almost anything using strong anchor fibers, but the best options are rocks or driftwood. Simply tie the most down onto an object and within ...
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Celestial Pearl Danio Not Out of the Woods Yet
2007-06-18 19:52:00
Typical wetland habitat of the Celestial Pearl Dani oCelestichthys margaritatus, commonly known as the Celestial Pearl Danio or Galaxy Rasbora, was previously thought to only exist in one specific location in Myanmar east of Lake Inle. Heavy over-collection prompted concern from hobbyists and the government in Myanmar, which banned the export of the Celestial Pearl Danio in February. It was widely thought that the species was on the brink of extinction in the wild. However, Practical Fishkeeping reported that since the government of Myanmar banned exportation of the Celestial Pearl Danio, new populations of Celestichthys margaritatus have been found in several locations. As good as this may be, it does not remove the Celestial Pearl Danio from risk. The locations where the fish may be found are now common knowledge and if Myanmar lifts the ban on export, as it very well may do due to the new populations, over-collection will begin again. As many as 3000-5000 species may be collect...
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Celestial Pearl Danio (Galaxy Rasbora) Courtship Behavior
2007-06-14 02:45:00
Here's a great video of the highly prized Celestial Pearl Danio (previously called the Galaxy Rasbora) doing a courtship dance before spawning (although not yet proven, some have said this is a territorial display between males). These fish are highly endangered, so breeding them in your aquarium is important. Not much is known about their breeding behavior though, so this video is very helpful! If your Celestichthys margaritatus are swimming around each other like this, chances are you're doing something right and will see some fry shortly.
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ADA International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest 2007 Closes Today!
2007-05-31 22:42:00
Just another quick note of ADA news, the 2007 International Aquatic Plants Layout Contes t closes today! It's a chance to win one of several prizes: There will be one Grand prize of JPY1,000,000 (a little over $8,000!), one Gold prize of JPY300,000 (about $2,500), two Silver prizes of JPY100,000 (about $800), three Bronze prizes of JPY50,000 (about $400), twenty Honor prizes of JPY10,000 (about $80), and 100 Winning works which will receive a certificate. We should know the results in a few months and I'm really interested to see what new ideas and techniques spring up. In case you missed them, here are last year's Top 10 aquascapes.
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ADA Nature Aquarium Gallery in Japan
2007-05-31 22:29:00
Here's a link I stumbled across and saved to a photo gallery of the ADA Nature Aqua rium Gallery in Japan . This is where all of Amano's greatest works and works in progress are on display, as well as acting as a showroom for his ADA aquarium equipment.There are some extremely beautiful aquariums, but just the sweeping pictures of all the aquariums in one room is pretty enough. There are even a few salt water aquariums as well. If you are ever in Japan, give this gallery a visit, I hear it is worth the trip! For more information on ADA and the gallery, head over to ADA Japan.Yikes! Look how full that one is!

Aquarium Time Lapse - Hemianthus Callitrichoides Over 6 Days
2007-05-23 16:13:00
This is a fantastic time-lapse video of Hemianthus callitrichoides growing over a 6 day period. Just amazing to watch!
More About: Aquarium , Time , Days , Time Lapse , Itri

Aquascape Analysis #7: Sergio C.'s ADA 120P Aquarium
2007-05-17 03:43:00
Well I know it's been a long wait, but I've finally found a strikingly beautiful aquascape made by a fellow hobbyist that is truly worthy of examination. This aquarium is the work of Sergio C., who goes by SuRje1976 on both Aqua tic Plant Central and the Planted Tank forums. It is an ADA 120P tank, meaning it is 120 cm long. As you can see, he went all out on top of the line equipment. But aside from the fancy glasswork, this is a great aquascape.The profile of this aquascape is an off-center V shape. This creates visually interesting height differences, and these sloping lines also help to guide the viewer's eyes. Even the hardscape seems to follow the profile, maintaining the relaxing lines of the aquascape. The main focal point (in red) is done by the book. It is perhaps the easiest way to create a focal point and one of the most effective ways. The red plant is also positioned perfectly according to the Golden Rule of aquascaping. The secondary focal point (in yellow) is als...
More About: Aquarium , Analysis , Cape , Scape

Pregnant Red Cherry Shrimp
2007-05-10 10:27:00
Here's an amazing video of a pregnant red cherry shrimp fanning her eggs. She holds on to them until they are ready to hatch into little shrimplets, usually about 20-30 days.
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Practical Fishkeeping: George Farmer's nano tank
2007-05-10 09:22:00
This is a great example from Practical Fishkeeping of a high tech nano tank. It's small, but absolutely beautiful! If you'd like to read more about the setup of this aquarium, check out George 's Nano Aquarium Journal.
More About: Tank , Keep , Farm

Substrates for the Planted Aquarium
2007-05-01 02:22:00
Choosing the right substrate for your planted aquarium is an important decision that will have long term affects on your plants. Although the impacts may not be as immediately visible as say lighting or CO2 choices, the substrate in your planted aquarium is a critical part of your aquarium's ecosystem and vital to the health of your plants. There are many different options, all of which have benefits and drawbacks, but I'll highlight some of the most popular options. Overall, there are a few basic requirements that must be met to be appropriate for a planted aquarium:A planted aquarium substrate should not be too large or too small (usually between 3-8mm per grain). This is to accommodate root growth; grains that are too small will suffocate and crush roots while large grains won't provide enough contact with the roots.A planted aquarium substrate should not affect the water chemistry negatively. Many substrates are designed for other uses, including salt water use, and may leech...
More About: Aquarium , Trat , Stra , Plan , Rates

Salt and Pepper Cory - Corydoras habrosus
2007-04-27 21:19:00
Common name: Salt and pepper catfish/coryScientific name: Corydoras habrosusGeographic location: South AmericaSize: Up to 2cm (3/4 of an inch)Temperament: PeacefulConditions: 75F-85F, pH 6.0-7.5Skill level: IntermediateMinimum tank size: 10-15 gallonsPlant Compatibility: Won't eat any live plantsThis tiny catfish comes from warm waters in South America and is mainly a bottom dweller. Since they are so small, they are quite shy and shouldn't be kept with aggressive tank mates. Live bearers, other smaller corydoras, or tetras are ideal. If comfortable, they often just lounge out on the substrate motionless except for their little eyes. They should be kept in schools of at least 3 as they are schooling and social fish. Unfortunately, they are extremely delicate fish, and I had 2 of my 4 die on me in transit from the pet store or shortly after being released into the aquarium (habrosus means soft or delicate). This was either from trauma during transport or being caught or just stress...
More About: Pepper , Dora , Bros

Back from Vacation, Aquariums OK
2007-04-26 00:53:00
Well I'm back from vacation, and although I have a cold, I had a very relaxing time. As for my aquariums...they seem to have done alright. One looks no different than the day I left, and the two others only have a lot of floating and overgrown stem plants. Here's what I did before I went away:First, I cut back the lighting period by half. It was 8 hours regularly, so I cut it back to 4. I also did a big water change right before I left, and made sure to feed the fish plenty. I have DIY CO2, so I couldn't turn it off, but it hadn't been replaced for a week or so before I left, so it wasn't producing a lot of CO2. I made sure the water level in each aquarium was as high as it could be (my aquariums are open topped, so evaporation can be a problem).The only fish I lost was my little Aphyosemion australe killifish which had been looking rather thin and near his end before I left. He was getting old anyway. My Pogostemon stellatus made it through alright, though is severely stunted ...
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Vacation
2007-04-06 16:30:00
So it's been a while since I've posted, and I'm sad to say it may be a while before I post again. Don't worry, it's not the end of the blog by any means. I've just been busy getting ready for a two week vacation which I'm leaving for tonight. Hopefully when I get back I'll have a little more time to write some new Aquascape Analysis articles which seem to be a big hit. So look for some new posts around the 24th of April!
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Anubias barteri var. nana
2007-03-31 04:23:00
Common Name: Anubias nanaScientific Name: Anubias barteri var. nanaGeographic Location: Central AfricaTemperature: 72F-80FpH: 5.5-9.0Light: Low (1.5WPG) to Moderate (2.5WPG)Growth: SlowDifficulty: BeginnerAnubias are an extremely hardy creeping plant from Africa, but most varieties grow far too large for normal sized aquariums. However, the Anubias nana is one of the smaller varieties, growing only about 6 inches tall. Like other Anubias, the Anubias nana grows very slowly, at about one new leaf a month. The leaves are thick and rigid and almost nothing will eat them, making it perfectly suited for aquariums with more destructive fish. The leaves can also last for months, if not years.Anubias are similar to Java Ferns in that they grow off of a rhizome which must not be buried in the substrate. For best results, tie the rhizome to a piece of driftwood or rock, and the roots of the Anubia will soon anchor the plant. Also, placement is key for these plants as they creep horizontally m...
More About: Bias , Teri , Bart , Nana

Do's and Don'ts of Water Changes in the Planted Aquarium
2007-03-25 01:27:00
I recently received an email from a reader concerning water changes in a small 1 gallon planted aquarium. She was planning on keeping a few Heterandria formosa (tiny live bearing fish, pictured above) and live plants but had some questions about water changes:But I can't figure out, how often and how much for water changes? Will water changes in this circumstance harm the system more than help it? What do you think? This got me thinking. Why not write a post on the do's and don'ts of water changes in the planted aquarium? So, here they are:Do change 30-50% of the aquarium's water every 1-2 weeks. This is variable based on fish load and filtration, but not on the aquarium's size. From 1 gallon to 100 gallons, 30-50% is a good rule of thumb. This removes all the toxins and excess nutrients that build up in the water.Don't rely on filters to clean the water. Filters don't remove excess nutrients and toxins from the water, they just trap it so it can be removed easier when you cl...
More About: Aquarium , Water , Changes , Plan , Aqua

Galaxy Rasbora - Celestichthys margaritatus
2007-03-15 00:48:00
Common name: Gala xy Rasbora, Celestial Pearl DanioScientific name: Celestichthys margaritatus, Microrasbora sp.Geographic location: Inle Lake, MyanmarSize: Up to 2.5cm (1 inch)Temperament: PeacefulConditions: 70F-78F, pH 7.0-7.5Skill level: IntermediateMinimum tank size: 2.5-5 gallonsThis is a brand new species, only first discovered last year. It was also recently renamed from "Galaxy Rasbora - Microrasbora sp." to "Celestial Pearl Danio - Celestichthys margaritatus." It comes from only one known location in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and due to over-collection is already threatened.Its bright coloration and small size make it a perfect addition to a planted nano aquarium. It is similar to other danios in habits and shape. The males are much more brightly colored than the females and have a deeper blue coloration with much more red on the fins. Since this fish is so small even fully grown, it is advisable to keep it in a tank of non-aggressive smaller fish that won't try to eat it (...
More About: Tatu

Eheim 2213 Review
2007-03-07 00:58:00
I recently realized I've never done a formal review for my Eheim 2213. I've had the filter for almost a year now and feel like I've gotten to know all of its quirks. The Eheim 2213 is the smallest of the Classic canister filter line made by Eheim, and although they claim it can handle aquariums up to 66 gallons, it wasn't enough for my 29 gallon aquarium. First, I'll start out with the facts. The 2213 pumps up to 116gph and has complete three stage filtration. It comes with all the filter media including EHFIMECH mechanical filtration media, EHFISUBSTRAT PRO biological media, and coarse, fine, and carbon pads. It also comes with all tubing and, the best feature, double disconnect valves. These valves work great and make up for the fact that the Eheim 2213 has no auto-start feature (more on this later). Everything is high quality and you can tell a lot of thought and design went into each piece, which is typical Eheim style. Setting up the filter is fairly easy, although the ...
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Top 5 Algae Eaters for the Planted Aquarium
2007-03-01 23:06:00
When it comes to combating algae in the aquarium, balancing nutrients and water quality will only take you so far. The most powerful tool in the anti-algae arsenal is actually the appetite of an algae eater. They come in all shapes and sizes and some are more effective than others. The ideal balance is a non-aggressive animal that doesn't get too big for your tank and eats types of algae that are harder to control yourself. These are the top five algae eaters for the planted aquarium:1. Otocinclus affinis (Oto cat)These little catfish are amazing algae eaters. First, they are relatively small and stay under 2" so they can be used in almost any aquarium size. Second, they aren't aggressive and are actually quite fun to watch, often being compared to little monkeys, hopping around from branch to branch. And finally, they eat lots of algae and won't touch your plants. They love brown algae (diatoms) that is common in newly started tanks and also eat all kinds of soft green algae inc...
More About: Aquarium , Plan , Aqua , Plant , The Plant

Planted Aquarium Search
2007-03-01 06:04:00
So I've been playing around with a new Web 2.0 toy and I think it might be really useful to the community of planted aquarium hobbyists. It's called a Swicki, which is sort of a cross between a search engine and a wiki (a user built and moderated collection of information, like Wikipedia). You can find the search box here on the right side right under "Contact Me" but it can also be reached by going to Aqua tic Eden Plan ted Aquarium Search .Here are some benefits of the Swicki:Use it like you would any search engine, except it doesn't give you unrelated results, only those concerning aquariums and planted aquariums from websites that are authorities in the subject. No more wading through government noxious weed websites or shops when looking for information on an aquatic plant.Users can vote for websites in the results. A website with more votes will appear closer to the top of the results, thus the most useful sites will be listed first. The community can add, delete, or change th...
More About: Plant

Aquarium Fish Highway
2007-02-23 18:33:00
Edit: The pictures should work fine now, the original website where they were from was having issues, so I uploaded them here. Sorry to anyone who had to put up with those big ugly "Ooops" pictures!I found these pictures the other day of a hobbyist who has built a system of "highways" so the fish can swim from tank to tank. And you though you were obsessed!Imagine trying to fill these with water? The logistics and physics aspect of this is mind-boggling. Better be careful though, if the water in either tank gets below the tube opening, all the water in the tube will empty out into the tanks!The pictures were hosted on a website, but the domain has since expired. Here are the FAQ's about the highway:What is a Fish High way? Imagine a means for fish to swim out the top of your aquarium, up to the ceiling, across the room and then down into another tank. That's a fish highway. They're made of acrylic plastic, the same material used for many custom built aquariums. Why do...
More About: Aquarium , Aqua , Highway

Aquascape Analysis #6: Gallery 22 Iwagumi
2007-02-21 04:07:00
This week's Aqua scape Analysis is Tank 22 from the ADA Europe galleries. It's different from previous aquariums in that it is an sanzon iwagumi style nature aquarium, which is a subset of the nature aquarium style. It contains only a few different species of plants and one species of fish. It also makes use of rock as a prominent hardscape in a distinctive non-equilateral triangular arrangement. You'll notice the rocks are placed so the largest rock is at the peak of the triangle and the two smaller rocks seem to lean or point towards the largest rock. This is the basis of sanzon iwagumi.The profile of an iwagumi tank is almost always flat. This is due to the use of carpeting and grassy plants. If anything there are gentle, natural slopes to emulate nature, but no major profile-defining shapes. This helps to concentrate the viewer's attention on the rocks and convey a sense of openness and airyness.As for the focal points, in an iwagumi tank, these are almost always the rocks th...
More About: Gallery , Gumi , Cape

Newest Aquarium Residents
2007-02-18 22:12:00
I just wanted to share with you all my newest aquarium residents, purchased a week ago:These are Pseudomugil gertrudae, or Gertrude's Rainbow. As you can probably tell, they're tiny fish, only about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long. I have three males and three females, and hopefully if I'm lucky I'll have some babies eventually! They tend to school loosely, like other rainbows, and if there's food available, the males always put on a show to scare away the other males, flaring their polka-dot fins. For the most part, they're very docile, but they are cunning little hunters and within hours after introducing them to my tank they had already eaten all the copepods (barely visible jumping specs) in the tank.Overall, they seem to be fitting the bill as a shrimp-safe planaria eater so far. Planarias are carnivorous worms that can eat baby shrimp and are just plain gross to look at. My tank was crawling with them, but now they're all gone.I also got some Tiger shrimp. Hopefully these will bre...
More About: Aquarium , Side , Aqua , Resident

ADA Aquascaping Contest 2007 is Open
2007-02-14 05:59:00
For any of you who feel like putting your aquascaping skills to the test and competing with the world's best, the 2007 Aqua Design Amano (ADA) International Aquatic Plants Layout Contes t is now open for applications. More information and application forms can be found on the ADA website. New for this year, you can now apply online as well. There will be one Grand prize of JPY1,000,000 (a little over $8,000!), one Gold prize of JPY300,000 (about $2,500), two Silver prizes of JPY100,000 (about $800), three Bronze prizes of JPY50,000 (about $400), twenty Honor prizes of JPY10,000 (about $80), and 100 Winning works which will receive a certificate. Entries must be received before May 31, 2007. Good luck to anyone who enters, and tell us about it, I may even feature your tank!
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Iwagumi and Sanzon Iwagumi Aquariums
2007-02-11 06:56:00
Iwagumi aquascapes are a subset of the Nature Aqua rium style, pioneered by Takashi Amano. Based of Japanese gardening principles, iwagumi literally means "rock formation." Rocks form the structure of Japanese gardens, and so in an iwagumi aquascape, rocks play a major role. Also, how these rocks are placed and how many of them there are is also very important. Many different styles of iwagumi have been adapted to the aquarium, but the overall theme is that of tranquility and simplicity.The most common iwagumi style is called sanzon iwagumi. Sanzon means "three pillar" in Japanese and these aquascapes make use of three rocks, with two smaller rocks and one larger rock. According to JAANUS, this term was first used in the 11th century Japanese garden treatise "Sakuteiki." The grouping of stones comes from Buddhism; the central stone is called the chuusonskei (or the big Buddha) and the smaller flanking stones are called kyoujiseki (or attendant stones). The kyoujiseki are often tilted...
More About: Gumi

New Domain Name
2007-02-10 01:36:00
As you may have already noticed, Aquatic Eden is now it's own domain! The address of the blog is now www.aquatic-eden.com. Don't worry, all bookmarks and links to the old address will still work, they'll simply be forwarded here. It'll just make it a little bit easier to remember the URL.
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Dutch Vs. Nature Style Aquariums
2007-02-03 05:37:00
In the world of aquascaping and planted tanks, there are two major schools of thought: the Dutch style and the Natur e style (also called Japanese style, but not to be confused with the el Natural style which is not a style of aquascaping but an entirely approach to keeping a planted aquarium). Both are popular styles that are based on the arrangement of plants in the aquarium and the way it is aquascaped and are by no means the only way to aquascape a tank. Most hobbyists choose to loosely follow one school based on their own personal preference of what they think looks better.Dutch aquariums are an older style of aquascaping, dating back to early 20th century Holland. The style focuses on neat rows of plants radiating out from a central focal point, with lower plants in front and taller plants in the back (creating depth). You'll often see this described as "streets" or "avenues" using plants.Dutch aquascapes also feature more colorful aquatic plants. They can be likened to a well...
More About: Style , Aqua

Digg and del.icio.us Added
2007-02-02 00:14:00
Today I tweaked a few things with the site, and most importantly, I added Digg and del.icio.us links to the bottom of every post. So if you like an article or want to save it for later, digg it or save it to your del.icio.us! Also I expanded my list of favorite aquascaping and aquatic plant books on the right-hand side. Check 'em out!

Aquascape Analysis Delayed
2007-01-31 05:51:00
I just wanted to let you all know that I do have an Aqua scape Anal ysis prepared for this week, however it may be delayed until next week while I finish up an article on aquascaping styles. The Aquascape Analysis is based on a sanzon iwagumi style and I thought it best to explain the style in detail first before delving into analysis. I've finished a summary of the two main styles, Dutch aquascaping and Nature Aquarium aquascaping which I will be posting soon, but I just wanted to write one examining the iwagumi style. Look for these articles soon, and after them, a brand new Aquascape Analysis!
More About: Cape , Scape

Aquascape Analysis #5: ADA Tank 35
2007-01-23 04:33:00
This week's Aqua scape Analysis is ADA Tank 35 from the ADA Thailand website. This is a beautiful tank with a mossy foreground, tall busy background plants, and a great sense of depth.If we take a look at the profile, we can see fairly easily that this is a "V" shaped aquascape. In fact, the plants on either side nearly reach the surface of the aquarium. The deep drop in the middle combined with the gradually shorter plants towards the middle create a sense of perspective as well, creating depth.The focal point of this aquarium is the only red plant in the aquascape, off-center in the background. Since it is the only red plant in the aquascape, it draws the viewer's gaze immediately. A red plant among green is often the easiest way to create a focal point. There are several secondary focal points as well, with the bright green plants on the right and left dominating. However, the small anubias in the midground also serve as a secondary focal point due to the contrast in leaf shape,...
More About: Cape , Scape

Taking the First Steps Towards a Planted Aquarium
2007-01-18 22:37:00
So you currently have a fish only aquarium and you're interested in adding live plants, but you're daunted by all the equipment needed and extra time and money spent on fertilizing and trimming. You barely have the time to maintain your current set up and doubt you'd have any extra time to care for the plants. You read articles about CO2 and NPK and substrates and light levels and it all just overwhelms you to the point of giving up.If this sounds familiar, read on.Most people are daunted by planted aquariums, and rightly so. Obtaining a shimmering paradise of lush green plants and vibrant fish is not an easy task. You are emulating nature, and keeping everything in balance is no easy task. The key is to start out slowly. Before spending money on lighting upgrades and CO2 systems and other bells and whistles, try some hardy, low-light plants in your current set up. As long as you have a light, there are certain plants you can grow in any aquarium. Picking the right plants is very...
More About: Aquarium , King , First , Step , Ward