Freshwater

Chapter 5
What to Put and What Not to Put
in Your Tank
In This Chapter
Discovering what aquascaping is all about
Understanding substrates
Working with rocks and wood
Adding the oddities
Aquascaping is a fancy word that means decorating your aquarium with
different types of rock, wood, plants, and substrate. Arranging the
gravel, sand, and other aquarium floor coverings can be a lot of fun and gives
you a good chance to show off your personal creative talents. We can think of
no greater joy than creating a pleasing arrangement of rocks, plants, and substrate
(material that covers the bottom on your tank) for our fish to enjoy.
Your fish will appreciate a proper setup as well.
Designing the inside of your tank can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of
the aquarium hobby. Imagine beautiful plants swaying gently in the water as
colorful fish dash playfully between shimmering rocks and uniquely shaped
pieces of wood. What an exciting sight! Your aquarium is your own little personal
aquatic world that is just waiting to be shaped into an amazing underwater
scene by your creativity.
But although aquascaping can be a real blast, certain types of substrates,
rocks, and wood are suitable only for specific aquarium setups. You need to
know what to buy before you begin randomly throwing things into your
aquarium. This chapter can help you make good choices that will keep your
fish happy and healthy.