Nature Aquarium Basics | Maintaining Aquarium Plants

The Necessity of Water Changes
Water always passes through a filter and circulates in an aquarium where an aquatic plant layout is created. The filter removes impurities that float in water, organic materials that cause cloudy water, and detoxifies ammonia, which is harmful to fish and shrimp, all with the help of bacteria. However, it is difficult to maintain aquarium water in continually clean state with the work of the filter alone. Frequent water changes become necessary since the water tends to get dirty, especially when the biological filter was not well established shortly after the aquarium has been set up.

Regular water changes will be needed thereafter to remove excessive nitrate and phosphate that build up in the water and cause algae to proliferate. A water change also has a benefit of keeping the inside of an aquarium physically clean. Through siphoning during a water change, the dirt and algae that collect on the substrate and on the surface of the leaves of aquatic plants are removed. Additionally, the photosynthesis of aquatic plants appears to become more active through an infusion of fresh water through a water change. The water change frequency should be every two to three days initially after an aquarium has just been set up. Once the filter has been established, the water quality can be maintained through weekly or biweekly water changes. The volume of water per water change should be approximately 1/3 of the total water volume.


Water Changes for Nature Aquarium
Water is drained with a hose (by siphon). Using various size hoses can make the work efficient, depending on the size of the aquarium and the purpose. Use a large diameter hose if the purpose is to drain water. A narrow hose is easier to use for suctioning out dirt in a tight area or sucking out algae. Algae on the glass surface should be cleaned before draining water. After 1/3 of the water is removed, adjust the temperature of the tap water and collect the water in a bucket. Remove residual chlorine in the water by adding Chlor-Off, and then pour the water into the aquarium. When changing water for a large aquarium, tap water can be added directly into the aquarium with a hose. However, be sure to adjust the temperature of the water and remove the residual chlorine.


The biological control of algae
The removal of algae is one of the purposes of a water change. However, it is difficult to eradicate all algae with it. During the first one to two weeks after an aquarium is set up, we must rely on water changes since the water quality problem precludes an addition of livestock. Once the water quality stabilizes, the use of certain livestock make algae control much easier. Yamato Numa Ebi (Caridina japonica) and Otocinclus are typical livestock that eat algae. Since they are good about eating diatoms that tend to develop during an initial set-up period of an aquarium, it would be nice to add them to an aquarium early. However, careful attention is required when adding them for the first time. Yamato Numa Ebi in particular is sensitive to the quality of water. It often will become lethargic on a piece of driftwood or a rock and will stop eating algae, or it dies from the effect of nitrite or residual chemicals remaining on the aquatic plants that have just been imported into the country. Frequent water changes are the only remedy in such cases. It is advisable to add just a few of these fish to an aquarium initially. More can be added later if they seem to be doing well. Adding a Siamese Flying Fox, which eats black beard algae, and Nerite snails, which eat green algae that grow on rock surfaces, in addition to Yamato Numa Ebi makes it easier to maintain a layout in a good condition.


Adding Fish to an Aquarium
When the water quality stabilizes in three to four weeks after the set-up of an aquarium, you can add fish that are the principal characters of a layout. We recommend that you check the water quality (nitrite and pH) before adding fish. If the biological filter is functioning properly, nitrite (NO2) will not be detected. If it is detected, it is advisable to wait before adding fish. Nitrite is highly toxic and harmful to fish. In an aquarium in which Aqua Soil is used as substrate, the pH may have dropped significantly. If the pH of the new aquarium is very different from that of the aquarium that fish came from, the fish may suffer from a pH shock. The fish’s eyes and slime coat on its body surface may turn cloudy, and the movement of its gills or the way it swims may become erratic. Therefore, the pH should also be checked before adding fish. If the pH of the water in the bag that store-bought fish came in and the pH of the new aquarium are very different, fish should be placed in a bucket after floating the bag in the aquarium to match the temperature and be acclimated to the new water by adding the tank water to the bucket gradually using airline tubing. If the fish is very sensitive to changes in water quality, the end of the airline tubing should be tied loosely so that the water drips slowly into the bucket.


Maintaining fish’s health
Regular water changes are essential for maintaining the health of fish. Water changes are performed safely by adding Chlor-Off, which removes harmful residual chlorine, and RIO BASE, which protects fish’s slime coating. Newly purchased fish may be weakened due to the stress of shipping. VITAMIX rich in vitamins and BLACK WATER that recreate the river water of tropical rainforests containing humic acid is effective for relieving the fish’s stress. Fish with damaged skin or mouths due to netting tend to suffer from bacterial infection if left untreated. We recommend adding Phyton Git that has an antiseptic property right after placing new fish to an aquarium to prevent such infection. Daily feeding is also essential for maintaining fish’s health. Highly digestible Fish Food AP that will not foul water or highly nutritious Fish Food AP Gold that will stimulate fishes’ appetite are suitable food for fish in Nature Aquarium. Both are available in three different granule sizes so that you can choose the right one depending on the size of your fish. The use of AP Glass makes feeding easy and neat.


Trimming Aquatic Plants
Overgrown aquatic plants are the biggest problem for maintaining Nature Aquarium. A hobbyist may worry that aquatic plants may not grow well in the beginning. However, once the growing conditions are met and aquatic plants start growing well, sooner or later the aquatic plants will fill up the entire space. This will destroy the composition of a layout and the swimming space for fish will be lost as well. This not only creates a problem for viewing, but it also causes the aquatic plants to decline in the lower parts where light does not reach well. Stem plants in particular grow very fast and fill up a space quickly. Therefore, they need to be trimmed early. Their stems should be trimmed to form bushes according to a desired composition. Repeated trimming promotes branching and their leaves become denser gradually. Although the plants do not look attractive right after trimming, they develop a lot of new buds in a short time and form beautiful bushes again. Glossostigma and Hair Grass that are often used in the foreground can be maintained by thinning their leaves through trimming. Scissors with curved tips are suitable for the trimming of these plants.


Creative Plant Rearrangement (Sozo Haishoku)
Even in Nature Aquarium that is created with long term maintenance in mind, when the condition of the substrate deteriorates, aquatic plants age and their growth becomes poor after a while. When this happens, an aquarium is often emptied out and a layout is recreated from a scratch. However, recreating a new layout through creative plant rearrangement (Sozo Haishoku) by leaving the frame of composition as is and planting new aquatic plants is another way to enjoy Nature Aquarium. Basically, Sozo Haishoku is limited to an Iwagumi layout in which its composition materials do not move easily. If you have an Iwagumi layout that you are pleased with, you can try for a variety of layout possibilities by changing aquatic plants. Here’s what you do: First, remove fish and shrimp from the aquarium and drain the water completely. Leave the rock arrangement in tact and remove the aquatic plants around it. If the substrate material is relatively new, add some Aqua Soil on the substrate surface and plant new plants. If the substrate is old, remove the Aqua Soil around the rocks carefully with a spoon or another tool so as not to move the rock arrangement. Place new Power Sand and Aqua Soil and plant with aquatic plants. I recommend that you give it a try as an ultimate way to enjoy Nature Aquarium.


Trimming Method

Trimming Scissors or Pro-scissors should be used for trimming depending on the type of aquatic plants and their placement. Stem plants can be trimmed relatively easily by shaping bushes with Trimming Scissors using driftwood as a guide. Curved Trimming Scissors or scissors with curved tips, such as Pro-Scissors ‘Nude’ or ‘Wave’, are easier to use when trimming Hair Grass short.

Nature Aquarium Basics | Lighting for Aquatic Plants

Why is Nature Aquarium Lighting necessary for Aquatic Plants? Light is essential for growing aquatic plants not only in Nature Aquarium but in any aquarium. Green plants, which include aquatic plants, capture light on their leaf surfaces and perform photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a mechanism with which plants synthesizes glucose from CO2 and water using light energy. Oxygen is produced as its byproduct. Photosynthesis is not only essential for the healthy growth of aquatic plants but it also supplies oxygen to fish and microorganisms.

Lighting in aquarium plants has the same role as the sun in natural ecosystems. Natural sunlight is hard to utilize in an aquarium depending on the place of installation or due to the fact that the intensity and duration of sunlight cannot be controlled easily. If strong, direct sunlight shines into an aquarium, algae may grow on aquatic plants. Phytoplankton also tends to proliferate and this results in green water. Therefore, artificial lighting becomes necessary. However, it does not mean that just any light will do.

Besides providing light to aquatic plants for photosynthesis, lighting has another purpose of illuminating an aquarium beautifully for viewing as well. The colors of aquatic plants and fish do not appear beautiful with a red grow light designed for terrestrial plants or lights intended for indoor lighting. An aquarium requires the light that makes a layout appear beautiful and still promotes photosynthesis.


Lighting for aquatic plants
Nature Aquarium Lamp (NA Lamp) was developed for growing aquatic plants beautifully and displaying a layout attractively. The white color of normal fluorescent light is produced by mixing three primary colors of light: red, green, and blue. Various shades of white light, from reddish white to bluish white, can be produced by mixing varied amount of the three primary colors of light.

While many plant grow lights emit red light, red light diminishes rapidly in water and therefore is not very effective in growing aquatic plants. As it turns out, a blue light passes through water very well and promotes the photosynthesis and growth of aquatic plants. However, since the colors of aquatic plants and fish do not appear pretty with a blue light alone, red and green lights need to be added in a good balance while increasing the proportion of the blue light. Through various trials and errors, 8000K color temperature was adopted finally for the NA Lamp.

The NA Lamp that promotes the photosynthesis of aquatic plants and has a high color rendering ability at the same time made it possible to create beautiful Nature Aquarium. The concept of this light for aquatic plants was applied to metal halide lamps as well as fluorescent lamps.


Nature Aquarium Lighting
It is necessary to provide a sufficient amount of light to Nature Aquarium where beautiful layouts are created by growing aquatic plants densely. The intensity of light that is suitable for growing aquatic plants depends on the type of aquatic plants. Since heliophytic aquatic plants that demand bright light are often combined with sciophytic aquatic plants that can be grown without a lot of light in a layout, the intensity of the light is normally matched with the requirement of the heliophytes as much as possible. In the case of fluorescent NA lamps, the lamps are installed basically by covering the top of an aquarium with them. (For example, four-20W lamps for a 60 cm aquarium, six-32W lamps for a 90 cm aquarium, etc.) In the case of a metal halide lamp, one NA Lamp (MH-150W) can illuminate the entire 90cm aquarium with bright light.

Fluorescent lamps and metal halide lamps have different characteristics in the way that a layout appears under them. Fluorescent lamps envelop the entire aquarium softly with light without casting much shade, and therefore stem plants appear especially beautiful. On the other hand, a metal halide lamp shines directly and casts well-defined shadows. It is good to keep such properties of light in mind when planting aquatic plants.


Grand Solar I can recreate the light environment that is ideal to Nature Aquarium by switching or combining the intense light of the metal halide lamp and the softer light of the power compact fluorescent lamps. The metal halide lamp and power compact fluorescent lamps are both produced to NA lamp specifications.


Lighting fixture installation
Since Solar I for a metal halide lamp is a pendant type fixture, the space above an aquarium is open and the water surface is visible. This enables an open top aquarium in which driftwood and aquatic plants can protrude above the water surface. Since the water surface is visible, it not only creates a feeling of openness but also makes it easier to do the daily maintenance such as feeding and fertilizing and other maintenance such as water changes and trimming. Pendant type Solar II and Grand Solar II with power compact fluorescent lamps or Grand Solar I that combine the characteristics of a metal halide and fluorescent lamps are also available. However, one must note that a pendant type light fixture must be installed with a special stand or be hung from the ceiling directly.


Proper brightness for an aquarium
In the case of a pendant type Solar I, the standard distance between the water surface and the fixture is 30 cm. The brightness can be adjusted by changing the distance from the water surface. Solar I is typically used for a 90 cm aquarium. If more light is required over the entire aquarium, Grand Solar I is recommended. Grand Solar I comes with one 150W metal halide lamp and two 36W power compact fluorescent lamps, which can be lit at the same time or individually.


The light of an NA lamp has a high transmittance in water. It is fortified with the blue spectrum and with the wavelengths that chlorophyll absorbs well to promote the photosynthesis of aquatic plants. Additionally, it reproduces the natural colors of aquatic plants and tropical fish realistically. The green color of aquatic plants appears vivid especially because of the peak that is indicated by the arrow on the spectral distribution chart.


Lighting period
The light period of 8 to 10 hours per day is considered optimum for Nature Aquarium empirically. If the lighting period is shorter than this, aquatic plants don’t grow well or stem plants tend to get leggy. On the other hand, if it exceeds 10 hours, algae tend to multiply or aquatic plants stop photosynthesizing even when the light is still turned on.

Aquatic plants generally grow well if the light is turned on regularly every day during the daytime hours. An irregular light period can affect their condition adversely. In addition to being very bright, the metal halide lamp and power compact fluorescent lamps on Grand Solar I can create a near natural light environment since they can be controlled individually (the two fluorescent lamps operate simultaneously).

A time period in which light penetrates water so that it is bright enough for aquatic plants to photosynthesize in nature is rather limited. There are time periods before and after the brightest period around noon in which the light intensity is lower. To recreate these conditions in an aquarium, the lighting period of the power compact fluorescent lamps of Grand Solar I should be set to 10 hours and that of the metal halide lamp to 6 to 8 hours within the lighting period of the power compact fluorescent lamps.

Nature Aquarium Basics | The Production of a Layout

The Selection of Composition Materials
Once the aquarium substrate is laid, the next step is producing a layout. As for the order of production, the framework of a layout is built by arranging composition materials such as driftwood and rocks, and then aquatic plants are planted from the foreground to middle ground to the background. First, an aquarium and substrate are prepared according to the concept of the layout that was established before the production. The next step is to select composition materials. Although the decision to use driftwood or rocks as composition materials is made generally at the concept stage, you may not be able to obtain exactly what you have in mind since they are natural materials. You may have to modify slightly the composition that you envisioned depending on the sizes and shapes of the composition materials you obtain. It often results in a more natural looking layout if you are flexible with your composition to take advantage of the material you have rather than getting hung up on the design that you envisioned initially. Regardless of driftwood or rocks, multiple materials are arranged together generally to produce a layout. Except for an open top aquarium in which driftwood is protruding for the water surface, you should select composition materials that fit inside an aquarium basically and leave enough space to plant aquatic plants when arranged. It is important to select the composition materials by considering the balance with the size of an aquarium rather than their shapes.


Basic compositions
In Nature Aquarium, the composition of a layout is produced based on the arrangement of the area with densely growing aquatic plants and the empty space. Although limitless numbers of layout compositions can be produced, there are three Nature Aquarium Basic Compositions. One of them is the U-shaped composition. Looking at an aquarium from the front, bushes of aquatic plants are located in the left and right sides of the aquarium and the empty space is in the center. This composition is well suited for expressing perspective since the empty space appears to narrow from the front to the rear center of the aquarium. The second one is the mound-shaped composition with the bush of aquatic plants in the center and empty spaces in the left and the right sides of the aquarium. Because the focus is in the center, this composition is suitable for a layout with a strong impact or with a dramatic expression. The third one is a triangular composition. Bushes of aquatic plants are placed either in the right or the left side of an aquarium and the empty space is created in the opposite side so that the layout appears as a right triangle from the front of the aquarium. Since this composition can be viewed not only straight from the front of the aquarium but also from the side with the empty space in an angle, it is also suitable for a cube type aquarium placed in a corner of a room. Although the actual layout composition may not necessarily work out to be one of the basic compositions, it is easier to put a composition together if the composition is produced initially with a basic one in mind.


Preparation of driftwood and rocks
Since driftwood and rocks that are composition materials in Nature Aquarium are both natural materials, not only their shapes but also their quality are not uniform. Sometimes they present a problem that needs to be addressed before or after a layout is produced. In the case of driftwood, if it is too dry, it floats and cannot be used in a layout. Although a rock can be placed on top of it, we recommend that you check first if purchased driftwood floats or not. If it floats, the driftwood should be soaked in a bucket of water for awhile. When driftwood is placed in an aquarium, the water sometimes turns brown right after setting up the aquarium. This problem can be alleviated if the driftwood is soaked in water for awhile. It is not necessary to boil or pour hot water on Old Black Wood from the tropics to remove tannin. It should never be boiled as a matter of fact since the natural resin in the driftwood seeps out like black tar and becomes unmanageable. In the case of rocks, it is not necessary to prepare them before use. Depending on the type of rocks, it may increase the total hardness of the water after setting up an aquarium. If the total hardness increases significantly and hinders the growth of aquatic plants, we recommend installing Softenizer.


There are three basic Nature Aquarium compositions: U-shaped composition, mounded composition, and triangular composition. The framework by composition materials, bushes of aquatic plants, and the placement of an empty space define a composition. It is important to consider the volume of aquatic plants and the balance of their colors and placement so that the composition is not bilaterally symmetrical.


The Selection of Aquatic Plants
Once the composition materials are arranged in an aquarium, the next step is to plant aquatic plants. In Nature Aquarium, the space for aquatic plants is divided into mainly three areas: the foreground, the middle ground, and the background. As a general rule, short aquatic plants are planted in the foreground and tall aquatic plants are planted in the background. Medium height plants and aquatic plants that grow attached to driftwood and rocks are planted in the middle ground. By arranging aquatic plants this way, three dimensional appearance and perspective can be expressed in the limited space of an aquarium. Therefore, when selecting aquatic plants for a layout, it is necessary to understand how a particular aquatic plant grows and place it in an appropriate area. Not only the height of an aquatic plant, but also its form, speed of growth, and light requirement need to be considered as well. Heliophytes such as stem plants that require bright light grow fast in general and require frequent trimming. Sciophytes such as Cryptocoryne do not require bright light and their growth rate is relatively slow. Heliophytes are suitable for the foreground and the background where light reaches well, and sciophytes are suitable for the middle ground that tends to be shaded by driftwood and rocks or the aquatic plants in the background.


Planting of Aquatic Plants
The majority of aquatic plants except for mosses and ferns are planted using tweezers. Whereas just one or two aquatic plants can be planted by hand, planting aquatic plants densely in the foreground or producing a layout with an intricate design is impossible without tweezers. Forms of aquatic plants include stem plants with long stems with leaves and rosette (root) type in which leaves and roots grow closely together. In the case of stem plants, plants are aligned at the terminal buds and cut to the same length. Then their lower leaves are removed and the plants are planted with tweezers made for aquatic plants. If three to four thin stem plants are held together at this time, plants can easily be planted densely. Rosette plants such as those in the Cryptocoryne family can easily be planted using a triangle or curved type Pro-Pincettes. If a rootstock is very large and difficult to plant with tweezers alone, it helps to hold the rootstock with Sand Flattener or pour Aqua Soil on top of it. The plants that spread with runners are cut into easy-to-plant sections, and the sections are planted with a small space between plants, keeping them a small distance away from the glass surface. It is difficult to plant aquatic plants after filling the aquarium with water since aquatic plants tend to float due to their buoyancy. Placing just enough water to soak the substrate and then planting them from the front of the aquarium toward the back makes the work much easier.



Stem plants should be inserted into the substrate at an angle rather than perpendicularly so that they won’t easily come loose due to their buoyancy when the aquarium is filled with water.










In Nature Aquarium, a layout is divided into three areas: foreground, middle ground and background. Aquatic plants are selected by type and planted so that their height increases gradually from front to rear of an aquarium. As a general rule, aquatic plants are planted one by one using tweezers. Small aquatic plants used in the foreground and thin-stemmed aquatic plants can be planted densely if a few of them are planted together.








Epiphytic plants
In a layout produced with driftwood as a composition material, epiphytic aquatic plants are secured on the driftwood after planting aquatic plants in the substrate. The aquatic plants used for this purpose are mainly ferns such as Microsorum and Bolbitis. Anubias nana is sometimes used as well. These aquatic plants are secured with Wood Tight to the places that become focal points of a layout. Wood Tight can be removed once the plants become attached. If they are to be placed at the boundary of driftwood or rocks and the substrate, the plants should be secured to small rocks with Wood Tight and placed at the boundary. These epiphytic plants grow attached to driftwood and rocks in nature as well. Planting them directly in the substrate is not ecologically sound. In addition, when attaching Willow Moss on driftwood, it is easier to attach it after arranging driftwood and before planting aquatic plants. Willow Moss, which is a type of moss, should be spread thinly over the area where you want it to grow and secured using Moss Cotton. The Moss Cotton should melt away naturally by the time Willow Moss is attached to the driftwood. Fuji-Ishi rocks have a lot of indentations and very little surface area with which Willow Moss can make good contact. Since Willow Moss does not grow attached to them in a short period of time, Riccia Line should be used to attach it to the rocks as in the case of Riccia which is not epiphytic.

Nature Aquarium Basics | Setting the Substrate

The Significance of the Substrate
In Nature Aquarium, the gravel on the bottom where aquatic plants are planted is called the substrate. The substrate has three major purposes. One is to support aquatic plants and provide nutrients. Another is to enable microorganisms to multiply and stabilize the environment of an aquarium. The third is to render a natural feel to a layout. The activity of microorganisms is especially important since organic matter, such as fish waste and uneaten food that falls into the substrate, is decomposed by the microorganisms that are fully established in the substrate. In addition, the roots of aquatic plants and the microorganisms in the substrate have a type of symbiotic relationship. Aquatic plants can grow healthfully only when microorganisms help them absorb nutrients through roots. When aquatic plants grow densely by absorbing nutrients that are broken down from organic matter, the uptake of nutrients from the leaf surfaces and the release of oxygen through photosynthesis become vigorous as well, and the environment in the aquarium stabilizes. Therefore, the present substrate system was developed for Nature Aquarium for the purpose of growing beneficial microorganisms in the substrate to encourage the healthy growth of the roots of aquatic plants. The concept of natural ecosystem is utilized in the Nature Aquarium substrate, which is based on the mutual relationship of soil environment, microorganisms, aquatic plants and fish.


Nature Aquarium Substrate
It is important to grow microorganisms in Nature Aquarium substrate. The beneficial microorganisms in the substrate include bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. The supply of organic matter, which is their food, and oxygen are essential for encouraging their growth and activities. Power Sand was developed to provide the organic matter and to improve water permeability in the substrate. Power Sand, which is natural pumice with porous surfaces and treated with aged plant-based organic matter, is suitable for growing and establishing microorganisms. When Power Sand is laid at the very bottom of the substrate, the organic matter is broken down by multiplying microorganisms and supplied as nutrients to the roots of aquatic plants. The basic substrate setting is to place Aqua Soil on top of Power Sand. Among Aqua Soils, Amazonia is rich in organic acids and trace elements, and aquatic plants grow their roots in it rapidly. Spreading roots turn over the substrate and bring oxygen rich water into the substrate. This encourages the activities of aerobic microorganisms and establishes the environment in the substrate rapidly.


Explanation of figure 01
To build the substrate with cosmetic sand, first draw a boundary line on the bottom of the aquarium with a permanent marker and secure a cardboard divider with packing tape along the boundary line. Place cosmetic sand such as Forest Sand in the front of the divider, and place various additives, Power Sand, and Aqua Sand, respectively, behind the divider. After matching the heights of the cosmetic sand and Aqua Soil across the divider and smoothing the substrate surfaces, pull out the cardboard divider. Lastly, place the small rocks (such as Fuji-Ishi wrapped with Willow Moss) along the boundary line to prevent Aqua Soil from toppling over the cosmetic sand. This completes the substrate laying work.


Further Improvement of the Substrate Environment
Although the combination of Power Sand and Aqua Soil constitutes the basic substrate system, various substrate additives are used to further improve the environment in the substrate. The most basic additives are Bacter 100 and Clear Super. While microorganisms emerge naturally with Power Sand alone, it takes time. The use of Bacter 100 that contains dormant soil microbes allows beneficial microorganisms to develop faster in the substrate. Since powdered charcoal-based Clear Super that contains organic acids becomes food for the microorganisms during their initial development period, it is sprinkled at the bottom of the substrate along with Bacter 100. A Growth Plate is a device that maintains the environment of the substrate in a good condition. When the temperature decreases in winter, there will be a difference in temperature between the water column with a heater and the substrate, and the water flow within the substrate becomes stagnant. If the temperature of the substrate is significantly low, the root growth of aquatic plants slows down as well. A Growth Plate, which is equipped with a heater and a thermostat inside, warms the entire substrate gradually and promotes the water circulation and the root growth of the aquatic plants.


How to Build the Substrate
There are many ways to build the substrate. The simplest one is to build the substrate by laying Aqua Soil on top of Power Sand. The majority of aquatic plants grow well with this combination. A more meticulous way to build the substrate is to first scatter substrate additives (Bacter 100, Clear Super, Penac W, Penac P, and Tourmaline BC) on the bottom of an empty aquarium, and then place Power Sand, Aqua Soil, and Aqua Soil Powder Type, respectively, on top. In either case, Power Sand should be placed 1 to 2 cm away from the front glass so that it is not visible from the front of the aquarium. Placing Aqua Soil low toward the front and sloping it higher toward the rear with a Sand Flattener adds depth to a layout. Powder type Aqua Soil looks good when placed in a thin layer over the substrate starting from the front of the aquarium, and aquatic plants grow well in it as well. The amount of the substrate material for a 60 cm aquarium is roughly 2 liters of Power Sand and 9 liters of Aqua Soil. In the case of an Iwagumi layout, the substrate should be laid somewhat lightly initially considering the mounding of soil to be done later.


Laying a Split Substrate
A number of recent Nature Aquarium layouts have a Power Sand and Aqua Soil combination in the area where aquatic plants are planted and cosmetic sand such as Forest Sand in the foreground section. Although the growth of aquatic plants in Forest Sand or other sand is not very good, the sand is used for a cosmetic purpose since the sand gives off a natural feel and looks beautiful. However, if the sand is not separated well from Aqua Soil, they tend to mix and look unsightly. The area for cosmetic sand depends on the composition of a layout. The boundary for the area should be marked on the bottom of an aquarium with a permanent marker according to the composition that you wish to create. Then a cardboard divider should be placed along the boundary with packing tape. Some substrate materials should be placed on both sides of the divider to secure it in place, taking care not to let the divider fall over. Then the rest of the substrate materials should be placed. When the height of the cosmetic sand is matched with the height of Aqua Soil at the boundary, gently pull out the divider leaning it somewhat toward the rear of the aquarium. This will produce a cleanly separated substrate. Placing small rocks at the boundary can prevent the Aqua Soil from toppling toward the front.


Maintaining the Substrate
Nature Aquarium is supposed to be maintained over a long time. While it is maintained, its substrate cannot be replaced. Therefore the substrate needs to stay in good condition as long as possible. The nutrients contained in Power Sand are absorbed by aquatic plants and run out in half a year to a year. Using this as a guideline, nutrients should be replenished with Multi Bottom or Iron Bottom. Although fish and shrimp excrements fall into the substrate, microorganisms in the substrate decompose them in Nature Aquarium. However, if cosmetic sand is used in the foreground, excrements and sludge collect on the sand surface and look unsightly. These should be suctioned out with a small diameter hose along with some water. In time the substrate tends to become anaerobic and blue-green algae may develop in the substrate. If this happens, blue-green algae can be controlled by injecting some Phyton-Git or Bacter 100 that is diluted in water into the substrate with a syringe. An anaerobic environment can also be improved by injecting some Penac W that is diluted in water.